by | Aug 26, 2021 | Tax Tips and News
Impersonating the Internal Revenue Service is big business for identity thieves. These phishing scams often combine fear of the agency with urgency (and threats), and those who fall for them can soon find their information or money stolen. That’s why the IRS this week highlighted how they communicate with taxpayers.
Generally, the IRS provides tips for figuring out if a phone call, letter, email, or text message is a phishing scam. Those signs can be specific to the particular scam or common amongst them all, and learning to spot phishing is one of the best ways to protect your information. Another key component is knowing how government agencies like the IRS actually contact Americans.
How will the IRS contact me?
Typically, the first communication sent by the IRS is a letter. There are myriad tax-related reasons someone might receive a letter from the IRS, and some letters will require follow-up by an agent: usually a phone call to “confirm an appointment or to discuss items for a scheduled audit.”
However, there are times when an IRS representative needs to show up in-person to talk to an individual taxpayer or business owner. According to the IRS, these “unannounced visits” are primarily “to discuss taxes owed, delinquent tax returns, or a business falling behind on payroll tax deposits.” And they may even ask the taxpayer to pay back taxes (more on that in a moment).
As for digital communication, IRS representatives may occasionally email taxpayers—but the agency stresses that’s not how they “normally initiate contact.”
How won’t the IRS contact me?
The IRS does not send texts or social media messages to taxpayers, period. That means any private messages you receive on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok are not from the IRS.
What should I do if I think an IRS message is a phishing scam?
If you suspect an IRS letter is fake, you can check it against the list of legitimate letters and notices on IRS.gov. The “Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter” page features a search tool that contains most letters and notices issued by the agency—some of which even have sample PDFs. When a letter doesn’t appear in the search, the IRS suggests calling 800.829.1040 to speak with an IRS representative.
An in-person visit from the IRS may sound stressful, but there are a couple ways you can determine if the person on your doorstep is the genuine article:
- IRS representatives can always provide two forms of official credentials: a pocket commission and a Personal Identity Verification Credential
- Payment will never be requested to a source other than the U.S. Treasury
Finally, the IRS stresses that you simply should not reply to emails and social media messages, even if they look and sound official. Remember, phishing scams want your personal information, and they’re good at getting tricking people into providing it once they establish a back-and-forth conversation.
(While not explicitly included in this press release, it’s also important to remember to never reflexively click on attachments and hyperlinks in digital messages. These can contain malware or take you to a fake website that is built to steal your information.)
To read the full press release, check out the source link below.
Source: IRS Tax Tip 2021-124
– Story provided by TaxingSubjects.com
by | Aug 26, 2021 | Tax Tips and News
A new feature just added to the IRS’ Child Tax Credit Update Portal allows users receiving the advance credit payments to change their mailing addresses. The Internal Revenue Service says this should speed up the process for taxpayers who get their advance payments by paper check, heading off late-arriving checks or even having a check returned as undeliverable.
For new addresses to take effect by the time September payments are sent on the 15th, address changes have to be posted on the portal before midnight Eastern Time on Monday, August 30.
Taxpayers can still make changes after the August 30 deadline, but that change won’t take effect until the following monthly payment in October.
Stay current with the IRS
When the Child Tax Credit Update Portal is used to change a taxpayer’s mailing address, the IRS then uses the new address for all future correspondence. As we mentioned, this can be important for taxpayers who get their advance credit payments by paper check in the mail, but others benefit from having current addresses on file as well.
The IRS says it will mail a year-end summary—Letter 6419—to all the taxpayers who received advance Child Tax Credit payments in 2021. For this summary to reach the correct taxpayers, it’s vital that these families give their correct mailing addresses to the IRS.
Letter 6419 is important to these families because they’ll need the letter when they fill out their 2021 income tax return next year.
Since in most cases, families will receive only half of their available credit through the advance payments, taxpayers will have to claim the remaining credit on their 2021 return – and that’s where Letter 6419 comes in.
Even more features coming to the portal
The Internal Revenue Service says it’s continuing to develop the Child Tax Credit Update Portal to better serve the needs of taxpayers. The portal, which is available only on IRS.gov, already allows taxpayers to verify eligibility for the advance Child Tax Credit. Once verified, users can choose to:
- Switch from receiving a paper check to direct deposit;
- Change the account where their payment is direct deposited; or
- Stop monthly payments for the rest of 2021.
Features of the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, however, won’t stop there. The IRS says it’s working on features that will allow users to add or remove children in most situations, to report a change in marital status, and to report a significant change in income.
For the latest information on the Child Tax Credit and its advance payments, see the IRS’ special Advance Child Tax Credit 2021 web page at IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021.
The web page has updated frequently asked questions and Publication 5549, IRS User Guide: Child Tax Credit Update Portal, along with direct links to the portal and to the Non-Filer Sign Up Tool and the Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant.
Source: IR-2021-171
– Story provided by TaxingSubjects.com
by | Aug 24, 2021 | Tax Tips and News
Long-haul truckers and others who own heavy highway motor vehicles are running out of time to file their federal highway use tax return by August 31.
The heavy vehicle use tax is levied on vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more that operate on public highways. Tuesday, August 31, is the deadline to file and pay.
Taxpayers who own 25 or more taxed vehicles are required to e-file their Form 2290 returns. All others are advised by the IRS to e-file as well, since that is the fastest and easiest method.
Check the Trucking Tax Center for the latest filing requirements and other information.
Details are Important for Filing Successfully
Before filing Form 2290 for the heavy vehicle use tax, taxpayers first need to gather their information:
- Remember that an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is required. Taxpayers cannot use their Social Security number. Anyone who doesn’t have an EIN, however, can apply for one online. Taxpayers should use the same name on their Form 2290 as was assigned to them with their EIN. The name control on Form 2290 must match their EIN.
- Taxpayers will need the vehicle identification number (VIN) of each vehicle being listed.
- Taxable gross weight of each vehicle. Filers can use the table on page 2 of the Form 2290 to calculate their tax for vehicles based on each vehicle’s weight.
Taxpayers can file Form 2290 in one of two ways.
As mentioned, e-filing offers faster processing. The IRS provides a watermarked Form 2290 Schedule 1 to taxpayers within minutes of receiving the e-filed return. By contrast, taxpayers who filed paper Forms 2290 could wait as long as six weeks before getting their Schedule 1 in the mail.
Although slower, paper filing remains an option for taxpayers. Once the paper Form 2290 is complete, it is mailed to the IRS. Filers should refer to the Form 2290 instructions for the correct mailing address.
Taxpayers also have options on methods to pay the heavy vehicle use tax. These include:
Internal Revenue Service
P.O. Box 932500
Louisville, KY 40293-2500
Some taxpayers may not be sure their vehicle qualifies for the heavy highway vehicle use tax or not. They can use the Do I Need to Pay the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax? tool to find out. The tool uses a series of questions to determine if the taxpayer is required to pay the use tax.
Source: Truckers must pay heavy highway vehicle use tax by August 31
– Story provided by TaxingSubjects.com
by | Aug 19, 2021 | Tax Tips and News
The tax industry partners who make up the Security Summit are urging practitioners to take a page out of the medical books in order to keep their computer systems healthy: to cure an infection, you first have to know your patient is sick.
In other words, tax pros have to know the signs of data theft if they expect to move quickly to protect their clients.
The Security Summit, which is comprised of IRS officials, state tax agency representatives, and tax industry leaders, says time is critical when there’s a question of identity theft surrounding their data systems. That means immediately contacting the IRS if there’s evidence their data has been compromised, and enlisting insurance or cybersecurity experts to help determine the cause and extent of a possible loss.
“There are tell-tale signs of identity theft that tax pros can easily miss,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Identity thieves continue to look for ways to slip into the systems of tax pros to steal data. We urge practitioners to take simple steps and remain on the lookout for signs of data and identity theft. They are a critical first line of defense against identity theft.”
Security Summit partners have adopted the theme “Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft,” aimed at urging tax pros to try harder to secure their systems and protect client data. This is reflected by a common comment from tax pros to IRS investigators after data theft: They didn’t immediately recognize the signs they’d been compromised.
What are the signs of possible data theft?
Tax professionals should know the critical signs of data theft:
- Client e-filed returns rejected because client’s Social Security number was already used on another return.
- More e-file acknowledgements received than returns the tax pro filed.
- Clients responded to emails the tax pro didn’t send.
- Slow or unexpected computer or network responsiveness such as:
- Software or actions take longer to process than usual;
- Computer cursor moves or changes numbers without touching the mouse or keyboard;
- Users unexpectedly locked out of a network or computer.
Sometimes, the signs of data theft come to the tax pro from their clients. These “red flags” may come in the form of IRS Authentication letters (5071C, 4883C or 5747C), even though the client hasn’t filed a return. Other signs are a refund when the client hasn’t filed, or a tax transcript they didn’t request.
More warning signs can include:
- Emails or calls from the tax pro that they didn’t initiate.
- A notice that someone created an IRS online account for the taxpayer without their consent.
- A notice the taxpayer wasn’t expecting that:
- Someone accessed their IRS online account; or
- The IRS disabled their online account.
There could, of course, be other examples. Data thieves are a relentless and creative lot. This means tax professionals should have the highest security possible and should not hesitate to contact authorities if they suspect or find something that isn’t right.
What should I do if my data is stolen?
There are steps that tax professionals can take if they—or their office—fall victim to a data theft. But speed is critical; these steps should be taken immediately to mitigate further damage.
Report the theft to the local IRS Stakeholder Liaison.
Liaisons notify IRS Criminal Investigation and other agency officials on behalf of the tax pro. The IRS can take steps to block fraudulent returns in the clients’ names and assist the local practitioner through the process. But speed is vital; data theft must be reported quickly.
Email the Federation of Tax Administrators at statealert@taxadmin.org.
This will get the tax pro information on how best to report the facts of the data theft to their particular state. According to the IRS, most states require that the state attorney general should be notified of data breaches and in some states, this could involve multiple state offices.
For more information on reporting a breach, see Data Theft Information for Tax Professionals.
For help with security recommendations, tax professionals can look over IRS Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, which has been recently updated. Another good source is Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
On the IRS website, IRS.gov, their Identity Theft Central pages have additional details targeting tax professionals, businesses and individuals. Also on IRS.gov, Publication 5293, Data Resource Guide for Tax Professionals, has a full set of compiled numbers on data theft.
Source: IR-2021-170
– Story provided by TaxingSubjects.com
by | Aug 19, 2021 | Tax Tips and News
The Internal Revenue Service says millions of families across the U.S. should see their advance payment of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in their bank accounts or mailboxes any day now.
This payment is the second in a series of advance monthly payments. The August payment goes out to some 36 million families and is worth about $15 billion. The IRS says the vast majority of taxpayers will get these payments by direct deposit.
Advance CTC payments were made possible by 2021 legislation called the American Rescue Plan that enabled half of the total Child Tax Credit available for qualified taxpayers to be received in a series of equal monthly payments. The other half of the credit is issued as a refund when the taxpayer files their return.
After starting advance monthly payments in July, the Treasury Department will continue to issue monthly payments for the rest of 2021.
Each monthly payment is up to $300 for each child under age 6, and up to $250 every month for children aged six to 17.
The advance payments went to eligible families who filed a 2019 or 2020 income tax return. Returns processed by August 2 are reflected in these payments. This includes people who don’t typically file a return but who successfully registered for Economic Impact Payments in 2020 using the IRS Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov, or who successfully used the Non-filer Sign-up Tool for advance CTC—also available on IRS.gov—during 2021.
Going forward, the IRS expects to issue future payments on September 15, October 15, November 15, and December 15.
The IRS passes along some other important points to remember whether waiting on a payment—or signing up for the credit:
- Families will see the direct deposit payments in their accounts starting today, August 13. Like the first payments, the vast majority of families will receive these payments by direct deposit.
- The IRS wants to alert some recipients who received direct deposits in July that they will receive the August payments by mail. Due to an issue expected to be resolved by the September payments, a percentage of these recipients – less than 15% – who received payments by direct deposit in July will be mailed paper checks for the August payment. For those affected, no additional action is needed for the September payment to be issued by direct deposit. Families can visit the Child Tax Credit Update Portal to see if they’re receiving a direct deposit or paper check this month.
- For those receiving their payments by paper check, be sure to allow extra time for delivery by mail through the end of August. Those wishing to receive future payments by direct deposit can make this change using the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, available only on IRS.gov. To access the portal or to get a new step-by-step guide for using it, visit IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021. A change made by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 will apply starting with the September payment.
- Payments went to eligible families who filed a 2019 or 2020 income tax return. Returns processed by August 2 are reflected in these payments. This includes people who don’t typically file a return but during 2020 successfully registered for Economic Impact Payments using the IRS Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov or in 2021 successfully used the Non-filer Sign-up Tool for advance CTC, also available only on IRS.gov.
- Payments are automatic. Aside from filing a tax return, including a simplified return from the Non-filer Sign-up Tool, families don’t have to do anything if they are eligible to receive monthly payments. The Non-Filer Sign-Up tool is available until October 15, 2021.
- Families who did not get a July payment and are getting their first monthly payment in August will still receive their total advance payment for the year. This means that the total payment will be spread over five months, rather than six, making each monthly payment larger. For these families, each payment is up to $360 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $300 per month for each child ages 6 through 17
- Additionally, the IRS is correcting an issue regarding the advance CTC payments for families where the parent(s) have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and the qualifying children have a Social Security number. Such families who did not receive a July payment are receiving a monthly payment in August, which also includes a portion of the July payment. They will receive the remainder of the July payment in late August.
The IRS is also working to correct an issue where parents have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), but their qualifying children have a Social Security number. Some families fitting this example may have been skipped over for the July payment.
In such cases, the IRS says these qualified families will get a larger August monthly payment that will also include part of the omitted July payment. The remainder of the July payment should be sent in late August.
The Advance Child Tax Credit payments can be stopped at any time.
Sometimes taxpayers determine it’s in their financial interests to get a lump sum when receiving the Child Tax Credit, rather than the advance payments over time. They can stop the payments any time – even after their payments have started.
To unenroll, they can simply use the unenroll feature on the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. When they make that choice, they will still get the rest of their CTC credit as a lump sum when their 2021 income tax return is filed next year.
To stop all 2021 payments starting in September, the IRS says people should unenroll by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 30, 2021.
Married couples must unenroll separately. Monthly payments will stop altogether if they both choose to unenroll. If only one spouse unenrolls, monthly payments of the credit continue, but only at half the previous amount.
Terminating enrollment also comes into play for a family that no longer qualifies for the CTC, or a family that believes they won’t qualify for the credit when they file their 2021 tax return. For example, this could happen if someone else—such as an ex-spouse or another family member—is able to claim their child or children as dependents in 2021.
There’s still time to sign up for Advance Child Tax Credit payments.
Even though two advance CTC payments have gone out, the IRS says it’s not too late for low-income families to sign up. the agency especially invites anyone who isn’t normally required to file an income tax return to go online to IRS.gov and explore the tools available to them.
These tools can help them:
- Determine their eligibility for the advance payments of the Child Tax Credit;
- File a simplified tax return to sign up for advance CTC payments;
- File and sign up for an Economic Impact Payment;
- File and sign up for the Recovery Rebate Credit.
The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging its industry partners and community groups to share their information and to use the IRS’ online tools and toolkits to help non-filers, low-income families, and other underserved groups to sign up for Child Tax Credits when they qualify.
The new advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant can help people see if they qualify for the advance payments.
Source: IRS: Families now receiving August Child Tax Credit payments; still time for low-income families to sign up
– Story provided by TaxingSubjects.com
by | Aug 14, 2021 | Tax Tips and News
New guidance from the Internal Revenue Service seeks to clear the air on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for employers and gives relief to them as well.
WOTC makes a federal income tax credit available to those employers who hire qualified workers from groups specified in the Internal Revenue Code. These groups are known to face an uphill climb for employment and can include Designated Community Residents or Qualified Summer Youth Employees.
IRS Notice 2021-43 extends the existing 28-day deadline for employers to submit a request to a designated local agency (DLA) certifying new hires are either a Designated Community Resident or a Qualified Summer Youth Employee.
Qualified employees must have been hired between Jan. 1 and Oct. 8 of this year. To qualify, workers have to live full-time in an Empowerment Zone.
Empowerment zones themselves were scheduled to be terminated at the end of 2020, but new legislation allowed them to be extended through 2025.
While all Empowerment Zone designations were extended to Dec. 31, 2025, the relief set forth in Notice 2021-43 gives employers until Nov. 8, 2021 to submit Form 8850, Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit.
Notice 2021-43 also furnishes guidance to employers who submitted a Form 8850 to a DLA for these employees but were denied because of the original termination of the Empowerment Zones. Relief is also applied to employers who got a certification before the extension of Empowerment Zones went through.
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit can trace its roots all the way back to 1996 and the Small Business Job Protection Act. The WOTC tax credit amounts to a percentage of qualified wages paid in a given year to an employee certified by the Designated Local Agency as a member of one of the specified groups targeted for employment.
Source: IR-2021-168
– Story provided by TaxingSubjects.com
Holland and Associates