IRS Cancels July 22 Furlough Day

The Internal Revenue Service today announced the cancellation of its fourth scheduled agency-wide employee furlough day that was due to occur on Monday, July 22.

"The IRS will be open for taxpayers that day as scheduled, and all employees will be paid for that day. This step follows a lot of hard work across the Service to cut costs," Danny Werfel, IRS Principal Deputy Commissioner, said in a message to IRS employees.

‪The IRS has so far taken three furlough days on May 24, June 14 and July 5 due to the current budget situation, including the sequester.

‪The IRS is also considering whether the next scheduled furlough day on Aug. 30 will be necessary.

Source: http://www.asktaxguru.com/8190-irs-cancels-july-22-furlough-day.html

child custody tax question

AskTaxGuru.com Junior Member, madawg22, asked:

I got custody of my son in August of 2010. My X is telling me that by claiming him I am violating the IRS rule since I did not have him for more than 1/2 of the year. My tax person stated that this is not true and that I did not violate anything. My custody paper work does not identify who claims who, just who has custody. Did I do something wrong and is my tax person wrong?

Should I ammend my tax claim for 2010 and allow my X to claim the son? I just want to do the right thing. Thanks

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Why does the IRS want taxpayers to use a 1040-V payment voucher?

According to the IRS, "the Form 1040-V, Payment Voucher, is part of the modernization process. Thus, if taxpayers have a balance due on your tax return, using the payment voucher will help the IRS process that payment more accurately and efficiently."

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Tips for Managing Your Tax Records

After you file your taxes, you will have many records that may help document items on your tax return. You will need these documents should the IRS select your return for examination. Here are five tips from the IRS about keeping good records.

1. Normally, tax records should be kept for three years.
2. Some documents — such as records relating to a home purchase or sale, stock transactions, IRA and business or rental property — should be kept longer.
3. In most cases, the IRS does not require you to keep records in any special manner. Generally speaking, however, you should keep any and all documents that may have an impact on your federal tax return.
4. Records you should keep include bills, credit card and other receipts, invoices, mileage logs, canceled, imaged or substitute checks, proofs of payment, and any other records to support deductions or credits you claim on your return.

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IRS Announces Increased Pension Plan Limitations for 2012 for Individual taxpayers

The Internal Revenue Service announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for Tax Year 2012. Per IRS, "many of the pension plan limitations will change for 2012 because the increase in the cost-of-living index met the statutory thresholds that trigger their adjustment." The major changes outlined by the IRS include the following:

1. The elective deferral (contribution) limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan is increased from $16,500 to $17,000.

2. Unfortunately, the catch-up contribution limit for those aged 50 and over remains unchanged at $5,500.

3. The deduction for taxpayers making contributions to a traditional IRA is phased out for singles and heads of household who are covered by a workplace retirement plan and have modified adjusted gross incomes (AGI) between $58,000 and $68,000, up from $56,000 and $66,000 in 2011. For married couples filing jointly, in which the spouse who makes the IRA contribution is covered by a workplace retirement plan, the income phase-out range is $92,000 to $112,000, up from $90,000 to $110,000. For an IRA contributor who is not covered by a workplace retirement plan and is married to someone who is covered, the deduction is phased out if the couple’s income is between $173,000 and $183,000, up from $169,000 and $179,000.

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IRS announces several "Tax Benefits Increase Due to Inflation Adjustments for the tax year 2012."

Per the IRS, "for tax year 2012, personal exemptions and standard deductions will rise and tax brackets will widen due to inflation."

Due to the existing Tax Law, "the dollar amounts for a variety of tax provisions, affecting virtually every taxpayer, must be revised each year to keep pace with inflation." Thus, the New dollar amounts affecting 2012 returns, filed by most taxpayers in early 2013, include the following:

The value of each personal and dependent exemption, available to most taxpayers, is $3,800, up $100 from 2011.

The new standard deduction is $11,900 for married couples filing a joint return, up $300, $5,950 for singles and married individuals filing separately, up $150, and $8,700 for heads of household, up $200. Nearly two out of three taxpayers take the standard deduction, rather than itemizing deductions, such as mortgage interest, charitable contributions and state and local taxes.

Tax-bracket thresholds increase for each filing status. For a married couple filing a joint return, for example, the taxable-income threshold separating the 15-percent bracket from the 25-percent bracket is $70,700, up from $69,000 in 2011.

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Tax Refund

AskTaxGuru.com Junior Member, melynda, asked:

Can IRS keep my 2008 tax refund I have coming if I owe for child support for the year 2010?

IRS Announces Increased Pension Plan Limitations for 2012 for Individual taxpayers!

Per the IRS, "for tax year 2012, personal exemptions and standard deductions will rise and tax brackets will widen due to inflation."

Due to the existing Tax Law, "the dollar amounts for a variety of tax provisions, affecting virtually every taxpayer, must be revised each year to keep pace with inflation." Thus, the New dollar amounts affecting 2012 returns, filed by most taxpayers in early 2013, include the following:

The value of each personal and dependent exemption, available to most taxpayers, is $3,800, up $100 from 2011.

The new standard deduction is $11,900 for married couples filing a joint return, up $300, $5,950 for singles and married individuals filing separately, up $150, and $8,700 for heads of household, up $200. Nearly two out of three taxpayers take the standard deduction, rather than itemizing deductions, such as mortgage interest, charitable contributions and state and local taxes.

IRS allows some taxpayers more time to report their offshore accounts.

Taxpayers who have signature authority over an account but no financial interest in it now have until November 1, 2011 to file Treasury Form 90-22.1 for 2009 and earlier years.

"The filing deadline for the 2010 year is not being extended and for the time being is still June 30, 2011. The August 31 deadline to sign up for the IRS offshore disclosure program isn’t affected."

Source.

IRS Launches the IRS2Go App for iPhone, Android; Taxpayers Can Check Refunds, Get Tax Information

The Internal Revenue Service today unveiled IRS2Go, its first smartphone application that lets taxpayers check on their status of their tax refund and obtain helpful tax information.

"This new smart phone app reflects our commitment to modernizing the agency and engaging taxpayers where they want when they want it," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "As technology evolves and younger taxpayers get their information in new ways, we will keep innovating to make it easy for all taxpayers to access helpful information."

The IRS2Go phone app gives people a convenient way of checking on their federal refund. It also gives people a quick way of obtaining easy-to-understand tax tips.

Apple users can download the free IRS2Go application by visiting the Apple App Store. Android users can visit the Android Marketplace to download the free IRS2Go app.

"This phone app is a first step for us," Shulman said. "We will look for additional ways to expand and refine our use of smartphones and other new technologies to help meet the needs of taxpayers."

The mobile app, among a handful in the federal government, offers a number of safe and secure ways to help taxpayers. Features of the first release of the IRS2Go app include:

How to Avoid a Tax Audit for Sole Proprietorships

IRS has found that taxpayers with Schedule C filers have been both overstating expenses and understating income. Here are some the areas that have been typically sited as overstating expenses, and the IRS has specially targeted these for audits

1. Taxpayer has included personal telephone and cell phone calls on his or her Schedule C.

2. Taxpayer has included personal home and life insurance as part of business insurance expense on his or her Schedule C.

3. Taxpayer has expensed his or her spouses travel expense even though she was not actively involved in the Schedule C business.

Question About Filing Singe Or Married

AskTaxGuru.com Junior Member, bulls2030, asked:

Hi,
I got married overseas and my spouse and child at the moment live abroad.
My spouse does not have a green card or anything and we are currently waiting for her immigration.
Well for my past two tax returns, I have been filing my taxes as married filing separately with my spouses name, but haven't got a TIN or whatever that is called.

I have been searching online for this issue if I can file my taxes as single because my spouse and child have not immigrated to the USA.

So I have two questions.

1) Based on my situation described above, can I file my taxes as "Single" or do I have to file as "Married Filing Separately"?
2) If I can file as single, will the IRS say something since I already filed my past two returns as married filing separately with my spouses name and none EIN or TIN or whatever that is called?

Anyone's help would be much appreciated
Thanks

Six Facts About the American Opportunity Tax Credit

Many parents and college students will be able to offset the cost of college over the next two years under the new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This tax credit is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Here are six important facts the IRS wants you to know about the new American Opportunity Tax Credit:

1. This credit, which expands and renames the existing Hope Credit, can be claimed for qualified tuition and related expenses that you pay for higher education in 2009 and 2010. Qualified tuition and related expenses include tuition, related fees, books and other required course Materials.
2. The credit is equal to 100 percent of the first $2,000 spent and 25 percent of the next $2,000 per student each year. Therefore, the full $2,500 credit may be available to a taxpayer who pays $4,000 or more in qualifying expenses for an eligible student.

Deduct VA mortage insurance (VA funding fee)

AskTaxGuru.com Junior Member, randystoker, asked:

I deducted a VA funding fee I paid in '09 on my 2009 tax return. According to publication 936, VA mortgage insurance is known as a funding fee and is fully deductible in the year paid as qualified mortgage insurance. However, this year I received a letter from the IRS stating that my mortgage insurance deduction for '09 was corrected to $0 and that I owed more than $4K in back taxes for 2009. I replied with a copy of my HUD-1 showing the VA funding fee paid and the page from IRS pub. 936 showing that the VA fee paid was considered mortgage insurance and was fully deductible in the year paid. The IRS replied back with a letter requesting to see a copy of my "corrected" 1098 showing the mortgage insurance paid. However, my bank (Chase) replied in an e-mail that they do not put VA funding fees on their 1098's (even though I referenced IRS instructions for 1098 that these fees should be included in box 4 if over $600). Chase said they were sorry and could not comply with my request for a corrected 1098. My question, can the deduction for mortgage insurance be taken if not on the 1098? 

How to Get Your Prior-Year Tax Information from the IRS

Taxpayers sometimes need tax returns from previous years for loan applications, to estimate tax withholding, for legal reasons or because records were destroyed in a natural disaster or fire. If your original tax returns were lost or destroyed, you can obtain copies or transcripts from the IRS. Here are 10 things to know if you need federal tax return information from a previously filed tax return.

1. There are three options for obtaining free copies of your federal tax return information – on the web, by phone or by mail.
2. The IRS does not charge a fee for transcripts, which are available for the current and past three tax years.
3. A tax return transcript shows most line items from your tax return as it was originally filed, including any accompanying forms and schedules. It does not reflect any changes made after the return was filed.
4. A tax account transcript shows any later adjustments either you or the IRS made after the tax return was filed. This transcript shows basic data, including marital status, type of return filed, adjusted gross income and taxable income.
5. To request either transcript online, go to Internal Revenue Service
   and use our online tool called Order A Transcript. To order by phone, call             800-908-9946       and follow the prompts in the recorded message.

Nine Facts about the New Vehicle Sales and Excise Tax Deduction

Taxpayers who buy new motor vehicles this year may be entitled to a special tax deduction for the sales or excise taxes on those purchases when they file their 2009 federal tax returns next year. This tax break is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Taxpayers in states that do not have state sales taxes may be entitled to deduct other fees or taxes imposed by the state or local government.

Here are nine important facts the IRS wants you to know about the deduction:

Back-to-School Tips for Students and Parents Paying College Expenses

Whether you’re a recent graduate going to college for the first time or a returning student, it will soon be time to get to campus – and payment deadlines for tuition and other fees are not far behind. The Internal Revenue Service reminds students or parents paying such expenses to keep receipts and to be aware of some tax benefits that can help offset college costs.

Typically, these benefits apply to you, your spouse or a dependent for whom you claim an exemption on your tax return.

IRS announces new Interest Rates on Overdue Taxes for both Individuals and Corporations Effective September 30, 2011!

The IRS announced new interest rates on overdue taxes for both Individuals and Corporations effective September 30, 2011. The new rates on overdue taxes will now be 3%. The interest rates on Corporations will be 5% for Corporations that owe more than $100,000.

Three Tips for Employers Outsourcing Their Payroll

Outsourcing payroll duties to third-party service providers can streamline business operations, but the IRS reminds employers that they are ultimately responsible for paying federal tax liabilities.

Recent prosecutions of individuals and companies who - acting under the guise of a payroll service provider - have stolen funds intended for payment of employment taxes makes it important that employers who outsource payroll are aware of the following three tips from the IRS:

1. Employer Responsibility
2. Correspondence
3. EFTPS

How to Get Your Prior-Year Tax Information from the IRS

Taxpayers sometimes need tax returns from previous years for loan applications, to estimate tax withholding, for legal reasons or because records were destroyed in a natural disaster or fire. If your original tax returns were lost or destroyed, you can obtain copies or transcripts from the IRS. Here are 10 things to know if you need federal tax return information from a previously filed tax return.

1. There are three options for obtaining free copies of your federal tax return information – on the web, by phone or by mail.