IRS provides guidance on new rules for employment tax levies
The IRS has issued interim guidance to its directors and collection area offices that explains when it is permissible to issue a levy to collect employment taxes without first giving the taxpayer a pre-levy collection due process (CDP) notice.
Want to stop a wage levy or a bank levy? Read on….
If you have not noticed, the IRS is getting more aggressive in their collection, and audit activities. Enforcement actions is at its highest level for years now!
Final substitute return regs adopt temporary and proposed regs with one minor change
T.D. 9380, 2/12/2008; Reg. § 301.6020-1
In 2005, IRS issued temporary (also issued as proposed regs) that broadened the scope of when IRS-prepared substitute returns (SFR) are valid. Specifically, the temporary regs provide that a document or set of documents (including a Form 13496, Code Sec. 6020(b) Certification) signed by an authorized IRS officer or employee is a “return” under Code Sec. 6020(b) if it identifies the taxpayer by name and taxpayer identification number, contains sufficient information to compute his tax liability, and purports to be a return. IRS has now adopted the temporary and proposed regs as final regs with one minor change.
How to handle the IRS at your Front Door? Is a Revenue Officer or a Revenue Agent visiting you soon?
If you find yourself face to face with an IRS Agent (Revenue Officer for collection issues, or Revenue Agent for audit and examination issues), at your front door you must remember to avoid these common mistakes:
1. Don’t invite them into your home or business.
2. Don’t answer any question. No matter how innocent they sound.
3. Don’t provide them paperwork or documentation.
alties, options to address your IRS tax penalty and more…
The IRS has over 148 different types of penalties. And boy do they love to hand them out. The worst part is that the IRS also charges interest and additional penalties on the original penalty.
So you must try to get them reduced or completely abated to zero. CLICK HERE FOR HELP
After you have decided to make a request to the IRS to “Abate Your Penalties” you must consider where and when to make the request. In my experience your chances are better in dealing with IRS Service Centers. The timing of your request depends on the type of penalty assessed against you. It always makes sense to request penalty abatement before you pay the IRS.
Mortgage Tax Debt Relief, AMT Relief – why you need professional tax advice
AMT relief. In general terms, to find out if you owe alternative minimum tax (AMT), you start with regular taxable income, modify it with various adjustments and preferences (such as add-backs for property and income tax deductions and dependency exemptions), and then subtract an exemption amount (which phases out at higher levels of income). The result is multiplied by an AMT tax rate of 26% or 28% to arrive at the tentative minimum tax. You pay the AMT only if the tentative minimum tax exceeds your regular tax bill..
Although it was originally enacted to make sure that wealthy individuals did not escape paying taxes, the AMT has wound up ensnaring many middle-income taxpayers. One reason is that many of the tax figures (such as the tax brackets, standard deductions, and personal exemptions) used to arrive at your regular tax bill are adjusted for inflation, but the tax figures used to arrive at the AMT are not.
Nothing strikes terror in the heart of American taxpayers quite like finding a letter in the mailbox from the IRS! In an effort to help you avoid that unpleasant scenario, provided below are examples of some common pitfalls to avoid if you don’t want the IRS lining up to be your new pen pal.
It’s surprising how many people mail their returns to the IRS without a signature. Before mailing, be sure to recheck everything and don’t forget to sign your return. An even better solution is to file electronically. Returns filed electronically have safeguards and controls to eliminate common errors. Additionally, the return goes directly to the processing center and the information does not have to be keyed into a computer by an IRS employee, which could result in additional errors.
Did you remember to include all income on the return? If you received a Form 1099 from anyone, be sure this income is on the return in the right place or you will receive a notice. Even if you did not receive a 1099 for work done independently, you are required to report the income. IRS receives copies of 1099s from banks, stock brokerage firms, rental agencies, and subcontractors and these are checked against income reported.
You’ve just picked up your mail and … uh oh, there among the ads, bills and too numerous offerings for credit cards is that official looking letter from the Internal Revenue Service. A feeling of dread comes over you…but don’t panic or toss it, and please DO open it. It might even be good news.
Usually, mail from the IRS is a notification that they need verification of documents or substantiation of an amount you have claimed on your tax return. Read the letter thoroughly. Determine what they are looking for, and then provide the information. Some of the most commonly missed items on a return are simple things: You forgot to sign the 1040; You didn’t attach W-2’s and required statements; If you’re paying quarterly, maybe you claimed the wrong amount as estimated tax; Or, perhaps the income you listed doesn’t match the figure that was reported to the IRS on a Form 1099 by someone who paid you during the tax year.
If you have the correct information, it’s a simple matter to fix. Make copies of your documents verifying the information on your return and send the copies back to the IRS along with a copy of the letter they sent to you. If, in fact, you didn’t include an amount on your return that should have been there, sign the form agreeing to the change and send them a check for the amount of tax due by the deadline date given for compliance. Usually, penalties and interest will be added–so, the sooner you comply, the less it will cost.
Many people become non-filers each year for a number of reasons. They lose the paperwork, they couldn’t pay, or they forgot about it. Sometimes illness, family crisis or depression plays a role. The list goes on and on.
If you are a non-filer, don’t procrastinate any longer. You may be hoping the IRS has forgotten about you, but that rarely happens. In truth, the more you wait, the more costly it will be if you owe money. And if you are due a refund, the statute of limitations on that refund expires three years from the date the return should have been filed. Don’t risk losing your money.
Facing an ever more aggressive Internal Revenue Service, Americans with tax debts should start 2008 with a fresh start and finally get rid of their looming tax problem(s).
Are you asking yourself … If i have tax problems who should I contact?
In case you hadn’t noticed, the taxman is after you.
Tax Relief Blog