IR-2014-48: Tax Information Available Through IRS Social Media Tools

IR-2014-48: Tax Information Available Through IRS Social Media Tools



"LIKE" the I.R.S. on Facebook!



Tweet the U.S. Treasury



Download IRS2Go to your I-Phone, from your social media web site.



View informational videos on YouTube.



Take a Tumble and join the Internal Revenue Service on Tumbler.



I.R.S. Information has become more streamlined for the hearing impaired. The Internal Revenue Service offers American Sign Language videos.



Information is available in Spanish and English, and there is a department that deals with Tribal issues.



Today's IRS is not your parent's taxing agency there are many new and innovative ways to find information with regards to the I.R.S. and the U.S. Treasury Department. With advances in technology and Internet use, interested parties can search for gifts, teachers resources and a vast array of Summer Internships for students 16 years and older. USAJOBS - Student Jobs (link)



Connection can be empowerment, just remember if you "Like" the I.R.S. they will have your feeds unless you protect your privacy settings.



Find the I.R.S. through Social Media

I hope this has helped in some way. Happy filing.

IRS2Go 4.0 Smartphone App Downloads Surpass 2.3 Million

IRS2Go 4.0 Smartphone App Downloads Surpass 2.3 Million

The IRS evolves well! 

Launched in 2011 the IRS2Go Smartphone App has been uploaded over 5 million times. 

In 2014 alone more than 2 million people downloaded the IRS2Go 4.0 Smartphone App. 

We hear many negative things about our Government and especially the IRS, and so it is only fair to give them props where they are due. 

Less than 2 decades ago we had not dreamed of a "Windows" program. The Window idea was introduced as "WYSIWYG" technology. That means What You See Is What You Get. 

The very idea of taking a beam of light by the end of our fingertips, clicking a big green (icon) button to "File" our Federal Tax Returns in 1994, was not even a fantasy.

We were using DOS operating systems to communicate from Tax offices to the IRS. Less than 30 years ago, we did not get a print-out from a printer via computer. We filled it out in Quadruplet, making sure to press down hard enough for the inky carbon paper to copy through each page. 

Considering that over half of the inquiries to the IRS.gov website, asking "Where's My Refund?," were from mobile users.

Let's go ahead and give our IRS, Treasury and other Government workers a big THANK YOU! 

It is hard to remember that "The Government" is made up of a bunch of people. Many are public minded, earning less money than in the private sector, and honestly care about their Government and it's People. 

Next time you go to complain about our Government, take a moment, and find something positive.  There are creative innovators who work for different agencies within the Government that work hard helping us out, and making getting information from the Federal and State governments much easier. 

Thank you very much for all you do. 

Tax Filing Deadline Approaching 2014 - Healthcare

#getEnrolled                                                                                                  March 19, 2014



Taxpayers, I feel for you. I know who you are, the ones who have been avoiding the taxes, or you are still gathering stuff up for the accountant. Some of you have already decided to file an extension, and you are just trying to earn some extra cash so you can put a dent in what you owe. 

In less than a month, your tax return is due, and you are pretty sure you will have to pay in again, or for the first time. Make sure you get the best tax advice, and don't be chincy when it comes to professional tax help. Just because someone is a CPA, or Bookkeeper or Enrolled Agent, if they are not focused on your case, or not well trained, they can mess you up. Find someone with a good reputation with the IRS and you will be assured to be taken care of. 

To further drive you to madness, a new deadline approaches...Open Enrollment for "Obamacare" is about to expire. Many in your tax brackets will not be concerned with any tax changes regarding the Affordable Care Act on your 2013 tax year. Most of you have been paying thousands of dollars per year in Insurance Premiums most of your working life. I can hazard to guess that unless you demanded to keep your insurance company who is not in compliance out of stubbornness most taxpayers should be glad to see total annual premiums and out-of-pocket expenses dropping.

Since you are stressed out beyond belief here is a word from Get Covered America

Okay. Now that you are feeling a little better: 

If you think you may have some 2013 costs or changes associated with the Healthcare law you can get help from the IRS Website. In today's announced "HCTT - 2014-10: What do I need to know about the Healthcare Law for my 2013 Tax Return?", there are links to find more information regarding the ACA and the affect it will have on your return.

______________________________________

Copied from http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USIRS/bulletins/aba082?reqfrom=share (IRS 03.19.2014)

...However, for some people, a few provisions may affect your 2013 tax return, such as increases in the itemized medical deduction threshold, the additional Medicare tax and the net investment income tax.
Here are some additional tips:
Filing Requirement: If you do not have a tax filing requirement, you do not need to file a 2013 federal tax return to establish eligibility or qualify for financial assistance, including advance payments of the premium tax credit to purchase health insurance coverage through a Health Insurance Marketplace. Learn more at HealthCare.gov.
W-2 Reporting of Employer Coverage: The value of health care coverage reported by your employer in box 12 and identified by Code DD on your Form W-2 is not taxable. Learn more.
Information available about other tax provisions in the health care law: More information is available on IRS.gov regarding the following tax provisions: Premium Rebate for Medical Loss Ratio, Health Flexible Spending Arrangements, and Health Saving Accounts.
More InformationFind out more tax-related provisions of the health care law at IRS.gov/aca.
Find out more about the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov.
____________________________________________

It is important that taxpayers learn the facts about the Healthcare Law / ACA / or Obamacare. It is helping a majority of Americans, but many are missing out due to politics, lies and bad information. 

Please look into the benefits of having affordable health care. 

Stay well, and be healthy.







38f2434d7556cc40115ca81a5c0e7244ae0619a9b91e590e97

Open Enrollment Is Almost Over - Don't Let Misinformation Get You in Trouble

This blog post goes out to fellow citizens living under the U.S. Tax Code.

March 31st 2014 - Open Enrollment Ends

Something that I have always appreciated about taxes is that anyone can argue about Democrats and Republicans, greed, sexual orientation, minimum wage, Benghazi and the Keystone Pipeline, but it is tax law changes from year to year that tell the true story of what is going on in Washington D.C.

I love knowing tax law and code changes, because those are historic registers for what each Executive Branch, Judicial Branch and Legislative Branch allowed or made happen during their own tenures in office. There are not many people I know who have followed the tax laws for more than forty years, but all of us can attest to what has occurred and how over the last thirty years, the middle class has been overwhelmed with the burden of our fair and equitable system. 

Just like the Holy Roman Empire (I still hear the repeated phrase of my World History professor; 'It was not Holy, It was not Roman, and it was not an Empire.") America was only a fair and equitable system for a miniscule period of time. As soon as Europeans made landfall in America, there was a systematic program of genocide and the grabbing of all resources by a handful of people.

There have been years that have been good to the Middle Class tax-wise, but since the creation of the Alternative Minimum Tax (I have argued and fussed for its repeal for decades...), the Middle Class has been doomed. It was during that time that Presidents and Congress empowered the rights of Corporate Welfare over that of living breathing human beings. 

The Affordable Care Act termed by everyone as "ObamaCare" was a project/law in the making for quite a few years. Because of all the political wrangling it has turned into a Clown-Car Circus of confusion and misinformation. For the purpose of this blog post, my political opinion is Switzerland. Not political, but what the tax law changes and ACA have to do with U.S. Taxpayers, and the importance of getting good information and assistance before it is too late. 

The following are links to "The Affordable Care Act" - IRS website.http://www.irs.gov/uac/Affordable-Care-Act-Tax-Provisions-Home

If you follow the above link to the IRS Website, you can go to the Healthcare.gov link from there or I have copied the link here: HealthCare.gov

______________________________________________________

FROM THE IRS WEBSITE

Considerations for 2014

• Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace: The open enrollment period to purchase health care coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace for 2014 began Oct. 1, 2013 and runs through March 31, 2014. When you get health insurance through the marketplace, you may be able to get advance payments of the premium tax credit that will immediately help lower your monthly premium. Learn more at HealthCare.gov.

• Premium Tax Credit: If you get insurance through the Marketplace, you may be eligible to claim the premium tax credit. You can elect to have advance payments of the tax credit sent directly to your insurer during 2014, or wait to claim the credit when you file your tax return in 2015. If you choose to have advance payments sent to your insurer, you will have to reconcile the payments on your 2014 tax return, which will be filed in 2015. If you’re already receiving advance payments of the credit, you need do nothing at this time unless you have a change in circumstance. Learn More.

• Change in Circumstances: If you're receiving advance payments of the premium tax credit to help pay for your insurance coverage, you should report life changes, such as income, marital status or family size changes, to your marketplace. Reporting changes will help to make sure you are getting the proper amount of advance payments.

• Individual Shared Responsibility Payment: Starting January 2014, you and your family must have health care coverage, have an exemption from coverage, or make a payment when you file your 2014 tax return in 2015. Most people already have qualifying health care coverage and will not need to do anything more than maintain that coverage throughout 2014. Learn More.

_________________________________________________________

Depending on where you live, you may be getting very bad, disjointed or terrible information regarding the Affordable Care Act. That information can cost you big at tax time and this is why I am joining with the IRS and Healthcare.gov to beg you to find out the facts about ACA before you make an expensive mistake based on the lies of politicians and actors.

State Health Departments across the U.S., where the State did accept the Medicaid Expansion have received funding and JOBS to help citizens get information, and all of the help they need to enroll.  

In case you are not sure how to get in touch with your State Health Departments, I have included a link to The American Public Health Association (APHA) http://www.apha.org/about/Public+Health+Links/LinksStateandLocalHealthDepartments.htm 






Please don't forget to #GetCovered

Two-Year Limit For Innocent Spouse Relief Removed in 2011

 Innocent Spouse Relief: Removing The 2 Year Limit.

by Lori J Latimer - earthenwarehaven@gmail all rights reserved.

There are some cases and circumstances where a 2 year limit may apply. To make sure, either contact a tax professional, or go to http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/New-Rule-for-Innocent-Spouse-Relief (Innocent Spouse Page of www.irs.gov link) 

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes the difficulty for some Innocent Spouses to claim this relief from the tax / legal / credit due to their marital circumstances. 

A hearty Thank You goes out to members of Congress, the Department of Justice, The Internal Revenue Service for changing the two-year limit. 

So often people and families face life-changing events that impact them emotionally. Unknown to the general public, domestic abuse, missing children, absent adults, death and murder can have be jarring for the taxpayer as well. 

Some spouses are unable to claim Innocence against a criminal or abuser, because to do so will have dire consequences. In the past, an Innocent Spouse who may be in hiding, missing or under the power of another only had a two-year window of time to claim the Innocent Spouse relief. That has changed to take these type of circumstances into consideration.

Publication 971 - Innocent Spouse Relief - IRS Pub . GOV Link

__________________________________________________

What's up with Grizzly Bear Tax Care?

For many years, the majority of my winters and early springs were spent locked into a co-dependency between tax preparer, and tax payer. Each April I would leave "tax season" exhausted. 

Now I understand the Grizzly better. The need to rest is because whatever the Bear does, she does with energy purpose and exactitude. 

As she ages, the Grizzly realizes she must take care of herself too, and choosing the battles we help others fight become based on true urgency rather than stress and adrenaline of almost every tax payer.

This Grizzly Bear has been on a very long winters nap. My hibernation clock did not go off, and the cave was nice and warm. 

Hunger has finally awakened me. 

Nationwide Free Tax Preparation Site List

 Free Tax Preparation Site List (link) 

Announcing National Tax Preparation sites to prepare taxes for free. This is a public service announced by The National Women's Law Center. 


The link above, is to the IRS website. If you have trouble understanding how to follow the links, you can call 1-800-906-9887 for help in finding participating VITA providers.

"The IRS sponsors the VITA program, which offers free tax help for families earning around $49,000 or less, and, in partnership with AARP, the Tax Aide program, which assists elderly tax filers in communities around the country. In addition, the military coordinates VITA services. Many VITA or Tax Aide sites offer e-filing, which allows families to receive their refunds even faster. " By NWLC

It is important that all citizens understand the credits and deductions available to them. Especially the poorest among us...The Children, and/y los hijos. Please click on the links for information to help those who need it the most.

Returns are filed electronically, and it does not take long for the IRS to process refunds.

Wait a few more days to keep from paying for those quick loans. Save your money, make a garden for your family and community. In order to grow families, they must have access to un-modified food, grown locally.

 Just some suggestions...The very best to each and every family.

IRS offers new Interactive tax assistant, new free search for tax law questions

IRS offers new Interactive Tax Assistant, new free search for Tax Law questions, and offers a down-loadable copy of your research!

The Internal Revenue Website (IRS), has always had an excellent search box, located on the upper right hand corner of the IRS website, within their own site for individuals, tax professionals, and Tax Law practitioners  , The Interactive Tax Assistant is a Tax Law Resource tool that goes beyond a simple How To Search. This is geared more toward the Tax Professional, Tax Lawyer, CPA, Enrolled Agent, and possibly IRS staff could make use of this friendly tool. 

This new toy for the Tax People among us. Us nerds, who wait anxiously, during February to get our ink-stained, paper-cut fingers, on the new Publication 17. (It is easily accessible on the www. IRS.gov website, and down-loadable in PDF format today. The Pub 17 as it is loving called is still available in paper, and on disc too) 

When Congress completes creating Tax Law Changes for the prior and upcoming tax years, it is when Tax Professionals come to life. Like bats in a cave, sleeping during the day, it appears there is not even a heartbeat among them. April 15, hails the end of the tax season. There are the extension filers and trouble cases that go through a good part of the year, but then it settles down to a mere trickle. Then, the second week of February comes, and it is on.


Then, the sounding bell rings through Tax-dom, "Congress has recessed, Congress has recessed, we may begin filing!"


The madness begins, and with many new tax law changes during this historical 2010-2011 session, we are seeing many breaks for businesses who withhold and match FICA for employees. Employees themselves are getting big relief. It is a huge break across the board. 


This year Tax Professionals will be held responsible for collecting and verifying every legal deduction taken. In years past, a CPA, or Tax preparer could have relied on the, "assume they are telling the truth rule", but so many Tax Professionals helped their clients fudge, that new rules came into affect.

The Interactive Tax Assistant tool, from the IRS, offers an easy and reliable source of research, that can take the pressure off of the Tax Pro, while assisting the Taxpayer/Client in having their books, K-1's, LLC's, Estate Tax Changes, and more. There are many US Taxpayers who have been able to bully an accountant, or preparer into doing his will, more than what the Tax Code says. This takes the pressure off. 


Another benefit that can be seen with this tool, are for a client's benefit. While preparing the books of a Company, Partnership, LLC or any other entity, if there are deductions or credits that are "red flags" or often get audited, while the Tax Pro knows this a legitimate expense or claim, this would appear to be a very helpful tool. 

When pre-answering questions that may be asked in an Audit or a Letter from the IRS, requesting more information in a tax matter this could be a time and worry saver all the way around. 


This blog has always been at the basic level, and on a higher professional level there are probably many other ways this tool can be implemented. 


Review of Tool - 

• Search must be by legal language or positioning phrases of Tax code or law.

I had a legal question that I needed to know for a close friend. It was in regards to the taxability of   an insurance settlement of an Estate of a Deceased descendant. 

On my first try, I used the standard Search criteria used for Google searches. 

Q. Is income from an Estate settlement taxable?

A. Came up with the topic of Income types, statuses; the basics of Income definition as they are applied to status, etc.

My next step, was to search closer to the subject, using regular search methods.

Q. Taxable Income from an Estate settlement.

A. Again, I got types of income, and a few other partially related topics.

Then, I asked in the wording used in Tax Code.

Q. Estate, taxes, settlements

A. Estate information came up the first time, When I returned to redo my process for this blog post, only standard information for types of income came up, but it quickly linked me to the information I was seeking.

The IRS has advanced with technology, and is helping taxpayer, take more responsibility in their taxes, while offering more tools for a subject, that makes the standard non-tax-nerd, roll their eyes to the back of their head, and leave. Way to go y'all. Thanks for making it a little easier.