New IRS YouTube Video Provides Tips on Health Care, Tax Returns

The Internal Revenue Service announced the availability of several new YouTube videos to help taxpayers get important information about the Affordable Care Act and tax return filing.

The new videos, which are part of a series on the IRS YouTube channel, feature IRS Commissioner John Koskinen discussing the premium tax credit and the individual shared responsibility provision. These provisions of the Affordable Care Act will affect people’s tax returns next year when they file their 2014 returns.

In the video about the premium tax credit, the Commissioner talks about how it can help make purchasing health care through the Health Insurance Marketplace more affordable for people with moderate incomes.

“You can get advance payments of the premium tax credit paid directly to the insurance company to lower your monthly premium, or you can apply for the premium tax credit when you file your tax return for 2014,” Koskinen said.

In the video about the individual shared responsibility provision, Koskinen discusses important facts about coverage requirements, coverage exemptions and the individual shared responsibility payment. He covers who must make a payment, who is eligible for exemptions, and what people need to do when filing their tax return.

“For most people, filing their returns in the spring of 2015 is going to be fairly simple – with regard to this issue, and that is they’ll simply check a box indicating that they have qualifying insurance or they’ll indicate that they’re eligible for an exemption. Otherwise, they’ll calculate their shared responsibility payment and add it to their tax return,” Koskinen explained in one segment of the video.

IRS videos explaining the premium tax credit, the individual shared responsibility provision, and the small business health care tax credit are on the IRS Health Care video playlist. Additional videos about the Affordable Care Act will be available soon.

Health care videos are among those available on the IRS YouTube channel. Taxpayers have viewed IRS videos nearly 8 million times.

More information on the tax provisions of the Affordable Care Act is available at IRS.gov/aca, where you can also find Health Care Tax Tips. You can also subscribe to IRS Tax Tips to get these easy-to-read tips by e-mail from the IRS.

This blog brought to you by TaxLane, LLC, providing tax preparation and consulting services to individuals and small businesses.

Pittsburgh, Allison Park, Hampton, Shaler, Glenshaw.

IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, WE INFORM YOU THAT ANY U.S. TAX ADVICE CONTAINED IN THIS COMMUNICATION IS NOT INTENDED OR WRITTEN TO BE USED, AND CANNOT BE USED, FOR THE PURPOSE OF (I) AVOIDING PENALTIES UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OR (II) PROMOTING, MARKETING OR RECOMMENDING TO ANOTHER PARTY ANY TRANSACTION OR MATTER ADDRESSED IN THIS COMMUNICATION.

IRS Taxpayer Bill of Rights Now Available in 6 Languages

On August 12, 2014, the IRS announced that the “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” is now available in six languages.  The current version of Publication 1, Your Rights as a Taxpayer, is now posted on www.IRS.gov.  The available languages include: English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean and Vietnamese.  By making this important publication available in multiple languages, the hope of the IRS is to increase the number of Americans who know and understand their rights under the tax law.

Not only is the Taxpayer Bill of Rights now available in multiple languages, but the newest revision also takes the multiple existing rights embedded in the tax law and groups them into ten broad categories.  This makes them easier to find and understand.

The Taxpayer Bill of Rights contains the following 10 provisions:

1. The Right to be Informed;
2. The Right to Quality Service;
3. The Right to Pay No More Than the Correct Amount of Tax;
4. The Right to Challenge the IRS’s Position and to Be Heard;
5. The Right to Appeal an IRS Decision in an Independent Forum;
6. The Right to Finality;
7. The Right to Privacy;
8. The Right to Confidentiality;
9. The Right to Retain Representation;
10. The Right to a Fair and Just Tax System.

The IRS has created a special section within the website, www.IRS.gov, to highlight these 10 rights.  Similarly, the website will be continuously updated as more information becomes available.

This blog brought to you by TaxLane, LLC, providing tax preparation and consulting services to individuals and small businesses.

Pittsburgh, Allison Park, Hampton, Shaler, Glenshaw.

IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Service, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.

IRS Repeats Warning About Phone Scams

The Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”) are still receiving complaints from taxpayers about unsolicited calls from people claiming to be from the IRS and demanding payment.  The TIGTA has identified approximately 1,100 victims who have lost a total of $5 million from these scammers.

Here are a few things taxpayers should know about the IRS that can help you recognize a scam:

• The IRS will NEVER ask for credit, debit or prepaid card information over the phone;
• The IRS will NEVER insist that you use a specific type of repayment to pay tax obligations;
• The IRS will NEVER request immediate payment over the phone and will not take enforcement action immediately after a phone conversation.

Taxpayers who receive these calls may be told that they owe money that must be paid immediately or that they are entitled to a large refund.  If unsuccessful the first time, scammers may call back and try a different method.

Here are some other typical characteristics of a scam:

• Scammers will use fake names and IRS badge numbers. The names are usually common;
• Scammers may know the last four digits of you social security number;
• Scammers are able to make the caller ID appear as if the IRS toll free number is calling;
• Scammers occasionally send bogus IRS emails to support their bogus phone calls;
• Scammers will add background noise to simulate the sound of a call center;
• Scammers will threaten the potential victim with jail time or suspending their driver’s license. Similarly, another scammer will call back shortly after hanging up and pose as the DMV or local police; and the caller ID may be masked to support their claims.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here are some simple steps you can take:

• If you know you owe taxes, or you think you might, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue if there is one;
• If you know you don’t owe taxes, or you have no reason to think that you owe any taxes, then call and report the incident to the TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484;
• If you’ve been targeted by this scam, you should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of the complaint.

Taxpayers should also be aware that there are other types of telephone scams and solicitations that claim to be from the IRS, such as debt relief or lottery sweepstakes.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against email and telephone scams.  The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via electronic media, including email, text messages or any social media source.  The IRS will always contact taxpayers with official correspondence sent through the mail.  People who receive such emails should not open any links contained in the message.  Instead, forward the email to phishing@irs.gov.

This blog brought to you by TaxLane, LLC, providing tax preparation and consulting services to individuals and small businesses.

Pittsburgh, Allison Park, Hampton, Shaler, Glenshaw.

IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Service, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.

Tax Season Opens Today!

The Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting electronically filed individual tax returns today (Jan. 31, 2014) to officially open the 2014 filing season.  The IRS encourages taxpayers to use e-file as one of the fastest way to receive refunds.

The delay in the opening date for individuals was required to allow the IRS adequate time to program and test its tax processing systems.  The annual process for updating IRS systems saw significant delays in October following the 16-day federal government shutdown.

“Our teams have been working hard throughout the fall to prepare for the upcoming tax season,” then IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel said on December 18, 2013.  “The late January opening gives us enough time to get things right with our programming, testing and systems validation.  It’s a complex process, and our bottom-line goal is to provide a smooth filing and refund process for the nation’s taxpayers.”

The April 15 tax deadline is set by statute and will remain in place.  However, the IRS reminds taxpayers that anyone can request an automatic six-month extension to file their tax return.

This blog brought to you by TaxLane, LLC, providing tax preparation and consulting services to individuals and small businesses.

Pittsburgh, Allison Park, Hampton, Shaler, Glenshaw.

IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Service, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.