With millions of tax refunds being processed, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers they can get fast answers about their refund by using the “Where’s My Refund?” tool available on IRS.gov and through the IRS2Go app. The IRS issues nine out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days, and the fastest way to get a refund…
Category Archives: IRS NEWS
National Taxpayer Advocate Delivers Annual Report to Congress: Addresses Impact of Shutdown
National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson today released her 2018 Annual Report to Congress, describing challenges the IRS is facing as a result of the recent government shutdown and recommending that Congress provide the IRS with additional multi-year funding to replace its core 1960s-era information technology (IT) systems. The release of the National Taxpayer Advocate’s report…
Avoid the rush over Presidents Day holiday; online tools, resources can help
With a new tax law in effect and a surge of tax returns expected during the Presidents Day weekend, the Internal Revenue Service is offering taxpayers several tips and various time-saving resources to get them the help they need quickly and easily. The IRS receives more phone calls on the day after Presidents Day than…
Don’t fall victim to ‘ghost’ tax preparers
Today, towards the end of the second full week of the 2019 tax filing season, the Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers to avoid unethical tax return preparers, known as ghost preparers. By law, anyone who is paid to prepare or assist in preparing federal tax returns must have a valid 2019 Preparer Tax Identification Number,…
IRS waives penalty for many whose tax withholding and estimated tax payments fell short in 2018
The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it is waiving the estimated tax penalty for many taxpayers whose 2018 federal income tax withholding and estimated tax payments fell short of their total tax liability for the year. The IRS is generally waiving the penalty for any taxpayer who paid at least 85 percent of their…
IRS Free File is Open Today!
The IRS announced the 2019 opening day of its Free File program, which provides free electronic filing to qualifying taxpayers, generally those who earned $66,000 or less last year. The program is opening before the regular filing season, which will begin Jan. 28, and is available only through the IRS website at irs.gov/freefile. After they access…
Tax Filing Season to Begin January 28, 2019
WASHINGTON ― Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019 and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled. “We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to…
IRS Will Pay Tax Refunds During Government Shutdown
The White House will order the IRS to pay income tax refunds despite the government shutdown, Russ Vought, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said at a briefing with Vice President Mike Pence. The IRS has sent close to 90 percent of its workforce home without pay due to the government’s partial shutdown, according to a…
IRS budget cuts strain rollout of 2019 tax filing season
The IRS faces a particularly challenging rollout to the 2019 filing season, best summarized in four words: more work, fewer employees. President Donald Trump signed the latest tax reform law in December 2017, but the majority of those changes will take effect in the upcoming filing season. However, the IRS still doesn’t have all the…
Key IRS Identity Theft Indicators Continue Dramatic Decline in 2017; Security Summit Marks 2017 Progress Against Identity Theft
The Internal Revenue Service today announced steep declines in tax-related identity theft in 2017, attributing the success to the Security Summit initiatives that help safeguard the nation’s taxpayers. Key indicators of identity theft dropped for the second year in a row in 2017. This includes a 40 percent decline in taxpayers reporting they are victims…