Yet another tax relief company now faces the long arm of the law after having been found guilty of challenged practices including fraudulently misrepresenting the company services in order to con more people. The FTC is mailing out 16 million dollars to over 18 thousand former clients of American Tax Relief. Apparently, each consumer will […]
The Senate Finance Committee has introduced bipartisan legislation to improve protection for taxpayers against fraudulent tax refund claims made with stolen identities. The refund theft tax bill includes new assistance for taxpayers who have been victims of identity theft and requires the Internal Revenue Service to establish a new security feature that individuals can use […]
It’s the biggest city in the nation, so reasonable it would have a proportionally higher crime rate, right? Yes, even for taxes. New York state recently sent out 56 tax suspension letters. 40 preparers seem to have accepted the judgement and the other 16 preparers are challenging the action. Due to the increased tax-related crimes, […]
The IRS is at it again… Since they were shut down on their authority to mandate all tax preparers get continuing education and take a competency test, they have now developed a “voluntary certification” that preparers can opt into. The program is called the Annual Federal Tax Refresher Course; and yes, successful completion of the […]
Just as quickly as we update our ITIN materials and guidelines the ITIN policy office within the IRS has changed their stance yet again! Just released: ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers) will expire after 5 consecutive years of non-filing use. This is a change from the services’ previously stated policy of automatically expiring ITINs after […]
According to TaxProToday, the IRS has sent out its regular warning letters to inactive EFIN holders. However, this year it seems that there was some error and current, active EFIN holders could be getting one, as well. If you have used your EFIN to e-file at least one return in the last two years, you […]
If you have a client who is attempting to get ITINs for dependents, he or she must be a parent or use a Power of Attorney form for immediate family (grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc). If your client is an aunt or uncle, the Power of Attorney will not work. In this instance, you will notarize […]
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to begin thinking about your plans regarding the impending Registered Tax Return Preparer exam. As much as many of us unintentionally procrastinate, it is advisable to go ahead and begin preparing to take the test. Do not wait until the last minute. Here are a few facts about the […]
Here are eight important points about the two different penalties you may face if you file or pay late. If you do not file by the deadline, you might face a failure-to-file penalty. If you do not pay by the due date, you could face a failure-to-pay penalty. The failure-to-file penalty is generally more than […]
During the most recent Bush administration, individual income tax cuts passed which are now expected to expire at the end of this year. This year is an election year which means that politicians are waiting until after the election to decide whether or not the tax cuts will be extended. According to Accounting Today, most […]