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Don’t Assume It’s Correct Just Because It’s the IRS

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You may receive correspondence from the IRS that contains an error. What should you do?

Here are some quotes from actual IRS correspondence received by clients:

“Our records show we received a 1040X…for the tax year listed above. We’re sorry but we cannot find it.”

“Our records show you owe a balance due of $0.00. If we do not receive it within 30 days, appropriate collection steps will be taken.”

“Payment is due on your account. Please submit payments on or before June 31 to avoid late payment penalties and interest.”

It’s pretty tough to pay a balance due of $0.00 or submit a payment on June 31 when June has only 30 days. The message should be clear. If you receive a notice from the IRS, don’t automatically assume it is correct and then submit a payment to make it go away. The same is true for errors in any state tax agency notices. They are often in error. So what should you do?

Stay calm. Try not to overreact to the correspondence. This is easier said than done, but remember, the IRS sends out millions of notices each year. The vast majority of these notices attempt to correct simple oversights or common filing errors.

Open the envelope. You’d be surprised how often clients are so stressed by receiving a letter from the IRS that they cannot bear to open the envelope. If you fall into this category, try to remember that the first step in making the problem go away is to open the correspondence.

Review the letter. Make sure you understand exactly what the IRS thinks needs to be changed and determine whether or not you agree with their findings. Unfortunately, the IRS rarely sends correspondence to correct an oversight in your favor, but it sometimes happens.

Respond in a timely manner. The correspondence received should be very clear about what action the IRS believes you should take and within what timeframe. Ignore this information at your own risk. Delays in responses could generate penalties and additional interest payments.

Get help. You are not alone. Getting assistance from someone who deals with this all the time makes going through the process much smoother.

Correct the IRS error. Once the problem is understood, a clearly written response with copies of documentation will cure most IRS correspondence errors. Often the error is due to the inability of the IRS computers to conduct a simple reporting match. Pointing the information out on your tax return might be all it takes to solve the problem.

Certified mail is your friend. Send any response to the IRS via certified mail. This will provide proof of your timely correspondence. Lost mail can lead to delays, penalties, and additional interest on your tax bill.

Don’t assume it will go away. Until you receive definitive confirmation that the problem has been resolved, assume the IRS still thinks you owe the money. If you don’t receive correspondence confirming the correction, send a written follow-up.

Tax Filing Responsibilities of Estate Executors

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Your role as an executor or personal administrator of an estate involves a number of responsibilities. Did you know that part of your responsibility involves making sure the necessary tax returns are filed? And there might be more of those than you expect.

Here’s an overview:

  • Personal income tax. You may need to file a federal income tax return for the decedent for the prior year as well as the year of death. Both are due by April 15 of the following year, even if the amount of time covered is less than a full year. You can request a six-month extension if you need additional time to gather information.
  • Gift tax. If the individual whose estate you’re administering made gifts in excess of the annual exclusion ($14,000 per person for 2017), a gift tax payment may be required. Form 709, United States Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return, is due April 15 of the year following the gift. The filing date can be extended six months.
  • Estate income tax. Income earned after death, such as interest on estate assets, is reported on Form 1041, Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts. You’ll generally need to file if the estate’s gross income is $600 or more, or if any beneficiary is a nonresident alien. For estates with a December 31 year-end, Form 1041 is due April 15 of the following year.
  • Estate tax. An estate tax return, Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return, is required when the fair market value of all estate assets exceeds $5,490,000 (in 2017). One thing to watch for: Spouses can transfer unused portions of the $5,490,000 exemption to each other. This is called the “portability” election. To benefit, you will need to file Form 706 when the total value of the estate is lower than the exemption.
  • Form 706 is due nine months after the date of death. You can request a six-month extension of time to file.

Give us a call if you need more information about administering an estate. We’re here to help make your task less stressful.

IRS file

What You Should Do When the IRS Contacts You

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Has the IRS questioned something on your tax return? Ignoring it is not the proper course of action.

After you file your tax return, the last thing you want to see is a notice from the IRS questioning your return. Some IRS notices involve very minor changes, like a correction to a Social Security number. Some are for serious changes that could involve a lot of money, such as a billing for more taxes, interest, or penalties due for an adjustment to your total tax liability.

So, what should you do if you get a letter from the IRS?

Here is a list of do’s and don’ts concerning contact from the IRS.

  • Don’t ignore the notice; the problem will not go away.
  • Act promptly. A quick response to the IRS may eliminate further, more complicated correspondence.
  • If you agree with the IRS adjustment, you do not need to do anything unless a payment is due.
  • If the IRS is requesting more money or a significant amount of new information, be sure to contact your tax preparer immediately.
  • Always provide your tax preparer with a copy of any IRS notice, regardless of how minor it appears to be.
  • Keep a copy of all the IRS correspondence with your tax return copy for the year in question.

Often taxpayers experience anxiety when they receive correspondence from the IRS. Don’t worry. The most important thing to remember is not to ignore the IRS. Bring any notice you receive to our office and let us assist you in resolving the problem quickly.

June 15 Tax Filing Date for US Citizens Abroad

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U.S. citizens and resident aliens living overseas or serving in the military outside the U.S. receive an automatic two-month extension of the regular tax filing deadline. If this extension applies to your living situation, you have until June 15, 2017 to file your 2016 tax return. To use this automatic two-month extension, you must attach a statement to your return explaining that you live overseas or you are serving in the military outside the U.S.

Financial Tips to Follow When a Spouse Dies

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The death of a spouse is emotionally and financially devastating. Making decisions of any kind is difficult when you’re vulnerable and grieving, but having a plan to follow may help. Here are suggestions for dealing with financial tasks.

  • Wait to make major decisions. Put off selling your house, moving in with your grown children, giving everything away, liquidating your investments, or buying new financial products.
  • Get expert help. Ask your attorney to interpret and explain the will and/or applicable law and implement the estate settlement. Talk to your accountant about financial moves and necessary tax documents. Call on your insurance company to help with filing and collecting death benefits.
  • Assemble paperwork. Documents you’ll need include your spouse’s birth certificate, social security card, insurance policies, loan and lease agreements, investment statements, mortgages and deeds, retirement plan information, credit cards and credit card statements, employment and partnership agreements, divorce agreements, funeral directives, safe deposit box information, tax returns, and the death certificate.
  • Determine who must be paid, and when. You’ll need to notify creditors and continue paying mortgages, car loans, credit cards, utilities, and insurance premiums. Notify health insurance companies and the Social Security Administration, and cancel your spouse’s memberships and subscriptions.
  • Alert credit reporting agencies. Request the addition of a “deceased notice” and a “do not issue credit” statement to the decedent’s file. Order credit reports, which will provide a complete record of your spouse’s open credit cards.
  • Determine what payments are due to you, such as insurance proceeds, social security or veteran’s benefits, and pension payouts. File claims where needed.

Is Your Child Ready for a Summer Job?

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If your child is planning to work this summer, make sure you know the tax basics.

Tax returns. Assuming no other sources of income, your child will be able to earn up to $6,300 in 2016 before a federal income tax return has to be filed. However, if income tax is withheld from paychecks, your child will have to file a return to claim a refund.

Federal income tax withholding. When hired, your child will have to fill out Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. This form tells the employer how much federal income tax to withhold. If the job involves tips, remember that tips are taxable income. Have your child maintain records of amounts received.

Financial aid. Summer earnings can affect eligibility for college financial aid. If you’re counting on financial aid, check out the earnings limit ahead of time.

Retirement saving. Consider encouraging your child to open a Roth IRA. Amounts invested in a Roth can grow tremendously due to tax-free compounding over many years. As an incentive, you might match any amounts your child is willing to save.

For assistance with the tax issues relating to summer employment, contact us.

What You Need to Know About Hiring Seasonal Workers

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If summertime is a busy time for your business, you may be ready to hire seasonal workers. Here are tax rules to keep in mind.

  • Affordable Care Act exception. When you employ 50 or more full-time employees, you’re considered a “large employer” and are generally required to provide health insurance coverage or pay a penalty. However, the law provides an exception for seasonal workers, defined as those you employ for not more than 120 days during the prior calendar year. In general, your answer to two questions determines if you qualify for the exception. Did your workforce exceed 50 full-time employees for 120 days or fewer during the year? Were the employees in excess of 50 who were employed during that period seasonal workers? If both answers are yes, you’re generally not considered a large employer.
  • Employment taxes. Temporary workers are typically subject to the same employment tax rules as regular employees. You’ll generally have to withhold social security and Medicare taxes, as well as federal income tax from wages. You’ll also have to follow payroll tax deposit rules and employment return filing requirements.
  • Employment tax returns. Special filing rules may apply when you only hire employees at a specific season of the year, such as summertime. For each quarter that you pay wages, you can check the box for “seasonal employer” on Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return. By notifying the IRS of your seasonal status, you’re not required to file returns for quarters when you have no wages or tax liability.
  • Please contact us for more information about payroll tax rules, recordkeeping requirements, and documentation for seasonal employees. We’re here to make sure that your busy summer season goes smoothly.

Report Your Foreign Accounts by June 30

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If you hold foreign bank or financial accounts, or have signature authority over such accounts, and the total value of all your accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year, you may be required to file a Treasury Department report known as the FBAR. It’s easy to overlook this requirement because it’s separate from your federal income tax filing, with a different deadline and strict rules.

“FBAR” refers to Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. Your 2015 Form 114 must be filed electronically with the Treasury Department no later than June 30, 2016. No filing extension is available. Contact us if you need details or assistance.