Georgia Accounting Information Network Support Sam Froio Internal Revenue Service Small Business/Self Employed Div 904-665-0776 Sam.froio@irs.gov IRS - 101 What event contributed to the first Personal Income Tax Return? Civil War IRS - 101 The law requiring you to file a Personal Income Tax Return was repealed shortly after the Civil War. What event brought it back? IRS - 101 IRS2GO! Watch Us People can view IRS YouTube videos on their smartphones. The videos provide short, informative features on a variety of tax topics. The channel ranks 4th most viewed channel among more than 125 federal government YouTube channels and is available in American Sign Language. Get The Latest News With this tool, users can have the latest IRS news releases delivered to their phones as it becomes available! Get My Tax Record Taxpayers can now order their tax return transcript from the IRS2GO app. The transcript will be delivered via the U.S. Postal Service to their address of record. FSLG Div. Assists With Assistance through individualized instruction focused on employment tax withholding, reporting and filing requirements. Assistance for information return reporting for payments to vendors. Guidance on any other federal tax-related issues. Participation in educational seminars and workshops at national and local levels. Southeast Contact Willie Clayton (321)-441-2515 Willie.clayton@irs.gov Issue Management Resolution IMRS Provides concerns mechanism for raising – IRS policies, practices and procedures – Systemic problems Facilitates issue identification, resolution and feedback Issue Submission Gather all information Contact local stakeholder liaison staff – Visit IRS.gov – Search keyword “stakeholder liaison” Elevating An Issue Is it an IRS issue? Is clarification needed? Are policy or procedural changes needed? How widespread is the issue? Response and Resolution Direct response from Stakeholder Liaison Changes to policy and practices Expanded education and outreach Monthly IMRS reports on IRS.gov Example Problems processing tax returns of H2-A visa workers Issue: A tax practitioner with a low income tax clinic repeatedly receives notices assessing self-employment tax on H2-A visa workers. H2-A visa workers are exempt under IRC 3121(b)(1). The practitioner requests guidance on how to prepare these returns to alert IRS of the exemption. Response Response: Math error notices were issued because a Schedule SE was included with the return. A tax return for an H2-A visa worker should be filed in the following manner: exclude Schedule SE; enter "exempt, see attached statement" on the Self-Employment Tax line of Form 1040; and attach a statement of explanation. Search “IMRS” On IRS.GOV Hot issues IMRS monthly overviews Industry issues quarterly report Prior year issues sorted by subject Stakeholder Liaison local contacts Emloyment Taxes Link 1 2 3 E-News for Payroll Providers E-News for Payroll Providers Anita Bartels Program Manager for Employment Tax Compliance Veterans In The Unemployment Line Nationwide, the unemployment rate for veterans was 8.3% in 2011. Florida = 9.3% Georgia = 8.9% Work Opportunity Tax Credit An Employer-Friendly Benefit for Hiring Veterans Most in Need of Employment. “Returning Heroes and Wounded Warriors Work Opportunity Tax Credits,” amends and expands the Veteran target groups. The changes and new provisions in this Act Apply to individuals who began to work for an employer the day after its enactment, November 22, 2011, and before January 1, 2013. The Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 The credit can be as high as $9,600 per veteran for for-profit employers or up to $6,240 for tax-exempt organizations. Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Certification Extension Normally, an eligible employer must file Form 8850 with the state workforce agency within 28 days after the eligible worker begins work. But according to today’s guidance, employers have until June 19, 2012, to complete and file this newly-revised form for veterans hired on or after Nov. 22, 2011, and before May 22, 2012. The 28-day rule will again apply to eligible veterans hired on or after May 22, 2012. SWA WOTC Coordinator GEORGIA Brenda Young Georgia Department of Labor 148 INTERNATIONAL BLVD., SUITE 400 ATLANTA, GA 30303-1751 Phone: 404-232-3699 Fax: 404-232-3684 Email: brenda.young@dol.state.ga.us Factors To Consider Length of Veteran’s unemployment before hire. Hours the Veteran works. First year’s wages paid. Employers who hire veterans with service-related disabilities may be eligible for the maximum credit. A Qualified Tax-Exempt Organization Is “an employer that is an organization described in section 501(c) and exempt from taxation under section 501(a).” An agency or instrumentality of the federal government, or of a state, local or Indian tribal government, is not a qualified taxexempt organization unless it is an organization described in § 501(c) that is exempt from tax under § 501(a). Claiming The Credit The credit is claimed on Form 5884C against the employer’s share of social security tax. It is recommended that employers not reduce their employment tax deposits in anticipation of the credit. Identity Theft Privacy at the IRS Security and privacy of taxpayer information is a priority for the IRS. Through this, we maintain public trust in tax administration. Our mission is to: – Ensure security of IRS systems and proper protection of personal information – Prevent and detect cyber and other threats/vulnerabilities – Educate on protecting information Identity Theft is a Persistent Threat to the American Taxpayer Number one consumer complaint reported to the Federal Trade Commission for 11 years in a row – accounting for 19% of all complaints. Javelin’s Identity Fraud Survey estimates 8.1 million victims of identity theft in the U.S. in 2010 – at a cost of $37 billion. Incidents related to government benefits are the most common form, more complex and require more time and money to detect and resolve. ‘Average’ victim spends 141 hours and $2,104 out of pocket to resolve. Committed to Resolving Taxpayer Identity Theft “My overall goal as the IRS Commissioner is that when a taxpayer contacts us with an issue or concern, we have in place a seamless process that gets the issue resolved promptly. From the perspective of an identity theft victim, that means when the taxpayer calls the IRS that they reach someone who is knowledgeable on the issue and who is able to take care of the problem quickly and permanently.” Douglas H. Shulman, Commissioner, IRS Senate Finance Committee April 10, 2008 Identity Theft Can Impact Taxes Scenario 1: Refund-Related Crime Identity thief uses stolen SSN to file forged tax return and obtain refund early in the filing season. Owner of SSN will be unaware until he files and the IRS discovers two returns filed using the same SSN. If electronic return is rejected, it may be because an identity thief has already filed a fraudulent return. Identity Theft Can Impact Taxes Scenario 2: Employment-Related Crime Identity thief uses a stolen SSN to obtain employment. The IRS will receive a W-2 or a Form 1099 from the employer reporting income on the account of the rightful SSN owner. What the IRS is Doing….. Placing identity theft indicators on taxpayer accounts to track and manage incidents. Notifying taxpayers when they are victims of identity theft impacting their tax account. Assisting taxpayers who are victims of identity theft. The Identity Protection Specialized Unit was established as the central point of contact for taxpayers who had their identity stolen. Using business filters to analyze returns filed on identity theft victim accounts designed to accept legitimate returns and reject false returns. What do Identity Theft Indicators do? They prevent victims from facing the same problems every year. Identify and track tax related identity theft problems Distinguish legitimate from fraudulent returns Measure the problem, monitor victims’ accounts and develop processes to resolve problems Identity Theft Indicators What else do the identity theft indicators do? Reflect different types of identity theft… Refund-related identity theft Employment-related No identity theft filing requirement Lost my wallet Taxpayer Accounts Marked with Indicators Number of taxpayers’ accounts marked with an identity theft indicator has increased significantly over the last four years. Identity Theft Indicators - Taxpayers Impacted 2008 to 2011 1,000,000 897,781 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 418,610 400,000 263,322 300,000 200,000 100,000 39,316 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 Notifying Identity Theft Victims When the IRS places an identity theft indicator on a victim’s account, a notification letter is sent to them. Notification following: letter provides the – Information on the incident – Statement that taxpayers account has been reviewed, adjusted and resolved – Additional information on how to protect themselves – Toll free number to contact the IRS if victims have questions or concerns Identity Protection Specialized Unit The IPSU is staffed with specialists in tax-related identity theft. IPSU staff assist callers in resolving identity theft issues. – Toll free – 800-908-4490 Available Monday - Friday, 8 am – 8 pm local time, for taxpayers to talk to IPSU staff when their tax account is affected by identity theft – Taxpayers can self-report they are victims before it affects their tax account – Taxpayers can submit documentation to substantiate their identity and verify being a victim of identity theft using the IRS identity theft affidavit (Form 14039) Tax Return Review Identity theft indicators direct tax returns in future years through a series of filters. – Tax returns filed using the victim’s SSN pass through filters to ensure only legitimate returns are processed – Questionable returns are reviewed to determine legitimacy – and rejected if fraudulent Identity Theft Resources Go to IRS.gov, keyword ‘identity theft’ IRS works closely with other organizations: – Federal Trade Commission – the lead Federal agency on identity theft. You can file an identity theft complaint online with them. – OnGuard Online – www.onguardonline.gov Joint government site maintained by FTC, IRS, SSA and others to help consumers with identity theft issues. – Identity Theft Resource Center – Nonprofit, national organization dedicated exclusively to understanding and prevention of identity theft. Identity Theft Resources (cont.) SSA.gov IRS Publication 4535, ID Theft Prevention and Victim Assistance Free Credit Reports – www.annualcreditreport.com – Equifax www.equifax.com – Experian www.experian.com – TransUnion www.transunion.com If You Are an Identity Theft Victim… Contact all of the following: Financial institutions where you have an account The three credit bureaus Police to file a police report Federal Trade Commission to file a report www.consumer.gov/idtheft/index Thank You! Questions?? Sam Froio Internal Revenue Service 904-665-0776 Sam.froio@irs.gov