etrent17/irs-articles huggingface dataset:
IR-2016-69, May 2, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced it is accepting applications for the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC). ApplicationsPDF will be accepted May 2 – June 24, 2016.
IRSAC’s purpose is to provide an organized public forum for IRS officials and representatives of the public to discuss relevant federal tax administration issues. IRSAC members submit a report to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue annually at a public meeting.
IRSAC comprises up to 35 members who are appointed to three-year terms by the Commissioner. Applications are currently being accepted for approximately four appointments that will begin in January 2017.
Nominations of qualified individuals may come from individuals or organizations. IRSAC members are drawn from substantially diverse backgrounds. Membership is balanced to include representation from the tax professional community, including, but not limited to: tax attorneys, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, academia and the business community. 
Applications should describe and document the proposed member’s qualifications for IRSAC membership, including the applicant’s knowledge of Circular 230 regulations and the applicant’s past or current affiliations. It should also include the proposed member’s dealings with the particular tax segment(s) of the community that the applicant wishes to represent on the Council.
Applicants shall be in good standing regarding their own tax obligations and shall represent professional and ethical ideals. All applicants must complete and submit an application, a tax check waiver form, and a resume. For those applicants deemed “Best Qualified,” FBI checks using fingerprints are also required.
More information, including the application form, is available on the Tax Professionals page of IRS.gov — the official IRS website — at /for-Tax-Pros. Questions about the application process can be e-mailed to publicliaison@irs.gov.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-95, June 30, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today encouraged taxpayers interested in receiving helpful consumer tips this summer to get a jump-start on this year’s taxes by subscribing to the IRS Tax Tips email service.
Beginning July 1, the IRS will begin offering its Summertime Tax Tip series, which includes useful information in English and Spanish. Tax Tip subscribers will receive a new Tip via email three times a week during July and August. They will also get a Tax Tip each weekday during the tax filing season.
The IRS also issues Special Edition Tax Tips on important tax topics throughout the year.
IRS Tax Tips are plain language messages that are easy to understand and cover a wide range of topics. They often include links to helpful IRS.gov references, IRS YouTube videos and podcasts.
Summertime Tax Tip topics include:
Phone scams.
What to do if you receive an IRS notice.
Check your withholding.
Back-to-school – Education credit reminders.
Identity theft.
Moving expenses.
Taxpayers can sign up to receive IRS Tax Tips automatically through a free service on IRS.gov. From the Subscriptions link on the top right of the IRS website, choose “IRS Tax Tips” on the drop-down menu, and then click on “Subscribe.” Click on “more,” on the drop-down menu, to subscribe to the IRS Tax Tips in Spanish.
The IRS also has a number of other e-subscriptions to which taxpayers, tax professionals and others may subscribe to receive tax information via email from the IRS during the tax-filing season and the rest of the year.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-93, June 28, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service will hold a free online, web-based information session to assist U.S. overseas taxpayers in understanding the foreign earned income exclusion on Wednesday, June 29.
In general, a U.S. citizen or a resident alien of the United States living abroad is taxed on their worldwide income. However, these taxpayers may qualify to exclude from income up to an amount of foreign earnings that is adjusted annually for inflation ($100,800 for 2015 or $101,300 for 2016). In addition, eligible taxpayers can exclude or deduct certain foreign housing amounts.
This webinar covers the basics of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion including:
The requirements for claiming the foreign earned income exclusion
Identifying which form to use, Form 2555 or 2555-EZ
Specifying the information to include on the Form 2555 or 2555-EZ
The webinar will take place on June 29, 2016, from 2-3 p.m. EDT, (1800-1900 hours UTC-0).
To attend this webinar, taxpayers or tax professionals interested in learning more about these requirements should log in using the Foreign Earned Income for U.S. Overseas Taxpayers webinar link (obsolete). It is recommended attendees log in 10 minutes prior to the start time.
The session will be recorded and made available at a later time. 
Attendees will earn 1 CE credit (Federal Tax).
More Information Available
Any U.S. taxpayer here or abroad with tax questions can refer to the International Taxpayers landing page and use the online IRS Tax Map and the International Tax Topic Index to get answers. These online tools assemble or group IRS forms, publications and web pages by subject and provide users with a single entry point to find tax information.
Taxpayers who are looking for return preparers abroad should visit the Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications.
To help avoid delays with tax refunds, taxpayers living abroad should visit the Helpful Tips for Effectively Receiving a Tax Refund for Taxpayers Living Abroad page.
More information on the tax rules that apply to U.S. citizens and resident aliens living abroad can be found in, Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad, available on IRS.gov.
Additional Resources
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
Instructions for Form 2555 PDF
Instructions for Form 2555-EZPDF
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-92, June 22, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) held its annual public meeting today and released its annual report to Congress, which features recommendations on a wide range of electronic tax administration issues.
"ETAAC members provide valuable input and suggestions to the IRS in an era where electronic services to taxpayers are ever-more important," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "The IRS appreciates the time and energy these volunteers provide to improve electronic tax administration across the agency."
Based on its findings and discussions, ETAAC has made several recommendations on a broad range of issues and concerns including the IRS Future State Initiative, changes needed to the tax landscape to better combat fraud and bolster compliance, and IRS electronic capabilities to help taxpayers before, during and after filing. 
ETAAC’s primary purpose is to provide an organized public forum of relevant electronic tax administration issues for Congress to discuss relevant electronic issues.
ETAAC members convey the public’s perception of professional standards and best practices for tax professionals and IRS activities; offer constructive observations regarding current or proposed IRS policies, programs and procedures; and suggest improvements to electronic tax operations.
ETAAC draws its members from the electronic and digital community. The 2016 Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee Report is available on IRS.gov.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-91, June 21, 2016                             
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that all empowerment zone designations remain in effect through the end of 2016. Empowerment zones are certain urban and rural areas where employers and other taxpayers qualify for special tax incentives.
Today’s announcement primarily affects businesses that would benefit from claiming the tax incentives for empowerment zones on their 2015 returns, either original or amended, and 2016 returns.
The IRS issued Notice 2016-28PDF in March to address the relevant provision of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015. The notice  provided that any nomination for an empowerment zone in effect on Dec. 31, 2014, will have a new termination date of Dec. 31, 2016, unless the governing state or municipality declined the extension in a notification to the IRS. 
The deadline for notification was May 24, 2016, and no state or municipality contacted the IRS to decline the extension. Therefore, all empowerment zone designations in effect on Dec. 31, 2014, remain in effect through Dec. 31, 2016.
Congress created empowerment zones in 1993. Most zones had an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2009. This is the fourth extension of the expiration date.
The designation for the District of Columbia enterprise zone ended on Dec. 31, 2011. 
For more information and complete lists of empowerment zone locations, see Form 8844, Empowerment Zone Employment Credit.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-90, June 17, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers who have one or more bank or financial accounts located outside the United States, or signature authority over such accounts that they may need to file an FBAR by Thursday, June 30.
By law, many U.S. taxpayers with foreign accounts exceeding certain thresholds must file Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, known as the "FBAR." It is filed electronically with the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen).
"Robust growth in FBAR filings in recent years shows we are getting the word out regarding the importance of offshore tax compliance," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "Taxpayers here and abroad should take their foreign account reporting obligations very seriously.”
In general, the filing requirement applies to anyone who had an interest in, or signature or other authority over foreign financial accounts whose aggregate value exceeded $10,000 at any time during 2015. Because of this threshold, the IRS encourages taxpayers with foreign assets, even relatively small ones, to check if this filing requirement applies to them. The form is only available through the BSA E-Filing System website.
In 2015, FinCen received a record high 1,163,229 FBARs, up more than 8 percent from the prior year. FBAR filings have grown on average by 17 percent per year during the last five years, according to FinCen data.
The IRS is implementing the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which mandates third-party reporting of foreign accounts to foster offshore tax compliance. FATCA created a new filing requirement: IRS Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, which is filed with individual tax returns. The filing thresholds are much higher for this form than for the FBAR.
The International Taxpayers page on IRS.gov provides the best starting place to get answers to important questions. The website has a directory that includes overseas tax preparers. International taxpayers will find the online IRS Tax Map and the International Tax Topic Index to be valuable resources.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-89, June 17, 2016
WASHINGTON ― The Internal Revenue Service today issued a consumer alert about possible fake charity scams emerging due to last weekend’s mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., and encouraged taxpayers to seek out recognized charitable groups.
When making donations to assist victims of last weekend’s terrible tragedy, there are simple steps taxpayers can take to ensure their hard-earned money goes to legitimate charities. IRS.gov has the tools taxpayers need to quickly and easily check out the status of charitable organizations.
While there has been an enormous wave of support across the country for the victims and families of Orlando, it is common for scam artists to take advantage of this generosity by impersonating charities to get money or private information from well-meaning taxpayers. Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, e-mail or in-person solicitations.
The IRS cautions donors to follow these tips:
Be sure to donate to recognized charities. 
Be wary of charities with names that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. Some phony charities use names or websites that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate organizations. The IRS website at IRS.gov has a search feature, Exempt Organizations Select Check, through which people may find qualified charities; donations to these charities may be tax-deductible.
Don’t give out personal financial information — such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords — to anyone who solicits a contribution. Scam artists may use this information to steal a donor’s identity and money.
Don’t give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card or another way that provides documentation of the gift.
Consult IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, available on IRS.gov. This free booklet describes the tax rules that apply to making tax-deductible donations. Among other things, it also provides complete details on what records to keep.
Bogus websites may solicit funds for victims of this tragedy. These sites frequently mimic the sites of, or use names similar to, legitimate charities, or claim to be affiliated with legitimate charities in order to persuade people to send money or provide personal financial information that can be used to steal identities or financial resources.
Additionally, scammers often send emails that steer recipients to bogus websites that appear to be affiliated with legitimate charitable causes.
Taxpayers suspecting fraud by email should visit IRS.gov and search for the keywords “Report Phishing.”
More information about tax scams and schemes may be found at IRS.gov using the keywords “scams and schemes.”
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-88, June 16, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today released guidelines on how wrongfully-incarcerated taxpayers can take advantage of the new retroactive exclusion from income for any civil damages, restitution or other monetary award received in connection with their incarceration.
The guidelines are contained in a set of frequently-asked questions, posted today on IRS.gov. According to the FAQs, taxpayers who in the past received payments related to their wrongful incarceration and included those payments in taxable income can now file a refund claim for any income tax paid. To do this, eligible taxpayers must file Form 1040X for each year these payments were reported and write “Incarceration Exclusion PATH Act” at the top of each Form 1040X they submit.
The new wrongful-incarceration exclusion was included in the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act enacted last December. This legislation provides a special one-year window during which an eligible wrongfully-incarcerated individual can file a refund claim based on any civil damages, restitution or other monetary award received and reported in a prior tax year, even if the normal statute of limitations had already expired for that year. Without this special provision, refund claims for tax-years 2012 and earlier would be barred in most cases. The deadline for mailing a claim under this special rule is Dec. 19, 2016.
To ensure efficient, consistent processing, the IRS has established a special filing address for amended returns claiming the wrongful incarceration exclusion. Send these Forms 1040X, along with any supplemental documentation, to:
Internal Revenue Service
333 W. Pershing,
Stop 6503 5th Floor,
Kansas City, MO 64108.
Allow up to 16 weeks for processing. In most cases, taxpayers can then use the Where's My Amended Return? application on IRS.gov to track the status of their refund claim.
Under the new law, there are no reporting requirements for receipt of an award qualifying for the wrongful-incarceration exclusion. This means for the year an award is received, recipients need not report the award on their return (Form 1040) or submit any documentation to the IRS.
The FAQs, now available on IRS.gov, provide further details on who qualifies for the exclusion, payments that qualify and the documentation and recordkeeping requirements that apply.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-87, June 16, 2016
WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service announced that the publicly available data on electronically filed Forms 990 will now be available for the first time in a machine-readable format through Amazon Web Services (AWS). The publicly available data does not include donor information or other personally identifiable information. Today’s launch of this effort marks an important step forward in access to this important public data.
Previously, this Form 990 data was only available in image files.  This data, which includes filings from 2011 to the present, will now be available as an XML file that is downloadable from the web via AWS.
“The publicly available information on the Form 990 series is vital to those interested in the tax-exempt community,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The IRS appreciates the feedback we’ve received from a variety of outside partners as we’ve worked together to explore improvements to make this data more easily accessible.” 
The data includes Form 990, Form 990-EZ and Form 990-PF and related schedules with the exception of certain donor information. The IRS also redacts certain personally identifiable tax-identification numbers to prevent the data’s misuse. Data from Form 990-N (e-postcard) used by certain smaller exempt organizations is not available with this data, but it can be accessed through IRS.gov.
Over 60 percent of all Form 990 returns are electronically filed with the IRS. Both paper and electronically filed 990 returns will continue to have image files made and these files will continue to be available by DVD.
A tax-exempt organization must file an annual information return or notice with the IRS, unless an exception applies. Annual information returns include Form 990, Form 990-EZ and Form 990-PF. Form 990-N (e-Postcard) is an annual notice.
Form 990 is the IRS' primary tool for gathering information about tax-exempt organizations, educating organizations about tax law requirements and promoting compliance. Organizations also use the Form 990 to share information with the public about their programs. Additionally, most states rely on the Form 990 to perform charitable and other regulatory oversight and to satisfy state income tax filing requirements for organizations claiming exemption from state income tax.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-84, June 6, 2016 
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that interest rates will remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2016. The rates will be:
four (4) percent for overpayments [three (3) percent in the case of a corporation];
four (4) percent for underpayments;
six (6) percent for large corporate underpayments; and
1 and one-half (1.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. 
Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.
The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal short-term rate determined during April 2016 to take effect May 1, 2016, based on daily compounding.
Revenue Ruling 2016-12PDF, announcing the rates of interest, is attached and will appear in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2016-26, dated June 27, 2016.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-83, June 3, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today released further details on how a business entity can become certified under the tax agency’s new certified professional employer organization (CPEO) program.
Revenue Procedure 2016-33PDF, posted today on IRS.gov, along with temporary and proposed regulations published last month in the Federal Register, carries out legislation enacted in late 2014 requiring the IRS to establish a voluntary certification program for professional employer organizations. These organizations handle various payroll administration and tax reporting responsibilities for their business clients and are typically paid a fee based on payroll costs. To become and remain certified under the new program, CPEOs must meet tax status, background, experience, business location, financial reporting, bonding and other requirements.
Under the revenue procedure, interested applicants will be able to apply electronically (paper applications will not be accepted) and submit supporting documents through a new online system. As authorized by law, a $1,000 application fee must be paid upon submission of the application. The revenue procedure also includes detailed information on bond, financial audit and other requirements.
The new online application system will be accessible on IRS.gov in coming weeks, and the IRS will be ready to accept application materials beginning on July 1, 2016. The effective date of certification for an applicant that submits a complete and accurate application before Sept. 1, 2016, and is certified will be Jan. 1, 2017, even in situations where the certification letter is not issued until after that date. The IRS will publish a list of CPEOs on its website, and the list will be updated quarterly. 
The IRS welcomes public comment on the revenue procedure. Details on submitting comments can be found in the revenue procedure, posted on IRS.gov.
Follow the IRS on New Media Subscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-98, July 18, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced $385,678 in matching grants to nine additional recipients for development of qualified Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) in underserved areas around the country for the last six months of the 2016 grant year.
The LITC program is a federal grant program administered by the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate at the IRS, led by National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson. Although LITCs receive partial funding from the IRS, LITCs, their employees and their volunteers operate independently from the IRS.
The LITC program awards matching grants of up to $100,000 per year to qualifying organizations to develop, expand, or continue low income taxpayer clinics. The LITC program funds organizations to represent low income taxpayers in controversies with the IRS and to educate individuals who speak English as a second language about their rights and responsibilities as taxpayers. An LITC must provide services for free or for no more than a nominal fee.
The following is a list of additional organizations awarded a part-year grant:

2016 Additional Low Income Taxpayer Clinics

Name of Organization
City
State
Award Amount
Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc.
Riverside

Calif.


$50,000

JCVision and Associates, Inc.
Hinesville

Ga.


$25,000

New Mexico Legal Aid
Albuquerque

N.M.


$40,678

Hofstra University
Hempstead

N.Y.


$42,000

Touro Law Center
Central Islip

N.Y.


$47,000

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc.
Tulsa

Okla.


$50,000

South Texas College of Law
Houston

Texas


$43,000

Texas A&M University
Fort Worth

Texas


$43,000

University of Utah
Salt Lake City

Utah


$45,000

In February 2016, the IRS awarded $10.72 million in matching grants to 129 other organizations for operation throughout the year. For complete details of the previous release, see the news release IR-2016-32.
For more information about LITCs or to find a clinic near you, visit our Low Income Taxpayer Clinics page.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-96, July 6, 2016
WASHINGTON — Leaders from the Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and tax preparation community today warned tax preparers that they increasingly are targets of cybercriminals and should take appropriate steps to protect clients from data theft.
IRS also posted new information to help tax professionals get started with safeguards to protect clients’ data. It’s the first in a series of fact sheets and tips on security, scams and identity theft prevention measures aimed at tax professionals. The Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself campaign will run through the start of the 2017 filing season.
Recognizing the risk to tax preparers, this new effort is an expansion of the Security Summit’s 2015 “Taxes. Security. Together.” campaign aimed at increasing public awareness for using security software, creating stronger passwords and avoiding phishing emails.
“We have more than 700,000 tax preparers in this country, with many of those taking good security precautions,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “But cybercriminals are continuing to evolve, using new technology, ruses and scams. The tax community handles large volumes of sensitive personal and financial information. We need every tax professional to stay on top of their security to protect taxpayers as well as their businesses.”
Fact Sheet 2016-23, Tax Professionals: Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself from Identity Theft, urges preparers to follow the security recommendations found in Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer DataPDF. The fact sheet outlines the critical steps necessary to protect taxpayer information and to build customer confidence and trust.
Preparers should sign up for e-News for Tax Professionals, the IRS Tax Pros Twitter account and the Return Preparer Office’s Facebook page to stay informed about this campaign and about scams and schemes in general. The IRS also is creating a Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself page on IRS.gov.
The Security Summit consists of the IRS, state tax agencies and the private-sector tax industry working together to safeguard taxpayers from tax-related identity theft. On June 28, Summit partners announced their 2017 initiatives to combat stolen identity refund fraud.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-118, Aug. 31, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the availability of Statistics of Income–2014 Individual Income Tax Returns Complete Report (Publication 1304). U.S. taxpayers filed 148.6 million individual income tax returns for tax year 2014, up 0.9 percent from 2013. The adjusted gross income less deficit reported on these returns rose $677 billion, which is a 7.4-percent increase from the prior year.
The report is based on a sample drawn from the 148.6 million individual income tax returns filed for tax year 2014 and provides estimates on sources of income, adjusted gross income, exemptions, deductions, taxable income, income tax, modified income tax, tax credits, self-employment tax and tax payments.
Classifications include tax status, size of adjusted gross income, marital status, age, and type of tax computation. A brief text reviews the requirements for filing tax returns, explains the changes in tax law, provides a summary of the data, and describes the sample used to produce the report. Publication 1304 is currently available for download at irs.gov/taxstats.
For more information about these data, please write to the Director, Statistics of Income Division, RAAS:S, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue, K-Room 4122, Washington, DC 20224.
Follow the IRS on Social MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IRS YouTube Videos
Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself (obsolete)
IR-2016-116, August 30, 2016
WASHINGTON — As part of the ongoing Security Summit efforts, the Internal Revenue Service today released a new YouTube video urging tax professionals to take the necessary steps toward guarding their data and protecting clients from identity theft.
The video featuring IRS Commissioner John Koskinen warns tax professionals that cybercriminals increasingly are targeting their offices and their data. The video spotlights the "Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself" campaign recently launched by the Security Summit. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about cybercriminal activity and provide tax professionals the information needed to improve safeguards. A series of fact sheets and tips on security, scams and identity theft prevention measures for the tax professional community will be released throughout this summer and fall.
"The tax community handles large volumes of sensitive personal and financial information," Koskinen said. "Many tax professionals are doing their part with strong security practices. But as these threats rapidly evolve, we need every tax professional to stay on top of their security to protect taxpayers as well as their businesses.”
This new effort is an expansion of the Security Summit’s 2015 Taxes. Security. Together. campaign aimed at increasing public awareness for using security software, creating stronger passwords and avoiding phishing emails. The Summit is a joint effort between the IRS, state tax agencies and the tax preparation community to combat refund fraud and identity theft.
Fact Sheet 2016-23, Tax Professionals: Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself from Identity Theft, urges preparers to follow the security recommendations found in Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer DataPDF. The fact sheet outlines the critical steps necessary to protect taxpayer information and to build customer confidence and trust.
Security Awareness Tax Tips focusing on tax professionals also are available. The first one issued in August encouraged tax professionals to monitor their PTINs for suspicious activity.
Preparers should also sign up for e-News for Tax Professionals, the IRS Tax Pro Twitter account and the Return Preparer Office’s Facebook page to stay informed about this campaign and about scams and schemes in general. The IRS also created a “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself” page at www.irs.gov/protectyourclients.
Follow the IRS on Social MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-115, Aug. 30, 2016
WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service today announced that 401(k)s and similar employer-sponsored retirement plans can make loans and hardship distributions to Louisiana flood victims and members of their families.
Participants in 401(k) plans, employees of public schools and tax-exempt organizations with 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities, as well as state and local government employees with 457(b) deferred-compensation plans may be eligible to take advantage of these streamlined loan procedures and liberalized hardship distribution rules. Though IRA participants are barred from taking out loans, they may be eligible to receive distributions under liberalized procedures.
Retirement plans can provide this relief to employees and certain members of their families who live or work in the disaster area. To qualify for this relief, hardship withdrawals must be made by Jan. 17, 2017.
The IRS is also relaxing procedural and administrative rules that normally apply to retirement plan loans and hardship distributions. As a result, eligible retirement plan participants will be able to access their money more quickly with a minimum of red tape. In addition, the six-month ban on 401(k) and 403(b) contributions that normally affects employees who take hardship distributions will not apply.
This broad-based relief means that a retirement plan can allow a Louisiana flood victim to take a hardship distribution or borrow up to the specified statutory limits from the victim’s retirement plan. It also means that a person who lives outside the disaster area can take out a retirement plan loan or hardship distribution and use it to assist a son, daughter, parent, grandparent or other dependent who lived or worked in the disaster area.
Plans will be allowed to make loans or hardship distributions before the plan is formally amended to provide for such features. In addition, the plan can ignore the reasons that normally apply to hardship distributions, thus allowing them, for example, to be used for food and shelter. If a plan requires certain documentation before a distribution is made, the plan can relax this requirement as described in the announcement.
Ordinarily, retirement plan loan proceeds are tax-free if they are repaid over a period of five years or less.  Under current law, hardship distributions are generally taxable. Also, a 10 percent early-withdrawal tax usually applies.
Further details are in Announcement 2016-30PDF, posted today on IRS.gov.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-114, Aug. 25, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is seeking applications for vacancies on the Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT). The committee provides a venue for public input on relevant areas of tax administration.
A vacancy exists in the following customer segments:
Federal, state and local governments
Indian Tribal governments
Employment tax knowledge and experience within one or more areas of exempt organizations, employee plans, Indian tribal governments, tax exempt bonds or federal, state and local governments. 
Members are appointed by the Department of the Treasury and serve three-year terms. New members will begin their terms in June 2017. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 26, 2016.
The ACT is an organized public forum for the IRS and representatives who deal with employee plans, exempt organizations, tax-exempt bonds, and federal, state, local and Indian tribal governments. The ACT enables the IRS to receive regular input on administrative policy and procedures of Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE).
Applications can be made by completing an ACT member application formPDF. Applications should reflect the proposed member’s qualifications. Members of the ACT may not be federally registered lobbyists. A notice published in the Federal Register, dated Aug. 26, 2016, contains more details about the ACT and the application process.
Applications should be sent by fax at 888-269-7419. 
If you require alternative means to send the applications and nominations, please call (202) 317-8798. Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-113, August 24, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today provided a self-certification procedure designed to help recipients of retirement plan distributions who inadvertently miss the 60-day time limit for properly rolling these amounts into another retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement (IRA).
In Revenue Procedure 2016-47PDF, posted today on IRS.gov, the IRS explained how eligible taxpayers, encountering a variety of mitigating circumstances, can qualify for a waiver of the 60-day time limit and avoid possible early distribution taxes. In addition, the revenue procedure includes a sample self-certification letter that a taxpayer can use to notify the administrator or trustee of the retirement plan or IRA receiving the rollover that they qualify for the waiver.
Normally, an eligible distribution from an IRA or workplace retirement plan can only qualify for tax-free rollover treatment if it is contributed to another IRA or workplace plan by the 60th day after it was received. In most cases, taxpayers who fail to meet the time limit could only obtain a waiver by requesting a private letter ruling from the IRS.
A taxpayer who missed the time limit will now ordinarily qualify for a waiver if one or more of 11 circumstances, listed in the revenue procedure, apply to them. They include a distribution check that was misplaced and never cashed, the taxpayer’s home was severely damaged, a family member died, the taxpayer or a family member was seriously ill, the taxpayer was incarcerated or restrictions were imposed by a foreign country.
Ordinarily, the IRS and plan administrators and trustees will honor a taxpayer’s truthful self-certification that they qualify for a waiver under these circumstances. Moreover, even if a taxpayer does not self-certify, the IRS now has the authority to grant a waiver during a subsequent examination. Other requirements, along with a copy of a sample self-certification letter, can be found in the revenue procedure.
The IRS encourages eligible taxpayers wishing to transfer retirement plan or IRA distributions to another retirement plan or IRA to consider requesting that the administrator or trustee make a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer, rather than doing a rollover. Doing so can avoid some of the delays and restrictions that often arise during the rollover process. For more information about rollovers and transfers, check out the Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions page on IRS.gov.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-109, Aug. 19, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is seeking applications from consumer advocates and others for consideration to join as members of the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC).
In addition to applications from people representing consumers and taxpayers, the IRS is seeking individuals with experience in cybersecurity and information security, tax software development, tax preparation, payroll and tax financial product processing, systems management and improvement, implementation of customer service initiatives and public administration.
This is the second solicitation for ETAAC nominations as the IRS seeks to ensure the committee’s membership reflects a range of interests and viewpoints as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The IRS expects to announce the initial selections to ETAAC in a few weeks. Applications from this second solicitation will be announced later in the year.
The ETAAC provides an organized public forum for discussion of electronic tax administration issues such as prevention of identity theft and refund fraud in support of the overriding goal that paperless filing should be the preferred and most convenient method of filing tax and information returns. ETAAC members will work closely with the Security Summit, a joint effort of the IRS, state tax administrators and tax software industry to fight electronic fraud.
The IRS is looking for qualified individuals who will serve a one, two or three-year term. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 19, 2016.
Nominations of qualified individuals may be made by letter and received from organizations or the individuals themselves. Applicants should complete the ETAAC applicationPDF and include a short statement of interest along with a resume. Applicants should describe and document their qualifications, past and current affiliations, and dealings with cybersecurity and electronic tax administration. More information is available on Apply for Membership on IRS.gov.
ETAAC members are drawn from substantially diverse backgrounds. ETAAC is a federal advisory committee established by the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.
Questions about the ETAAC and the application process can be e-mailed to publicliaison@irs.gov.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-105, Aug. 15, 2016
WASHINGTON –– Louisiana storm victims will have until Jan. 17, 2017, to file certain individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. All workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization also qualify for relief.
Following this week’s disaster declaration for individual assistance issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the IRS said that affected taxpayers in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes will receive this and other special tax relief. Other locations in Louisiana and other states may be added in coming days, based on damage assessments by FEMA.
The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on Aug. 11, 2016. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Jan. 17, 2017 to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period. This includes the Sept. 15 deadline for making quarterly estimated tax payments. For individual tax filers, it also includes 2015 income tax returns that received a tax-filing extension until Oct. 17, 2016. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments related to these 2015 returns were originally due on April 18, 2016, they are not eligible for this relief. A variety of business tax deadlines are also affected including the Sept. 15 deadline for corporation and partnership returns on extension and the Oct. 31 deadline for quarterly payroll and excise tax returns.
In addition, the IRS is waiving late-deposit penalties for federal payroll and excise tax deposits normally due on or after Aug. 11 and before Aug. 26 if the deposits are made by Aug. 26, 2016. Details on available relief can be found on the disaster relief page on IRS.gov.
The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Thus, taxpayers need not contact the IRS to get this relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.
In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at 866-562-5227.
Individuals and businesses who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred, or the return for the prior year. See Publication 547 for details.
The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the damage caused by severe storms and flooding and is based on local damage assessments by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit disasterassistance.gov.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-103, Aug. 11, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today alerted tax professionals to an emerging phishing email scam that pretends to be from tax software providers and tries to trick recipients into clicking on a bogus link.
The email scheme is the latest in a series of attempts by fraudsters to use the IRS or other tax issues as a cover to trick people into giving up sensitive information such as passwords, Social Security numbers or credit card numbers or to make unnecessary payments.
In the new scheme identified as part of the IRS Security Summit process, tax professionals are receiving emails pretending to be from tax software companies. The email scheme requests the recipient to download and install an important software update via a link included in the e-mail. 
Once recipients click on the embedded link, they are directed to a website prompting them to download a file appearing to be an update of their software package.  The file has a naming convention that uses the actual name of their software followed by an “.exe extension.”
Upon completion, tax professionals believe they have downloaded a software update when in fact they have loaded a program designed to track the tax professional’s key strokes, which is a common tactic used by cyber thieves to steal login information, passwords and other sensitive data. 
Although the IRS knows of only a handful of cases to date, tax professionals are encouraged to be on the lookout for these scams and never to click on unexpected links in emails. Similar email schemes using tax software names have targeted individual taxpayers.
The IRS recently launched a new campaign to raise awareness among tax professionals about security threats posed by identity theft issues targeting their industry. The Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself campaign features an ongoing effort to urge tax professionals to step up their security protections and be aware they increasingly are targets of cybercriminals.
The IRS urges all tax preparers to take the following steps:
Be alert for phishing scams: do not click on links or open attachments contained in e-mails and always utilize a software provider’s main webpage for connecting to them.
Run a security “deep scan” to search for viruses and malware;
Strengthen passwords for both computer access and software access; make sure your password is a minimum of 8 digits long (more is better) with a mix of numbers, letters and special characters;
Educate all staff members about the dangers of phishing scams in the form of emails, texts and calls;
Review any software that your employees use to remotely access your network and/or your IT support vendor uses to remotely troubleshoot technical problems and support your systems. Remote access software is a potential target for bad actors to gain entry and take control of a machine.
Tax professionals should review Publication 4557PDF, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, A Guide for Your Business, which provides a checklist to help safeguard taxpayer information and enhance office security.
Follow the IRS on New Media  Subscribe to IRS Newswire
IR-2016-102, Aug. 5, 2016
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded truckers and other owners of heavy highway vehicles that in most cases their next federal highway use tax return is due Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016.
The deadline generally applies to Form 2290 and the accompanying tax payment for the tax year that begins July 1, 2016, and ends June 30, 2017. Returns must be filed and tax payments made by Aug. 31 for vehicles used on the road during July. For vehicles first used after July, the deadline is the last day of the month following the month of first use. 
Though some taxpayers have the option of filing Form 2290 on paper, the IRS encourages all taxpayers to take advantage of the speed and convenience of filing this form electronically and paying any tax due electronically. Taxpayers reporting 25 or more vehicles must e-file. You can find a list of IRS-approved e-file providers on IRS.gov.
The highway use tax applies to highway motor vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. This generally includes trucks, truck tractors and buses. Ordinarily, vans, pick-ups and panel trucks are not taxable because they fall below the 55,000-pound threshold. The tax of up to $550 per vehicle is based on weight, and a variety of special rules apply, explained in the instructions to Form 2290.
Truckers do not need to visit an IRS office to e-file Form 2290. You can electronically file the Form 2290 and pay any Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax due online. Find an approved provider for Form 2290 on the 2290 e-file partner’s page. Generally, if you e-file Form 2290, you can receive your IRS-stamped Schedule 1 electronically minutes after e-filing. You can print your Schedule 1 and provide it to your state Department of Motor Vehicles without visiting an IRS office. If you choose to visit your local office, be aware that many Taxpayer Assistance Centers now operate by scheduled appointments. Use the Taxpayer Assistance Center Office Locator to see if your local office will require an appointment.
For more information about the highway use tax, visit the Trucking Tax Center at IRS.gov/truckers.
Follow the IRS on New MediaSubscribe to IRS Newswire