Category Archives: IRS

IRS Loses Again to Institute for Justice

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Russ

Two weeks ago, a court ruled that the IRS had no legal grounds to regulate unenrolled tax preparers. The IRS filed a motion seeking a stay of the court’s injunction against the IRS. Late yesterday, Judge James Boasberg (the same … Continue reading →

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1099, W-2 Mailing Deadline Is Tomorrow

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Russ

Thursday, January 31st, is the deadline for employers and others to put most 1099s and all W-2s into the mail or otherwise deliver them to recipients. This is a postmark deadline. This means that it might still be a week … Continue reading →

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Would You Deliberately Mail a Check to the Wrong Address?

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Russ

Seriously, would you? Assume you owed a customer $1,000. The debt goes back over a year, and now you’re ready to pay. The customer notifies you that she’s moved, and provides you with her new correct address. How many of … Continue reading →

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Form 8863 Added to Returns that the IRS Won’t Accept Just Yet

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Russ

From multiple sources comes word that the IRS will not accept returns with Form 8863 (Education Credits) at this time. Any returns with this form will also be delayed until (probably) March mid-February. While this form is not on the … Continue reading →

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Institute for Justice 2, IRS 0

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Russ

Back in December I noted the Institute for Justice’s lawsuit challenging the IRS’ regulations of unenrolled tax professionals (preparers who are not CPAs, Enrolled Agents, or attorneys). The IRS had publicly stated that the lawsuit was without merit. They better … Continue reading →

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Farmers & Fishermen Get Relief From Catch-22 Situation

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Russ

The IRS announced relief today for a Catch-22 situation for farmers and fishermen. Normally, farmers and fishermen who choose not to make quarterly estimated tax payments are not subject to a penalty if they file their returns and pay the … Continue reading →

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Is A Simplified Home Office Deduction Better?

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Russ

Today the IRS announced a simplified option for claiming the home office deduction (Form 8829). The deduction will allow some to take $5 per square foot of home office (up to a maximum of 300 square feet). This new “simplified” … Continue reading →

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Estimated Tax Payment Deadline Is January 15th

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Russ

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 15th is the deadline for making your fourth quarter 2012 estimated tax payments. This is a postmark deadline, so if you are mailing your estimated payments, go to the post office and spend the few dollars to … Continue reading →

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“The IRS Has Failed to Provide Effective and Timely Assistance to Victims of Identity Theft”

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Russ

That’s not just my opinion, it’s the opinion of the National Taxpayer Advocate, Nina Olson. Most tax professionals who have run into identity theft can relate horror stories. Jason Dinesen, an Enrolled Agent in Iowa, has been dealing with an … Continue reading →

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IRS Announces Tax Season to Start on January 30th

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Russ

The IRS announced today in an email that tax filing season will begin on Wednesday, January 30th. That’s a delay of about two weeks and is caused by Congress’s delay in enacting the “fiscal cliff” tax extender legislation (including the … Continue reading →

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