Superarticle : Article directory

Most people don’t really look forward to filing their tax returns and paying their taxes. As it is, there really isn’t much to look forward to because it is a tedious process that can take weeks to complete. Some people even have the bad luck to raise the interest of the IRS. The trouble is, most of these people’s mistakes are not intentional. They just lack proper tax preparation, and in all probability, must have rushed through the filing process. Lack of preparation and attention to detail are the most common faults of people who often get flagged by the IRS. Let’s face it. Even if audits are not criminal in nature, they are embarrassing and distressing events people can do without.

Filing accurate tax returns and paying correct taxes are not impossible with the right preparation and a good headstart. A good headstart is important in filing because taxpayers get more lead time to organize and prepare the necessary documents. Even if there are lots of tax software available, it is a wise idea to allot a significant amount of time in reviewing past returns, current returns applications, and tax laws. Tax laws are dynamic; they can be changed or revised between the last tax season and the one coming up. There might be some important things in the revised policies that can affect your returns and deductions. Pleading ignorance of the new policies are not acceptable to the government and the IRS because everybody is presumed to know the law. Taxpayers are recommended to review their current applications especially if they’ve been audited before. According to the IRS, taxpayers repeating audited mistakes are not uncommon. Speaking of mistakes, “forgetting” additional income sources is the predominant mistake most people make. The IRS also compares issued forms against reported income on the returns for disparity. Still on the issue of disparity and comparison, returns are checked for names and SS numbers so they must mirror those in the SS records. Wrongly issued forms must be returned and reported to the issuer for corrections.

Wrong sums are also common mistakes due to rushing. Though tax software is usually thought of as a late taxpayer’s savior, early filers can use this software to check their computations. Tax charges can usually be avoided by printing correct sums on returns. Taxpayers are encouraged to file their returns even if their current financial situation makes them unable to pay their taxes. Installment payment is an option that IRS offers. Tax matters are sensitive and can be subjected to random auditing. It is advised that taxpayers keep and file their returns of six years at the very least for reference if ever they are called for auditing. Lastly, since the agency is the one who gets burdened by tax problems, the IRS is open to giving assistance to taxpayers. With proper preparation, filing tax returns can be an easy process.

Source:
Stop the IRS! Get legal advice to resolve your TAX issues.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

• Leave a comment... (0)

It is unfortunate but true, that many people do not even consider consulting a tax attorney until they open their mailboxes one day and there is that dreaded letter from the IRS. A tax attorney is a lawyer that specializes in all areas of taxes. The tax attorney is required to attend law school for one to three more years, after regular law school, to receive their Masters in taxation.

The IRS has its own group of experienced tax attorneys, so if there is ever a time when you need to face the IRS for any reason, it is imperative that you have your own tax attorney with you. A tax attorney has all the tools and means necessary to handle any tax matters that come up during any tax disputes or issues.

If you have been contacted by the IRS and are looking to retain the services of a tax attorney, there are certain things to keep in mind when looking for the right one.

First, you need to choose a tax attorney that has extensive knowledge and experience in all areas of taxation. This means your chosen tax attorney should be up to date on all tax regulations, laws, recent and past tax court cases, recent and past tax rulings, appeal procedures, audit procedures, tax litigation and collection.

You should also look for business knowledge when considering a tax attorney. Your tax attorney should have a good deal of knowledge when it comes to business accounting. He or she should have the experience and training in financial areas in order to understand your case fully. Your tax attorney should also have a working knowledge of many other legal areas, such as bankruptcy, agency law and contract law. Your tax attorney should have a good deal of legal knowledge in order to recognize any issues that could be deemed criminal in nature.

Finally, you need a tax attorney that has skills in negotiation and litigation as well. If you need to take on the IRS, you will need a tax attorney that can negotiate settlements and be at your side if you do need to go to Tax Court, if the IRS accuses you of a of tax crime. Dealing with the IRS can be a long, hard and demeaning process. It is imperative that you have a reputable, knowledgeable tax attorney at your side during the ordeal.

Your tax attorney will have full working knowledge about all aspects of the tax laws and what the IRS legally can and cannot do during the process. He or she can advise you on your rights if the IRS happens to break the law during any part of your dealings with that agency.

Disclaimer: The information presented here should not be interpreted as legal or tax advice. If you need legal or tax advice, please seek professional advice from a qualified tax attorney for your best options.

Source:
Stop the IRS! Get legal advice to resolve your TAX issues.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

• Leave a comment... (0)

For more than 10 million Americans, tax day comes up to four times a year. Many small business owners, as well as people earning income from investments, rental property or alimony, are often required to pay quarterly estimated taxes every April, June, September and January.

Many filers struggle to determine how much they owe, or worse, forget to make payments altogether-a costly mistake when underpayment typically results in additional penalties and fines.

“Paying estimated taxes is a real hassle,” says Matt Hammond, a Tustin, California-based commercial real estate broker. “Having to account for things like safe-harbor computations, percentages and special rules that apply can be complicated. In addition, just remembering to send my payment on time is difficult and then I worry if it got there.” Last year, Hammond was one of the taxpayers whose payment to the IRS ended up at the bottom of San Francisco Bay when a truck carrying 30,000 tax documents and payments tipped over.

Fortunately, there are ways to make filing “quarterlies” easier. For instance, a new online service from the makers of TurboTax fully automates estimated tax calculations and payment.

TurboTax Estimated Taxes can help eliminate the headaches and hassle associated with making estimated tax payments. The online service features a calculator to determine how much to pay, quarterly e-mail reminders and online record keeping, so tax-time surprises are a thing of the past.

In addition, the service electronically files payments and provides confirmation from the IRS-meaning filers like Hammond may get some peace of mind.

Source:
Stop the IRS! Get legal advice to resolve your TAX issues.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

• Leave a comment... (0)

The first known income tax that Americans were legally required to pay was enacted during the 1860s, and the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War was proving very costly to fund, and the President and Congress created the Commissioner of Revenue and enacted a law requiring citizens to pay income tax.

Originally, the deadline for completing and filing your individual income tax was not April 15th. In the beginning, it was first set for March 1st. Then, during 1918, Congress pushed the date out to March 15th. Then, in the great overhaul of 1954, the date was once again moved forward to April 15th, and this is where it remains today. But, it has only been set this way for a little over 50 years. That’s not very long, in historical terms, and it could possibly be changed again.

If you are an individual tax payer, you are required to file either a return or an extension of time to file (Form 4868) by April 15th. Corporate and other legal entities are required to file their tax return by March 15th, and if not, they also must file an extension of time to file. What this extension does not do, is to extend the amount of time you have to pay any taxes due the government. So, if you are unable to ready your personal or business financial information in a timely manner, and have no reasonable estimate as to the amount of tax you may owe, you can expect to pay some form of penalty.

In the years following WWII, the burden of tax responsibility was shared fairly equally by the corporate world and the individual tax payer. Today, however, the shift has been toward more responsibility on the part of the individual, and less on the business backs. To demonstrate how special interests have begun to overtake American politics, during 1867, public opinion was so strong, and the outcry of the general public so loud, that the President and Congress repealed the income tax law, and from 1868 until 1913 almost all of the revenue for government operation came from the sale of liquor, beer, wine, and tobacco.

An interesting time during the formation and eventual taxation of America occurred during 1918. Until that point in time, the vast majority of revenue for government funding came from alcoholic beverage sales. In 1919, Congress passed an amendment to the Constitution that made it illegal to manufacture or sell alcohol; what would replace the revenue? American income tax was the proposed solution, and we’ve been paying since. Although during the great years known as Prohibition, many “revenue agents” spent their days tracking down “moon shiners” not tax evaders, the American citizen, the individual taxpayer took on the heavy burden of supporting government revenue, and it has become heavier with each passing year.

Then, during 1942, the Revenue Act of 1942 was passed and the “New Deal” era was begun. Since that point in time, government control, power, and expenditures has continued to increase at a phenomenal rate, and today the American taxpayer supports a trillion dollar giant known as the United States government. This ravenous beast consumes more than 10% of our earned income each year, and if the Social Security Administration has their way, will continue to consumer even more of our weekly earnings. We can foresee no other relief in sight.

Currently, all the tax regulations for this country are the responsibility of the Internal Revenue Service, and there are four major divisions of this government office: the Wage and Investment, Small/Business Self-Employed, the Large and Midsize Business and the Tax Exempt and Government Entities. Each division has responsibilities as they pertain to their individual specialty.

Source:
Stop the IRS! Get legal advice to resolve your TAX issues.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

• Leave a comment... (0)

You may have a less taxing time this April if you let computer software do much of the hard work filing with the IRS.

You won’t be alone. According to IRS data, more than 68 million tax returns were filed electronically last year, with more than 17 million taxpayers filing their own returns online.

“There are a number of benefits that online tax prep and e-filing offer but you should do a little bit of homework first to get the greatest value for your dollar,” said Debra Gray, tax software manager for CCH.

According to Gray, some of the questions you should look to answer are:

Is the software easy and secure?

Online software can save time because you don’t have to download it to your computer. Make sure, however, the program is easy to navigate, helps you organize your information and provides the support resources you need to complete your return, as well as encrypting your data using recognized security standards.

Can you work at your own pace?

Online tax preparation sites let you password protect your work, logging back in as often as you need. Make certain the program also automatically checks for errors or oversights and provides links to the problems for quick correction of potentially costly mistakes.

What becomes of your return after you file?

Make sure the program maintains a record of your prior year’s return, so you can roll over basic information from one year to the next.

Does it clearly show the cost of preparing and filing your returns?

Navigating the add-on pricing structure used by some tax software providers can be taxing in itself, with some promoting a federal price or free federal filing but not clearly indicating added costs for completing a state tax return. According to Gray, most do-it-yourself taxpayers should be able to find a good tax program for under $40, including costs for preparing both a federal and state return and e-filing the returns.

What are the payment and refund options?

Many sites let you deduct the cost of using their program from your expected tax refund and allow direct deposit of your refund into your bank account, for even faster access to your refund.

What are the help and support options?

Ideally, the program should be straightforward but you will want this safety net, so make sure the tax program offers support features via e-mail or live online chat.

“Taxpayers who have been trying to complete their returns using pencil and paper or have been frustrated by the tax software programs they’ve used in the past, really owe it to themselves to take a look at the features available in online tax software this year,” said Gray. “Preparing taxes isn’t how most people want to spend their time, but if they’re using the right tools, they can save time completing their returns online. As an added bonus, they will likely learn a few things that can help them save even more on their taxes this year and beyond.”

Source:
Stop the IRS! Get legal advice to resolve your TAX issues.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

• Leave a comment... (0)

The end of tax filing extensions is quickly approaching. What do you do if you can’t pay the amounts you owe? You should still file your return by the due date and pay as much as you can. There are, however, additional steps that might help.

Credit Cards

You can charge your taxes on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover cards. If you go in this direction, you can use either of the following two sources:

Official Payments Corporation
1-800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829)
www.officialpayments.com

Link2Gov Corporation
1-888-PAY-1040 (1-888-729-1040)
www.pay1040.com

If a credit card is out of the question, you may be able to pay any remaining balance over time in monthly installments through an installment agreement. If you are completely wiped out and the future looks grim, you may also want to consider getting the tax amount reduced through the Offer in Compromise program.

To apply for an installment payment plan, fill out and attach Form 9465 to the front of your tax return. The IRS has streamlined the approval process if your total taxes (not counting interest, penalties or other additions) do not exceed $25,000 and can be paid off in five years or less. Be sure to show the amount of your proposed monthly payment and the date you wish to make your payment each month. Make absolutely sure you can make the payments.

The IRS charges a $43 fee for setting up an installment agreement. You will also be charged interest plus a late payment penalty on the unpaid taxes. The late payment penalty is usually one-half of one percent per month or part of a month of your unpaid tax. The penalty rate is reduced to one-quarter of one percent for any month an Installment Agreement is in effect if you filed your return by the due date (including extensions). The maximum failure to pay penalty is 25 percent of the tax paid late.

If you do not file your return by the due date (including extensions), you may have to pay a penalty for filing late. The penalty for failing to file and pay timely is usually five percent of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month that your return is late. The maximum penalty for failure to file and pay on time is 25 percent of your unpaid tax.

In Closing

The IRS wants you in the system, even if you’re broke. Whatever you do, file your tax return in a timely manner. Once filed, the IRS will work with you on payment issues. Don’t get stressed. Keep in mind that millions of Americans have the same problem.

Source:
Stop the IRS! Get legal advice to resolve your TAX issues.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

• Leave a comment... (0)