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ASSISTANCE OPTIONSThe IRS continues to focus on tax-payer service. The best way fortaxpayers to get answers to theirquestions is by visiting the IRSwebsite at IRS.gov. The IRS has up-dated the front page of the IRSwebsite to make it easier for tax-payers to get key forms, informa-tion and file tax returns. The frontpage also has links to taxpayer-friendly videos on the IRS YouTubechannel. More improvements areplanned for IRS.gov in the monthsahead.

Last year, the IRS unveiled IRS2Go,its first smartphone applicationthat lets taxpayers check on thestatus of their tax refund and ob-tain helpful tax information. TheIRS reminds Apple users that theycan download the free IRS2Goapplication by visiting the AppleApp Store and Android users canvisit the Android Marketplace todownload the free IRS2Go app.

Individuals making $50,000 or lesscan use the Volunteer Income TaxAssistance program for free taxpreparation and, in many cases,

WASHINGTON — The InternalRevenue Service today openedthe 2012 tax filing season by an-nouncing that taxpayers have untilApril 17 to file their tax returns.The IRS encourages taxpayers toe-file as it is the best way to ensureaccurate tax returns and get fasterrefunds.

The IRS also announced a numberof improvements to help make thistax season easy for taxpayers. Thisincludes new navigation featuresand helpful information on IRS.govand a new pilot to allow taxpayersto use interactive video to get helpwith tax issues.

“At the IRS, we’re working hard tomake the process of filing yourtaxes as quick and easy as possi-ble,” said IRS Commissioner DougShulman. “Providing quality serviceis one of our top priorities. It notonly reduces the burden on tax-payers, but also helps in filing an ac-curate return right from the start.”

Taxpayers will have until Tuesday,April 17, to file their 2011 tax re-turns and pay any tax due becauseApril 15 falls on a Sunday, andEmancipation Day, a holiday ob-served in the District of Columbia,falls this year on Monday, April 16.According to federal law, Districtof Columbia holidays impact taxdeadlines in the same way that

federal holidays do; therefore, alltaxpayers will have two extra daysto file this year. Taxpayers request-ing an extension will have untilOct. 15 to file their 2012 tax re-turns.

The IRS expects to receive morethan 144 million individual tax re-turns this year, with most of thosebeing filed by the April 17 deadline.

The IRS will begin accepting e-fileand Free File returns on Jan. 17,2012. Additional details about e-fileand Free File will be announcedlater this month. IRS Free File pro-vides options for free brand-nametax software or online fillable formsplus free electronic filing. Everyonecan use Free File to prepare a fed-eral tax return. Taxpayers whomake $57,000 or less can choosefrom approximately 20 commer-cial software providers. There’s noincome limit for Free File FillableForms, the electronic version ofIRS paper forms, which also in-cludes free e-filing.

The IRS also reminds paid tax re-turn preparers they must have andinclude a Preparer Tax Identifica-tion Number (PTIN) on all returnsthey prepare. All PTINs must berenewed for 2011. Tax return pre-parers can obtain or renew PTINsonline.

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can get to using the IRS2Gophone app or from the frontpage of www.IRS.gov. By provid-ing their Taxpayer IdentificationNumbers, filing status, and theexact whole dollar amount oftheir anticipated refund taxpay-ers can generally get informationabout their refund 72 hoursafter the IRS acknowledges re-ceipt of their e-filed returns, orthree to four weeks after mailinga paper return.

Resource: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=251825,00.html

free electronic filing. Individuals age60 and older can take advantage offree tax counseling and basic in-come tax preparation through TaxCounseling for the Elderly. Informa-tion on these programs can befound at IRS.gov.

For tax law questions or accountinquiries, taxpayers can also call ourtoll-free number (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.local time) or visit a taxpayer assis-tance center, the locations of whichare listed on IRS.gov.

VIRTUAL SERVICE

The IRS has begun a new pilot pro-gram where taxpayers can get as-sistance through two-way videoconferencing. The IRS is conductinga limited roll out of this new videoconferencing technology at 10 IRSoffices and two other sites, and mayexpand to further sites in the fu-ture. A list of locations is availableon IRS.gov.

CHECK FOR A REFUNDOnce taxpayers file their federal re-turn, they can track the status oftheir refunds by using the “Where'sMy Refund?” tool, which taxpayers

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tends continuing education classes.The IRS is also phasing in a newtest requirement to make surethose who are not an enrolledagent, CPA, or attorney have metminimal competency requirements.Those subject to the test will be-come a Registered Tax Return Pre-parer once they pass it.

* Check the preparer's his-tory. Check to see if the preparerhas a questionable history with theBetter Business Bureau and checkfor any disciplinary actions and li-censure status through the state

boards of accountancy for certifiedpublic accountants; the state bar as-sociations for attorneys; and theIRS Office of Enrollment for en-rolled agents.

* Find out about their servicefees. Avoid preparers who basetheir fee on a percentage of yourrefund or those who claim theycan obtain larger refunds thanother preparers. Also, always makesure any refund due is sent to youor deposited into an account inyour name. Under no circum-stances should all or part of your

If you pay someone to prepareyour tax return, the IRS urges youto choose that preparer wisely. Tax-payers are legally responsible forwhat’s on their tax return even if itis prepared by someone else. So, itis important to choose carefullywhen hiring an individual or firm toprepare your return. Most returnpreparers are professional, honestand provide excellent service totheir clients.

This year, the IRS wants to remindall taxpayers that they should useonly preparers who sign the re-

turns they prepare and enter theirPreparer Tax Identification Num-bers (PTINs).

Here are a few points to keep inmind when someone else preparesyour return:

* Check the person's qualifi-cations. New regulations requireall paid tax return preparers tohave a Preparer Tax IdentificationNumber (PTIN). In addition tomaking sure they have a PTIN, askif the preparer is affiliated with aprofessional organization and at-

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* Never sign a blank return.Avoid tax preparers that ask youto sign a blank tax form.

* Review the entire returnbefore signing it. Before yousign your tax return, review it andask questions. Make sure you un-derstand everything and are com-fortable with the accuracy of thereturn before you sign it.

* Make sure the preparersigns the form and includeshis or her preparer tax iden-tification number (PTIN). A paid preparer must sign the re-turn and include his or her PTIN as

required by law. Although the pre-parer signs the return, you are re-sponsible for the accuracy of everyitem on your return. The preparermust also give you a copy of thereturn.

You can report abusive tax prepar-ers to the IRS on Form 14157,Complaint: Tax Return Preparer.Download Form 14157 and fill itout or order by mail at 800-TAXFORM (800-829-3676). The formincludes the address where itshould be mailed.


refund be directly deposited into apreparer’s bank account.

* Ask if they offer electronicfiling. Any paid preparer who pre-pares and files more than 10 re-turns for clients must file thereturns electronically, unless theclient opts to file a paper return.More than 1 billion individual taxreturns have been safely and se-curely processed since the debut ofelectronic filing in 1990. Make sureyour preparer offers IRS e-file.

* Make sure the tax prepareris accessible. Make sure you willbe able to contact the tax preparer

after the return has been filed, evenafter the April due date, in casequestions arise.

* Provide all records and re-ceipts needed to prepareyour return. Reputable preparerswill request to see your recordsand receipts and will ask you multi-ple questions to determine yourtotal income and your qualificationsfor expenses, deductions and otheritems. Do not use a preparer whois willing to electronically file yourreturn before you receive yourForm W-2 using your last pay stub.This is against IRS e-file rules.

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IDENTITY THEFT SCAMSThe IRS has issued several consumerwarnings about the fraudulent use ofthe IRS name or logo by scamsterstrying to gain access to consumers’financial information in order to stealtheir identity and assets. Scamsterswill use the regular mail, telephone,fax or email to set up their victims.When identity theft takes place overthe Internet (email), it is called phish-ing.

The IRS does not initiate taxpayercommunications through email. Un-solicited email claiming to be fromthe IRS, or from an IRS-related com-

ponent such as EFTPS, should be re-ported to the IRS at [email protected].

Additionally, clicking on attachments toor links within an unsolicited emailclaiming to come from the IRS maydownload a malicous computer virusonto your computer.

You may also report instances of IRS-related phishing attempts and fraud tothe Treasury Inspector General for TaxAdministration at 1-800-366-4484.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=98269,00.html

Tax ScamsDon't fall victim to tax scams. Remem-ber — if it sounds too good to betrue, it probably is. If you know of a taxfraud, you can report it to the IRS bysending completed Form 3949-A, In-formation Referral, to Internal Rev-enue Service, Fresno, CA 93888. Youcan download the form or call 1-800-829-3676 to order by mail.

Some of the recent scams the IRS hasseen include:* IR-2011-73, IRS Urges Taxpayers toAvoid Becoming Victims of Tax Scams* IR-2011-39, Don’t Fall Prey to the2011 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams

Education is the best way to avoid thepitfalls of these “too good to be true”tax scams. For more information, see:

* Tax Scams — How to Recognizeand Avoid Them * Criminal Investigation's Tax FraudAlerts

PHONY ARGUMENTSNo matter how some things are sliced,they're still baloney. If someone tells

you that you don't have to pay taxes,check out The Truth About FrivolousTax Arguments. This IRS.gov exclusiveaddresses some of the more commonfalse "legal" arguments made by thoseopposed to compliance with the fed-eral tax laws. Each contention is brieflyexplained, followed by a discussion ofthe legal authority that rejects the con-tention. The second section deals withfrivolous arguments encountered incollection due process cases. The finalsection illustrates penalties imposedon those pursuing frivolous cases.

IR-2011-23, IRS Debunks Frivolous TaxArguments, highlights the issue andpossible penalties.

IR-2004-41 describes the increasinglystrong penalties the courts have im-posed from March 2003 to March2004 on taxpayers who pursued friv-olous cases to delay IRS collection ac-tions.

IR-2003-28 details penalties the TaxCourt imposed from April 2001 untilearly March 2003 for making frivolousCollection Due Process arguments.

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tool, taxpayers will need informationthat appears on their tax returns.Some taxpayers may receive directionsto resolve refund-related problems.“Where's My Refund?” is also availableby calling 800-829-1954.

The IRS advises taxpayers to ensurethey visit the authentic IRS website bytyping www.IRS.gov into theirbrowsers. The official site does not endin .com, .net, .org or any designationother than .gov.

TELEPHONEThe IRS has several toll-free phonelines that taxpayers may also use forhelp. Taxpayers may order current andprior year forms, instructions and pub-lications by calling 800-829-3676. Tofind answers to tax questions, taxpay-ers may call 800-829-1040 for individ-ual issues or 800-829-4933 forbusiness issues. Operating hours areMonday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to

The Internal Revenue Service of-fers taxpayers a wide range of freetax help services, many of themavailable online or by smartphone,designed to help people easily andquickly meet their tax-filing andtax-payment responsibilities.

IRS.GOV BETTER THAN EVERThe IRS website, www.IRS.gov,provides answers to many taxquestions in a user-friendly format.Visitors now have greater easenavigating through the site with anew front page and other newlyredesigned pages. The IRS plans tocontinue making improvements inthe months ahead.

Taxpayers can start by visiting1040 Central, which has links toforms and instructions and is alsothe place to find important up-dates and information regardingtax return preparation and filing.

After 1040 Central, take a look atthe Online Services section, whichprovides access to the followinguseful applications:

* Free File –– Everyone can findan option to prepare and e-filetheir tax returns for free throughFree File. Taxpayers who earned$57,000 or less in 2011 qualify forbrand name tax software free ofcharge through a private-publicpartnership with manufacturers.Free File Fillable Forms, the elec-tronic version of IRS paper forms,

are also available to all taxpayerscomfortable preparing their ownreturns. Free File is available onlythrough IRS.gov.* Interactive Tax Assistant ––

Taxpayers learn about credits, de-ductions and general filing ques-tions.* EITC Assistant –– Individuals

can find out if they qualify for theEarned Income Tax Credit, a pop-ular tax benefit that aids millionsof low-and moderate-incomeworkers and working families.* Electronic Federal Tax Pay-

ment System –– This site offers in-dividuals and businesses a secureway to pay their federal taxes on-line, free of charge.* Online Payment Agreement

–– For those who cannot paytheir tax liabilities by April 17,2012, this site offers eligible tax-payers a quick and easy way to setup an installment agreement withthe IRS in a matter of minutes.* IRS Withholding Calculator –

– Helps taxpayers determine theright amount of tax to take out oftheir paychecks.After they file, taxpayers can checktheir 2011 refund status onlineusing “ Where's My Refund?” E-fil-ers can check their refund status72 hours after receiving an IRS ac-knowledgement of the accept-ance of a tax return. Paper filersshould wait three or four weeksafter mailing their tax returns be-fore having a refund status update.To use the “Where’s My Refund?”

7:00 p.m. local time. Taxpayers can alsoget information with little or no waittime by calling TeleTax at 800-829-4477. This service offers pre-recordedmessages covering various tax topics.

For a full list of free tax services, tax-payers can download IRS Publication910, Guide to Free Tax Services, fromwww.IRS.gov or order the publicationby calling 800-829-3676.


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You are required to file a federal incometax return if your income is above a cer-tain level, which varies depending onyour filing status, age and the type of in-come you receive. However, the InternalRevenue Service reminds taxpayers thatsome people should file even if theyaren't required to because they may geta refund if they had taxes withheld orthey may qualify for refundable credits.

To find out if you need to file, checkthe Individuals section of the IRS web-site at www.irs.gov or consult the in-structions for Form 1040, 1040A or1040EZ for specific details that mayhelp you determine if you need to filea tax return with the IRS this year. Youcan also use the Interactive Tax Assis-tant available on the IRS website. TheITA tool is a tax law resource thattakes you through a series of ques-tions and provides you with responsesto tax law questions.

Even if you don’t have to file for 2011,here are six reasons why you maywant to:

1. Federal Income Tax WithheldYou should file to get money back ifyour employer withheld federal in-come tax from your pay, you made es-timated tax payments, or had a prioryear overpayment applied to thisyear’s tax.

2. Earned Income Tax Credit Youmay qualify for EITC if you worked,but did not earn a lot of money. EITCis a refundable tax credit; which meansyou could qualify for a tax refund. Toget the credit you must file a returnand claim it.3. Additional Child Tax CreditThis

refundable credit may be available ifyou have at least one qualifying childand you did not get the full amount ofthe Child Tax Credit.

4. American Opportunity CreditStudents in their first four years ofpostsecondary education may qualifyfor as much as $2,500 through thiscredit. Forty percent of the credit isrefundable so even those who oweno tax can get up to $1,000 of thecredit as cash back for each eligiblestudent.

5. Adoption Credit You may beable to claim a refundable tax creditfor qualified expenses you paid toadopt an eligible child.

6. Health Coverage Tax CreditCertain individuals who are receivingTrade Adjustment Assistance, Reem-ployment Trade Adjustment Assis-tance, Alternative Trade AdjustmentAssistance or pension benefit pay-ments from the Pension Benefit Guar-anty Corporation, may be eligible fora 2011 Health Coverage Tax Credit.

Eligible individuals can claim a signifi-cant portion of their payments madefor qualified health insurance premi-ums.

For more information about filing requirements and your eligibility to receive tax credits, visit www.irs.gov.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=251941,00.html

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