Tag Archives: tax debt

Avoid IRS Penalties – Settle your IRS Tax Debt – Tax Settlement Tips

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If you have been disregarding a notice from the IRS, tax filing deadlines, or ignoring tax liabilities, it is probably time to think about filing those back tax returns and paying outstanding tax balances. Even though the Obama Administration’s 2012 Budget request for increased funding for the Internal Revenues Service was not approved, the ability of the IRS to enforce tax compliance has improved over time. System modernization and software improvements have made it harder for a taxpayer to stay under the IRS radar by making it easier for this powerful collection agency to track down individuals who fail to file tax returns or owe back taxes.

When tax amounts are owed over an extended period of time, the financial burden can become overwhelming due to the continued accumulation of penalties and interest. It is not unusual for these additional amounts assessed by the IRS to total as much as 50% of the original tax amount owed.  The financial consequences of failing to file a tax return or owing back taxes are outlined below:

  • Failure to File Penalty The Failure to File Penalty is calculated on the tax balance due as shown on the tax return. This penalty is 5% of the tax amount due for each month the return is late, with a maximum penalty of 25%. Although it is seldom invoked, a taxpayer who fails to meet a filing deadline can also be charged with a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of $25,000 and up to a one-year prison term.
  • Failure to Pay Penalty The Failure to Pay Penalty is calculated on the tax balance due as shown on the tax return. These penalty charges are assessed at the rate of 0.5% for each month that the tax balance is not paid in full, beginning from the original April 15th filing deadline. The Failure to Pay Penalty has no limit on the maximum percentage amount that can be assessed.
  • Interest Interest is charged on the balance of any tax liability for each day the back tax balance is not paid in full. The interest rate, which is variable and set quarterly, is currently 4%.

With the downturn of the economy, even more taxpayers have missed filing deadlines or have found themselves with outstanding tax balances that they are unable to pay. When these tax debts or unfiled tax returns are left unresolved, the IRS will initiate collection activities to enforce compliance and collect the tax amounts owed. Unpaid tax debt or unfiled tax returns will result in collection efforts by the IRS. These collection activities begin with the assessment of interest and penalties and are followed by more aggressive actions including the filing of tax liens or tax levies and the initiation of wage garnishments. On a positive note, there are many tax settlement options available to taxpayers who are unable to pay the tax balances they owe. The important thing is to begin the resolution process immediately before penalties and interest accumulate further or the more severe consequences of owing the tax debt are imposed.

A licensed tax professional will be familiar with all of the tax settlement alternatives available and can be invaluable asset to a taxpayer who is the subject of collection attempts by the IRS. If you have failed to meet tax filing deadlines or have an unresolved tax liability, our experienced tax professionals can help you become tax compliant. For more information about our tax settlement services, visit www.professionaltaxresolution.com. The members of our staff have a thorough understanding of tax law together with the experience to know which tax settlement option will most effectively resolve your specific back tax issues. Contact us today at (877) 889-6527 or info@protaxres.com to receive a free, no obligation consultation.

 

What is the 1099-K?–What New IRS Form 1099-K Means for Your Tax Return

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As tax season is underway and you receive W-2s and 1099-MISCs in the mail, you may notice something new this year: Form 1099-K. Preparing your taxes and filing Form W-2 and 1099-MISC may be more familiar, but what is this Form 1099-K? It is important to know because the Merchant Card and Third Party Network Payments form, or 1099-K, must either be filed electronically to the IRS by April 2, 2012, or on paper to the IRS by February 28, 2012. Timeliness is vital if you want to avoid a delinquent return.

As part of the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, specific credit card or third party merchant payments for goods and services will need to be reported via the 1099-K. A transaction to be reported is when a credit card or gift card is accepted as payment or when you are paid by PayPal or another third party payment network. Not included are ATM withdrawals, credit card cash advances, issued checks from a payment card, or transactions where a payment card was accepted by merchant related to the card issuer.

In other words, if you have a merchant account for your credit card, or an electronic payment account like PayPal, you may receive a 1099-K from your service provider. This could affect consultants such as lawyers that receive payments online or by credit card for their services, freelancers who are paid via PayPal like eBay merchants and Etsy sellers, and small businesses who receive credit, debit, and PayPal payments for their merchandise.

When is reporting required for a 1099-K? When gross payments to the individual payee are over $20,000, and if there are more than 200 transactions. Therefore, if you are an occasional seller, you  don’t need to worry about receiving a 1099-K. However, successful online sellers will likely be receiving one this year. If this applies to you, make sure to plan for paying the taxes on this income.

Since 2012 marks the first year this form is required and it can cause some confusion, the IRS is offering 1099-K filing transitional relief this year, as long as the filer is making a “good faith effort” to file it accurately. This means that penalty provisions and withholding requirements will be delayed by the IRS until January 1, 2013. The reporting is what is moving forward in 2012.

The 1099-K is meant to improve tax compliance by businesses so the IRS can determine the completeness and correctness of their tax returns. This is a way for the government to tackle income that they think is underreported. As with a W-2 or 1099-MISC, receivers of the 1099-K are expected to report this income when completing their taxes.

Don’t let new forms like the 1099-K or updates to existing ones cause confusion and mistakes that can lead to penalties in the future. Get help with tax settlement from the team at ProfesionalTaxResolution.com. They have the expertise to help you with tax filing your tax returns.  Call (877) 889-6257 or email info@protaxres.com today for a free, no obligation consultation.

IRS Audit Red Flags – What the IRS is looking for – Tax Tips Part 3

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Are you self employed?  Do you file a Schedule C? If so, you have a higher likelihood of getting audited.  Individuals and small business often make small mistakes that flags their tax return for an audit. Taxes are no place to falsify information but small mistakes and common practices such as rounding numbers can give an IRS agent enough reason to audit your entire return. Of course, doing your taxes the right way from the start is always the best advice. In part three of our three part series on Tax Tips to Avoiding a Costly IRS Audit, here is a list of additional “Red Flags” that can trigger an audit of a tax return.  In this segment we focus upon those that are self employed or who own a small business.

Small Business/Self Employed Tax Return Red Flags

Schedule C – Overly Abused: Because there is so much abuse in the Schedule C it may be prudent for taxpayers to incorporate or form an LLC. The mere reporting of businesses operations on Schedule C rather than a separate corporate tax return increases a taxpayer’s chances of being audited 50 times.

Schedule C – Taxpayers who are employed by others (i.e. who receive a W-2 at year end) and who also claim a loss from a Schedule C business operation are likely to find their tax returns audited by the IRS.

Schedule C – Cash businesses: Small business owners, who have cash businesses: taxi drivers, car washes, bars, nail salons, hairdressers, small restaurants are easy targets for IRS auditors.

Schedule C – Large Meal and Entertainment Expenses: Big deductions for meals, travel and entertainment are always a audit red flag. Make sure your business conforms to strict substantiation rules for the expenses: amount, place, persons attending, business purpose and nature of discussion or meeting. Also, receipts are required for expenditures over $75 or any expense for lodging while traveling.  Essentially if your meals, entertainment and travel expenses are more than 10 percent of your business’s gross income there needs to be a good reason.

Schedule C – Reporting business losses for more than 2 years consecutively: The IRS has a rule that you cannot deduct losses from a hobby on your tax return. You must be in business with the intent of making a profit. If the IRS deems that your “business” is actually a hobby, they will disallow the deductions.

Schedule C  – Loss-generating activity sounds like a hobby:…dog breeding, horse racing, antique seller, classic car reseller. Tax laws don’t allow you to deduct hobby losses on Schedule C; however, you do have to report any income earned from your hobbies.

Schedule C – Claiming 100% business use for an automobile: Make sure you have very detailed mileage logs and precise calendar entries for the purpose of every road trip. if you use the IRS’ standard mileage rate to deduct your business vehicle costs, ensure that you are not also claiming actual expenses for maintenance, insurance and other out-of-pocket costs depreciation.

These and other tax tips are just examples of the type of the proactive, year-round tax guidance we provide to our clients. If you need to file your 2011 or prior year tax returns, or if you have an IRS or State Tax problem, our experienced tax professionals can help. For more information about our tax services, visit us today at www.professionaltaxresolution.com. You may also Contact us by phone at (877) 889-6527 or by email at info@protaxres.com to receive a free, no obligation consultation.

IRS Back Tax Tips – Help with Late Tax Bills – Pay Your Tax Debt

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Did you receive an IRS notice that you owe back taxes? While owing money can be a big worry, ignoring the problem will only make things worse. There are options to pay your tax debt, even if you can’t do it all at once.

If you need help with tax resolution because you owe back taxes, you can take advantage of different methods of payment or request that the payments be broken up into installments. Here are some tips:

  • A late tax bill from the IRS is expected to be paid promptly, including the taxes owed, penalties, and interest. You may want to get a loan so you can pay it in full to avoid making installment payments if you do not already have the money ready. A bank loan could have a lower interest rate than what you would have to pay in additional interest and penalties.
  • Tax bills can be paid via credit card. Your credit card could also have a lower interest rate than what you would have to pay in additional interest and penalties.
  • Tax bills may also be paid through checks, money orders, cash, cashier’s checks, or electronic fund transfers.
  • If you are unable to pay in full, you may be eligible to request an installment agreement between you and the IRS. The agreement would break up the amount due into monthly installments. Make sure that your required returns are all filed and your estimated tax payments are current.
  • You can request installment payments whether your tax bill is over or under $25,000. You should be informed within roughly 30 days if the IRS approves or denies your request, or if they need more information.

If you receive a late tax bill, our experienced professionals can help you resolve your back tax issues. For more information about our tax debt resolution services, visit us today at www.professionaltaxresolution.com. Contact us by phone at (877) 889-6527 or by email at info@protaxres.com to receive a free, no obligation consultation.

IRS Audit Red Flags – What the IRS is looking for – Tax Tips Part 1

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Most people have a great fear of getting audited.  Audits can be long, expensive and can require a lot of supporting documentation and professional guidance. There are actually three types of Audits that an individual or business can experience, a field, office, or correspondence audit. Each comes with a different set of requirements to find a tax resolution. 

Of course the fear of having a tax return audited is justified if you are misleading the government, but for most taxpayers it is simply a worry they hold in the back of their minds each year.  Are you curious about what your chances to get “Flagged” for an audit review might be? With this in mind, we begin a three part blog series on common “Red Flags” that can trigger your tax return for an audit.

Tax Return Red (Audit) Flags – Part 1

Most tax returns are processed by IRS computers that are programmed to watch for anything unusual. Here are some red flags that may cause the IRS to take a closer look at your tax return:

Abusive tax shelters:  Offshore Transactions involve activities in “tax havens” that offer financial secrecy. The IRS is intensely interested in people with offshore accounts, Failure to report a foreign bank account has strict penalties and the IRS has made this issue a top priority.

  • Foreign trusts (Disguise income because they are flow-through entities)
  • Foreign (Offshore) Partnerships, LLCs and LLPs
  • Offshore-Private Annuities  or Offshore-Private Banks
  • Personal Investment Companies  – Captive Insurance Companies – Related Party loans

Amending Returns:  Did you forget to include a deductible expense which would give you a small refund? If that amount is truly minimal it could be better to just let it pass. Why? Amended returns get more attention from the IRS than initial ones – you may be inviting trouble.

Compiling your tax return incorrectly:  Your return must be in the Proper Order. First, is the return itself. Then, attach the schedules in alphabetical order, forms in numerical order and plain paper statements.  Do not forget to enclose W-2 and your 1099s. (or you could just e-file)

Disagreements between State and Federal returns:  Oh how we love technology – here is another example of how computers are making the IRS an efficient agency.  Be sure that ALL of your state and federal tax information match – because computers will catch any errors.

DIF Score: The IRS assigns a numeric value to tax returns known as a DIF score. The IRS used a computer-scoring system known as Discriminate Information Function (DIF).  The DIF is based on deductions, credits and exemptions for the average taxpayer in each of the income brackets  If deductions on your return are not comparable to your income bracket an audit/red flag is released. Here are some CCH Itemized Deduction Averages for 2008

IncomeRangeMedical ExpensesTaxes PaidHome Mtg InterestCharitable Contribution
$15 – $30,000$7,000$3,100$9,200$2,000
$30 – $50,000$6,100$3,800$9,000$2,100
$50-$100,000$7,000$6,000$10,600$2,600
$100-$200,000$9,200$10,800$13,700$3,700

Home office: This is because historically people who claim a home office don’t meet all the requirements for properly taking the deductions: 1) the space must be used EXCLUSIVELY and 2) on a REGULAR basis used as your principal place of business.

Mistakes, Math errors and Messy returns: This is one reason to file electronically. Computer software will calculate your return and create neat and clean copies to e-file. Mistakes can include writing your social security number for yourself, your spouse of your claimed dependents.

Pay or Contest:  If you receive a small balance due from the IRS it may be better to pay it and forget it in. If you disagree it gives the IRS the opportunity to look more closely at your return so you could be liable for even a greater amount. 

Round numbers:  It’s unlikely that your investment returns were exactly $1,000 or that your mortgage interest deduction was $8,000. Too many round numbers on a return marks a return for an audit/red flag.

Underpayment: The IRS may audit you if you don’t pay enough taxes and don’t offer an explanation as to why you aren’t paying. If you can’t pay the taxes include Form 9465 “Installment Agreement Request”

Never boast you “outwitted” the Internal Revenue Service: Informers can earn a reward of 15%-20% of the additional tax collected, including fines, penalties and interest. So keep your “tax strategies” to yourself. 

These tax tips are just examples of the type of the proactive, year-round tax guidance we provide to our clients. We have more we want to share with you about IRS Audits so look for our next installment of Audit Red Flags in the coming days. 

If you need to file your 2011 or earlier tax returns, or have an IRS or State Tax problem, our experienced tax professionals can help. For more information about our tax services, visit us today at www.professionaltaxresolution.com. You may also Contact us by phone at (877) 889-6527 or by email at info@protaxres.com to receive a free, no obligation consultation.