Author: justtax19


  • Businesses Can Correct Retirement Plan Mistakes with These Updated IRS Correction Programs

    The IRS has released the 2019 Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) that allows businesses and organizations offering retirement plans to identify and correct mistakes in the form and operation of many retirement plans, including SEP and SIMPLE IRA. A retirement plan may lose its tax benefits if it’s not properly prepared.  The 2019 EPCRS is an…

  • TurboTax Changed Code to Hide Its Free File Page from Search Engines 

    TurboTax has recently been in the news for the wrong reasons. ProPublica, a non-profit independent newsroom that conducts investigative journalism, has revealed that Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, deliberately made its Free File page not appear in search results. TurboTax actively added code to its Free File webpage so that search engines such as Google could not add it in its search results. …

  • Penalties Reduced for Taxpayers Who Got Withholding Wrong After Tax Overhaul

    Several new tax rules under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act left many taxpayers confused about their tax withholdings. The standard deduction was doubled, existing tax credits were changed, and many deductions were eliminated. The changes impacted millions of Americans, many of whom could not get their withholding correct and” ended up withholding much less from their paychecks, which lead…

  • Congress to Ban the IRS from Creating Its Free Online Tax Filing Service

    The IRS might never be able to have its own online tax filing service. The House Ways and Means Committee passed the Taxpayer First Act, which can make it illegal for the IRS to create its free tax filing software. The bill includes many other provisions, including improving the performance, customer service and organizational structure of the…

  • After the Tax Changes: Plan & Prepare Your Tax Return for 2019

    A multitude of changes were made in the tax code under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This was the first year taxpayers filed their tax returns under the new law. Even with the IRS introducing the new IRS Withholding Calculator where taxpayers can check how much to withhold from a paycheck, many are struggling to make…

  • Navigating Sales Tax Issues and Audits

    Most states have a sales tax on products and it’s typically collected by the state’s Department of Revenue. Usually, this type of tax debt is triggered by a sales tax audit. The state will often request accounting statements, state and federal returns, invoices, purchase orders, and any other financial statements from the business. Because sales…

  • IRS Needs $2.7 Billion Extra Funding Over 6 Years for IT Modernizing Plan

    The IRS has been lacking sufficient funding for years, which has impacted many of its services. The agency is understaffed and is forced to do with archaic equipment. The IRS has repeatedly quoted a lack of funding for its failure to provide proper and timely support to American taxpayers.  In order to modernize the equipment used by…

  • Tax Law Changes for 2019: IRS to Change Paycheck Withholdings

    Having filed your return, you may be relieved that taxes are over for you this year. But there’s a major change coming later in the year that might result in a significant change in your paycheck withholdings.  The IRS is all set to make changes to how you adjust your withholdings for your paychecks. The goal is to make withholdings more accurate so that…

  • Tax Refund Fraud: Legitimate Low-Income Taxpayers Face IRS Scrutiny

    During the filing season, scammers file fraudulent tax returns using stolen identities to get a large refund. According to an audit report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, As of February 15, 2019, the IRS held 10.7 million tax returns with refunds totaling $57.9 billion with an Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child…

  • Are You Risking an IRS Audit? Check Out These 7 Red Flags! 

    Nobody wants an IRS audit, but there are situations that attract an audit. Most times, when the IRS detects an inaccuracy in a tax return, they send a notice or a letter to seek more information from the taxpayer. The word ‘notice’ may cause some to worry, but the IRS routinely sends notices to taxpayers to provide or ask…