IRS Offers Information, Support and Services for Small Businesses

Do you own or operate a small business? Or do you plan to start a business someday soon? If you answered yes to either question, the IRS has online information, support and services that may be helpful to you.

Small Business Week Webinars.  During National Small Business Week 2013, the IRS is hosting two free, live small business webinars. Go online to learn about the many tax benefits available to businesses. You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes made by small businesses. IRS staff will answer questions during each webinar. 

• Attend the free live webinars on June 18 and June 20 at 2 p.m. (ET).
• Register for the events at IRS Webinars for Small Businesses.
• Although tax professionals will not get continuing education credits, they will receive lots of useful information.

If you’re unable to attend the live events, you can view the archived versions on the IRS Video Portal. They’ll be available about three weeks after the broadcasts.

Online Support Anytime.  The IRS offers many online products and services for small businesses. They’re available any day of the week throughout the year on IRS.gov. Here are just a few examples of the business resources the IRS offers:

• The Online Learning and Educational Products page features useful small business tools. The Online Tax Calendar helps you keep track of important tax deadlines. You can subscribe to e-News for Small Businesses to help you stay on top of the latest tax news affecting small businesses.
• The Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center is for sole proprietors, independent contractors, members of partnerships, and others who are in business for themselves. Check it out for self-employed tax information and more tools.
• The Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center is for small businesses with assets under $10 million. Visit this page for resources like Small Business Taxes: the Virtual Workshop. This popular class helps you learn the basics of federal taxes. It offers nine lessons to help you navigate tax issues so your small business can thrive.

Visit IRS.gov for more information and federal tax news for small businesses. You can also get small business forms and publications on the IRS website or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

2013 FILING SEASON STATISTICS

More taxpayers e-file from home in 2013

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today provided updated statistics showing continued growth in electronic filing of tax returns. So far in 2013, more than 43 million people have self-prepared and e-filed their tax returns from home, an increase of more than 4 percent compared to the prior year.

Through May 10, the IRS received more than 43.6 million self-prepared e-file returns, up from 41.7 million a year earlier. E-filed returns from tax professionals increased slightly, reaching almost 70.4 million. In all, almost 114 million tax returns came in through e-file this year, up from 112.1 million at this point last year.

Other highlights from the new filing season statistics show:

• During 2013, the IRS issued more than 101 million refunds worth almost $268 billion.

• Almost 80 percent of refunds used direct deposit.

• More people are using IRS.gov to get answers, file their returns and resolve issues. So far in 2013, the IRS web site has been accessed more than 300 million times, up almost 25 percent compared to the same time last year.

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Cumulative statistics comparing 5/11/12 and 5/10/13
Individual Income Tax Returns:	2012		2013		% Change
Total Receipts	135,473,000		134,349,000		-0.8
Total Processed	130,261,000		129,674,000		-0.5
E-filing Receipts:
TOTAL	112,089,000		113,954,000		1.7
Tax Professionals	70,344,000		70,380,000		0.1
Self-prepared	41,745,000		43,574,000		4.4
Web Usage:
Visits to IRS.gov	255,269,615		318,408,842		24.7
Total Refunds:
Number	102,522,000		101,082,000		-1.4
Amount	$277.180	Billion	$267.946	Billion	-3.3
Average refund	$2,704		$2,651		-2.0
Direct Deposit Refunds:
Number	79,308,000		79,880,000		0.7
Amount	$231.656	Billion	$228.467	Billion	-1.4
Average refund	$2,921		$2,860		-2.1

Reminder: IRS To Be Closed June 14 Due to Budget and Sequester; Filing and Payment Deadlines Unchanged

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers that, due to the current budget situation including the sequester, the agency will be shut down on Friday, June 14.

As was the case on May 24, the first furlough day, all IRS operations will again be closed on June 14. This means that all IRS offices, including all toll-free hotlines, the Taxpayer Advocate Service and the agency’s nearly 400 taxpayer assistance centers nationwide, will be closed.

IRS employees will be furloughed without pay. No tax returns will be processed and no compliance-related activities will take place. In addition, the online preparer tax identification number PTINsystem for tax professionals will also be shut down.

The IRS noted that taxpayers should continue to file their returns and pay any taxes due as usual. This includes the June 17 deadline for those making a second-quarter estimated tax payment. It also includes the June 17 filing deadline for taxpayers abroad and the June 30 deadline for filing foreign financial account reports FBARTaxpayers needing to contact the IRS about these or other upcoming returns or payments should be sure to take this Friday’s closure into account.

Because none of the furlough days are considered federal holidays, the shutdown will have no impact on any tax-filing or tax-payment deadlines. The IRS will be unable to accept or acknowledge receipt of electronically-filed returns on any day the agency is shut down.

The only tax-payment deadlines coinciding with any of the furlough days relate to employment and excise tax deposits made by business taxpayers. These deposits must be made through the Treasury Department’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), which will operate as usual.

On the other hand, the agency will give taxpayers extra time to comply with a request to provide documents to the IRS. This includes administrative summonses, requests for records in connection with a return examination, review or compliance check, or document requests related to a collection matter. No additional time is given to respond to other agencies or the courts.

Where the last day for responding to an IRS request falls on June 14, the taxpayer will have until Monday, June 17--the next business day.

Some web-based online tools and phone-based automated services will continue to function this Friday, while others will be shut down. Available services include Withholding Calculator, Order A Transcript, EITC Assistant, Interactive Tax Assistant, Tele-Tax and the Online Look-up Tool for those needing to repay the first-time homebuyer credit. Services not available this Friday include Where’s My Refund? and the Online Payment Agreement. Visit online tools on IRS.gov to learn more about these tools.

The remaining scheduled furlough days are July 5, July 22 and Aug. 30, 2013. If necessary, the IRS may announce one or two additional furlough days.

IRS Reminds Those with Foreign Assets of U.S. Tax Obligations

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service reminds U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including those with dual citizenship who have lived or worked abroad during all or part of 2012, that they may have a U.S. tax liability and a filing requirement in 2013.

The filing deadline is Monday, June 17, 2013, for U.S. citizens and resident aliens living overseas, or serving in the military outside the U.S. on the regular due date of their tax return. Eligible taxpayers get two additional days because the normal June 15 extended due date falls on Saturday this year. To use this automatic two-month extension, taxpayers must attach a statement to their return explaining which of these two situations applies. See U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad for additional information additional information on extensions of time to file.

Nonresident aliens who received income from U.S. sources in 2012 also must determine whether they have a U.S. tax obligation. The filing deadline for nonresident aliens can be April 15 or June 17 depending on sources of income. See Taxation of Nonresident Aliens on IRS.gov.

Federal law requires U.S. citizens and resident aliens to report any worldwide income, including income from foreign trusts and foreign bank and securities accounts. In most cases, affected taxpayers need to fill out and attach Schedule B to their tax return. Certain taxpayers may also have to fill out and attach to their return Form 8938, Statement of Foreign Financial Assets.

Part III of Schedule B asks about the existence of foreign accounts, such as bank and securities accounts, and usually requires U.S. citizens to report the country in which each account is located.

Generally, U.S. citizens, resident aliens and certain nonresident aliens must report specified foreign financial assets on Form 8938 if the aggregate value of those assets exceeds certain thresholds.Instructions for Form 8938 explain the thresholds for reporting, what constitutes a specified foreign financial asset, how to determine the total value of relevant assets, what assets are exempted and what information must be provided.

Separately, taxpayers with foreign accounts whose aggregate value exceeded $10,000 at any time during 2012 must file Treasury Department Form TD F 90-22.1. This is not a tax form and is due to the Treasury Department by June 30, 2013. For details, see Publication 4261: Do You Have a Foreign Financial Account? Though this form can be filed on paper, Treasury encourages taxpayers to file it electronically.

Taxpayers abroad can now use IRS Free File to prepare and electronically file their returns for free. This means both U.S. citizens and resident aliens living abroad with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of $57,000 or less can use brand-name software to prepare their returns and then e-file them for free.

Taxpayers with an AGI greater than $57,000 who don’t qualify for Free File can still choose the accuracy, speed and convenience of electronic filing. Check out the e-file link on IRS.gov for details on using the Free File Fillable Forms or e-file by purchasing commercial software.

A limited number of companies provide software that can accommodate foreign addresses. To determine which will work best, get help choosing a software provider. Both e-file and Free File are available until Oct. 15, 2013, for anyone filing a 2012 return.

Any U.S. taxpayer here or abroad with tax questions can use the online IRS Tax Map to get answers. An International Tax Topic Index page was added recently. The IRS Tax Map assembles or groups IRS forms, publications and web pages by subject and provides users with a single entry point to find tax information.