The IRS recently announced that it will be holding additional compliance events throughout this year, sending revenue officers to areas that have been underserved in recent years. The agency has identified those areas and is choosing high-priority taxpayers to visit in person. Who are these high-priority taxpayers? Typically, it will be those who have longstandingcontinue reading…
Inflation-based tax changes for FY 2020 announced
The IRS has announced inflation adjustments in dozens of areas, some prompted by the Taxpayer First Act of 2019. Taxpayers should use the new amounts when planning for their 2020 taxes. For example, starting in 2020, the penalty for failing to file a return goes up to $330. The change with perhaps the most impactcontinue reading…
IRS: Tax law change meant about 2.7 million fewer 2018 refunds
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law in December 2017. One of the more notable things the law changed was the increase to the standard deduction, which made it unnecessary for most people to itemize their deductions. It also increased the child tax credit and lowered some tax rates. Supporters of thecontinue reading…
IRS will now accept debit card payments through private collectors
As we’ve discussed on this blog before, the IRS’s enforcement budget has been slashed by a quarter since 2011. That has meant fewer audits and collection activities overall, and it has focused those efforts on working people more than on the wealthy. In 2017, Congress directed the IRS to allow private collection agencies (PCAs) tocontinue reading…
IRS provides guidance on reporting cryptocurrency income
Many investors in Bitcoin and other virtual currencies have been confused about how those investments are taxed. As we’ve noted before on this blog, cryptocurrency gains are taxed like capital gains. That means that you’ll need to keep detailed records on what you paid and what you got when you sold the virtual currency. Youcontinue reading…
