Monthly Archives: April 2018

Just a week left to complete your Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Returns

The Federal Excise Tax returns are reported at the end of a quarterly with the IRS through the Tax Form 720. This excise tax return is now due for the 1st Quarter of 2018, April 30th is the last date to report it. You could prepare and report it online through http://TaxExcise.com, the only website that supports electronic filing for all the federal excise tax returns.

Along with the Federal Excise Tax returns, IFTA Fuel Tax returns reports on your heavy motor vehicles for the 1st Quarter is also due in this April, 30. Prepare it online, print them to file it manually with your state authorities.

Why TaxExcise.com?

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IRS Provides Additional Day to File and Pay for Taxpayers Through Wednesday, April 18; IRS Processing Systems Back Online

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The Internal Revenue Service announced that it is providing taxpayers an additional day to file and pay their taxes following system issues that surfaced early on the April 17 tax deadline. Individuals and businesses with a filing or payment due date of April 17 will now have until midnight on Wednesday, April 18. Taxpayers do not need to do anything to receive this extra time.

The IRS encountered system issues Tuesday morning. Throughout the system outage, taxpayers were still able to file their tax returns electronically through their software providers and Free File. Taxpayers using paper to file and pay their taxes at the deadline were not affected by the system issue.

“This is the busiest tax day of the year, and the IRS apologizes for the inconvenience this system issue caused for taxpayers,” said Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter. “The IRS appreciates everyone’s patience during this period. The extra time will help taxpayers affected by this situation.” Continue reading →

What Taxpayers Should do When They Need More Time to Pay

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From the IRS latest issue (Issue Number: Tax Tip Number 2018-58), IRS shares a most important tax tip about getting more time to pay the tax liabilities.

All taxpayers should file their taxes on time, even if they can’t pay what they owe. This saves them from a potential failure-to-file penalty. While taxes are due by the original due date of the return, some taxpayers are unable to pay them by the deadline.

Here are some tips for those who can’t pay their taxes in full by the April 17 deadline:

File on Time and Pay as Much as Possible. Taxpayers can pay online, by phone, by check or money order, or with their mobile device using the IRS2Go app.
Get a Loan or Use a Credit Card to Pay the Tax. The interest and fees charged by a bank or credit card company may be less than IRS interest and penalties.
Use the Online Payment Agreement tool. Taxpayers should not wait for the IRS to send a bill before setting up a payment plan. The best way to do this is to use the Online Payment Agreement tool. Taxpayers can also file an Installment Agreement Request with their return and set up a direct debit agreement, eliminating the need to send a check each month.
Don’t Ignore a Tax Bill. The IRS may take collection action against taxpayers who don’t respond to notices. Taxpayers should contact the IRS right away by calling the phone number on their bills to talk about options. The IRS will work with taxpayers suffering financial hardship.

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Showing appreciation…

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“Those who have the ability to be grateful are the ones who have the ability to achieve greatness,” Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free.

When was the last time you received a hand written thank you note, or a card just to let you know someone was thinking of you? If you’re like most people, it’s probably been too long. When was the last time you wrote a thank you note?

If you know me personally, you’ll know that I am a firm believer in writing thank you notes. Apparently, I instilled that same conviction in my children, as the thank you notes from both my son and daughter are sure to follow a gift, party or act of kindness. I keep them to remind myself of the good times we shared.

Most people use the excuse that they either don’t have the materials handy or they don’t have the time to write out and mail a thank you note. Both excuses are just a reflection of your priorities. Keep notes, pens and stamps in plain sight so you can take a moment to send your thoughts without much effort. Continue reading →

Tax deadline just days away; nearly 40 million to file by April 17

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In the recent IRS issue (IR-2018-92, April 13, 2018), highlighted the April 17 deadline for filing tax returns and if you’re not ready then file for extension, the automatic extension tax pushes your due date to October 15.

IRS YouTube Videos: Extension of Time to File – English | Spanish | ASL

As the April 17 tax filing deadline approaches, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding the nearly 40 million taxpayers who have yet to file their tax returns that there are a variety of options to help them in the final days of the tax filing season.

IRS tax help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on IRS.gov. Whether filing a tax return, requesting an extension or making a payment, the IRS website can help last-minute filers on just about everything related to filing taxes.

Information about free e-file options, such as FreeFile, how to request an automatic six-month filing extension or fast and easy ways to pay any tax due using IRS Direct Pay are available online at IRS.gov.

The busiest part of tax season begins this week, with millions of people planning to file. Through April 6, the IRS has processed more than 101 million tax returns and issued more than 79.1 million tax refunds totaling $226.6 billion. The average refund to date is $2,864.

Additional filing season numbers: Continue reading →

Tax Time Tips from the IRS

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Tax Time! IRS has issued a Tax Tip (Issue Number: Tax Tip 2018-56), here it is…

The tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 17 this year. This is because April 15 falls on a weekend and the following Monday is a holiday in the District of Columbia. Even with an extra two days, the IRS urges taxpayers to avoid waiting until the last minute to file their taxes.

For those who have yet to file, the IRS has five quick ideas to help:

1. Gather Records. Good recordkeeping is important. It helps to ensure that nothing gets overlooked. Records such as receipts and cancelled checks also provide expense documentation.

2. Use IRS Online Tools. The IRS has many useful online tools, including the Interactive Tax Assistant, which provides answers to many tax questions. It gives the same answers that an IRS representative would give over the phone. Continue reading →

IRS direct deposit leads to faster refunds

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IRS Issue Number: IR-2018-90 – Inside This Issue

IRS refers direct deposit as an option for tax payment and this also leads to faster refunds when you owe back… here is more information from the IRS issue.

WASHINGTON — With the tax deadline just around the corner, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that making an electronic direct deposit of their refund into a bank or other account is the fastest way to get their money. A taxpayer can deposit their refund into one, two or even three accounts to help with retirement or savings.

Eight out of 10 taxpayers get their refunds by using direct deposit. It is simple, safe and secure. The IRS uses the same electronic transfer system to deposit tax refunds that is used by other federal agencies to deposit nearly 98 percent of all Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits into millions of accounts. Direct deposit also avoids the possibility that a refund check could be lost or stolen or returned to the IRS as undeliverable.

Direct deposit is easy to use. A taxpayer simply selects it as the refund method when using tax software or working with a tax preparer, and then types in their account and routing number. It’s important to double check entries to avoid errors. Continue reading →

Common Errors to Avoid when Filing a Tax Return

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IRS in the recent Tax Tip issue (Issue Number: Tax Tip Number 2018-55) covered the common errors to avoid when filing a tax return. Electronic filing can very well eliminate the common errors and will collect all required data to be filled in a tax return. However here is the tax tip from IRS….

To ensure they meet their tax obligations, taxpayers should file accurate tax returns. If a taxpayer makes an error on their tax return, it will likely take longer to process and could delay a refund. Taxpayers can avoid many common errors by filing electronically, the most accurate way to file a tax return. All taxpayers can use IRS Free File.

Here are common errors to avoid when preparing a tax return: Continue reading →

Tips for Getting Unclaimed 2014 Tax Refunds

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IRS in its recent issue (Issue Number: IR-2018-83) has highlighted that refunds worth $1 billion is still unclaimed for tax year 2014… here is the complete message from them. Read it here

Further to that IRS has also highlighted in its Tax Tips (Issue Number: IRS Tax Tip 2018-53) for Getting Unclaimed 2014 Tax Refunds.

The IRS reminds taxpayers they may have money waiting for them. About 1 million taxpayers who did not file a 2014 federal income tax return have unclaimed tax refunds totaling about $1.1 billion. Here are some things taxpayers should know about these unclaimed refunds: Continue reading →

Members of the Military and their Families Can Get Free Tax Assistance 2018

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IRS in its recent tax tip issue (Issue Number: IRS Tax Tip 2018-51) highlighted how the Members of the Military and their Families can get free tax assistance. Here we go…

The IRS offers free tax help to members of the military and their families through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. A VITA site is easy to find on or off base — even overseas.

The Armed Forces Tax Council directs the military tax programs worldwide. Military VITA-certified employees receive training on military tax issues, including tax benefits for service in a combat zone. They can help with special extensionsof time to file tax returns and pay taxes, or with special rules that apply to the Earned Income Tax Credit. Continue reading →