Tax & Finances

Last Minute Tax Filing Tips

April 15th is just around the corner with many people waiting until the last-minute to do their filing, especially when they owe tax.  Those of you that were expecting a refund have probably filed by now.  Times have changed and gone are the days of running off to H & R Block or various tax preparers and having to pay to get your taxes prepared.  The only exceptions are wage earners over a specific dollar amount as well as the self-employed or business owners.  Hopefully you are working with a regular accountant or preparer you can trust if you own your own business.  If not, then please refer to irs.gov for information on tips to help you choose a tax preparer.

There are filing software programs available, but most are no longer needed for the average employee.  There are so many free ways you can file online, at a local IRS office or with various volunteers that make their time available after proper training with VITA and TCE for those who qualify.  For more information regarding free filing please go to the official IRS website, irs.gov and select the type of filing that you will be doing.  Most are wage earners, Individual, but some of you are self-employed or own small businesses of some kind.

ALERT:  A very important tip that many are not aware of is if you elect to file an extension to file, which is an automatic 6 months for individuals and either 5 or 6 months for some business forms or information, there is NEVER an extension on the payment of any tax due.  Refer to irs.gov for more information.  Many people stall filling because they didn’t have proper withholding during the year or did not pay an accurate amount of self-employment or estimated taxes during the year and end up with a balance due.  If this is the only reason you are filing late, don’t even bother.  The reason being is you could end up with additional penalties and interest filing an extended balance due return.

The best way is to file your individual return timely and find a way to send the full amount of the tax, even if you might have to borrow or send your return manually with the form 9465 completed in full attached for the request to pay your tax in installments.  You will end up paying interest to them by doing this, but this prevents any collection action against you in the forms of liens on your property or levies on any wages or bank accounts.  If you owe more than $50,000 in tax then you must also include the form 433-F which is a financial information statement.  Please be sure to state the amount you are able to pay with the request.  If you owe more than $50,000 you will still state what you are able to pay, but your financial information will determine what the IRS thinks you are realistically able to pay at this time.  Sometimes it’s more than the requested amount, sometimes it’s less because they don’t want the taxpayer defaulting on the Agreement by overstating what they can pay.

If you happen to live in an area that is currently designated a Federal Disaster area you may have already received information regarding any extensions for paying or filing in your area.  If not, please refer again to irs.gov for to see if you qualify if you are not working with a tax professional that has this information.

Again, if you find yourself in the ACS Collection area of the IRS or know someone who is.  Please go to Amazon.com to purchase my self-help book that will walk you through the fastest and smoothest way to resolve whatever problems you are having as well as suggestions to prevent future problems and prevent collection action such as liens and levies.  It was written to help the average taxpayer from having to give thousands of dollars to a Tax Specialist that cannot do anything more that they can do with a little knowledge.  And this is not even taking into consideration the number of so-called tax specialists that are either incompetent or down-right frauds.  In the past I have worked with thousands of taxpayers that were taken to the cleaners by so-called tax experts.

For the time being, I can no longer offer “Don’t Mess With The IRS An Unauthorized Customer Service Guide to Resolving Your ACS Collection Issues.”

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I will be posting additional Federal Tax information soon because there is too much to cover for one blog post.

Federal Income Tax Tips

I wanted to devote this post to general Federal income tax information of a nature that many may not be aware of.

  1. First of all you need to verify if you are even liable to file this year.  Find out.
  2. If you are liable, you need to know that the IRS has links from its website for many that qualify for free filing.  Verify if you qualify.
  3. You need to know if you are in an area the Federal Government has deemed an official Disaster Area.  This may effect your filing requirements.  To verify.
  4. You need to be VERY careful in selecting and working with any tax preparer if you go that route.  Many are not who they claim to be.  For more information.
  5. Never work with someone claiming they can get you a larger tax refund unless they can fully explain how they plan to do this.  YOU will answer to anything fraudulent your preparer does.  For more information.
  6. Don’t even dream of trying to pull one over on the IRS because there is nothing you can do they won’t catch you at.  I used to work for them.
  7. Self employed individuals, don’t allow any tax preparer to write things off that you don’t have receipts for because they have started auditing small business / self-employed regularly and if you don’t have documentation, you will end up having to pay back taxes with additional penalties and interest.  Small business & self-employed information.
  8. Also be aware that if you currently owe back taxes or are in arrears with child support or other payments, any refund will be typically offset to pay these debts.  For more information.
  9. If you are planning on filing for an extension, please remember that the extension is for the forms only.  All tax due must be paid no later than April 15th or risk penalties.

If you already find yourself in the ACS Collection area of the IRS there is something you can do to help resolve your current or future tax problems.

“Don’t Mess With The IRS An Unauthorized Customer Service Guide to Resolving Your ACS Collection Issues” was written to walk any taxpayer through the most common IRS tax problems from first contact to final resolution. DntMsWIRS5

You do not need to hire a professional that will charge you thousands of dollars that you could be applying to the tax you have due.  They are not able to do anything legally that you cannot do for yourself with a little knowledge.

This self-help book walks you through your initial contact with ACS, if and how you should select legal representation if you should want or need it, how to resolve the basic problems of Failure to File, any Balance Due situations and what your rights are as a taxpayer.

For the time being, I can no longer offer “Don’t Mess With The IRS An Unauthorized Customer Service Guide to Resolving Your ACS Collection Issues.”

Don’t Mess With The IRS

Don’t Mess With The IRS An Unauthorized Customer Service Guide to Resolving Your ACS Collection Issues is an overview of much-needed information on what to expect when you contact the IRS for tax resolution after your case has been sent to Collections for Individuals, the self-employed and small businesses.  It covers various topics including unfiled returns, various tax deficiencies and the  penalties and interest involved.  Explains how to resolve most issues and what to expect when you are not compliant and how to address any collection actions such as liens on property and levies (ganishments) on your banks or your wages. 

This book tells you what your options are when you feel your back is up against the wall with your Federal taxes and what your rights are as a taxpayer.  You will be coached and warned how you can legally resolve most issues without the help of any costly tax resolution company, that will sometimes cause you more harm than good.  Shows you how you can prevent collection action as well as how to get your levies released and depending on the issue, a lien withdrawn, not released.  The book explains how important it is to know the difference between the two.  The ever promised “Offer in Compromise” (pennies on the dollar) will be explained so you can verify in advance if you even qualify for it.  Few do, but most tax companies will lead you to believe otherwise.

This book is currently unavailable.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved

I am resolved to keep moving forward even though I am tempted to give up, quit or otherwise be very scared and lazy.

I am resolved to post more information to help people with their daily lives.

I am resolved to finally market my self-published tax self-help book this year.

I am resolved to finding a permanent home this year to nest until I really get to go home. 

Even though I can't see the finish line, I will just keep trucken'!
Even though I can’t see the finish line, I will just keep trucken’!

Fascinatin’ Procrastination

I still have not made the video tutorials for Federal tax resolution based on my book “Don’t Mess With The IRS” that was self-published almost a year ago!

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The very reason I wrote it in the first place was to help all the taxpayers that I used to work with to try and explain how the ACS Collection area works in the Internal Revenue Service.  There were so many people who would call that had no idea what they were calling about.  Some state they had never opened the letter that arrived, but wanted to report they received a letter from the IRS.  In these calls the information needed to be pried from them.  Some had no idea what manners were and the last thing you want to do with IRS problems is call them and behave rudely.

You know how people say never mess with the people that serve your food?  If you are a person that does not practice the Golden Rule, how about adding you don’t want to mess with the IRS, medical people who literally have your life in their hands, mechanics, pretty much everyone if you really think about it.  That might be why it’s the Golden Rule.

Back tax issues, have not filed returns for a while or think you do not have to file because you are self-employed, any Internal Revenue Service problem and how to resolve it will become much clearer after reading “Don’t Mess With The IRS An Unauthorized Customer Service Guide to Resolving Your ACS Collection Issues.

Currently unavailable.