Last-Minute Filing Tips

If you haven’t done your taxes yet, don’t despair. There’s no time like the present to prepare and file your 2014 tax return. Visit IRS.gov for tax tools and help that can make filing your tax return a bit less taxing.

1.    Don’t delay.  Don’t wait until the last minute to do your taxes. The old saying is true: haste makes waste. If you rush to beat the deadline, you may miss out on tax savings or make a mistake. An error will likely delay your refund and often causes the IRS to send you a letter.

2.    Try IRS e-file.  No matter who does your taxes, you should file them using IRS e-file. It’s the safe, easy and accurate way to file your tax return. You’re 20 times less likely to make a mistake when you e-file compared to filing a paper return. That’s because the tax software catches and corrects common paper filing errors. It also will alert you to tax credits and deductions you may otherwise miss.

3.    Visit IRS.gov.  Go online for tax information and resources. The Interactive Tax Assistant, Tax Trails and IRS Tax Map can help answer questions you may need answered to complete your return.

4.    File on time.  If you owe taxes but can’t pay by April 15, you should still file on time and pay as much as you can. This will minimize penalties and interest charges. If you can’t pay all the tax you owe, you may apply for an installment agreement. The easy way to apply is to use the Online Payment Agreement tool on IRS.gov. You can also apply by mail using IRS Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request.

5.    File an extension.  If you’re not ready to file by April 15, you can get an automatic six-month extension. You can e-file your extension request for free using IRS Free File. You may also file using Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Make sure to e-file or mail the form and pay an estimate of any tax due by April 15. You can get the form at IRS.gov/forms anytime. 

Don’t be Fooled, Phone Scams Continue to be Serious Threat Nationwide

WASHINGTON — As April 1st approaches, the IRS warns taxpayers not to be fooled by the tricks scammers use to take advantage of those they target. Scammers use fake names, provide bogus IRS badge numbers and alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS is calling. With the final two weeks of the filing season about to begin and millions preparing their returns, taxpayers should be alert. "This is no April Fool's joke. Everyone should be on the lookout for threatening calls from people faking IRS phone numbers and demands for immediate payment," IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. "These are scams. I urge taxpayers to stay vigilant and remain aware of the constantly changing tactics used by these criminals.” As the filing season nears its end, there has been a surge of phone scams where scam artists threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other threats. They often leave “urgent” callback requests and sometimes prey on the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly, newly arrived immigrants and those whose first language is not English. Scammers have been known to impersonate agents from IRS Criminal Investigation as well. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. The IRS will not: Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do: If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue. If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or report it online at the IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting Page. If you’ve been targeted by this scam, also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their FTC Complaint Assistant at FTC.gov. If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes. Remember, too, the IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue involving bills or refunds. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to IRS.gov and type “scam” in the search box. Additional information about tax scams is available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube and Tumblr, where people can search “scam” to find the related posts. Back to Top Thank you for subscribing to the IRS Newswire, an IRS e-mail service. If you know someone who might want to subscribe to this mailing list, please forward this message to them so they can subscribe. This message was distributed automatically from the mailing list IRS Newswire. Please Do Not Reply To This Message.

Many Retirees Face April 1 Deadline to Take Required Retirement Plan Distributions

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers who turned 70½ during 2014 that in most cases they must start receiving required minimum distributions (RMDs) from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and workplace retirement plans by Wednesday, April 1, 2015. The April 1 deadline applies to owners of traditional IRAs but not Roth IRAs. Normally, it also applies to participants in various workplace retirement plans, including 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans. The April 1 deadline only applies to the required distribution for the first year. For all subsequent years, the RMD must be made by Dec. 31. So, a taxpayer who turned 70½ in 2014 and receives the first required payment on April 1, 2015, for example, must still receive the second RMD by Dec. 31, 2015.  Affected taxpayers who turned 70½ during 2014 must figure the RMD for the first year using the life expectancy as of their birthday in 2014 and their account balance on Dec. 31, 2013. The trustee reports the year-end account value to the IRA owner on Form 5498  in Box 5. Worksheets and life expectancy tables for making this computation can be found in the Appendices to Publication 590-B. Most taxpayers use Table III  (Uniform Lifetime) to figure their RMD. For a taxpayer who reached age 70½ in 2014 and turned 71 before the end of the year, for example, the first required distribution would be based on a distribution period of 26.5 years. A separate table, Table II, applies to a taxpayer married to a spouse who is more than 10 years younger and is the taxpayer’s only beneficiary. Though the April 1 deadline is mandatory for all owners of traditional IRAs and most participants in workplace retirement plans, some people with workplace plans can wait longer to receive their RMD. Usually, employees who are still working can, if their plan allows, wait until April 1 of the year after they retire to start receiving these distributions. See Tax on Excess Accumulation in Publication 575. Employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations with 403(b) plan accruals before 1987 should check with their employer, plan administrator or provider to see how to treat these accruals. The IRS encourages taxpayers to begin planning now for any distributions required during 2015. An IRA trustee must either report the amount of the RMD to the IRA owner or offer to calculate it for the owner. Often, the trustee shows the RMD amount in Box 12b on Form 5498. For a 2015 RMD, this amount would be on the 2014 Form 5498 that is normally issued in January 2015. More information on RMDs, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found on IRS.gov. Thank you for subscribing to the IRS Newswire, an IRS e-mail service. If you know someone who might want to subscribe to this mailing list, please forward this message to them so they can subscribe. This message was distributed automatically from the mailing list IRS Newswire. Please Do Not Reply To This Message.

The Premium Tax Credit - The Basics

If you get your health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you may be eligible for the premium tax credit.

Here are some basic facts about the premium tax credit.

What is the premium tax credit?

The premium tax credit is a credit designed to help eligible individuals and families with low or moderate income afford health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

What is the Health Insurance Marketplace?

The Health Insurance Marketplace is the place where you will find information about private health insurance options, purchase health insurance, and obtain help with premiums and out-of-pocket costs if you are eligible. Learn more about the Marketplace at HealthCare.gov.

How do I get the premium tax credit?

When you apply for coverage in the Marketplace, the Marketplace will estimate the amount of the premium tax credit that you may be able to claim for the tax year, using information you provide about your family composition and projected household income. Based upon that estimate, you can decide if you want to have all, some, or none of your estimated credit paid in advance directly to your insurance company to be applied to your monthly premiums. If you choose to have all or some of your credit paid in advance, you will be required to reconcile on your income tax return the amount of advance payments that the government sent on your behalf with the premium tax credit that you may claim based on your actual household income and family size.

What happens if my income or family size changes during the year? 

The actual premium tax credit for the year will differ from the advance credit amount estimated by the Marketplace if your family size and household income as estimated at the time of enrollment are different from the family size and household income you report on your return. The more your family size or household income differs from the Marketplace estimates used to compute your advance credit payments, the more significant the difference will be between your advance credit payments and your actual credit.

For more information about the Affordable Care Act and your income tax return, visit IRS.gov/aca.

Top Six Things You Should Know about the Child Tax Credit

The Child Tax Credit may save you money at tax-time if you have a qualified child. Here are six things you should know about the credit. 1. Amount.  The Child Tax Credit may help reduce your federal income tax by up to $1,000 for each qualifying child that you are eligible to claim on your tax return. 2. Additional Child Tax Credit.  If you qualify and get less than the full Child Tax Credit, you could receive a refund even if you owe no tax with the Additional Child Tax Credit. 3. Qualifications.  For this credit, a qualifying child must pass several tests: • Age test.  The child must have been under age 17 at the end of 2014. • Relationship test.  The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, or stepsister. The child may be a descendant of any of these individuals. A qualifying child could also include your grandchild, niece or nephew. You would always treat an adopted child as your own child. An adopted child includes a child lawfully placed with you for legal adoption. • Support test.  The child must not have provided more than half of their own support for the year. • Dependent test.  The child must be a dependent that you claim on your federal tax return. • Joint return test.  The child cannot file a joint return for the year, unless the only reason they are filing is to claim a refund. • Citizenship test.  The child must be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national or a U.S. resident alien. • Residence test.  In most cases, the child must have lived with you for more than half of 2014. 4. Limitations.  The Child Tax Credit is subject to income limitations. The limits may reduce or eliminate your credit depending on your filing status and income. 5. Schedule 8812.  If you qualify to claim the Child Tax Credit, make sure to check whether you must complete and attach Schedule 8812, Child Tax Credit, with your tax return. For example, if you claim a credit for a child with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, you must complete Part I of Schedule 8812. If you qualify to claim the Additional Child Tax Credit, you must complete and attach Schedule 8812. Visit IRS.gov to view, download or print IRS tax forms anytime. 6. IRS E-file.  Electronic filing is the best way to file your tax return. IRS E-file is the safe, accurate and easiest way to file.

Taxable or Not – What You Need to Know about Income

All income is taxable unless the law excludes it. Here are some basic rules you should know to help you file an accurate tax return:

• Taxed income.  Taxable income includes money you earn, like wages and tips. It also includes bartering, an exchange of property or services. The fair market value of property or services received is taxable.

Some types of income are not taxable except under certain conditions, including:

• Life insurance.  Proceeds paid to you because of the death of the insured person are usually not taxable. However, if you redeem a life insurance policy for cash, any amount that you get that is more than the cost of the policy is taxable.
• Qualified scholarship.  In most cases, income from this type of scholarship is not taxable. This means that amounts you use for certain costs, such as tuition and required books, are not taxable. On the other hand, amounts you use for room and board are taxable.
• State income tax refund.  If you got a state or local income tax refund, the amount may be taxable. You should have received a 2014 Form 1099-G from the agency that made the payment to you. If you didn’t get it by mail, the agency may have provided the form electronically. Contact them to find out how to get the form. Report any taxable refund you got even if you did not receive Form 1099-G.

Here are some types of income that are usually not taxable:

• Gifts and inheritances
• Child support payments
• Welfare benefits
• Damage awards for physical injury or sickness
• Cash rebates from a dealer or manufacturer for an item you buy
• Reimbursements for qualified adoption expenses

Maintaining Health Insurance Coverage Documentation for the Tax Filing Season

Gathering documents and maintaining well-organized records make it easier to prepare a tax return. They can also help provide answers if the IRS needs to follow-up with you for more information.

You will not need to send the IRS proof of your health coverage. However, you should keep any documentation with your other tax records. This includes records of your family’s employer-provided coverage, premiums paid, and type of coverage. You should keep these – as you do other tax records – generally for three years after you file your tax return.

When preparing 2014 tax returns, most people will simply have to check a box to indicate they and everyone on their tax return had health care coverage for the entire year. You will not need to file any additional forms, unless you are claiming the premium tax credit or a coverage exemption.

You will attach Form 8965, Health Coverage Exemptions to your tax return to claim a coverage exemption. Do not attach supporting documentation to the tax return. If you applied for an exemption from the Marketplace and received an Exemption Certificate Number, or you have other documentation to support your exemption claim, keep these with your tax records.

You will attach Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit to your tax return to claim the credit. Do not attach the Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement that you use to complete Form 8962. Keep Form 1095-A with your tax records.

More Information

To find other tax-related information about the health care law, visit irs.gov/aca. To find information about Form 1095-A and tools that will help in the completion of the tax return, visit Healthcare.gov/taxes.