Issue Number: 2017-9
Inside This Issue
1. IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Open for Registration
2. Refunds Totaling $1 Billion Available for Those Who Have Not Filed a 2013 Tax Return
3. Special Enrollment Exam Fee
4. LB&I Compliance Campaign Webinars
5. Online Resources for IP PIN and Transcripts
6. YouTube: IRS Taxes-Three Easy Ways to Pay
7. IRS Criminal Investigation Releases Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report
8. IRS Reaches 100th eBook Milestone
9. Technical Guidance
1. IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Open for Registration
The 2017 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums are now open for registration. Join tax professionals at five locations across the country for three days of continuing education, workshops and exhibits of new products and services.
As a tax professional you can earn up to 18 CPE credits, network with your peers and learn from subject matter experts from the IRS and its association partners.
For more information or to register, visit the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum website at www.irstaxforum.com.
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2. Refunds Totaling $1 Billion Available for Those Who Have Not Filed a 2013 Tax Return
Unclaimed federal income tax refunds totaling more than $1 billion may be waiting for an estimated one million taxpayers who did not file a 2013 federal income tax return.
To claim this money, taxpayers must file a 2013 tax return with the IRS no later than April 18.
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3. Special Enrollment Exam Fee
Effective March 1, the fee for taking each of the three parts of the Special Enrollment Examination increased from $109 to $111.94. The increase is due to a change to the vendor’s portion of the fee by $2.94. The IRS portion of the fee is unchanged.
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4. LB&I Compliance Campaign Webinars
The IRS Large Business and International (LB&I) Division will participate in a series of webinars in collaboration with various stakeholders to provide tax practitioners with information about its new compliance campaigns.
KPMG will host the first in the series, scheduled for March 7, at 2 p.m. EST. This 75-minute webinar will focus on the campaign process, how campaigns are being implemented and how they will impact taxpayers.
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5. Online Resources for IP PIN and Transcripts
At this time of the year, some of your clients are seeking their Identity Protection PINs or are in need of a tax transcript. For inquiries about IP PIN and transcripts, guide them to the most appropriate service options on IRS.gov:
Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) - If your client lost a CP01A letter and needs an IP PIN, he or she can go to Get an IP PIN or Retrieve Your IP PIN on IRS.gov for retrieval options. Users must validate their identities. If unable to validate, your client should call the Identity Theft toll-free line to have the information mailed. If your client moved after Jan. 1, 2017, he or she will need to file a paper return without an IP PIN.
Tax Transcripts - If your client needs a tax transcript, suggest www.IRS.gov/transcript. The IRS Get Transcript tool allows taxpayers who can validate their identities to view and download transcripts. Alternatively, transcripts can be sent by mail in five to 10 days. Taxpayers may also order a transcript by mail by calling the automated phone transcript service at 800-908-9946. Tax professionals with a power of attorney form on file also may access their clients’ transcripts via e-Services.
Reminder: All Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) nationwide now operate by appointment. Most questions can be answered online at IRS.gov without visiting a TAC. Taxpayers who need in-person assistance can make an appointment online.
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6. YouTube: IRS Taxes-Three Easy Ways to Pay
Learn about all the payment options available to taxpayers in this new YouTube video.
Watch this and other videos on the IRS’s YouTube Channel
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7. IRS Criminal Investigation Releases Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report
The IRS Criminal Investigation Division this week released its annual report, assessing criminal enforcement actions taken in fiscal year 2016.
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8. IRS Reaches 100th eBook Milestone
The IRS recently published its 100th eBook, a key milestone in an effort to share information in ways that meet the changing needs of taxpayers.
IRS eBooks enable you to read and review some of the most commonly used IRS tax products. You can view the 1040 instructions, Publication 17, and other popular tax publications using a mobile device such as a smart phone, tablet or eReader.
The complete list of eBook publications is available at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/ebooks. Tax publications are also available on IRS.gov for free downloading in PDF and HTML versions.
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9. Technical Guidance
Notice 2017-20 extends the period for an employer that provides a qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement (QSEHRA), which was added to the Internal Revenue Code by the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act), to furnish an initial written notice to its eligible employees regarding the QESHRA. The period is extended from March 13, 2017 (90 days after the Cures Act was enacted) to at least 90 days after additional guidance regarding the contents of the QSEHRA notice is issued. The notice also provides transition relief from penalties for failure to furnish the written notice until after further guidance has been issued.
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