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Monthly Archives: August 2013

Eight Tips for Taxpayers Who Owe Taxes

While most taxpayers get a refund from the IRS when they file their taxes, some do not. The IRS offers several Payment Options for those who owe taxes. Here are eight tips for those who owe federal taxes.

  1. Tax bill payments.  If you get a bill from the IRS this summer, you should pay it as soon as possible to save money. You can pay by check, money order, cashier’s check or cash. If you cannot pay it all, consider getting a loan to pay the bill in full. The interest rate for a loan may be less than the interest and penalties the IRS must charge by law.
  2. Electronic Funds Transfer.  It’s easy to pay your tax bill by electronic funds transfer. Just visit IRS.gov and use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System. You may also use EFTPS to pay your taxes by phone at 800-555-4477.
  3. Credit or debit card payments.  You can also pay your tax bill with a credit or debit card. Even though the card company may charge an extra fee for a tax payment, the costs of using a credit or debit card may be less than the cost of an IRS payment plan. To pay by credit or debit card, contact one of the processing companies listed at IRS.gov.
  4. More time to pay.  You may qualify for a short-term agreement to pay your taxes. This may apply if you can fully pay your taxes in 120 days or less. You can request it through the Payment Agreement application at IRS.gov. You may also call the IRS at the number listed on the last notice you received. If you can’t find the notice, call 800-829-1040 for help. There is generally no set-up fee for a short-term agreement.
  5. Installment Agreement.  If you can’t pay in full at one time and can’t get a loan, you may want to apply for a monthly payment plan. If you owe $50,000 or less, you can apply using the IRS Payment Agreement application. If approved, IRS will notify you immediately. You can arrange to make your payments by direct debit. This type of payment plan helps avoid missed payments and may help avoid a tax lien that would damage your credit.

    Taxpayers may also apply using IRS Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request. If you owe more than $50,000, you must also complete Form 433F, Collection Information Statement. For approved payment plans the one-time user fee is $105 for standard and payroll deduction agreements. The direct debit agreement fee is $52. The fee is $43 if your income is below a certain level.

  6. Offer in Compromise.  The IRS Offer-in-Compromise program allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. An OIC may be an option if you can't fully pay your taxes through an installment agreement or other payment alternative. The IRS may accept an OIC if the amount offered represents the most IRS can expect to collect within a reasonable time. Click here to see if you may be eligible before you apply. We will notify you of other options if an OIC is not right for you.
  7. Fresh Start.  If you’re struggling to pay your taxes, the IRS Fresh Start initiative may help you. Fresh Start makes it easier for individual and small business taxpayers to pay back taxes and avoid tax liens.
  8. Check withholding. You may be able to avoid owing taxes in future years by increasing the taxes your employer withholds from your pay. To do this, file a revised Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate, with your employer. The IRS Withholding Calculator tool at IRS.gov can help you fill out a new W-4. 
For more information on
 IRS's Fresh Start program...
 
Contact the Tax Lawyers
at Marini & Associates, P.A.
 
for a FREE Tax Consultation
or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).

 

Source:
IRS

Read more at: Tax Times blog

Liechtensteinische Landesbank Turned Over 200 Clients to US government.

We originally posted on Monday, July 22, 2013, Liechtensteinische Settlement with US is Imminent!  Now Vaduz-based bank Liechtensteinische Landesbank (LLB) has agreed to pay the US government more than USD23.8 million in return for the dropping of charges of helping American clients evade tax between 2001 and 2011.

The forfeiture comprises USD16.3 million of revenues earned by LLB from managing concealed bank accounts, plus USD7.5 million in taxes evaded by 200 US clients whose records were turned over to the US Department of Justice by the bank.  

Are You 1 of the 200 Names Turned Over to the Justice Department?

 
Contact the Tax Lawyers
at Marini & Associates, P.A.
 
for a FREE Tax Consultation
or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).

 


Source:

DOJ

Forbes

Reuters

Read more at: Tax Times blog

Florida's Sales Tax Holiday is This Weekend!

On Friday, July 26, 2013 we posted Are You Ready for Back-to-School Sales Tax Holidays? where we discussed that there are currently 17 states offering sales tax holidays where state sales tax chargesare temporarily dropped on back-to-school items such as clothing, footwear, classroom supplies, computers and certain other products.
This is to remind you that Florida's Sales Tax Holiday is this weekend from Aug. 2-4!
 
The following are exempt:
  • clothing with a sales price of $75 or less per item and
  • school supplies with a sales price of $15 or less per item; and
  • personal computers and related accessories with a sales price of $750 or less purchased for noncommercial use.

The holiday exemption does not apply to sales of such items made within a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment or airport.

State Sales Tax Problems?

Contact the Tax Lawyers

at Marini & Associates, P.A.
 
for a FREE Tax Consultation
or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).

Read more at: Tax Times blog

Federal Courts Authorize John Doe Summonses Seeking Identities of Credit Card Use For Norweign Tax Authority!

Ten Lawsuits Initiated Pursuant to Tax Treaty Between United States and Norway; Seven Petitions Granted, Three Petitions Remain Pending
 
The Justice Department announced July 29, 2013 that federal courts in Minnesota, Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Virginia and California have entered orders over the past week authorizing
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to serve John Doe summonses on certain U.S. banks and financial institutions, seeking information about persons who have used specific credit or debit cards in Norway. 

The summonses are referred to as “John Doe” summonses because the IRS does not know the identity of the person being investigated.  While orders have been entered in seven of these cases, the United States’ petitions in three additional cases remain pending. 

 
The lawsuits, filed on July 19 and 22, 2013, in nine federal districts, were initiated at the request of the Norwegian government under a treaty between Norway and the United States. 
 
The treaty allows the two countries to cooperate in exchanging information that is helpful in enforcing each country’s tax laws.  The United States is seeking the identities of persons who have used specific debit or credit cards issued by certain U.S. financial institutions so that Norway can determine if those persons have complied with Norwegian tax laws. A total of 18 U.S. financial institutions are identified in the government’s court filings. The filings do not allege that these financial institutions have violated any U.S. laws with respect to these accounts.
 
As alleged in court papers filed by the Justice Department, Norwegian authorities have reason to believe, based upon the use of payment cards in Norway that were issued by U.S. banks, that unidentified card holders may have failed to report financial account information or income on their Norwegian tax returns.  Court papers cite examples where individuals using non-Norwegian payment cards have claimed to be tax residents of other countries but were found to have resided in Norway for sufficient time to subject them to taxes in Norway.   
 
 “The Department of Justice and the IRS are committed to working with our treaty partners to fight tax evasion wherever it occurs,” said Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “All taxpayers should know that our efforts in this area are global, coordinated and will continue.”
 
  “These summonses reflect our continuing efforts to work with our international partners on offshore tax evasion,” said Douglas O’Donnell, IRS Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Large Business & International (LB&I). “By using effectively our existing network of bilateral agreements, countries can help one another put an end to the global practice of evading taxation by hiding assets abroad.”
 
The lawsuits are a part of ongoing international efforts to stop persons from using foreign financial accounts as a way to evade taxes.  Courts have previously approved John Doe summonses allowing the IRS to identify individuals using offshore accounts to evade their U. S tax obligations. 
 
In the present suits, the Justice Department is seeking the identities of persons who may be attempting to hide their Norwegian taxable income in U.S. financial accounts. 
 
Becoming A Believer That Fiscal Transparency Really Exists?

Have Undeclared Income from an Offshore Account?

Contact the Tax Lawyers
at Marini & Associates, P.A.
 
for a FREE Tax Consultation
or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).

 

 
 
Source:
 
 

Read more at: Tax Times blog

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