December 27, 2020 - The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, also known as the Relief Act, extended the employee retention credit and certain advance payments of tax credit under the CARES Act. This Act was enacted to extend the employee retention credit and make available the tax credits for the first and third quarters of 2021. As with the 2020 credit under the CARES Act you can obtain immediate access to the credit by reducing any employment tax deposits that you may otherwise be required to make. The IRS may offer an advance payment to you if your tax deposits are insufficient to cover the credit. You can find Notice 2021-21-23PDF, Notice 2121-49PDF and Revenue Procedure 202133PDF.
The COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted December 27, 2020, amended and extended the tax credits (and the availability of advance payments of the tax credits) for paid sick and family leave under the FFCRA. You can get immediate access to the credit by reducing the employment tax deposits you are otherwise required to make. If your employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, you may request an advance payment from the IRS. See COVID-19-Related Tax Credits for Paid Leave Provided by Small and Midsize Businesses FAQs for more information.
Verify that all information contained in a letter or notice you received has been correct. If you have not received a notice or letter, verify the information. Follow the instructions in the notice. If you can resolve the issue, a fine may not be applied.
IL-2021-07: The IRS announces tax relief to Illinois victims of severe storms and straight-line winds as well as tornadoes
The IRS assessed its collection activities to see how it could apply relief for taxpayers who owe but are struggling financially because of the pandemic, expanding taxpayer options for making payments and alternatives to resolve balances owed.
But there's even more bad news. The IRS won’t let you count private school expense, charitable contributions, or voluntary retirement contribution.
Disposable income is defined as monthly income less allowed monthly expenses. It is important to realize that the IRS may not approve all expenses. Common disallowed expenses may include tuition payments for dependents or credit card payment (disallowed since they are unsecured debt).
The IRS's prequalifier will help you determine whether your offer to compromise is eligible. Your offer may not be approved even though you have been granted eligibility.
Most eligible people already received their Economic Impact Payments. People who are missing stimulus payments should review the information on the Recovery Rebate Credit page to determine their eligibility to claim the credit for tax year 2020 or 2021.
Some penalty relief requests might be accepted over-the-phone. Contact us at our toll-free phone number in the upper right hand corner of your notice/letter. When you call, please have this information:
All of these cases require that you and your unique facts be considered by the feds, including your income, ability pay, and equity.
The IRS provides additional tools for taxpayers who owe tax, including payment plans and installment agreements.
Taxpayer Advocate ServiceThe Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization that works within the IRS. They assist taxpayers in resolving problems with IRS and suggest changes to prevent them from happening again.
The IRS has been adapting its operations to make sure the safety of taxpayers as well employees throughout COVID-19. A Closer Examine contains more information and background about collection relief procedures.
Topic 515, Tax Loss and Casualty.
Get the most current tax relief guidance in disaster scenarios
If you're having a tax issue, don't go silent. Please don't ignore the notice arriving in your mailbox, Guillot said. These problems don't get better with time. We understand tax issues and know that dealing with the IRS can be intimidating, but our employees really are here to help.
All taxpayers can find important information at IRS.gov. Many taxpayers are able to apply for payment plans through IRS.gov.
If you aren't eligible for an agreement of compromise, it is possible to explore settlement and consolidation alternatives. They can often save you money and help you pay down IRS bills.
If you aren’t eligible or turned down by the deal in compromise, look into debt consolidation and settlement options. These solutions can often save you money on other debts to make it easier to pay down IRS taxes.
OIC can also suspend IRS' 10-year statute -of-limits in collecting taxes. It has four year to collect taxes if six years have elapsed since the IRS assessed your taxes. If the IRS rejects your OIC within a year, you still have four years to sue.