You received a notice from the IRS. Now what do you do?

Nine Tips for Taxpayers Who Receive an IRS Notice

Receiving a notice from the Internal Revenue Service is no cause for alarm. Every year the IRS sends millions of letters and notices to taxpayers. In the event one shows up in your mailbox, here are eight things you should know.

1. Don’t panic. Many of these letters can be dealt with very simply.

2. There are a number of reasons the IRS sends notices to taxpayers. The notice may request payment of taxes, notify you of a change to your account or request additional information. The notice you receive normally covers a very specific issue about your account or tax return.

3. Each letter and notice offers specific instructions on what you need to do to satisfy the inquiry.

4. If you receive a notice about a correction to your tax return, you should review the correspondence and compare it with the information on your return.

5. If you agree with the correction to your account, usually no reply is necessary unless a payment is due.

6. If you do not agree with the correction the IRS made, it is important that you respond as requested. Respond to the IRS in writing to explain why you disagree. Include any documents and information you wish the IRS to consider, along with the bottom tear-off portion of the notice. Mail the information to the IRS address shown in the lower left corner of the notice. Allow at least 30 days for a response from the IRS.

7. Most correspondence can be handled without calling or visiting an IRS office. However, if you have questions, call the telephone number in the upper right corner of the notice. When you call, have a copy of your tax return and the correspondence available.

8. Keep copies of any correspondence with your tax records.

9. And most importantly, consult an Enrolled Agent (EA), the highest designation awarded by the US Department of the Treasury and America’s Tax Expert ©

 

Florida Society of Enrolled Agents Install New Board of Directors

July 6, 2011

Kissimmee, FL- The 2011 Florida Society of Enrolled Agents Annual Conference was just held at the Gaylord Palm Hotel & Convention Center. The conference provided the members with the opportunity to network with other Tax Professionals, enhance their various skills and expand their knowledge on current tax legislation, emerging issues and changes in their profession. On Friday, July 1, 2011 the FSEA installed the new slate for the coming year.

From left to right: Immediate Past President, William Weidenbach, EA, Treasurer, Sue Anne Curd, EA, Secretary, Twila Midwood, EA, President- Elect, Ana Magda Guillen, EA, President, Anita Manuel, EA, and Vice-President, Jeffrey Schneider, EA,

The Florida Society of Enrolled Agents (FSEA) is the professional society representing Enrolled Agents (EAs) in Florida. Members are licensed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including examination, collection and appeals functions. For more information, please visit the website, http://www.FSEAonline.org. The FSEA is an affiliate of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and they urge all tax practitioners to consider the benefits of joining.

The National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) is a national association of independent, licensed tax professionals called Enrolled Agents (EA). The association is dedicated to helping its members keep up the highest level of knowledge, skills and professionalism in all areas of taxation, so that their members may most effectively represent the needs of their clients.

Have you ever considered how history shifts on small decisions?

Image via Wikipedia

What we celebrated on the 4th was the bravery of men who said [I paraphrased] : “If you’re going to tax me, I need a representative. And, since you won’t give me THAT … well, we’re free anyway. Government doesn’t give us our rights; our Creator does. So, we declare that we are, in fact, independent.”

Imagine if, before this point, the King of England had said: “Alright, I’ll allow a representative from each colony a seat in the Parliament.” I mean really — it’s not like we wouldn’t have been taxed up the wazoo with representation … the votes would have been something like 250-13 to tax the colonies to high hell!

But at least there would have been representation! [Historians point out that Washington, Adams, Franklin and others, at first, wanted only the same rights as other British subjects. Only until the British remained stubborn did they opt for full independence.] Instead, the British lack of imagination helped birth the greatest experiment in freedom the world has seen over the last two+ centuries (IMHO).  It may just be that you need to have your own little declaration of independence. Here’s what I mean…

True Freedom … From The IRS
Well, the dream of freedom, birthed on the 4th , does still live. But let’s face it–our government (especially the IRS) is ready to become a deeper, larger influence in our lives. And it’s ironic, this month of Independence, to see how much power the IRS now has as probably one of the most powerful organizations in the USA. Solely responsible for collecting Federal taxes and imposing related penalties, the IRS poses one of the biggest financial threats to individuals and business owners. They have unique information resources, legal standing, and roles as a law enforcement agency.  On top of all this, the IRS has the authority to issue legislation and the freedom to make mistakes without consequences (they’re protected from penalties for false tax accusations)!

So what can we do to protect ourselves from the IRS’ power and potential for financial wrath???  … Well, if there were a concrete answer for that, the IRS wouldn’t be the intimidating and widely feared agency it is today.  But there is one thing each of us can do  to keep them off our back: Keep Records! (I know, a bit lame … but it’s true!)
Our best defense against audits and false accusations is keeping accurate, detailed records of the flow of all money into and out of our lives.  Now, depending on your situation, this could be complicated and time-consuming!  Where do you begin?
A great place to start is by calling our office; we can help you decide where to focus your record-keeping efforts, and help you develop a strong wall of defense around the “castle” of your finances.  Generally, the better and more accurate your records, the better your chances are for surviving an All-Out IRS Battle! 

Give us a call today (spending a little today, could save a lot later)! 
Email info@sfstaxacct.com  or call us (561-868-1868 or 772-337-1040) now!

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Can you take the tax deduction?

Do you have a closet full of stuff that you would love to get rid of? Is your garage full to the point of exploding with your now married children’s toys and clothing? What do you do with all this “junk”. You can donate to the various charities (Goodwill, The Salvation Army or Am Vets to name a few), receive a tax deduction (if you itemize) and save about $20-$30 in real taxes or sell it.

Many people conduct periodic garage sales. You sell your stuff and pocket the change. If you have enough stuff, you can pocket a couple of hundred dollars and most of it is tax-free as the cost of the items sold are much more than what you sold it for. The other side is that you can not take the loss (sales price minus cost) as these transactions are considered personal, not business and personal losses are not deductible.

Other people take selling their unwanted toys and clothing to the internet using Ebay and Craigs List, amoung others. If you sell items on an occassional basis, you have tax free income via the new age “internet garage sale”. But what happens if you conduct hundreds of these transactions in any given year? In a recent court case, the IRS prevailed when they wanted to tax the seller on the gross income received from activity on EBay. Their case stemmed on the fact that the individual conducted hundreds of sales transactions in each of two years. They argued and the court agreed that this was a business and that the gross revenue received from each and every sale was income. The court did not put a number as to how many transactions constitute a business. In reading the case, it has more to do with a continuous and ongoing activity that was the deciding factor.

The good news is that the cost of every item sold is a deduction against that income and any fees incurred in the selling of these items are deductions.

The bad news: Who keeps receipts of a childs toy or article of clothing from a few years ago, not to mention 10 or more years. So if you want to conduct numerous transactions on any of these sites, make sure that you have documentation as to the cost of the items sold or the IRS may, not only attempt to subject the revenue to the income tax, but as a business, the self-employment tax.

Please contact SFS Tax, Accounting and College Planning Services before you begin anything that may be construed as a business so you can plan accordingly and limit your potential tax expoure. Our website is http://www.sfstaxacct.com or call us at 561 868-1868 or 772 337-1040.