No images? Click here Tax Prep Dispatch: Reset ButtonThis Tax Prep Dispatch was guest-written by three leaders in the inaugural VITA Leadership Institute cohort. We thank them for taking the time to provide resources for this Dispatch. April 15 has passed, so time to wrap up another tax season, right? Unfortunately, not quite this year. With the COVID-19 pandemic, constant change has been a theme throughout the past eight weeks. This Dispatch aims to clarify some of these changes as we move through the rest of this filing season. Filing Season Updates – Amy Messinger, United Way of the River Cities In mid-March, the Treasury Department and the IRS released a filing and payment relief notice advising taxpayers that the filing deadline for 2019 federal tax returns had been extended until July 15. The notice not only relieved taxpayers from the requirement to file a return by April 15, it also relieved taxpayers who have a payment due for 2019. Taxpayers who have filed or will file and have a payment due now have until July 15 to make the payment without accruing penalties or interest. The IRS continues to encourage taxpayers who plan to file a 2019 return to do so as soon as possible. Federal Filing and Payment Relief The Treasury Department and the IRS have continued to release notices which provide taxpayers relief from other obligations that normally have an April 15 due date. Here is a review:
Additional information about federal filing and payment relief can be found on this page, Filing and Payment Deadlines Questions and Answers. State Filing and Payment Relief Each state that requires a state return is responsible for deciding if filing and/or payment relief will be provided for 2019 state returns. To check on the relief in individual states, you can refer to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation website which has the following article posted: Which States Have Delayed Tax Payments or Filings? Taxslayer Economic Impact Payment (EIP) Update – Alisha Doulen, City of High Point Taxslayer has deployed an update to support filing a simple tax return for EIP purposes. This is a way for VITA programs to assist taxpayers who do not normally file a tax return to receive the stimulus payment. As we all know, many of our VITA clients may not be comfortable with filing the information directly on the IRS website. For those of us with VITA grants, this is also a way to capture those numbers for the grant reporting. We have not heard any exceptions to the intake and quality review requirements under VITA for these EIP returns. That being said, with a good number of VITA sites either closed down or operating virtually, obtaining the Form 13614-C and 8879 e-file authorization will take some figuring out. Taxslayer EIP Process The very first step in the EIP return process should be to verify that the taxpayer should file an EIP only return. Review the IRS website for the latest information. Generally, these returns should only be completed for those individuals who did not file a tax return in either 2018 or 2019 and have no filing requirement. Returns specific to EIP will have “EIP2020” printed at the top of the form 1040 if they meet the requirements below:
Finishing up the Return Once the basic information and income has been entered, proceed through the remaining sections of the return so that the system allows you to enter the direct deposit information. The health insurance section should be answered “No” as it is also not applicable on this return. If the taxpayer did happen to have insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace: STOP. They have a filing requirement and should not be completing an EIP only return. Any state return that was automatically generated should be deleted. Following these steps is critical to ensuring that the return can be processed correctly. Verify that the “EIP2020” header is on the final return to determine that everything is reflected accurately. If you are not getting the “EIP2020” header, be sure that you have not entered any additional income on the return. Points to Consider With the IRS announcing that, as of April 16, paper returns will not be processed, those who mailed in their return earlier in the season are in for a long wait to receive their refunds. The IRS has also announced that any tax owed will be separate from the EIP process so those who owe should mail in their payments as normal as it will not be deducted from their EIP. The EIP returns will also still reject for SSN/Name mismatch errors and the like. Remember, these EIP returns are specifically for those without a filing requirement. Taxpayers can also access the EIP form here. The IRS portal may be easier to access at this moment since a lot of our VITA sites are closed or operating virtually but this is a nice tool for those who cannot access the internet, are not comfortable doing so, and depend on our VITA services for assistance. Economic Impact Payment Recap – Katrina Madden, United Way of West Florida The Economic Impact Payment is part of the CARES Act, which offers relief to millions of Americans who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most eligible individuals have already started receiving payments of $1,200 with an additional $500 for each qualifying child under the age of 17. Those who filed joint returns will receive $2,400 with an additional $500 for each qualifying child under the age of 17. You will most likely qualify for an economic impact payment if:You have not been claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
Taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is above $75,000 as an individual or $150,000 as a joint filer, the payment amount will be reduced by $5 for each $100 above the income limit. Will I get the Economic Impact Payment if I am on SSI or SSDI? If you receive Social Security benefits and do not typically file taxes, don’t worry! You do not have to take any action. The IRS will use the information the Social Security Administration has on file to automatically send your Impact Payment. Do I still get the Economic Impact Payment if I do not file taxes? If you have not filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019 because your income did not exceed $12,200 ($24,400 for married couples) or you were not required to file a federal income tax return for 2019 and didn't plan to, you may still qualify for an Impact Payment. You will need to go to this page to enter your necessary information. The IRS will use this information to determine your eligibility and payment amount and send you an Economic Impact Payment. After providing this information you will not need to take any additional action. If you are required to file a federal income tax return and have not filed your taxes in 2018 and 2019 you will need to file your 2019 taxes to receive the Economic Impact Payment. How do I update my banking information? The IRS has made it very simple to track your Economic Impact Payment as well as update your direct deposit information! The IRS has created an online web portal called Get My Payment. You will be able to check your payment status, confirm your payment type (direct deposit or check), and enter your bank account information for direct deposit. Just follow this link. You can find more information on the Economic Impact Payment by visiting the IRS page. |