No IRS help for tax pros on Saturdays or holidays in 2015

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No IRS help for tax pros on Saturdays or holidays in 2015

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Remember the warning from the Internal Revenue Service that we taxpayers shouldn't expect much help from the agency this filing season? Budget cuts, said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, mean fewer staff to answer phone callers questions.

Well, the same is true for tax professionals.

On Friday, the IRS alerted tax pros that the agency's e-Help Desk hotline is cutting back its hours.

The same budget woes that could, according to the most recent National Taxpayer Advocate report, lead to less than half of individual taxpayer calls being answered, also are being blamed for the end of the e-Help Desk's extended weekday, Saturday and holiday service.

Issue Number: 2015-2

Digital support short shifting: As the tax agency has gone more digital in recent years, the e-Help Desk phone line has become a way for the IRS to assist a wide range of authorized tax professionals -- Enrolled Agents, reporting agents, Electronic Return Originators, Certified Public Accountants, software developers, and transmitters -- with non-account related questions.

The cutbacks to the e-Helf Desk hours take effect just as the 2015 filing season -- and expanded work hours for tax professionals -- are about to begin in full force. Some tax pros no doubt are working this weekend to get ready for the Jan. 20 start of the filing season.

Then they'll be under the gun for the next three months.

But if they need IRS phone support, they better schedule it within the desk's operational hours, which during the peak filing season are:

*Days*	*Hours*
Monday thru Friday	6:30 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time
Saturday	Closed

Monday, January 19, 2015 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)	Closed
Monday, February 16, 2015 (Presidents Day)	Closed
Wednesday, April 15, 2015	6:30 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time

And remember, the e-Help Desk is just for tax professionals, not individual taxpayers, even if we tax amateurs do file electronically using a tax preparer or transmit our 1040s ourselves with tax software.

We individual e-filers still must call the main IRS Help Hotline toll-free at 1 (800) 829-1040 and deal with the wait times there.

You also might find these items of interest:

Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 09:35 AM in Filing, IRS, Tax help, Tax preparers, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: budget cuts, e-help desk, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, National Taxpayer Advocate, tax, tax preparers, tax professionals, tax pros, taxes

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Weekly Tax Tip

10 tax extension filing tips — Are you one of the millions of taxpayers who got a six-month extension to file last year's tax return? If so, your time is almost up. Your 1040 must be e-filed or postmarked by Oct. 16; that's a day later this year since Oct. 15 is on Sunday. These 10 last-minute filing tips could help you get the job done and save some tax dollars. (Oct. 11, 2017)
Check out all the latest post-April 18 tax advice in the 2017 edition of Weekly Tax Tips. Since we've all finally filed our 2016 taxes, most of these tips now will focus on moves to cut your 2017 tax bill. If, however, you're looking to amend an old return or just want more tax tidbits, feel free to peruse this year's Daily Tax Tips at their respective filing season monthly pages: January, February, March and April.

All About Kay

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Kay Bell -- Native Texan (the blog title totally makes sense now, right?). Professional journalist. Tax geek.

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Tax Year 2017 Countdown
It's over! The final 2016 tax year extended filing deadline has passed. Now it's time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2017 tax bill. Most of them must be made by Dec. 31, or for some transactions by the last business day of the year, which is Friday, Dec. 29, since the 31st is on a Sunday. This countdown clock will make sure you don't miss these crucial tax deadlines. Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

Fall officially arrived last month, but it's October, with cooler temperatures, turning leaves, pumpkin patches and Halloween trick-or-treaters that really ring in autumn. In between enjoying the changing seasons, take some time to make some tax moves this month to save you some dollars.

Congress is still working on a possible rewrite of the tax code, taking another step with the release of the Republican tax reform framework late last month. But it had few details, including on when any possible tax law changes might take effect, so the most prudent advice is to continue doing what works for your taxes under the current code.

Oct. 1: See that countdown clock above? It's a stark reminder for millions of ultimate procrastinators — I got my in after April 18, but before the final extension due date! — that their deadline to file extended 2016 tax returns is nearly over. This year there's an extra day, until Monday, Oct. 16, since Oct. 15 falls on a Sunday. But don't push the deadline. Gather all the documents you need to file your taxes, like your W-2 wage statement and, if you're self-employed or had some side jobs, 1099 forms now. Don't forget supporting material, such as receipts for charitable donations and business expenses, along with the other items listed on this tax preparation checklist.

Oct. 7: So another week slipped by without you filing your taxes? If you get the federal Columbus Day Monday holiday off from work, then work instead on your taxes. Use the time to check out these 10 tax sins of commission, aka common filing mistakes, so you don't make them. And definitely don't miss these 12 overlooked tax breaks that could reduce your final IRS bill.

Oct. 10: Does your job include tips? If so and you received $20 in tips in September, use Form 4070 to report them today to your employer.

Oct. 16: It's here. The absolutely, positively final filing deadline for your 2016 return. Get your Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ en route to the IRS by midnight today or you'll face penalty and interest charges.

If you're sending in an old-fashioned paper return, get the envelope postmarked today.

If you're filing electronically, you can hit send/enter on your keyboard by midnight in your time zone. Also note that Free File tax preparation and e-file is still available to you if your adjusted gross income (AGI) was $64,000 or less last year.

Oct. 20: Now that your 2016 return is finally done, get to work reducing your 2017 tax bill. If you itemize, start with bunching bunching. With this tax-planning technique, you pull (or push) some tax deductions into the tax year where they can be most useful. This could be particularly useful on a 2017 Schedule A since this year regardless of your age, your medical expenses must exceed 10 percent of your AGI.

Oct. 25: For many workers, their annual benefits enrollment open season starts in October. Many of the workplace perks provided by employers can save you tax dollars. They include 401(k) retirement plans, flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and in some cases transportation benefits. Review your choices carefully to make sure you make the most of your options.

Oct. 31: What's scarier than the ghouls and goblins wandering your neighborhood tonight? Another month of hurricane season. After three deadly storms in September — Harvey in Texas, Irma in Florida, Georgia and much of the Caribbean and Maria in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands — here's hoping for a calm finish to the storm season that ends on Nov. 30.

This countdown clock can help you keep track of how many more days you must worry about tracking storms.

But just in case Mother Nature decides she has bit left, be sure you are prepared both physically and financially. The ol' blog's special Natural Disasters Resources blog page can help.

Small Business Tax Calendar: Important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. You also can view the full year's important business tax dates in IRS Pub. 509.

State Tax Help

Don't forget your state taxes!
Forty-three states and D.C. collect personal income taxes. But even if you live in of the seven states without an income levy, you still face other state (and local) taxes.

State Tax Departments provides links to your state's Web page. The companion page, Tax Tidbits, is the compilation of blurbs about each state's tax laws. And for more state tax news, check out all our state tax bloggings.

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ...

Taxes are all about the numbers.
Check out these (mostly) weekly
By the Numbers figures.

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AKA Disclaimer:
I am a professional journalist who has been covering tax issues since 1999.
I am not a professional tax preparer.
The content on Don't Mess With Taxes is my personal opinion based on my study and understanding of tax laws, policies and regulations. It is provided for your private, noncommercial, educational and informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation of any specific tax action(s) you should or should not take. Similarly, mentions of products or services are not endorsements. In other words, my ramblings on the ol' blog are free advice and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it comes to filing your taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent or other qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.

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