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Recommendation: Require Electronic Filing
Every year, the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) presents recommendations tax process improvements to Congress in June. The 14-member ETAAC provides an organized public forum for discussion of electronic tax administration issues and the overriding goal that paperless filing should be the preferred and most-convenient method of filing tax and information returns.
In its recommendation, the ETAAC explains that many professional tax accountants who file tax forms on behalf of clients still do so by paper, and will not electronically file unless mandated to do so. Therefore, the committee is repeating its 2007 recommendation that Congress empower the IRS to require paid preparers who, using tax software, prepare more than fifty individual returns per year to file all returns electronically. This requirement should be buffered by allowing waivers, minimum penalties for non-compliance, and appropriate opt-out provisions.
ETAAC Annual Report to Congress, June 19, 2008.
Form 990 Redesign
Form 990 is one of the most important tax filing reports for a charitable organization. On this form, charities and other non-profits must report the entirety of their fiscal operations. The forms are available to the public for review by investors and prospective contributors. The IRS will be redesigning the form this year, and we’re expecting many questions from the affected organizations.
The Internal Revenue has posted public comments on draft instructions to the 2008 Form 990, the annual return most tax-exempt organizations must use to report information about their operations. The instructions are for the redesigned Form 990 that organizations will file for their 2008 tax year (returns filed in 2009), which was released in final form in December 2007 (IRS News Release IR-2007-2004).
The IRS sought comments from the public on the 2008 Form 990 instructions, in an effort to make sure the final instructions address the needs of the tax-exempt community. The comment period closed on June 1, 2008.
The draft 2008 Form 990 instructions are organized according to a consistent format. There is a general overview of the form or schedule explaining its purpose, an explanation of who must file that particular schedule, and then line-by-line instructions to aid in answering each question on the form or schedule.
The draft instructions also contain a number of new tools designed to make it easier for the organization to answer the questions and to promote more uniform reporting. These tools include a comprehensive glossary of terms; a sequencing list to help organizations determine the order in which to fill out parts of the form; a compensation table to help organizations determine how and where to report items of compensation; and many illustrative examples. These aids were developed in response to comments received last year in connection with the draft Form 990.
File Your Taxes for Free
In many cases, taxpayers meeting certain qualifications are able to file income tax returns online for free. This is a program sponsored by the IRS but usually well hidden from the public. Many of the free file options have income requirements, so choose carefully to ensure that you won’t be in for any surprises after you finish filling out your tax forms online.
Here are the companies offering free services under the Free File Alliance.
CompleteTax: Free federal tax preparation and e-file if your Adjusted Gross Income is $32,000 or less. Form 4868 Extensions offered.
Free TaxACT: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you are age 19 through 54 years old. Includes Form 982 (Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief). Form 4868 Extensions offered.
CitizenTax: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less, and you are age 55 or under, and live in AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI or WV.
Tax$imple - Deluxe Version: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you are age 65 years old or younger and you live in the following states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY. Form 4868 Extensions offered.
123Easytaxfiling: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you live in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, VA, WI or WV. Form 4868 Extensions offered.
efiletaxreturns.net: Free federal tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is between $5,000 and $54,000, and you live in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, UT, VA, VT, WI, or WV.
H&R Block’s TaxCut Free File: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you are age 50 or under.
eSmartTax By Liberty Tax Service: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you are age 50 or under. Includes Form 982 (Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief). Form 4868 Extensions offered.
FileYourTaxes.com: Free Federal online tax preparation and e-File if you are age 25 and under with an Adjusted Gross Income between $10,000 and $50,000, or your Adjusted Gross Income is $50,000 or less and you live in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, UT, VA, or WI. Includes Form 982 (Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief). Form 4868 Extensions offered.
average1040.com: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you live in AL, AR, AZ, GA, IA, ID, IL, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, VT or WV.
Online Taxes @ OLT.com: Free tax return preparation and e-file if your Adjusted Gross Income is $54,000 or less and you are age 50 or younger. Includes Form 982 (Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief). Form 4868 Extensions offered.
Free1040TaxReturn.com: Free Federal online tax preparation and e-File if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you are age 76 or under and live in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, UT, VA, VT, WI, or WV. Form 4868 Extensions offered.
TurboTax® Freedom Edition: Free tax return preparation and e-file if your Adjusted Gross Income is $30,000 or less or you will claim EITC, or you are active duty military with an AGI of $54,000 or less. Includes Form 982 (Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief). Form 4868 Extensions offered.
ezTaxReturn.com: Free federal tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you live in: AL, AZ, CA, GA, IL, LA, MA, MI, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA or WI.
1040NOW.NET: Free federal tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you are age 72 or under and you live in AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, UT, VA, VT, WI or WV. Includes Form 982 (Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief).
TaxSlayer Free Returns.com: Free federal online tax preparation and e-file if your Adjusted Gross Income is $54,000 or less and you are 25 years old or younger or 68 years old or older or active military. Also, your return is free if you qualify for EITC or your AGI is $10,000 or less. Includes Form 982 (Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief). Form 4868 Extensions offered.
FreeTaxUSA.com: Free federal online tax prep and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you live in AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, UT, VA, or WV. Form 4868 Extensions offered.
Free Tax Return: Free federal tax preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less and you live in the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV or WY.
Online Tax Pros: Free tax return preparation and e-file if your adjusted gross income is between $11,000 and $54,000. Also provided en Espanol. Form 4868 Extensions offered.
IRS Where’s My Refund Feature is Broken
The IRS website is in a constant state of disarray. The functions they provide are often unavailabe at the most inopportune moments. As of this moment, the Where’s My Refund feature, which allows you to enter some personal information about your tax return and the IRS will supposedly instantly provide your refund’s status, is not working.
When clicking on the Where’s My Refund? link, a download file dialog box appears, asking the visitor to download a DLL file. This is not the correct behavior. We’ll keep monitoring the site to determine when this function is working properly again.
In the mean time, if you haven’t received your refund, find consolation in the fact that you’re not the only one.