Monday, March 21, 2011

IRS News Events from Stakeholder Liaison (3-21-2011)

Hello Everyone,
 
I hope all is going well with you!  Below is some IRS news from Stakeholder Liaison.
 
FYI:  Underlined blue font denotes web links to related web pages on IRS.gov.
I was given a list of email addresses (without associated names) for James' Kinsey's former practitioner distribution list.  Please feel free to email me if you would like me to associate your name with your email address.  Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
 
Have a great day and a successful filing season!
 
Jennifer Henrie-Brown, ID #94-07690
Stakeholder Liaison Specialist
SBSE Communications, Liaison & Disclosure
510-637-2199/ fax 510-637-2434
 
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Newsroom                                                                             March 21, 2011

 

IRS Releases 2010 Data Book
IR-2011-27, March 14, 2011 — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the release of the 2010 IRS Data Book, an annual snapshot of agency activities for the fiscal year.

More Tax Refunds Paid, IRS Reminds Filers About Savings Bond Option
IR-2011-26, March 14, 2011 — Taxpayers have more options on how they can receive their refunds this year, including more savings bond options. Filing season statistics for the week ending March 4 are included.

IRS Issues Information on 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative in Eight Foreign Languages
IR-2011-25, March 8, 2011 — The IRS today announced that it has made available information in eight foreign languages about the 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) for those taxpayers with undisclosed offshore accounts. The agency took this step to reach taxpayers whose primary language may not be English.

IRS Debunks Frivolous Tax Arguments
IR-2011-23, March 4, 2011 — Employing any of these arguments could result in a $5,000 penalty.


 

Other News

 

Return Preparer Update 

The number of PTINs issued since September 2010 is over 692,000.  David Williams, will be appearing in an IRS Live Webinar on March 30 to discuss the latest return preparer news.  More information is available here or in news release IR-2011-22  issued on March 4, 2011.  Also, the New Requirement for Tax Return Preparer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) has recently added six new FAQs. 

 

Programming Issue with Small Proportion of First Time Homebuyer Credit Claims

The IRS is aware of a programming issue delaying the processing of a small percentage of returns for taxpayers who must repay the First Time Homebuyer Credit. The issue affects taxpayers reporting a sale or disposition of the home that qualified for the credit, which in most cases means taxpayers must repay the credit. The delay also affects some taxpayers who bought a home in 2008 making a repayment higher than the required annual amount (typically $500). For more on how to deal with this issue see the above attached QuickAlert 1040 e-file (Legacy) Form 5405.  (This March 18th QuickAlert will eventually be posted in the QuickAlerts Library on IRS.gov.

 

Speak Up! Join the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

The IRS is seeking volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), a Federal Advisory Committee that listens to taxpayers, identifies taxpayers’ issues and makes suggestions for improving IRS services and customer satisfaction.  Apply before the April 29, 2011 deadline!

 

IRS Holds Saturday Open House on March 26 to Help Taxpayers  

IR-2011-19, Feb. 23, 2011

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that nearly 100 IRS offices will be open on Saturday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, March 26, to help taxpayers. The location of participating offices is listed on IRS.gov.

 

2011 Form 941 and instructions now online

The 2011 Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return and instructions are now available on IRS.gov.

 

SSA/IRS Reporter goes green

The SSA/IRS Reporter is now only available online.

New editions will be posted on IRS.gov by the middle of March, June, September and December.

 

Desktop calendar tool

The free IRS Calendar Connector makes it easy to remember important tax and deposit deadlines on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

 

IMRS Hot Issues - March 3, 2011

Individual Income Tax Transcripts Can Now Be Ordered Online, First-Time Homebuyer Credit Repayment and more


 

IRS Technical Guidance

 

REG-153338-09 was published in the Federal Register on March 18. It pertains to the period for submission to the IRS of taxpayer authorizations permitting disclosure of returns and return information to third-party designee.

 

Earthquake Relief for Japan

Many individuals, businesses and charitable organizations wish to provide assistance to the victims of Japan's recent earthquake. Consult Disaster Relief Resources for Charities and Donors on IRS.gov to get information about how to provide assistance to victims through a charitable organization.

Contributions to domestic tax-exempt, charitable organizations that provide assistance to individuals in foreign lands qualify as tax-deductible contributions for federal income tax purposes, provided that the U.S. organization has control and discretion over the use of funds.

 


 

Events

 

National/Local Phone Forums and Webinars for Practitioners

 

EP/EO Presents

 

TE/GE

 

IRS Nationwide Tax Forums 

San Jose, California will be one of six locations hosting the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum this year.  The forum will be held in San Jose on August 9th through August 11th, with a pre-registration deadline of July 26, 2011. 


I hope you find this information useful.  If you would like additional information, you can subscribe to an IRS e-Subscription by going to the Subscription page on IRS.gov

 

If you would like to discontinue receiving my local Stakeholder Liaison e-mails, please e-mail me at Jennifer.Henrie-Brown@irs.gov and request removal of your name.

 


From: Henrie-Brown Jennifer A
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 4:46 PM
To: Kinsey James R
Cc: Lee Evelyn Dyson; Peneau Joyce H
Subject: RE: IRS News Events from Stakeholder Liaison

Hello Everyone,

 

As James Kinsey mentioned in his below email, I am a Stakeholder Liaison Specialist and I currently work in the Oakland Federal building.  I am very interested in assisting you and will provide you with periodic IRS news and updates, etc.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions and/or concerns.  As Stakeholder Liaison Specialists, we are very interested in hearing about federal tax related issues and concerns regarding systemic problems with policies, practices and procedures.  I have attached a flyer with information about our Issue Management Resolution System (IMRS) which also contains my contact information.

 

I look forward to keeping the lines of communication open between us.  Please feel free to email and/or call me.

 

Have a fabulous weekend!  

 

 

Jennifer Henrie-Brown, ID #94-07690
Stakeholder Liaison Specialist
SBSE Communications, Liaison & Disclosure
510-637-2199/ fax 510-637-2434


From: Kinsey James R
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 1:38 PM
To: Kinsey James R
Cc: Lee Evelyn Dyson; Peneau Joyce H
Subject: IRS News Events from Stakeholder Liaison

Practitioner Email Group:
 
Goodnews! I have a new position in Oakland as Supervisor Stakeholder Liaison and this will be my last email to you in my role as Stakeholder Liaison in San Jose.
 
However, you will be in good hands! Jennifer Henrie-Brown, Stakeholder Liaison will be helping you until we can fill the position in San Jose permanatly. Her phone number is 510-637-2199 and email is Jennifer.Henrie-Brown@irs.gov 
Please welcome her.
 

Please share with your members and colleagues.  Select the blue links to see the full article.


 

Newsroom                                                                               March 4, 2011

 

IRS Has $1.1 Billion for People Who Have Not Filed a 2007 Income Tax Return
IR-2011-21, Feb. 28, 2011 — Refunds totaling more than $1.1 billion may be waiting for nearly 1.1 million people who did not file a federal income tax return for 2007, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. However, to collect the money, a return for 2007 must be filed with the IRS no later than Monday, April 18, 2011.

IRS Announces New Effort to Help Struggling Taxpayers Get a Fresh Start; Major Changes Made to Lien Process
IR-2011-20, Feb. 24, 2011 — The IRS announced a series of new steps to help people and businesses pay back taxes and avoid tax liens.

More Business Package Mailings End Following Growth of e-File

Business taxpayers will no longer receive certain tax packages in the mail from the IRS. Most importantly, the Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return will no longer be mailed.

 

IRS provides new look to certain collection notices

The newest release of redesigned taxpayer notices includes 12 tax collection notices featuring the Service’s new design and plain language standards. The redesigned tax delinquent account (TDA) notices present a clear, clean line and use best practices to aid in comprehension and readability. Redesigned TDA notices include CPs 501, 503, 504, 504B, 521, 523, 601, 603, 604, 604B, 621 and 623.


 

IRS Headliners & Technical Guidance

 

Headliner Volume 309, Feb 23, 2011

The Internal Revenue Service released the 2011 update to the Allowable Living Expense Standards on March 1.

 

Revenue Procedure 2011-21 provides the depreciation deduction limitations for owners of passenger automobiles (including trucks and vans) first placed in service during calendar year 2011 and the amount to be included in income by lessees of passenger automobiles first leased during calendar year 2011.

 

Notice 2011-19 provides guidance regarding when securities of the employer are readily tradable on an established securities market or readily tradable on an established market for purposes of certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code relating to employer securities held by certain qualified retirement plans.

 

Notice 2011-18 provides transitional relief from information reporting requirements in section 6045B of the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) that apply to issuers of stock with respect to organizational actions that affect the basis of the stock.  

 

Notice 2011-14 providing guidance on the federal tax consequences of payments made to or on behalf of financially distressed homeowners under programs established pursuant to the Treasury Department’s Housing Finance Agency Innovative Fund for the Hardest-Hit Housing Markets and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program.


 

Events

 

National/Local Phone Forums and Webinars for Practitioners

 

EP/EO Presents

 

TE/GE

 

IRS Nationwide Tax Forums 

The first forum will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, starting June 28 - 30, with pre-Registration starting June 14, 2011.


 

 IRS QUICK ALERTS! http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/providers/article/0,,id=97623,00.html

 

QuickAlerts for Tax Professionals

March 3, 2011

 

 

e-file Resources

QuickAlerts Library

QuickAlerts Article

QuickAlerts Brochure

e-file for Tax Pros

Software Developers

IRS.gov Home

Online Services

Refund Cycle Chart


Other Useful Links

Error Reject Code
Solutions

Code, Regs & Guidance

Key Messages

Tax Professional's Home

Forms & Publications

Contact My Local office

Internal Revenue Bulletins

e-Services for Tax Pros

More Online Services

 

Subject:  1040 e-file (Legacy) - Form 8941 – Error Reject Code 0010, SEQ 0090


ATTN: Software Developers, Return Transmitters and Authorized IRS e-file Providers/EROs

 

An issue has been identified where ERC 0010 is setting erroneously on SEQ 0090 for Form 8941 when less than the full 12 positions are entered in variable format. Until the programming can be corrected, you should use the full 12 positions of SEQ 0090 (ex. 00000001000+) to avoid setting ERC 0010. 

 

A subsequent QuickAlert will be issued when the problem has been resolved.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

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 I hope you find this information useful.  If you would like additional information, you can subscribe to an IRS e-Subscription by going to the Subscription page on IRS.gov.

 

If you would like to discontinue receiving my local Stakeholder Liaison e-mails, please e-mail me at  James.R.Kinsey@irs.gov and request removal of your name.