FYI: ACA Webinar-November 17, 2015

 

						Small Business/Self Employed Communications and Stakeholder Outreach                                           StakeholderLiaison
				Internal Revenue Service Webinar Understanding the Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions and Information Returns Tuesday, November 17, 2015 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time
			This free webinar will include the following topics: ¨ Determining Applicable Large Employer (ALE) Status ¨ Defining a Full-Time Employee ¨ Employer Shared Responsibility Payment ¨ Information Reporting Requirements
			Earn 1 Continuing Education (CE) credit: Category – Federal Tax Update To receive a certificate of completion, you must: ¨ View the live presentation on November 17, 2015 for at least 50 minutes from the start of the program for one CE credit. ¨ View the presentation while signed in using the same email address that you used to register (you will not receive credit by watching on someone else’s computer). This will confirm your attendance and generate your certificate of completion. ¨ Groups cannot register with one e-mail address and then receive separate certificates. ¨ If certificates are needed, each person must register separately. ¨ Look for your Certificate of Completion by e-mail approximately two weeks after the broadcast. If you have met all requirements, you will receive your certificate automatically. If you are an Enrolled Agent or an Other Tax Return Preparer, attending for education on a voluntary basis, you must register with your 8-number PTIN, First Name and Last Name as shown on your PTIN card or letter. If you don’t have a PTIN, you will receive a certificate; however, your credit will not be reported to the IRS. Other tax professionals will be sent a certificate and may receive credit if the broadcast meets their organization’s or state’s CPE requirements. To register, click here

 

FYI: IRS News Release: "IRS Reminds Tax Return Preparers of Limited Practice Changes and Announces Revised PTIN Fee

Hello Everyone,

 

Hope all is well with you! 

 

Attached is the IRS news release (IR-2015-123, Oct. 29, 2015, IRS Reminds Tax Return Preparers of Limited Practice Changes and Announces Revised PTIN Fee.  The news release announces a decrease to the PTIN fee and reminds tax professionals about pending changes to limited practice rules:

IRS Reminds Tax Return Preparers of Limited Practice Changes and Announces Revised PTIN Fee

 

IR-2015-123, Oct. 29, 2015

 

WASHINGTON— The Internal Revenue Service today reminded non-credentialed tax return preparers of major upcoming changes regarding which tax return preparers can represent clients in matters before the IRS beginning in 2016, and take action by Dec. 31, 2015, to avoid being affected.

 

The IRS also announced that federal tax return preparers will soon pay less for a preparer tax identification number (PTIN).

 

Last year the IRS announced pending changes to limited practice authorities for non-credentialed tax return preparers. (Rev. Proc. 2014-42)

 

Effective for tax returns and claims for refunds prepared and signed after Dec. 31, 2015, the limited right to represent clients before the IRS held by non-credentialed preparers will be accorded to only those preparers participating in the IRS Annual Filing Season Program, a voluntary continuing education (CE) program.   The changes in the limited representation rules have no impact on returns prepared and signed by non-credentialed preparers on or before Dec. 31, 2015. 

 

Non-credentialed tax return preparers who participate in the Annual Filing Season Program will continue to have limited rights to represent clients. This enables them to represent taxpayers whose returns they prepared and signed, but only before revenue agents, customer service representatives, and similar IRS employees, including the Taxpayer Advocate Service. The tax return preparer must participate in the Annual Filing Season Program for both the year of return preparation and the year of representation to represent their client.

 

There are no changes to representation rules for enrolled agents, certified public accountants, and attorneys. These tax professionals continue to have unlimited practice rights and can represent any taxpayer before any IRS office, including collection and appeals, regardless of whether they prepared the tax return in question.   

 

To participate in the Annual Filing Season Program, non-credentialed tax return preparers must complete either 15 or 18 hours of continuing education from IRS-approved CE providers. The CE must be completed by Dec. 31, 2015, in order to receive a 2016 Annual Filing Season Program Record of Completion.

 

More information about Annual Filing Season Program requirements is available on IRS.gov.

 

PTIN Fee Revised

Effective Nov. 1, 2015, the annual fee for 2016 PTINs will be $50 for both new applications and renewals. The IRS will collect $33 as a user fee to support program costs and a third-party vendor will receive $17 to operate the online system and provide customer support.

 

In preparation for the fee change, PTIN open season, which normally begins in mid-October, will begin in early November. PTIN open season is when the IRS begins accepting renewals and new registrations for the upcoming year.

 

Federal agencies are required to review user fees every other year and make adjustments as appropriate. The current PTIN fee is $64.25 for a new registration and $63 for renewal.

 

More information about the updated user fee is available in TD 9742 and REG-121496-15.

 

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The Internal Revenue Service today reminded non-credentialed tax return preparers of major upcoming changes regarding which tax return preparers can represent clients in matters before the IRS beginning in 2016, and take action by Dec. 31, 2015, to avoid being affected.

 

FYI: Federal Representation Workshop

Hello Everyone,

 

The Federal Representation Workshop promotional flyer is attached above and below for your information. 

 

Note:  The November 23, 2015 workshop is delivered via a Live Webcast.

 

Please share this information with your colleagues, etc.  Thank you!

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Henrie-Brown, ID #1000247447

Stakeholder Liaison Specialist

Communications Stakeholder Outreach

510-637-2199/ fax 510-637-2434

Jennifer.Henrie-Brown@irs.gov

IRS Video Portal
Follow us on Twitter, YouTube

 

 

 

FYI: New IRS ACA Resource for Applicable Large Employers

To help you access important information about the Affordable Care Act quickly and efficiently, the IRS created the ACA Information Center for Applicable Large Employers on IRS.gov/aca at this URL: http://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Employers/ACA-Information-Center-for-Applicable-Large-Employers-ALEs.

 

There are several provisions of the health care law that apply only to applicable large employers. The new ALE information Center on the IRS website is your first stop to find resources that will help you determine if these regulations apply to you and how to follow the new law.

 

For the first time, applicable large employers have requirements for reporting information to their employees and the IRS about the health care coverage that they offer. We know there is a lot of information available to employers about the health care law and these new reporting requirements. The new ACA Information Center for Applicable Large Employers is where you can go to get official guidance straight from the IRS.  We encourage you to check out this new resource and to return frequently for the latest news and updates.

 

While the first reporting deadlines are not until next year, employers that are affected by these information reporting requirements should be actively planning and putting processes in place. Acting now will help you meet the requirements fully and completely by the deadlines.

 

FYI:  A sample article, “New IRS Resource helps Employers Understand the Health Care Law” is attached above that organizations can use to inform their customers of the new ACA resource for

Applicable Large Employers.

 

Jennifer Henrie-Brown, ID #1000247447

Stakeholder Liaison Specialist

Communications Stakeholder Outreach

510-637-2199/ fax 510-637-2434

Jennifer.Henrie-Brown@irs.gov

IRS Video Portal
Follow us on Twitter, YouTube

 

 

FYI: 21st Annual Tax Practitioner and IRS Seminar - Early Bird Special extended through 8/17!

Free CE credit harder to find? Where’s the best value for your Education dollars?

  

It’s the 21^st Annual Tax Practitioner/IRS Fall Seminar:  

 

Update:  Early Bird Special extended through August 17, 2015!

 

 

Date and Location:   

 

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Holiday Inn – San Jose Airport                                           

1350 North 1st Street                        

San Jose, CA

  

Time: 

• Registration:  7:30 a.m.
• Seminar:  8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

 

What's Covered:

• S-Corporations Overview*
• Identity Theft Overview
• IRS Criminal Investigation Updates
• Estate and Gift Tax
• Taxpayer Advocate Service Updates
• Navigating IRS.gov for Tax Professionals

*Topic may be subject to change and substituted with “Offers in Compromise” and “Exam Updates”.

CPE: 

• Certificate of Completion
• Up to 7 hours Federal CPE

 

 

Event Flyer – attached above. 

Register online:  http://www.missioneas.org/education.html

For more information: Contact Mission Society of Enrolled Agents:  office@missioneas.org or 800-832-6732

 

 

Please share this information with your tax professional members and colleagues.

 

 

Western Area Stakeholder Liaison

Small Business/Self-Employed