Tag Archives: Washington

First $2,400 of Unemployment Benefits Tax Free for 2009

IR-2009-29, March 26, 2009 WASHINGTON — All or part of unemployment benefits received in 2009 will be tax free for many unemployed workers, according to the Internal Revenue Service. “This morning we learned that a record 5.6 million people were receiving unemployment benefits in the middle of March. This underscores the need for the relief […]

First-Time Homebuyers Have Several Options to Maximize New Tax Credit

WASHINGTON — As part of the Treasury Department’s consumer outreach effort and with the April 15 individual tax filing deadline approaching, the Internal Revenue Service today began a concerted effort to educate taxpayers about additional options at their disposal to claim the new $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit for 2009 home purchases. For people who recently […]

IRS Seeks New Issues for the Industry Issue Resolution Program

IR-2009-18, March 5, 2009 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging business taxpayers, associations and other interested parties to submit to the Industry Issue Resolution (IIR) Program tax issues for resolution involving a controversy, a dispute or an unnecessary burden on business taxpayers. Though submissions can be made at anytime for consideration in the […]

IRS Has $1.3 Billion for People Who Have Not Filed a 2005 Tax Return

IR-2009-16, March 3, 2009 WASHINGTON — Unclaimed refunds totaling approximately $1.3 billion are awaiting over a million people who did not file a federal income tax return for 2005, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. However, to collect the money, a return for 2005 must be filed with the IRS no later than Wednesday, April […]

IRS Offers Tips to Avoid Recovery Rebate Credit Confusion

IR-2009-10, Jan. 30, 2009 WASHINGTON –– In response to errors showing up on early tax filings, the Internal Revenue Service today urged taxpayers and tax preparers to make sure they properly determine eligibility for the recovery rebate credit before they file their 2008 federal tax returns. Some individuals who did not get the economic stimulus […]

Tax Simplification and Compassion Recommends Taxpayers Advocate

In this year’s annual report to Congress from Nina E. Olsen, the Taxpayers Advocate, she touches upon areas that have been troubling TaxMama for quite some time. In particular, the fact that millions of taxpayers will be facing potential cancellation of debt issues, hardships paying last year’s taxes, and unregulated tax professionals. IRS Commissioner Doug […]

IRS Issues Fall 2008 Statistics Of Income Bulletin

IR-2008-132, Nov. 24, 2008 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today released the fall 2008 issue of the Statistics of Income Bulletin, which features information on 138.4 million individual income tax returns filed for tax year 2006. Adjusted gross income less deficit (losses) reported for 2006 totaled $8.0 trillion, an 8.2 percent increase from the […]

New Law Encourages Cash Donations for Midwest Disaster Relief

IR-2008-133, Nov. 25, 2008 WASHINGTON –– Taxpayers who make qualifying cash contributions for disaster relief efforts in the Midwest could benefit from a recently passed law that suspends the percentage-of-income limits that would normally apply when taxpayers deduct the contributions on their 2008 federal tax returns. Under the Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Act, an individual […]

IRS Announces 2009 Standard Mileage Rates

IR-2008-131, Nov. 24, 2008 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2009 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2009, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel […]

Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) Releases Findings

IR-2008-130, Nov. 19, 2008 Washington — The Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) today released its recommendations on a wide range of tax administration issues at the 2008 public meeting in Washington, DC. IRSAC was established in 1953 as the Commissioner’s Advisory Group (CAG), a national policy and issue advisory committee. Renamed in 1998 to […]

What Happens When You Don’t Give IRS Your Correct Address

IRS Seeks to Return $266 Million in Undeliverable Refunds And Economic Stimulus Payments to Taxpayers IR-2008-123, Oct. 23, 2008 Listen in: Audio file WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is looking for taxpayers who are missing more than 279,000 economic stimulus checks totaling about $163 million and more than 104,000 regular refund checks totaling about […]

IRS and GWU Host 21st Annual International Tax Conference

IR-2008-120, Oct. 17, 2008 WASHINGTON — Senior law professors from The George Washington University Law School will join with officials from the Treasury Department, the IRS, a representative from the OECD and representatives of the tax authorities of foreign governments to discuss significant tax compliance and treaty issues at the 21st Annual Institute on Current […]