Small Business Liaisons
“We're acting to make it easier to do business in Washington"
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Upcoming events & IRS news releases 8/16/2016 Announcements & Upcoming Events: Save the Date! Biz Fair 2016 - Saturday, September 24 One day, one place - learn from the experts how to form and run a successful business at the 20th annual Washington Small Business Fair. Biz Fair 2016 happens Saturday, September 24, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Renton Technical College, 3000 NE 4th Street, in Renton. Sharpen your skills - attend seminars that cover important, up-to-date topics for all stages of business ownership. Savvy business experts share their knowledge and real-life experiences with you. Save valuable time - connect with 30 federal, state and local government agencies, and business and trade associations to get the information you need. The fair is free, with plenty of free parking and no advance registration. Visit www.bizfair.org for more information. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bizfair. Free IRS Webinar: Using the IRS Tax Calendar https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/925/16548 August 24 – 11:00 am – noon (Pacific) Watch this free webinar about the IRS Tax Calendar for Businesses and Self-Employed Learn about tracking federal tax due dates on your computer or mobile device · The online Tax Calendar · The Desktop Calendar Tool (IRS CalendarConnector) · The Mobile Calendar Tool (IRS CalendarConnector) · How to Subscribe/Download into Your Calendar · How to Obtain Calendar Reminders (RSS Feeds) Resource: IRS Tax Calendar for Businesses and Self-Employed View due dates and actions for each month. You can see all events or filter them by monthly depositor, semiweekly depositor, excise, or general event types. Visit this page on your Smartphone or tablet, so you can view the Online Calendar on your mobile device. Small Business Administration Workshops https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/wa/seattle SBA offers a variety of workshops, some online and others in person. Seattle - Free Workshop Thursdays – August 25 Online Free Workshop Thursdays – August 25 SCORE Workshops Seattle: http://seattle.score.org/localworkshops Sept 7, Oct 5 -- Starting a New Business Aug 16 – Understanding Financial Statements Aug 18 - Industry Specific Business Planning for Restaurants and Bars Entrepreneurs Spokane: http://scorespokane.org/workshops Sept 7, Oct 5 -- Starting a New Business There are also a number of online workshops available: https://seattle.score.org/onlineworkshops/tab-a IRS Updates & News Releases: Did you know? One of the best ways to get information is by visiting the IRS Small Business Tax Center where you can learn everything from how to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) online to how to best navigate an audit. IRS Warns Taxpayers of Summer Surge in Automated Phone Scam Calls; Requests for Fake Tax Payments Using iTunes Gift Cards The Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers to stay vigilant against an increase of IRS impersonation scams in the form of automated calls and new tactics from scammers demanding tax payments on iTunes and other gift cards. The IRS has seen an increase in “robo-calls” where scammers leave urgent callback requests through the phone telling taxpayers to call back to settle their “tax bill.” These fake calls generally claim to be the last warning before legal action is taken. Once the victim calls back, the scammers may threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of the victim if they don’t agree to pay. Remember, the IRS will never: · Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. · Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. · Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. · Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. · Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. See the full article for examples of the varied scam tactics seen this year, and for information on what to do and how to report it if you receive a scam call. This news release is also available in Spanish: IRS advierte a los contribuyentes sobre un aumento de estafas a través de llamadas automatizadas durante el verano; Solicitudes de pagos de impuestos falsos usando tarjetas de regalo de iTunes New Phishing Scheme Mimics Software Providers; Targets Tax Professionals The Internal Revenue Service has alerted tax professionals to an emerging phishing email scam that pretends to be from tax software providers and tries to trick recipients into clicking on a bogus link. The email scheme is the latest in a series of attempts by fraudsters to use the IRS or other tax issues as a cover to trick people into giving up sensitive information such as passwords, Social Security numbers or credit card numbers or to make unnecessary payments. In the new scheme identified as part of the IRS Security Summit process, tax professionals are receiving emails pretending to be from tax software companies. The email scheme requests the recipient to download and install an important software update via a link included in the e-mail. Upon completion, tax professionals believe they have downloaded a software update when in fact they have loaded a program designed to track the tax professional’s key strokes, which is a common tactic used by cyber thieves to steal login information, passwords and other sensitive data. Memorial Day FTD Penalty Error https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/memorial-day-ftd-penalty-error Many taxpayers who made their next-day employment tax deposits on Tuesday, May 31, or semi-weekly employment tax deposits on Thursday, June 2, 2016, were incorrectly sent notices that their deposits were late. Due to a programming error, IRS systems did not recognize changes in deposit due dates created by the Memorial Day holiday observed on May 30, 2016. As a result of the holiday observance, the next-day deposits that would have been due on Monday, May 30, were instead due on Tuesday, May 31, and the semi-weekly deposits that would have been due on Wednesday, June 1, 2016, were instead due on Thursday, June 2, 2016. We apologize for any inconvenience, and no taxpayer action is required. IRS systems have been corrected and impacted taxpayer accounts will be updated. Summer Issue of SSA/IRS Reporter Now Available https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/ssa_irs_reporter_summer.pdf The SSA/IRS Reporter is a quarterly, online-only publication for businesses, payroll professionals and others who work with payroll taxes and employment tax issues. New editions post by the middle of March (Spring Issue), June (Summer Issue), September (Fall Issue), and December (Winter Issue). Find links to past issues here: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/ssa-irs-reporter IRS Works to Help Taxpayers Affected by ITIN Changes; Renewals Begin in October The Internal Revenue Service announced important changes to help taxpayers comply with revisions to the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) program made under a new law. The changes require some taxpayers to renew their ITINs beginning in October. The new law will mean ITINs that have not been used on a federal tax return at least once in the last three years will no longer be valid for use on a tax return unless renewed by the taxpayer. In addition, ITINs issued prior to 2013 that have been used on a federal tax return in the last three years will need to be renewed starting this fall, and the IRS is putting in place a rolling renewal schedule, described below, to assist taxpayers. The ITIN changes are required by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act enacted by Congress in December 2015. These provisions, along with new procedures to help taxpayers navigate these changes, are outlined in IRS Notice 2016-48. IRS Reminds Truckers: For Most, Highway Use Tax Return Is Due Aug. 31 https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs-reminds-truckers-that-highway-use-tax-return-is-due-aug-31 The Internal Revenue Service reminds truckers and other owners of heavy highway vehicles that in most cases their next federal highway use tax return is due Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. The deadline generally applies to Form 2290 and the accompanying tax payment for the tax year that begins July 1, 2016, and ends June 30, 2017. Returns must be filed and tax payments made by Aug. 31 for vehicles used on the road during July. For vehicles first used after July, the deadline is the last day of the month following the month of first use. Though some taxpayers have the option of filing Form 2290 on paper, the IRS encourages all taxpayers to take advantage of the speed and convenience of filing this form electronically and paying any tax due electronically. Taxpayers reporting 25 or more vehicles must e-file. You can find a list of IRS-approved e-file providers on IRS.gov. Sign Up for IRS Summertime Tax Tips https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/sign-up-for-irs-summertime-tax-tips-2016 The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers interested in receiving helpful consumer tips this summer to get a jump-start on this year’s taxes by subscribing to the IRS Tax Tips email service. Beginning July 1, the IRS will begin offering its Summertime Tax Tip series, which includes useful information in English and Spanish. Tax Tip subscribers will receive a new Tip via email three times a week during July and August. Below are the most recent tax tips. Five Tips for Starting a Business Health Care Tax Tips https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/health-care-tax-tips2 Check out the tax tips for your health care questions on this page. Resources on IRS.gov and Social Media Help Employers and Coverage Providers Understand ACA IRS.gov and Social Media Resources Help Individual Taxpayers Understand ACA Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/ The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace helps small businesses provide health coverage to their employees. The SHOP Marketplace is open to employers with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). This includes non-profit organizations. You can enroll in SHOP any time of year - there’s no restricted enrollment period. For more information, visit HealthCare.gov. The Affordable Care Act and Employers
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