Small Business Liaisons
“We're acting to make it easier to do business in Washington"
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Upcoming events & IRS news releases 10/26/2016 Announcements & Upcoming Events: Archived IRS Webinar: Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself From Data Theft http://www.irsvideos.gov/ProtectYourClientsProtectYourselfFromDataTheft-Webinar20160817/ Information on the Security Summit initiatives for FY 2017, including enhancing tax professional awareness of client data safeguards, legal requirements and best practices to better protect taxpayer information. 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 – October 27 Online Free Workshop Thursdays – October 27 SCORE Workshops SCORE offers workshops designed to give you the skills necessary to start your own successful business. Seattle: http://seattle.score.org/localworkshops Nov 2, Dec 7 -- Starting a New Business Nov 16, Dec 16 – Taxes on Small Business Spokane: http://scorespokane.org/workshops Nov 2 -- 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. Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC) Issues Annual Report for 2016 The Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC) issued its annual report for 2016 to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on new and continuing issues in tax administration. The report includes recommendations involving the penalty abatement process, the Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, and the use of Frequently Asked Questions on the IRS website. IRS and Security Summit Partners Warn of Fake Tax Bills https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs-and-security-summit-partners-warn-of-fake-tax-bill-emails The IRS and its Security Summit partners issued an alert to taxpayers and tax professionals to be on guard against fake emails purporting to contain an IRS tax bill related to the Affordable Care Act. The IRS has received numerous reports around the country of scammers sending a fraudulent version of CP2000 notices for tax year 2015. Generally, the scam involves an email that includes the fake CP2000 as an attachment. Note: See also SETT-2016-13, Beware of Fake IRS Tax Bill Notices New Private Debt Collection Program to Begin Next Spring; IRS to Contract with Four Agencies; Taxpayer Rights Protected The Internal Revenue Service announced that it plans to begin private collection of certain overdue federal tax debts next spring and has selected four contractors to implement the new program. The new program, authorized under a federal law enacted by Congress last December, enables these designated contractors to collect, on the government’s behalf, outstanding inactive tax receivables. As a condition of receiving a contract, these agencies must respect taxpayer rights including, among other things, abiding by the consumer protection provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. IRS Now Accepting ITIN Renewal Applications; Taxpayers Encouraged to Act Soon to Avoid Processing Delays in 2017 The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers affected by recent changes involving the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) program that they can now begin submitting their ITIN renewal applications to the IRS. Under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 passed by Congress and signed into law last year, any ITIN not 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 as of Jan. 1, 2017. If a taxpayer has an ITIN that is scheduled to expire and needs to file a tax return, it’s important not to delay. By submitting the application package in the next few weeks ITIN taxpayers may avoid unnecessary delays and allow for smoother and faster processing. As part of this effort, the IRS has embarked on a wider education effort to share information with ITIN holders. To help taxpayers, the IRS has prepared a variety of informational materials, including flyers and fact sheets, available in several languages on IRS.gov. In addition to English and Spanish, materials are available in Chinese, Korean, Haitian Creole, Russian and Vietnamese. In 2017, Some Tax Benefits Increase Slightly Due to Inflation Adjustments, Others Are Unchanged The Internal Revenue Service announced the tax year 2017 annual inflation adjustments for more than 50 tax provisions, including the tax rate schedules, and other tax changes. Revenue Procedure 2016-55 provides details about these annual adjustments. The tax year 2017 adjustments generally are used on tax returns filed in 2018. IRS Advises Taxpayers to Prepare for Hurricanes, Floods and Other Natural Disasters The Internal Revenue Service offers advice to taxpayers who may be affected by storms or other natural disasters. The IRS also reminded taxpayers that the agency is here to help including offering a special toll-free number to taxpayers in federally-declared disaster areas, staffed with IRS specialists trained to handle disaster-related issues. IRS YouTube Videos - Preparing for Disasters: English | Spanish | ASL Tax Tips https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs-tax-tips Beware of Fake IRS Tax Bill Notices Health Care Tax Tips ACA and Employers: Terms to Know about Offers of Health Coverage IRS.gov has Information You Need to Understand the Health Care Law’s Effect on Your Taxes 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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