The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers free tax help to people who earn less than $49,000. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program offers free tax help to taxpayers who are 60 and older.

Today, partners and local officials will be hosting news conferences or issuing news releases nationwide to highlight the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and their free tax preparation programs. The EITC is one of the federal government’s largest benefit programs for working families and individuals. But taxpayers must file a tax return, even if they do not have a filing requirement, and specifically claim the credit to get the benefit.

Taxpayers need to present the following items to have their returns prepared:

• Photo identification
• Valid Social Security cards for the taxpayer, spouse and dependents
• Birth dates for primary, secondary and dependents on the tax return
• Wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, from all employers
• Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099)
• A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available
• Bank routing numbers and account numbers for direct deposit
• Other relevant information about income and expenses
• Total paid for day care
• Day care provider’s identifying number

To file taxes electronically on a Married Filing Jointly tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

Trained community volunteers can help eligible taxpayers with all special credits, such as the EITC, Child Tax Credit or Credit for the Elderly. Also, many sites have language specialists to assist people with limited English skills. To locate the nearest VITA site, taxpayers should check the VITA site List available online at http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTExOTA4MzcmbWVzc2FnZWlkPVBSRC1CVUwtMTE5MDgzNyZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY1NjEzODYmZW1haWxpZD1ydWRkamFuZXRAaG90bWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPXJ1ZGRqYW5ldEBob3RtYWlsLmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&127&&&http://www.IRS.gov or call 1-800-906-9887.

As part of the IRS-sponsored TCE Program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide counseling program at more than 7,000 sites nationwide during the filing season. Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer counselors help people of low-to-middle income with special attention to people age 60 and older. To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or visit AARP’s Internet site.

The military also partners with the IRS to provide free tax assistance to military personnel and their families. The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) consists of the tax program coordinators for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The AFTC oversees the operation of the military tax programs worldwide, and serves as the main conduit for outreach by the IRS to military personnel and their families. Volunteers are trained and equipped to address military specific tax issues, such as combat zone tax benefits and the effect of the EITC guidelines.

In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, most sites use free electronic filing. An e-filed tax return means a fast refund. Taxpayers who combine e-file and direct deposit can generally get their refunds in as few as 10 days.

Taxpayers who file electronically also can opt to file now and pay later. If taxpayers owe, they can make a payment April 18, 2011, by authorizing an electronic funds withdrawal (direct debit) from a checking or savings account, paying by credit card, by check or money order (made out to the United States Treasury) using Form 1040-V, Payment Voucher.

For taxpayers who want to prepare and e-file their own tax returns, there is IRS Free File. Everyone can use Free File, the free way to prepare and e-file federal taxes either through brand-name software or online fillable forms. Individuals or families with 2010 adjusted gross incomes of $58,000 or less can use Free File software. Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms, has no income restrictions. For either service, taxpayers must go through www.irs.gov/freefile to access the programs.

Taxpayers also can seek free assistance at the 400 IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers nationwide. On Saturday, Jan. 29, and Saturday, Feb. 5, the IRS will open selected offices to provide special assistance to EITC eligible taxpayers. In addition, a number of community partners will also open their doors. Locations nationwide are listed on www.IRS.gov.
Related Items:

• FS-2011-8, EITC Eligibility Rules for 2010 Tax Year Outlined
• IR-2011-12, Workers Urged to Check Eligibility for EITC; IRS and Partners Mark 5th EITC Awareness Day

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released new guidance that will give consumers more information about their health insurance plan. Under the new rules, health insurers offering “mini-med” plans must notify consumers in plain language that their plan offers extremely limited benefits and direct them to www.HealthCare.gov where they can get more information about other coverage options. HHS has also issued guidance restricting the sale of new mini-med plans except under very limited circumstances.

“The Affordable Care Act is giving consumers more control over their health care by providing them with information about their health insurance options”, said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Now, we’re taking an unprecedented step to ensure consumers are informed when they purchase policies that offer limited coverage”.

The Affordable Care Act will end limited-benefit health insurance plans, sometimes called “mini-med” plans, in 2014 and provide Americans with affordable, high-quality coverage options. Unfortunately, today, mini-med plans are often the only type of private insurance available to some workers. In order to protect coverage for these workers, HHS has issued temporary waivers from rules restricting the level of annual limits to some group health plans and health insurance issuers. Waivers only last for one year and are only available if the plan certifies that a waiver is necessary to prevent either a large increase in premiums or a significant decrease in access to coverage.

Guidance issued today ensures that consumers in plans with low annual limits are notified of the quality of their health plan so that they can make informed decisions about whether mini-med coverage is right for them. The supplemental guidance requires health plans with waivers to tell consumers if their health care coverage is subject to an annual dollar limit lower than what is required under the law. Specifically, the notice must include the dollar amount of the annual limit along with a description of the plan benefits to which the limit applies. 

Additional guidance issued today also provides new rules on when mini-med plans can continue to be sold. Under limited circumstances, insurers that have obtained a waiver of the annual limit requirement can sell policies to new employers and individuals. 

The Affordable Care Act bans annual dollar limits beginning in 2014. Until then, annual limits are phased out under HHS regulations published in June 2010. For plan years starting between September 23, 2010 and September 22, 2011, plans may not limit annual coverage of essential health benefits such as hospital, physician and pharmacy benefits to less than $750,000. The restricted annual limit will be $1.25 million for plan years starting on or after September 23, 2011, and $2 million for plan years starting between September 23, 2012 and January 1, 2014.

More information about the new guidance can be found at http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/increasing_transparency.html. The guidance can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/annual_limit_waivers.html.

People who owe taxes but can’t pay the full amount owed by the April deadline should still file their return on time and pay as much as they can to avoid penalties and interest. If you can’t pay the full amount, you should contact the IRS to ask about alternative payment options.  Here are some of the alternative payment options you may want to consider:

1. Additional Time to Pay Based on your circumstances, you may be granted a short additional time to pay your tax in full. A brief additional amount of time to pay can be requested through the Online Payment Agreement application at IRS.gov or by calling 800-829-1040. Taxpayers who request and are granted an additional 30 to 120 days to pay the tax in full generally will pay less in penalties and interest than if the debt were repaid through an installment agreement over a greater period of time.
2. Installment Agreement You can apply for an IRS installment agreement using the Web-based Online Payment Agreement application on IRS.gov. This Web-based application allows taxpayers who owe $25,000 or less in combined tax, penalties and interestto self-qualify, apply for, and receive immediate notification of approval. You can also request an installment agreement before your current tax liabilities are actually assessed by using OPA. The OPA option provides you with a simple and convenient way to establish an installment agreement and eliminates the need for personal interaction with IRS and reduces paper processing. You may also complete and submit a Form 9465, make your request in writing, or call 1-800-829-1040 to make your request. For balances over $25,000, you are required to complete a financial statement to determine the monthly payment amount for an installment plan. For more complete information see Tax Topic 202, Tax Payment Options on IRS.gov.
3. Pay by Credit Card or Debit Card You can charge your taxes on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover credit cards. Additionally, you can pay by using your debit card. However, the debit card must be a Visa Consumer Debit Card, or a NYCE, Pulse or Star Debit Card. To pay by credit card or debit card, contact one of the service providers at its telephone number or Web site listed below and follow the instructions. There is no IRS fee for credit or debit card payments, but the processing companies charge a convenience fee or flat fee. If you are paying by credit card, the service providers charge a convenience fee based on the amount you are paying. If you are paying by debit card, the service providers charge a flat fee of $3.89 to $3.95.Do not add the convenience fee or flat fee to your tax payment.

The processing companies are:

Official Payments Corporation:
To pay by debit or credit card: 888-UPAY-TAX (888-872-9829),
www.officialpayments.com/fed

Link2Gov Corporation:
To pay by debit or credit card: 888-PAY-1040 (888-729-1040),
http://www.pay1040.com/

RBS WorldPay, Inc.
To pay by debit or credit card: 888-9PAY-TAX (888-972-9829),
http://www.payusatax.com/

For more information about filing and paying your taxes, visit IRS.gov and choose 1040 Central or refer to the Form 1040 Instructions or IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax. You can download forms and publications at IRS.gov or request a free copy by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Links:

• Online Payment Agreement Application
• Electronic Payment Options
• www.officialpayments.com
• www.pay1040.com
• www.payUSAtax.com
• Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request (PDF 100K)
• Installment payment process
• Partial Pay Installment Agreements
• What is an Offer in Compromise?
• Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax (PDF 2,072K) 

1. Don’t Procrastinate Resist the temptation to put off your taxes until the very last minute. Rushing to meet the filing deadline may cause you to overlook potential sources of tax savings and will likely increase your risk of making an error. 

2,. Visit the IRS Website In 2009, more than 296 million visits were made to IRS.gov.  Make 1040 Central your first stop to learn the latest news and find answers to your questions.

3. File Your Return Electronically Last year, two out of three tax returns were filed electronically. More than 800 million tax returns have been processed safely and securely over the past 20 years. Use e-file and direct deposit to get your refund in as few as10 days. E-filed returns have a much lower error rate. Taxpayers receive a fast acknowledgement that the IRS received the return, a service not available to paper filers. You can e-file through your tax preparer or commercial software. Or, you can use Free File, a service offered by the IRS and private sector partners to prepare and e-file your federal return for free. Again, see IRS.gov for more information.

4. Don’t Panic if You Can’t Pay If you cannot pay the full amount of taxes you owe by the April 15th deadline, you should still file your return by the deadline and pay as much as you can to avoid penalties and interest. You should also contact the IRS to discuss your payment options at 1-800-829-1040. The agency may be able to provide some relief such as a short-term extension to pay, an installment agreement or an offer in compromise.

More than 75 percent of taxpayers eligible for an Installment Agreement can apply using the Web-based Online Payment Agreement application available on IRS.gov.  To find out more about this simple and convenient process type “Online Payment Agreement” in the search box on the IRS.gov homepage.

5. Request an Extension of Time to File – But Pay on Time If the April 15 clock runs out, you can get an automatic six-month extension of time to file until October 15. However, this extension of time to file does not give you more time to pay any taxes due. If you have not paid at least 90 percent of the total tax due by the April deadline you may also be subject to an Estimated Tax Penalty. To obtain an extension, just file Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The easiest way to file a Form 4868 is through Free File at www.irs.gov/freefile. Form 4868 is also available at IRS.gov or you can call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) and have a paper form mailed to you.
Links:

• Official Payments Corporation
• Link2Gov Corporation
• Electronic filing
• Free File
• Electronic payment options
• Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return (PDF)

1.  How much – if any – of your Social Security benefits are taxable depends on your total income and marital status.

2. Generally, if Social Security benefits were your only income for 2009, your benefits are not taxable and you probably do not need to file a federal income tax return.

3. If you received income from other sources, your benefits will not be taxed unless your modified adjusted gross income is more than the base amount for your filing status.

4. Your taxable benefits and modified adjusted gross income are figured on a worksheet in the Form 1040A or Form 1040 Instruction booklet.

5. You can do the following quick computation to determine whether some of your benefits may be taxable:

• First, add one-half of the total Social Security benefits you received to all your other income, including any tax exempt interest and other exclusions from income.
• Then, compare this total to the base amount for your filing status. If the total is more than your base amount, some of your benefits may be taxable.

6. The 2009 base amounts are:

• $32,000 for married couples filing jointly.
• $25,000 for single, head of household, qualifying widow/widower with a dependent child, or married individuals filing separately who did not live with their spouses at any time during the year.
• $0 for married persons filing separately who lived together during the year.

7. For additional information on the taxability of Social Security benefits, see IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits. Publication 915 is available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Links:

• Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits (994.0KB)

Are you expecting a tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service this year? If so, here are seven things you should know about checking the status of your refund once you have filed your federal tax return.

1. Online Access to Refund Information Where’s My Refund? or ¿Dónde está mi reembolso? are interactive tools on IRS.gov and the fastest, easiest way to get information about your federal income tax refund. Whether you split your refund among several accounts, opted for direct deposit into one account, used part of your refund to buy U.S. savings bonds or asked the IRS to mail you a check, Where’s My Refund? and ¿Dónde está mi reembolso? give you online access to your refund information nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s quick, easy and secure.

2. When to Check Refund Status If you e-file, you can get refund information 72 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of your return. If you file a paper return, refund information will generally be available three to four weeks after mailing your return. 

3. What You Need to Check Refund Status When checking the status of your refund, have your federal tax return handy. To get your personalized refund information you must enter:

• Your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
• Your filing status which will be Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er)
• Exact whole dollar refund amount shown on your tax return

4. What the Online Tool Will Tell You Once you enter your personal information, you could get several responses, including:

• Acknowledgement that your return was received and is in processing.
• The mailing date or direct deposit date of your refund.
• Notice that the IRS could not deliver your refund due to an incorrect address. In this instance, you may be able to change or correct your address online using Where’s My Refund?.

5. Customized Information Where’s My Refund? also includes links to customized information based on your specific situation. The links guide you through the steps to resolve any issues affecting your refund.  For example, if you do not get the refund within 28 days from the original IRS mailing date shown on Where’s My Refund?, you may be able to start a refund trace.

6. Visually Impaired Taxpayers Where’s My Refund? is also accessible to visually impaired taxpayers who use the Job Access with Speech screen reader used with a Braille display and is compatible with different JAWS modes.

7. Toll-free Number If you do not have internet access, you can check the status of your refund in English or Spanish by calling the IRS Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954 or the IRS TeleTax System at 800-829-4477. When calling, you must provide your or your spouse’s Social Security number, filing status and the exact whole dollar refund amount shown on your return.

Refund checks are normally sent out weekly on Fridays. If you check the status of your refund and are not given the date it will be issued, please wait until the next week before checking back.

Links:

• Where’s My Refund?
• ¿Dónde está mi reembolso?