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IRS Confirms Tax Filing Season to Begin January 28


Abby Normal

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https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-confirms-tax-filing-season-to-begin-january-28

 

IR-2019-01, January 7, 2019

WASHINGTON ― Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019 and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled.
 
“We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.
 
Congress directed the payment of all tax refunds through a permanent, indefinite appropriation (31 U.S.C. 1324), and the IRS has consistently been of the view that it has authority to pay refunds despite a lapse in annual appropriations. Although in 2011 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the IRS not to pay refunds during a lapse, OMB has reviewed the relevant law at Treasury’s request and concluded that IRS may pay tax refunds during a lapse.

The IRS will be recalling a significant portion of its workforce, currently furloughed as part of the government shutdown, to work. Additional details for the IRS filing season will be included in an updated FY2019 Lapsed Appropriations Contingency Plan to be released publicly in the coming days.
 
“IRS employees have been hard at work over the past year to implement the biggest tax law changes the nation has seen in more than 30 years,” said Rettig.
 
As in past years, the IRS will begin accepting and processing individual tax returns once the filing season begins. For taxpayers who usually file early in the year and have all of the needed documentation, there is no need to wait to file. They should file when they are ready to submit a complete and accurate tax return.
 
The filing deadline to submit 2018 tax returns is Monday, April 15, 2019 for most taxpayers. Because of the Patriots’ Day holiday on April 15 in Maine and Massachusetts and the Emancipation Day holiday on April 16 in the District of Columbia, taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17, 2019 to file their returns.
 
Software companies and tax professionals will be accepting and preparing tax returns before Jan. 28 and then will submit the returns when the IRS systems open later this month. The IRS strongly encourages people to file their tax returns electronically to minimize errors and for faster refunds.

 

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12 hours ago, Abby Normal said:

Software companies and tax professionals will be accepting and preparing tax returns before Jan. 28 and then will submit the returns when the IRS systems open later this month. The IRS strongly encourages people to file their tax returns electronically to minimize errors and for faster refunds.

What about our prohibition against "stockpiling" signed tax returns, not being allowed to "hold" signed tax returns and e-file days later?

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13 minutes ago, Lion EA said:

What about our prohibition against "stockpiling" signed tax returns, not being allowed to "hold" signed tax returns and e-file days later?

"The IRS does not consider current filing year returns held prior to the date it accepts transmission of electronic returns stockpiled. EROs must advise taxpayers that it cannot transmit returns to the IRS until the date the IRS accepts transmission of electronic returns."

https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/submitting-the-electronic-return-to-the-irs

 

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Colleagues in firms much, much larger than mine have received visits comparing Form 8879 dates with e-file dates.

I did have a treasury agent show up at my front door (home office of my sole proprietorship) at 7 a.m. one year to ask questions about a very part-time employee. He scared hubby who asked to see his badge and made him wait outside in the snow until he woke me up. Totally different issue, though. Just don't want another agent showing up!

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6 hours ago, Lion EA said:

comparing Form 8879 dates with e-file dates

I can NOT see HOW they can call it stockpiling (or householding, or whatever) if THEY are the ones not accepting returns!  "See the date - AFTER you shut down and BEFORE you re-opened; what else am I supposed to do?  They got e-filed within a day or two of you re-accepting.  Bite me."  That last short sentence thought, not said.  Probably.  No guarantees because I cannot abide willfully stupid.

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Bite me sounds like a good response. I've already been contacted by four clients who aren't usually this early, but are almost ready to deliver me their tax materials. Three have IC income. I was dreading getting started late, so am happy I'll be able to start next week. But, be careful what you hope for -- I'm not happy that my first ones will deal with that dreaded QBID.

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1 hour ago, Lion EA said:

I'm not happy that my first ones will deal with that dreaded QBID.

From what we've seen here, for many of our clients it is not going to be that bad (fingers crossed!).  Most folks are in businesses where QBI is clearly defined to apply.  Most make way under the phase-out areas for the specified businesses.  Most do NOT have multiple QBI-subject businesses where aggregating and netting and passive versus active have to be teased together or apart.  There will be some for whom it will be nasty, absolutely.  Those will likely come in later.  But most of our aggravations this year will be, as with other years, clients whose records have missing items or who play (or are) stupid when asked.

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Oh, you reminded me of another twist: my IC couples have at least two SE businesses per couple. One couple has hubby with CT and NY sources of income (NY is decoupling from lots of fed items) and wife with her own biz that now operates in Paris, also! And, my other out-of-CT clients that have had few issues in their other states -- well, now I have states other than just NY to research their compliance with &/or decoupling from fed law. I am really raising my fees this year!

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