Deadline for Tax-Exempt Organizations is Near!

The deadline for tax-exempt organizations is coming up soon, May 15th. We received an article from the IRS regarding Tax-exempt organizations and wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of important factors to take into consideration when it comes to filing Form 990 for these organizations.

What you need to know:

1. Loss of Tax-Exempt Status: Any organizations that do not file annual reports for three straight years will lose their exempt status so it is important to always file. The 2007 Pension Protection Act requires most tax exempt organizations to file Form 990 with the exception of Churches and Church related organizations.

2. NO Personal Info!  Do not include personal information such as social security number, information about donors, clients, or benefactors. This could give rise to identity theft since these forms are often made public.

3. File Electronically Whenever Possible: This reduces the risk of including SSNs and other personal information. E-filing also makes the process smoother and quicker with the IRS receiving your information.

4. What to file? Any organizations with an average annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less will file an electronic notice Form 990-N. Organizations with more than $50,000 will file Form 990 or 990-EZ. Private organizations will file 990-PF. If you need to file a six-month extension for your organization, use Form 8868.

5. Check Tax-Exempt Status: The IRS publishes the list of organizations that have lost their tax-exempt status for failure to file for three years. Any organization that wants to have their status reinstated must pay any fees and file an application. To check a status, visit Select Check.

Our staff at Business Resource Partners is knowledgeable in all aspects of tax preparation, our Enrolled Agent is able to represent you to the IRS if needed and we are happy to help with tax preparation, filing and planning.
Call to make an appointment (321) 236-2771 or stop by our office, we look forward to serving you! 310 Almond Street Clermont, FL 34711

 

Tax Season is over! Scams are Not!

We’ve provided information over this tax season about many different scams and tactics used to steal personal information from you. However, just because tax season has come to an end, this does not mean that scamming season has too.  We’ve received an article from USA.gov about caller scams and what you can do to protect yourself, here’s the main points to consider:

Did you know that caller IDs can be faked?
If you receive a call from Washington DC from someone who claims they are from the IRS, beware! The caller may even know part of your social security number, they will threaten to sue, arrest, or deport you if you do not pay. They may even give specific information about how to send a payment such as pre-paid cards or wire transfers. The IRS will never contact you via phone, there are very few authorized collection agents who may contact you by phone call, but this will only occur once you have received multiple letters from the IRS with information about who is assigned to you specifically.

Sign, Caution, Warning, Danger, Safety, Hazard, Risk


What can I do if I get one of these calls?

  • Do not make any kind of payment or share account information!

Once you do this, there is no way to get the money back because the scammers are using false information and will disappear right away. If you have any questions about payments on taxes, visit IRS.gov/payments. You can also call the IRS at (800) 829-1040.

  • Tell your friends and family!

The more people know about these scammers and their tactics, the less scam victims there will be. It is important to spread the word to everyone and stay updated on different methods used to obtain personal information.

Additional steps:

If you spot a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
Call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or go to this page.
For this, and more articles regarding scams, visit FTC Consumer Information.

Business Resource Partners has an Enrolled Agent on staff who will help you with your tax preparation needs. We offer more than just tax preparation and bookkeeping! Visit Our Services section to find out what BRP can do for your business!

“NEW” IRS Collection Tactic

The IRS has sent us an interesting article that will affect many tax payers, we wanted to share this with you before the end of tax season.

Starting this month, the IRS will be using four private-sector collection agencies (PCA) to collect unpaid tax debts on the government’s behalf. This is authorized under a federal law that was enacted by congress in December of 2015. These are tax debts that are not currently being worked on and were assessed years ago. If a tax payer is being assigned to a private firm, there would have been multiple attempts to contact by the IRS in the past years.

  • How is this going to work?

The IRS will send an official letter to the tax payer and his or her tax representative informing them that they will be assigned to a PCA and will be given the name and contact information for the PCA. This mailing will also include a copy of Publication 4518 of what to expect.

Once your letter is sent, the designated private firm will send a letter to the tax payer with information that will assure that the transfer and all future collection calls are legitimate.

Important: The PCA are authorized to discuss payment options and payment agreements. However, all payments must be made directly to the IRS via check, or electronically. Never make a payment to a private firm or anyone besides the IRS or U.S Treasury. For more info on payment options, click here.

For a list of the agencies selected, visit this page.

  • Prepare for phone scams!

There will be scammers who jump at this opportunity to pose as PCA employees. It is important to know that these agencies will only be assigned if you owe money from previous tax years. You will be made aware about these PCAs before you hear from them.

The IRS or PCA will never:

  1. Call to demand immediate payment using a specific method such as prepaid card or wire transfer
  2. Threaten to call local police or other law-enforcement groups
  3. Demand payment without the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed
  4. Ask for any credit or debit card numbers over the phone

You don’t need to wait for a call or letter from the IRS! It is important to always come forward and pay what you owe, or set up a payment plan. For a list of ways to take advantage of this, visit IRS.gov.Tax filing deadline is approaching soon! Business Resource Partners has an Enrolled Agent on staff who will directly represent you to the IRS if ever needed. We would be happy to prepare and file your business and personal taxes! Give us a call to set up an appointment (321) 236-2771 or visit us at 310 Almond Street Clermont, FL 3711.