Modernized e-File (MeF) was successfully brought back online on Monday, October 13, 2014 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, and is now operational for all service requests.

Please resume sending federal and state submissions, sending state acknowledgements and retrieving federal and state acknowledgements.

We thank you for your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

The IRS portal that supports e-services (Registration, Transcript Delivery Services, TIN Matching and e-file Application) will be unavailable for processing from approximately 5 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, October 11, 2014, until 5 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, October 14, 2014, for required maintenance.

The outage also affects various enterprise applications such as e-file and other electronic services. Please plan accordingly around this required shutdown period. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you in advance for your patience.

Tax Payments Top the One Million Mark with New IRS Direct Pay;
Free Online System Makes it Easy for People to Pay Their Federal Taxes

Washington - With more than one million tax payments already processed this year through IRS Direct Pay, the Internal Revenue Service today encouraged anyone facing upcoming tax payment deadlines to consider choosing this free online system to quickly and easily pay what they owe.

“Direct Pay is the latest addition to our growing array of online tools designed to serve taxpayers better,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Direct Pay simplifies the payment process, enabling people to quickly and easily make a secure payment from the convenience of a home computer.”

More than one million tax payments totaling over $1.7 billion have been received from individual taxpayers since Direct Pay debuted earlier this year. Available through the Pay Your Tax Bill  icon on IRS.gov, Direct Pay allows individuals to e-pay their tax bills or make quarterly estimated tax payments directly from checking or savings accounts without any fees or pre-registration.

With tax correspondence season now in full swing, many taxpayers recently received notices for unpaid taxes from the IRS. Direct Pay offers these taxpayers an easy way to quickly pay these tax bills without having to write a check, buy a stamp or find a mailbox.

Because Direct Pay allows taxpayers to schedule payments up to 30 days in advance, now is also a good time for those who are making estimated tax payments for 2014 to set up their third quarter payment due Sept. 15. In addition, anyone who received an extension until Oct. 15 to file their 2013 federal return and now finds they owe additional tax can also use Direct Pay to e-pay the additional amount due.

Direct Pay is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any taxpayer who uses the system receives instant confirmation that their payment was submitted. More information about Direct Pay can be found on IRS.gov.

Direct Pay cannot be used to pay business taxes. Taxpayers who wish to e-pay their federal business taxes should enroll in the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), or click on the Pay Your Tax Bill icon to check out other payment options.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Al Rickard

                 703-402-9713

                 arickard@associationvision.com

ATP and ABA Credential Holders Exempt from New IRS

Annual Filing Season Program Course and Exam Requirements

Alexandria, VA, September 2, 2014 - Accredited Tax Preparers (ATPs) and Accredited Business Accountant/Advisors (ABAs) are exempt from the requirement to take an Annual Federal Tax Refresher (AFTR) course and exam that is part of the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) voluntary Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP).

The Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation (ACAT) is a non-profit, independent testing organization that accredits professionals with the ATP and ABA credentials. 

ABAs and ATPs will automatically receive the AFSP-Record of Completion and be included in a public database of tax return preparers scheduled to launch on the IRS website by January 2015. This Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications will include the name, city, state, zip code, and credentials of all ABAs, ATPs, attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents, enrolled retirement plan agents and enrolled actuaries with a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), as well as all AFSP-Record of Completion holders, including ACAT-credentialed ABAs and ATPs.

Beginning in 2016, ATPs and ABAs – as AFSP participants – can also represent clients before the IRS regarding returns they prepared and signed. PTIN holders without an AFSP Record of Completion or other professional credential will not be allowed to represent clients before the IRS.

“We are thrilled that the IRS has recognized the experience, comprehensive ongoing education requirements, and stringent exams that are required for a tax preparer to earn the ATP and ABA credentials,” says ACAT President Roy Frick, EA, ABA, ATA, ARA, LPA. “All ATPs and ABAs in good standing are exempt from taking the annual AFTR course and exam. So why would any tax preparer take the Annual Federal Tax Refresher course and exam each year when they can earn a prestigious credential they can use after their name every year?”

The ATP is a leading national credential for tax practitioners who have a thorough knowledge of the existing tax code and the preparation of individual tax returns. To become an ATP, candidates must pass the ATP exam, which is offered twice per year at testing centers around the country and have three years of work experience in tax preparation, two of which may be satisfied through college credit.

The ABA is a prestigious professional accounting credential for accounting professionals who possess a thorough knowledge and proficiency in financial accounting, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, taxation, managerial accounting, business law, and ethics for small- to medium-sized businesses. To become an ABA, candidates must pass the Comprehensive Examination for Accreditation in Accountancy and have three years of related work experience, up to two of which may be satisfied through college credit.

The ATP and ABA exams will be offered at testing sites around the country between November 29 – December 22, 2014, just in time for tax season and in time for tax preparers to get their IRS Annual Filing Season Record of Completion.

For more information about ACAT and the ATP and ABA credentials and registering for an ACAT exam, visit www.acatcredentials.org.

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The Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation® (ACAT) was established in 1973 as a non-profit, independent, testing, accrediting and monitoring organization. ACAT accredits professionals who have demonstrated knowledge of the principles, practices, and ethical standards of accounting, taxation, and related financial services in order to maintain the highest level of service to the public.

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 on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014. 

The report is based on a sample drawn from the 144.9 million individual income tax returns filed for tax year 2012 and provides estimates on sources of income, adjusted gross income, exemptions, deductions, taxable income, income tax, modified income tax, tax credits, self-employment tax, and tax payments.

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service issued a consumer alert today providing taxpayers with additional tips to protect themselves from telephone scam artists calling and pretending to be with the IRS.

These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may know a lot about you, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request.

“These telephone scams are being seen in every part of the country, and we urge people not to be deceived by these threatening phone calls,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “We have formal processes in place for people with tax issues. The IRS respects taxpayer rights, and these angry, shake-down calls are not how we do business.”

The IRS reminds people that they can know pretty easily when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam. 

The IRS will never:

1. Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice.
2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
3. Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:

• If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
• If you’ve been targeted by this scam, also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your complaint.

Remember, too, the IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.

Additional information about tax scams are available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube http://youtu.be/UHlxTX4rTRU?list=PL2A3E7A9BD8A8D41D. and Tumblr http://internalrevenueservice.tumblr.com where people can search “scam” to find all the scam-related posts.

When it comes to filing a federal tax return, many people discover that they either get a larger refund or owe more tax than they expected. But this type of tax surprise doesn’t have to happen to you. One way to prevent it is to change the amount of tax withheld from your wages. You can also change the amount of estimated tax you pay. Here are some tips to help you bring the amount of tax that you pay in during the year closer to what you’ll actually owe:

If you start a business, one key to success is to know about your federal tax obligations. You may need to know not only about income taxes but also about payroll taxes. Here are five basic tax tips that can help get your business off to a good start.

Do you know that if you sell your home and make a profit, the gain may not be taxable? That’s just one key tax rule that you should know. Here are ten facts to keep in mind if you sell your home this year.