Tax

Each year, the IRS mails millions of notices and letters to taxpayers for a variety of reasons. If you receive correspondence from the IRS here’s what to do:

Don’t panic. You can usually deal with a notice simply by responding to it. Most IRS notices are about federal tax returns or tax accounts.

Each notice has specific instructions, so read your notice carefully because it will tell you what you need to do.

Your notice will likely be about changes to your account, taxes you owe or a payment request. However, your notice may ask you for more information about a specific issue.

If your notice says that the IRS changed or corrected your tax return, review the information and compare it with your original return. If you agree with the notice, you usually don’t need to reply unless it gives you other instructions or you need to make a payment.

If you don’t agree with the notice, you need to respond. Write a letter that explains why you disagree and include information and documents you want the IRS to consider. Mail your response with the contact stub at the bottom of the notice to the address on the contact stub. Allow at least 30 days for a response.

For most notices, there is no need to call or visit a walk-in center. If you have questions, call the phone number in the upper right-hand corner of the notice. Be sure to have a copy of your tax return and the notice with you when you call. If you need assistance understanding an IRS Notice or letter, don’t hesitate to call the office.

Always keep copies of any notices you receive with your tax records.

Be alert for tax scams. The IRS sends letters and notices by mail and does NOT contact people by email or social media to ask for personal or financial information. If you owe tax, please call to find out what your options are.

• By Leon Clinton
• June 19, 2018

In yet another new twist on an old scam–this time affecting non-resident aliens and international taxpayers–criminals are using a fake IRS Form W-8BEN to solicit detailed personal identification and bank account information from victims. Here’s how the scam works:

1. Criminals mail or fax a letter indicating that although individuals are exempt from withholding and reporting income tax, they still need to authenticate their information by filling out a phony version of Form W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting.

2. Recipients are then asked to fax the information back to the scammers.

3. While Form W-8BEN is a legitimate U.S. tax exemption document, it can only be submitted through a withholding agent. A withholding agent may be an individual, corporation, partnership, trust, association, or any other entity, including any foreign intermediary, foreign partnership, or U.S. branch of certain foreign banks and insurance companies.

4. In the past, fraudsters have targeted non-residents of the U.S. using Form W-8BEN as a lure to get personal details such as passport numbers and PIN codes. IRS Form W-8BEN does not ask for any of that information. The phony letter or fax also refers to a Form W9095, which does not exist. Furthermore, the IRS doesn’t require recertification of foreign status.

Scam variations

Non-resident alien and international taxpayers should be alert to bogus letters, emails, and letters that appear to come from the IRS or your tax professional requesting information. Scam letters, forms, and e-mails are designed to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry, including tax software companies. These phishing schemes may seek personal information, including mother’s maiden name, passport, and account information in order steal the victim’s identity and their assets.

Remember, the IRS does not:

• Demand that people use a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.
• Ask for debit or credit card numbers over the phone.
• Demand immediate tax payment. Normal correspondence is a letter in the mail and taxpayers can appeal or question what they owe.
• Threaten to bring in local police, immigration officers or other law enforcement to arrest people for not paying.
• Revoke a license or immigration status. Threats like these are common tactics scam artists use to trick victims into believing their schemes.

If you have been a victim of an IRS phone scam or any IRS impersonation scam, please contact the office immediately. You should also report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at its IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting site and to the IRS by emailing phishing@irs.gov with the subject line “IRS Impersonation Scam.”

• By Leon Clinton
• June 16, 2018

Contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) are used to pay current or future medical expenses of the account owner, his or her spouse, and any qualified dependent and are adjusted annually for inflation. For 2019, the annual inflation-adjusted contribution limit for a Health Savings Account (HSA) increases to $$3,500 for individuals with self-only coverage (up $50 from 2018) and $7,000 for family coverage (up $100 from 2018).

To take advantage of an HSA, individuals must be covered by a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and not be covered by other health insurance with the exception of insurance for accidents, disability, dental care, vision care, or long-term care. Medical expenses such as deductibles, copayments, and other amounts (but excluding premiums) must not be reimbursable by insurance or other sources and do not qualify for the medical expense deduction on a federal income tax return.

For calendar year 2019, a qualifying HDHP must have a deductible of at least $1,350 for self-only coverage or $2,700 for family coverage (same as 2018) and must limit annual out-of-pocket expenses of the beneficiary to $6,750 for self-only coverage (up $100 from 2018) and $13,500 for family coverage (up $13,300 from 2018). As with contribution limits, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses are adjusted for inflation annually.

Please call if you have any questions about Health Savings Accounts.

• By Leon Clinton
• June 13, 2018