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IR-2013-66: IRS Open On Monday; Agency Cuts Costs, Cancels July 22 Furlough

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is cancelling the furlough day scheduled for Monday, July 22 due to its successful ongoing efforts to cut costs.

As a result, IRS offices will be open as usual and IRS employees will be paid for that day. This means that all toll-free services, including the Taxpayer Advocate Service, will follow their regular Monday schedule, as will most of the agency’s taxpayer assistance centers nationwide. Taxpayers should check IRS.gov for days of service and hours as well as services offered at the location they plan to visit.

Taxpayers can often get the tax information they need or resolve a tax problem without having to call or visit an IRS office. A wide variety of web-based online tools and phone-based automated services are available including Where’s My Refund?, the Online Payment Agreement, Withholding Calculator, Order A Transcript, EITC Assistant, Interactive Tax Assistant, Tele-Tax, the Online Look-up Tool for those needing to repay the first-time homebuyer credit and the online preparer tax identification number PTIN system for tax professionals. Visit online tools on IRS.gov to learn more about these tools.

So far, the IRS has taken three furlough days on May 24, June 14 and July 5, due to the budget situation including the sequester. The IRS is considering the status of the scheduled furlough day, Friday, Aug. 30, and will make an appropriate announcement before that date.

IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2013-07: Visit IRS.gov this Summer for All Your Tax Needs

The IRS.gov website is a great resource for free tax help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our many online tools can help make it easier to file and pay your federal taxes. You can also learn about filing options, check the status of a refund, print tax forms and find out how to contact the IRS.

Here are twelve good reasons to visit IRS.gov this summer.

  1. Use the Interactive Tax Assistant.  This tool is a tax law resource that covers a number of topics. The ITA is easy to use as it leads you through a series of questions and provides responses to your tax law inquiries.
  2. Check your withholding.  Use the IRS Withholding Calculator tool to check if you’re on target with the amount withheld from your pay. This tool can help you decide if you need to give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate.
  3. Check your refund status.  The Where’s My Refund? tool is a fast and easy way to check the status of your tax refund. Use the IRS2Go mobile app or click on the ‘Refund’ tab on IRS.gov.
  4. Order a transcript.  Order your tax return transcript or tax account transcript online. You’ll receive it within 5 to 10 days.
  5. Pay your taxes electronically.  Use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System to pay your taxes online or by phone. EFTPS is a free service.
  6. Apply for a payment agreement.  The Online Payment Agreement tool allows you to apply for a payment agreement online if you owe $50,000 or less in taxes, interest and penalties.
  7. Check out a charity.  Search for qualified charities using Exempt Organizations’ Select Check. This tool will tell you if an organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.
  8. Check your homebuyer credit repayments.  Use the First Time Homebuyer Credit Lookup toolto get account information such as the total amount of your credit or your repayment amount.
  9. Get forms and publications.  View, download and order federal tax forms and publicationsanytime, day or night.
  10. Check your eligibility for an offer in compromise.  An OIC allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. It’s an option if you can’t fully pay your taxes, or doing so creates a financial hardship. Use the OIC Pre-Qualifier tool to see if you may be eligible before you apply for one.
  11. Get up-to-date tax news.  Get the latest tax information in the IRS Newsroom.
  12. Explore career opportunities.  Learn about careers at the IRS. The IRS is seeking students, recent college graduates and experienced professionals for full-time career and seasonal positions.

The official IRS website address is IRS.gov. Don’t be fooled by sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations other than .gov.