IRS Special Edition Tax Tip 2013-12, June 17, 2013

Do you own or operate a small business? Or do you plan to start a business someday soon? If you answered yes to either question, the IRS has online information, support and services that may be helpful to you.

Small Business Week Webinars.  During National Small Business Week 2013, the IRS is hosting two free, live small business webinars. Go online to learn about the many tax benefits available to businesses. You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes made by small businesses. IRS staff will answer questions during each webinar.

• Attend the free live webinars on June 18 and June 20 at 2 p.m. (ET).
• Register for the events at IRS Webinars for Small Businesses.
• Although tax professionals will not get continuing education credits, they will receive lots of useful information.

If you’re unable to attend the live events, you can view the archived versions on the IRS Video Portal. They’ll be available about three weeks after the broadcasts.

Online Support Anytime.  The IRS offers many online products and services for small businesses. They’re available any day of the week throughout the year on IRS.gov. Here are just a few examples of the business resources the IRS offers:

• The Online Learning and Educational Products page features useful small business tools. The Online Tax Calendar helps you keep track of important tax deadlines. You can subscribe to e-News for Small Businesses to help you stay on top of the latest tax news affecting small businesses.
• The Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center is for sole proprietors, independent contractors, members of partnerships, and others who are in business for themselves. Check it out for self-employed tax information and more tools.
• The Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center is for small businesses with assets under $10 million. Visit this page for resources like Small Business Taxes: the Virtual Workshop. This popular class helps you learn the basics of federal taxes. It offers nine lessons to help you navigate tax issues so your small business can thrive.

Visit IRS.gov for more information and federal tax news for small businesses. You can also get small business forms and publications on the IRS website or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

IR-2013-60, June 12, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers that, due to the current budget situation including the sequester, the agency will be shut down on Friday, June 14.

As was the case on May 24, the first furlough day, all IRS operations will again be closed on June 14. This means that all IRS offices, including all toll-free hotlines, the Taxpayer Advocate Service and the agency’s nearly 400 taxpayer assistance centers nationwide, will be closed.

IRS employees will be furloughed without pay. No tax returns will be processed and no compliance-related activities will take place. In addition, the online preparer tax identification number PTINsystem for tax professionals will also be shut down.

The IRS noted that taxpayers should continue to file their returns and pay any taxes due as usual. This includes the June 17 deadline for those making a second-quarter estimated tax payment. It also includes the June 17 filing deadline for taxpayers abroad and the June 30 deadline for filing foreign financial account reports FBAR Taxpayers needing to contact the IRS about these or other upcoming returns or payments should be sure to take this Friday’s closure into account.

Because none of the furlough days are considered federal holidays, the shutdown will have no impact on any tax-filing or tax-payment deadlines. The IRS will be unable to accept or acknowledge receipt of electronically-filed returns on any day the agency is shut down.

The only tax-payment deadlines coinciding with any of the furlough days relate to employment and excise tax deposits made by business taxpayers. These deposits must be made through the Treasury Department’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), which will operate as usual.

On the other hand, the agency will give taxpayers extra time to comply with a request to provide documents to the IRS. This includes administrative summonses, requests for records in connection with a return examination, review or compliance check, or document requests related to a collection matter. No additional time is given to respond to other agencies or the courts.

Where the last day for responding to an IRS request falls on June 14, the taxpayer will have until Monday, June 17–the next business day.

Some web-based online tools and phone-based automated services will continue to function this Friday, while others will be shut down. Available services include Withholding Calculator, Order A Transcript, EITC Assistant, Interactive Tax Assistant, Tele-Tax and the Online Look-up Tool for those needing to repay the first-time homebuyer credit. Services not available this Friday include Where’s My Refund? and the Online Payment Agreement. Visit online tools on IRS.gov to learn more about these tools.

The remaining scheduled furlough days are July 5, July 22 and Aug. 30, 2013. If necessary, the IRS may announce one or two additional furlough days.