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Read This if you Need More Time to Pay Your Taxes

The Internal Revenue Service

Katherman Kitts & CO. LLP

I can’t take credit for this headline.  But it sounds like something I would write.  Someone at the IRS thinks like me – scary thought!

 

Taxpayers who owe taxes may be relieved to know that there are some options for those who owe and can’t afford to pay the full amount right away.

Here are the top 10 things the IRS wants you to know if you need more time to pay your taxes.

1.     Taxpayers who are unable to pay all taxes due are encouraged to pay as much as possible. By paying as much as possible now, the amount of interest and penalties owed will be less.

2.     Based on the circumstances, a taxpayer could qualify for an extension of time to pay, an installment agreement, temporary delay or an Offer in Compromise.

3.     If you cannot pay the full amount, taxpayers should immediately call the number or write to the address on the bill they receive.

4.     You may want to consider financing the full payment of your tax liability through a loan. The interest rate and fees charged by a bank or credit card company are usually lower than interest and penalties imposed by the Internal Revenue Code.

5.     If you cannot pay in full immediately, you may qualify for a short amount of additional time, up to 120 days, to pay in full. No fee is charged for this type of payment arrangement and this option may minimize the amount of penalties and interest you incur.

6.     You may also want to consider an installment agreement. This arrangement allows you to make monthly payments after a one-time fee of $105 is paid. If you choose to pay through a Direct Debit from your bank account, the fee is reduced to $52. Lower-income taxpayers may qualify for a reduced fee of $43.

7.     To apply for an installment agreement you can use the Online Payment Agreement application available on the IRS website; file a Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request; or call the IRS at the telephone number shown on your bill.

8.     In some cases, a taxpayer may qualify for an offer in compromise, an agreement between the taxpayer and the IRS that settles the taxpayer’s tax liabilities for less than the full amount owed. Generally, an offer will not be accepted if the IRS believes that the liability can be paid in full as a lump sum or through a payment agreement.

9.     Even if you set up an installment agreement, the IRS may still file a Notice of Federal Tax Lien to secure the government’s interest until you make the final payment.

10.   It is important to respond to an IRS notice. If you do not pay your tax liability in full or make an alternative payment arrangement, the IRS is entitled to take collection action.

More information on the collection process is available at http://www.irs.gov.

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Ten Tax Tips For Farmers at Tax Time

A dairy farm near Oxford, New York in the Unit...

Image via Wikipedia

Farmers, does your tax preparer know these 10 important tax tips?  No?  Yes?  They should….

If you are in the business of farming, there are a number of tax issues that you should consider before filing your federal tax return. The IRS has compiled a list of 10 things that farmers may want to know before filing their federal tax return.

  1. Crop Insurance Proceeds You must include in income any crop insurance proceeds you receive as the result of crop damage. You generally include them in the year you receive them.
  2. Sales Caused by Weather-Related Condition If you sell more livestock, including poultry, than you normally would in a year because of weather-related conditions, you may be able to choose to postpone reporting the gain from selling the additional animals due to the weather until the next year.
  3. Farm Income Averaging You may be able to average all or some of your current year’s farm income by allocating it to the three prior years. This may lower your current year tax if your current year income from farming is high, and your taxable income from one or more of the three prior years was low. This method does not change your prior year tax, it only uses the prior year information to determine your current year tax.
  4. Deductible Farm Expenses The ordinary and necessary costs of operating a farm for profit are deductible business expenses.  An ordinary expense is an expense that is common and accepted in the farming business. A necessary expense is one that is appropriate for the business.
  5. Employeesand hired help You can deduct reasonable wages paid for labor hired to perform your farming operations. This would include full-time employees as well as part-time workers.
  6. Items Purchased for Resale You may be able to deduct the cost of livestock and other items purchased for resale in the year of sale. This cost includes freight charges for transporting the livestock to the farm.
  7. Net Operating Losses If your deductible expenses from operating your farm are more than your other income for the year, you may have a net operating loss. If you have a net operating loss this year, you can carry it over to other years and deduct it. You may be able to get a refund of part or all of the income tax you paid for past years, or you may be able to reduce your tax in future years.
  8. Repayment of loans You cannot deduct the repayment of a loan if the loan proceeds are used for personal expenses. However, if you use the proceeds of the loan for your farming business, you can deduct the interest that you pay on the loan.
  9. Fuel and Road Use You may be eligible to claim a credit or refund of federal excise taxes on fuel used on a farm for farming purposes.
  10. Farmers Tax Guide More information about farm income and deductions can be found in IRS Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide which is available at IRS.gov or by calling the IRS at 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

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