IRS Security Awareness Week

The IRS, state tax agencies and the tax community are declaring this week (Nov 27 – Dec 1) as “National Tax Security Awareness Week”. 

The IRS will be releasing a series of reminders to taxpayers and tax professionals on steps they can take to better protect themselves from cybercriminals.

Each day will focus on the following topics:

• Online Security
• Recognize Phishing Scams
• Data Breaches
• W-2 Email Scam
• Small Businesses

See the Security Summit webpage on the IRS website for detailed information on the above topics and how you can better protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity thieves.

Last Day to E-File Returns in 2017

This is a reminder that the last day to file a 2016 return electronically will be Saturday, November 18.
  

The IRS is shutting down their Modernized e-file system after November 18 so the agency can perform annual maintenance and to enable the IRS to reprogram the system for the upcoming 2018 tax-filing season.

Any individual that files a 2016 return after November 18 must file it on paper. This includes any individual that qualified for an extension of time to file their 2016 federal return until January 31, 2018 because they lived in federally declared disaster area and file their 2016 federal return after November 18.

For more information see IRS News Release IR-2017-183 (dated Oct. 31, 2017) on the IRS website.

PTIN Renewal

The IRS has begun to accept renewals for existing PTIN holders or applications for new PTINs for 2018.

The US District Court did uphold the IRS’s authority to require preparers to obtain a PTIN therefore anyone who prepares or helps prepare any federal tax return for compensation must have a valid PTIN and existing PTIN holders must renew their PTIN each year.

The big difference for renewals this year is that the IRS is no longer charging a fee to renew or obtain a PTIN. The same US District Court of Columbia enjoined the IRS from charging a user fee for the issuance and renewal of PTINs on June 1, 2017.

For more information see the 2018 PTIN Renewal Period Underway for Tax Professionals news release on the IRS website. 

Final Day to File 2016 Federal and State Individual Income Tax Returns

This is a reminder that the last day to file an individual federal or state individual income tax return is this Monday, October 16.

Those taxpayers affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma or Maria have until January 31, 2018 to file their federal return. Also, taxpayers in disaster areas in Michigan (October 31) and West Virginia (November 30) have additional time to file their federal returns as well. See the disaster relief page on the IRS website for more details on which taxpayers are eligible for the additional time to file.

See IRS News Release 2017-169 (dated October 5, 2017) for more detailed information.

Important Upcoming IRS Update to e-Services Accounts

The IRS has announced that they are planning on updating the platform and security for e-Services later this fall.  These changes will affect everyone who has an e-Services account.

The IRS will be doing the following:

• Moving e-Services to a new platform and landing page
  This will require that e-Services will unavailable at various times during September and October.
• Implementing Secure Access Authentication
  Starting in late October, all e-Services users will be required to go through the Secure Access authentication registration process in order to access their account.
  To prepare for the Secure Access registration and authentication process e-Services users can go to the following pages on the IRS website:
  • Secure Access: How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools
  • Tips for Successfully Authenticating Your Identity through Secure Access
  • Frequently Asked Questions for e-Services Users Moving to Secure Access
• E-Services users can complete the Secure Access process right now by accessing Your Tax Account or the Get Transcript Online tools on the IRS website. By completing the process before late October you will be able to access your e-Services account immediately after this new process is implemented.
• Establishing a new e-Services user agreement
  In late October all e-Services users will be asked to review and accept the terms of a new user agreement. It is important to read the new user agreement because tax professionals will have additional requirements that they must meet.

See the Important Update about Your e-Services Account on the IRS website for more information about these changes.