IRS Gives Colorado Flood Victims More Time To Decide When To Claim Losses

***Press Release***

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today provided taxpayers an extension until Oct. 15, 2014 to decide when to claim disaster losses arising from last September’s flooding.

The extension means that eligible individuals and businesses will now have until Oct. 15 to decide whether to claim these losses on either their 2012 or 2013 returns. Without this extension, these taxpayers would have had to make this choice by the original due date for the 2013 return, usually April 15.

Depending upon various income factors, claiming losses on a 2012 return versus a 2013 return could result in greater tax savings for some taxpayers. The extra time is available, regardless of whether a taxpayer requests a tax-filing extension for either year.

Eligible taxpayers are those who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed losses resulting from severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in the 20 federally-designated disaster area counties from Sept. 11 to Sept. 30, 2013. The disaster area counties are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Crowley, Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo, Sedgwick, Washington and Weld.

Though taxpayers who miss the new Oct. 15 cut-off will lose the option of claiming their losses for 2012, they will still be able to claim them on an original or amended 2013 return. Further details are in Notice 2014-20, posted today on IRS.gov and also scheduled to be in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2014-15, dated April 7, 2014.

Free File Opens Today, Offers Free Tax Prep and E-filing

***Press Release***

           IRS YouTube Video:
           Welcome to Free File!

IR-2014-04, Jan. 17, 2014

WASHINGTON — To help people get a jump on their taxes before the Jan. 31 filing season opens, the Internal Revenue Service today announced the immediate availability of Free File brand-name software for most taxpayers.

Fourteen commercial software companies that provide their Free File tax prep products at no cost began offering their products today -- available only at IRS.gov/freefile.

Although you can complete and e-file your tax return now, the Free File companies will hold it until Jan. 31 when the IRS begins accepting returns. As previously announced, the IRS delayed the filing season due to critical system testing following the federal government closure.

“Many tax preparers and tax software companies are now open for return preparation, including Free File. If you plan to get a head start on your taxes, remember to e-file. Electronic filing will allow software companies to hold your return and to automatically send it to the IRS on Jan. 31. There is absolutely no advantage to filing by paper,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “If you want to save money and time, just use Free File to prepare and e-file your federal return at no charge.”

As Jan. 31 approaches, Koskinen reminded taxpayers that IRS.gov has a range of information and services to help taxpayers prepare their tax returns. “Free File is just one of the many services available through IRS.gov to help people with their taxes,” Koskinen said. “Additional services include Where’s My Refund for timely updates on refunds, YouTube videos with quick tax tips, and many other ways of getting information. We encourage taxpayers to explore IRS.gov as tax season approaches.”

Free File, a public-private partnership, is the free way to do your federal tax returns either by using brand-name software or online fillable forms. Free File software is available now to more than 100 million individuals and families that earn $58,000 or less, which is 70 percent of taxpayers.

Starting Jan. 31, Free File Fillable Forms will be available to accept tax returns for free e-filing from any taxpayer who is comfortable preparing their own tax return.

Nearly 40 million taxpayers have used Free File since it debuted in 2003. These taxpayers have saved more than an estimated $1.2 billion by using Free File.

Here’s how it works:

·         At IRS.gov/freefile, select the “Free File Software” button. Each of the 14 Free File companies sets specific offers – generally based on income, state residency and age – to use their software. If your income is $58,000 or less, you will find at least one, if not more, offers available to you.

·         You can review each of the 14 company offers or use the IRS “Help Me Find Free File Software” tool to find an offer that matches your situation. Once you make your selection, you will be directed to the commercial provider’s website to begin preparing your return.

·         Free File is for federal returns but most companies also offer state tax return preparation, some for free.   

·         If your income was more than $58,000, you can still do your taxes and e-file them. Just select the “Free File Fillable Forms” button. Again, this product will be available starting Jan. 31.

·         Free File Fillable Forms is the electronic version of IRS paper forms, and it is best for people used to doing their own taxes. This option helps with math but not with step-by-step assistance. Instructions for filling out the form can be found on the IRS website. State tax return preparation is not available using this option.

The fastest way to get your refund is by combining IRS e-file with direct deposit. Once the IRS begins processing returns, it expects to issue more than 90 percent of refunds in fewer than 21 days.

Check “Where’s My Refund?” for personalized refund information based on the processing of your 2013 tax return. You can start checking on the status of your return within 24 hours after the IRS accepts your e-filed return. Updates to refund status are made once a day so you don't need to check the status more than once a day.

The 14 Free File companies are part of a consortium called the Free File Alliance, which has partnered with the IRS for 11 years to make these commercial products available for free to taxpayers who don’t earn high incomes. You must access these products through IRS.gov to be eligible for their free offers.

There also are a number of products to help spread the word about Free File. Companies, organizations, churches or others that have eligible employees, clients or customers can help increase awareness about Free File. Learn more at freefile.irs.gov/partners. 

Low-Income Housing Limits to Be Waived For Colorado Disaster Victims

***Press Release***

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it is waiving certain limitations for projects financed with low-income housing tax credits or exempt facility bonds so that owners and operators of these facilities anywhere in the nation can provide housing to victims of severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in Colorado that began Sept. 11.

Because of the widespread devastation to housing caused by storms and flooding, the IRS will temporarily suspend certain limitations for qualified low-income housing projects that house people displaced by the storms and flooding. The action will expand the availability of housing for disaster victims and their families. Further details are available in Notice 2013-63 and Notice 2013-64, posted today on IRS.gov.

The IRS recently announced other relief available to affected taxpayers in the presidentially declared disaster area. 

Colorado and 42 Other States Have More Time to Replace Livestock

***Press Release***

DENVER — Farmers and ranchers who previously were forced to sell livestock due to drought, like the drought currently affecting much of the nation, have an extended period of time in which to replace the livestock and defer tax on any gains from the forced sales, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.

Farmers and ranchers who, due to drought, sell more livestock than they normally would may defer tax on the extra gains from those sales. To qualify, the livestock generally must be replaced within a four-year period. The IRS is authorized to extend this period if the drought continues.

The one-year extension of the replacement period announced today generally applies to capital gains realized by eligible farmers and ranchers on sales of livestock held for draft, dairy or breeding purposes due to drought. Sales of other livestock, such as those raised for slaughter or held for sporting purposes, and poultry are not eligible.

The IRS is providing this relief to any farm located in a county, parish, city or district, listed as suffering exceptional, extreme or severe drought conditions by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), during any weekly period between Sept. 1, 2011, and Aug. 31, 2012. All or part of 43 states are listed. Any county contiguous to a county listed by the NDMC also qualifies for this relief.

The NDMC-designated counties for Colorado are: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Boulder, Broomfield, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Delta, Denver, Dolores, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Ouray, Park, Phillips, Pitkin, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Sedgwick, Summit, Teller, Washington, Weld, Yuma. 

As a result, farmers and ranchers in these areas whose drought sale replacement period was scheduled to expire at the end of this tax year, Dec. 31, 2012, in most cases, will now have until the end of their next tax year. Because the normal drought sale replacement period is four years, this extension immediately impacts drought sales that occurred during 2008. But because of previous drought-related extensions affecting some of these localities, the replacement periods for some drought sales before 2008 are also affected. Additional extensions will be granted if severe drought conditions persist.

Details on this relief, including a list of NDMC-designated counties, are available in Notice 2012-62.  Details on reporting drought sales and other farm-related tax issues can be found in Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide, available on the IRS web site.