e-News for Tax Professionals Issue 2013-10

Useful Links:

IRS.gov

Tax Professionals Home

All Forms and Pubs

Stakeholders Partners'
Headliners

Training and
Communication Tools

IMRS

e-Services

Disaster Relief

Internal Revenue Bulletins

Upcoming Events

Seminars, Workshops, Conferences, and Other Practitioner Activities By State:

Nationwide Webinars

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas

Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina

North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Back to top

Issue Number:  2013-10

Inside This Issue

1. Winter 2013 Statistics of Income Bulletin Now Available
2. Special Procedures for Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses
3. E-filed Tax Returns with Incomplete Forms 8863, Education Credits, Experiencing Delays
4. Additional Counties in Mississippi FEMA Disaster Area
5. Reporting Military Retirement Income
6. Phone Forum: International Issues Involving Retirement Plans in U.S. Territories

The winter 2013 issue of the Statistics of Income Bulletin is now available on IRS.gov. The winter 2013 issue features preliminary data from more than 145 million individual income tax returns for tax year 2011.

Back to top

The IRS reminds tax practitioners that Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses, cannot be electronically filed this year but must be mailed to the IRS. Additionally, there is no longer a requirement to attach supporting documentation to this year’s return. However, documentation must be kept as part of a taxpayer’s records.

See Tax Topic 607 for additional information on the Adoption Credit and adoption assistance programs.

Back to top

The IRS revised Form 8863, Education Credits, for Tax Year 2012 to help taxpayers and tax preparers understand the qualifications for the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

Checkboxes for lines 23-26 were added to confirm basic qualifications for taxpayers claiming this credit. If these lines are left blank, there will be a delay in the processing of the taxpayer’s return. 

To avoid delays, ensure your clients complete Form 8863 correctly.

Back to top

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has added counties to the recently declared Mississippi disaster area.

Back to top

A new video explains how to report military retirement income for veterans when there was an increase in the percentage of disability by the Veterans Administration, or the veteran was granted combat-related special compensation after an award for concurrent retirement and disability.

Back to top

Audit results and recurring issues of retirement plans in U.S. Territories and Employee Plans’ (EP) 2013 fiscal year strategies and operating priorities will be discussed March 21 by International Focus Team members, Charlie Petrasanta, TE/GE International lead, Olimpia Diaz, EP group manager, and Stephanie Hunter, EP revenue agent. Sign up now for this phone forum. If you have a specific matter that you would like the presenters to address, please email us at ep.phoneforum@irs.gov by March 14.

Back to top