e-News for Tax Professionals 2021-18

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Issue Number:  2021-18

Inside This Issue

1. Enrolled agent inactivation, termination letters
2. IRS Nationwide Tax Forum webinar topics now available
3. Reminder to tax-exempt organizations: 990s, other forms due May 17
4. More than 1.1 million additional Economic Impact Payments disbursed
5. Amended tax relief for disaster victims in Kentucky
6. Prepare for natural disasters as hurricane season nears
7. IRS now accepting TCE, VITA grant applications
8. Low Income Taxpayer Clinic 2022 grant application period now open
9. A Closer Look: Celebrating the IRS workforce during Public Service Recognition Week 
10. News from the Justice Department's Tax Division

The IRS Return Preparer Office has begun sending letters to enrolled agents (EA) with Social Security numbers (SSNs) ending in 7, 8, 9, or no SSN, who did not renew during this year’s renewal cycle. Those who did not renew during the 2018 and 2021 cycles will be moved to terminated status. Those who did not renew during the 2021 cycle will be moved to inactive status. Anyone in inactive status can still submit a late renewal for approval with proof of CE. Anyone in terminated status must re-take the Special Enrollment Examination (SEE) to apply for re-enrollment.

If an EA disagrees and has a record of previously renewing their EA status, they should contact the number on the letter, which is 855-472-5540.

Following are images of the letters:

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Webinar topics and descriptions are now available for the 2021 Virtual IRS Nationwide Tax Forum. Webinars presented by the IRS and its association partners will be offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from July 20 through Aug. 19, 2021, providing attendees with Continuing Education (CE) credits. Participating tax professionals can earn up to 28 CE credits for one low registration rate. Visit the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum website for more information and to register.

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Here’s a reminder for tax-exempt organizations that operate on a calendar-year basis: Certain annual information and tax returns filed with the IRS are due on May 17, 2021. These returns are:

• Form 990-series annual information returns (Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-BL)
• Form 990-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations Not Required to File Form 990 or Form 990-EZ
• Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return (other than certain trusts)
• Form 4720, Return of Certain Excise Taxes Under Chapters 41 and 42 of the Internal Revenue Code"##

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The IRS, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced they are disbursing more than 1.1 million payments in the eighth batch of Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan.
This brings the total disbursed so far to approximately 164 million payments, with a total value of approximately $386 billion, since these payments began rolling out to Americans in batches as announced on March 12.

• In total, this batch includes more than 1.1 million payments with a value of more than $2 billion.
• More than 585,000 payments, with a value of more than $1.2 billion, went to eligible individuals for whom the IRS previously did not have information to issue an Economic Impact Payment but who recently filed a tax return.
• This batch also includes additional ongoing supplemental payments for people who earlier this year received payments based on their 2019 tax returns but are eligible for a new or larger payment based on their recently processed 2020 tax returns. This batch included more than 570,000 of these "plus-up" payments, with a value of nearly $1 billion.
• Overall, this eighth batch of payments contains about 600,000 direct deposit payments (with a total value of $1.1 billion) with the remainder on paper payments.

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Kentucky victims of severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began Feb. 27, 2021, now have until June 30, 2021, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. This tax relief has been expanded to include additional counties in the state.

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May includes National Hurricane Preparedness Week and National Wildfire Awareness Month. Now is a good time to create or review emergency preparedness plans for surviving natural disasters.

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Eligible organizations can now submit applications for the IRS’s Tax Counseling for the Elderly and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance grant programs, allowing some organizations to apply for up to three years of annual funding. Organizations can apply on Grants.gov through June 4 and can find application packages and guidelines on IRS.gov.

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The application period for Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) matching grants for calendar year 2022 takes place now through June 18, 2021. The LITC Program is a federal grant program administered by the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate at the IRS.

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IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig discusses how the agency is celebrating the achievements of its workforce in the latest issue of A Closer Look. “People at the IRS continually demonstrate just how much they care and how important the agency is to our country by their heroic response to events, both planned and unplanned. I continue to be impressed and humbled by their dedication, their commitment and, above all, their ability to rise above the challenges we face,” Rettig said.

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A federal court in Fort Pierce, Fla., permanently barred a Florida tax return preparer from preparing federal tax returns for others. According to the complaint, Brandhi Shaw prepared tax returns in Belle Glade, Fla., at Premier Financial Services and Premium Financial Solutions. The complaint alleges that Shaw prepared tax returns that purposefully understated the tax her customers owed or overstated the refunds they were entitled to claim.

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