By Bill
Report Changes in Circumstances that could Affect Your 2015 Premium Tax Credit
If you have enrolled for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and receive advance payments of the premium tax credit in 2015, it is important that you report changes in circumstances, such as changes in your income or family size, to your Marketplace.
Advance payments of the premium tax credit provide financial assistance to help you pay for the insurance you buy through the Marketplace. Having at least some of your credit paid in advance directly to your insurance company will reduce the out-of-pocket cost of the health insurance premiums you’ll pay each month.
However, it is important to notify the Marketplace about changes in circumstances to allow the Marketplace to adjust your advance payment amount. This adjustment will decrease the likelihood of a significant difference between your advance credit payments and your actual premium tax credit. Changes in circumstances that you should report to the Marketplace include, but are not limited to:
- An increase or decrease in your income
- Marriage or divorce
- The birth or adoption of a child
- Starting a job with health insurance
- Gaining or losing your eligibility for other health care coverage
- Changing your residence
For the full list of changes you should report, visit HealthCare.gov/how-do-i-report-life-changes-to-the-marketplace.
If you report changes in your income or family size to the Marketplace when they happen in 2015, the advance payments will more closely match the credit amount on your 2015 federal tax return. This will help you avoid getting a smaller refund than you expected, or even owing money that you did not expect to owe.
By Bill
Taxpayer Advocate Service
How Does the Taxpayer Advocate Service Work for You?
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service. We protect taxpayers’ rights by ensuring that all taxpayers receive fair treatment. We can also help you to know and understand your rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
What is the Taxpayer Bill of Rights?
The Taxpayer Bill of Rights describes ten basic rights that all taxpayers have when dealing with the IRS. Our taxpayer rights webpage can help you understand what these rights mean to you and how they apply. These are your rights. Know them. Use them.
Our site at taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov also can help you with common tax issues and situations: what to do if you made a mistake on your tax return, if you got a notice from the IRS or you’re thinking about hiring a tax preparer.
What can a Taxpayer Advocate do for you?
We can help you resolve problems that you can’t resolve with the IRS. And our service is free. Always try to resolve your problem with the IRS first, but if you can’t, then come to the Taxpayer Advocate Service. The best thing you can do is act now!
- We help individuals, businesses, and exempt organizations. If you qualify for our help, your advocate will be with you at every turn and do everything possible.
- You may be eligible for our help if your IRS problem is causing financial difficulty or you believe an IRS procedure just isn’t working as it should.
- We have offices in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Your local advocate’s number is in your local directory and at taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov. You can also call us at 1-877-777-4778.
We also handle large-scale problems that affect many taxpayers. If you know of one of these broad issues, please report it to us at irs.gov/sams.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is your voice at the IRS. For more information, visit us at taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov.
By Bill
Late? What are the Penalties?
April 15 was the tax day deadline for most people. If you are due a refund there is no penalty if you file a late tax return. But if you owe tax, and you failed to file and pay on time, you will usually owe interest and penalties on the tax you pay late. You should file your tax return and pay the tax as soon as possible to stop them. Here are eight facts that you should know about these penalties.
1. Two penalties may apply. If you file your federal tax return late and owe tax with the return, two penalties may apply. The first is a failure-to-file penalty for late filing. The second is a failure-to-pay penalty for paying late.
2. Penalty for late filing. The failure-to-file penalty is normally 5 percent of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a tax return is late. It will not exceed 25 percent of your unpaid taxes.
3. Minimum late filing penalty. If you file your return more than 60 days after the due date or extended due date, the minimum penalty for late filing is the smaller of $135 or 100 percent of the unpaid tax.
4. Penalty for late payment. The failure-to-pay penalty is generally 0.5 percent per month of your unpaid taxes. It applies for each month or part of a month your taxes remain unpaid and starts accruing the day after taxes are due. It can build up to as much as 25 percent of your unpaid taxes.
5. Combined penalty per month. If the failure-to-file penalty and the failure-to-pay penalty both apply in any month, the maximum amount charged for those two penalties that month is 5 percent.
6. File even if you can’t pay. In most cases, the failure-to-file penalty is 10 times more than the failure-to-pay penalty. So if you can’t pay in full, you should file your tax return and pay as much as you can. Use IRS Direct Pay to pay your tax directly from your checking or savings account. You should try other options to pay, such as getting a loan or paying by debit or credit card. The IRS will work with you to help you resolve your tax debt. Most people can set up an installment agreement with the IRS using the Online Payment Agreement tool on IRS.gov.
7. Late payment penalty may not apply. If you requested an extension of time to file your income tax return by the tax due date and paid at least 90 percent of the taxes you owe, you may not face a failure-to-pay penalty. However, you must pay the remaining balance by the extended due date. You will owe interest on any taxes you pay after the April 15 due date.
8. No penalty if reasonable cause. You will not have to pay a failure-to-file or failure-to-pay penalty if you can show reasonable cause for not filing or paying on time. There is also penalty relief available for repayment of excess advance payments of the premium tax credit for 2014.
By Bill
Bartering Income
Bartering is the trading of one product or service for another. Often there is no exchange of cash. Some businesses barter to get products or services they need. For example, a gardener might trade landscape work with a plumber for plumbing work.
If you barter, you should know that the value of products or services from bartering is taxable income. This is true even if you are not in business.
Here are a few facts about bartering:
- Bartering income. Both parties must report the fair market value of the product or service they get as income on their tax return.
- Barter exchanges. A barter exchange is an organized marketplace where members barter products or services. Some operate out of an office and others over the Internet. All barter exchanges are required to issue Form 1099-B, Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions. Exchanges must give a copy of the form to its members who barter each year. They must also file a copy with the IRS.
- Trade Dollars. Exchanges trade barter or trade dollars as their unit of exchange in most cases. Barter and trade dollars are the same as U.S. currency for tax purposes. If you earn trade and barter dollars, you must report the amount you earn on your tax return.
- Tax implications. Bartering is taxable in the year it occurs. The tax rules may vary based on the type of bartering that takes place. Barterers may owe income taxes, self-employment taxes, employment taxes or excise taxes on their bartering income.
- Reporting rules. How you report bartering on a tax return varies. If you are in a trade or business, you normally report it on Form 1040, Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business.
For more information, see the Bartering Tax Center on IRS.gov.