Avoid Refund Delays by Renewing Expiring ITINs Now

ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers) are used by people who have tax filing or payment obligations under U.S. law but who are not eligible for a Social Security number. Under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, ITINs that have not been used on a federal tax return at least once in the last three consecutive years will expire Dec. 31, 2019. Furthermore, ITINs with middle digits 83, 84, 85, 86 or 87 that have not already been renewed will also expire at the end of the year. Others do not need to take any action.

Affected taxpayers who expect to file a 2019 tax return in 2020 must submit a renewal application by filing Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. With nearly two million ITINs set to expire at the end of 2019, affected taxpayers should submit their renewal applications as soon as possible to avoid refund delays next year.

The IRS began sending the CP48 Notice, You must renew your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file your U.S. tax return, in early summer. This notice explains the steps to take to renew the ITIN if it will be included on a U.S. tax return filed in 2020.

Taxpayers who receive the notice after acting to renew their ITIN do not need to take further action unless another family member is affected. ITINs with middle digits of 70 through 82 have previously expired. Taxpayers with these ITINs can still renew at any time if they have not renewed already.

How To Renew An ITIN

Form W-7. To renew an ITIN, a taxpayer must complete a Form W-7 and submit all required documentation. Taxpayers submitting a Form W-7 to renew their ITIN are not required to attach a federal tax return. However, taxpayers must still note a reason for needing an ITIN on the Form W-7.

Family Option. Taxpayers with an ITIN that has middle digits 83, 84, 85, 86 or 87, as well as all previously expired ITINs, have the option to renew ITINs for their entire family at the same time. Those who have received a renewal letter from the IRS can choose to renew the family’s ITINs together, even if family members have an ITIN with middle digits that have not been identified for expiration. Family members include the tax filer, spouse and any dependents claimed on the tax return.

Spouses and dependents residing outside of the U.S.. If your spouse or dependent lives outside the U.S., they only need to renew their ITIN if filing an individual tax return, or if they qualify for an allowable tax benefit (e.g., a dependent parent who qualifies the primary taxpayer to claim head of household filing status.) In these instances, a federal return must be attached to the Form W-7 renewal application.

Important Reminders

As a reminder, the IRS no longer accepts passports that do not have a date of entry into the U.S. as a stand-alone identification document for dependents from a country other than Canada or Mexico, or dependents of U.S. military personnel overseas. The dependent’s passport must have a date of entry stamp, otherwise, additional documents are required to prove U.S. residency.

Federal tax returns that are submitted in 2020 with an expired ITIN will be processed. However, certain tax credits and any exemptions will be disallowed. Taxpayers will receive a notice in the mail advising them of the change to their tax return and their need to renew their ITIN. Once the ITIN is renewed, applicable credits and exemptions will be restored, and any refunds will be issued.

List of Preventive Care Benefits Expanded for HSAs

The list of medical care services for a range of chronic conditions allowed to be provided by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) was expanded effective July 17, 2019. These medical services and items are limited to the specific medical care services or items listed for chronic conditions including hypertension, congestive heart failure, osteoporosis, asthma, depression, liver disease, and diabetes. Any medical care previously recognized as preventive care for these rules is still treated as preventive care.

Individuals covered by an HDHP generally may establish and deduct contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) as long as they have no disqualifying health coverage. To qualify as a high deductible health plan, an HDHP generally may not provide benefits for any year until the minimum deductible for that year is satisfied. However, an HDHP is not required to have a deductible for preventive care (as defined for purposes of the HDHP/HSA rules).

The Treasury Department and the IRS, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, have determined that certain medical care services received, and items purchased, including prescription drugs, for certain chronic conditions should be classified as preventive care for someone with that chronic condition.

The expanded list includes (but is not limited to) beta-blockers, blood pressure monitors, inhaled corticosteroids, insulin, glucometers, Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) testing, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), and Statins.

Two New Tax Scams to Watch out For

Although the April filing deadline has come and gone, scam artists remain hard at work. As such, taxpayers should be on the lookout for scams that reference taxes or mention the IRS, especially during the summer and fall as tax bills and refunds arrive.

The two new variations of tax-related scams that are currently making the rounds are what the IRS has dubbed the “SSN Hustle” and the “Fake Tax Agency.” The first involves Social Security numbers (SSNs) related to tax issues and the second threatens people with a tax bill from a fictional government agency. Both display classic signs of being scams.

The SSN Hustle

The latest twist includes scammers claiming to be able to suspend or cancel the victim’s Social Security number. In this variation, the Social Security cancellation threat scam is similar to and often associated with the IRS impersonation scam. It is yet another attempt by con artists to frighten people into returning “robocall” voicemails. Scammers may mention overdue taxes in addition to threatening to cancel the person’s SSN.

Fake Tax Agency

This scheme involves the mailing of a letter threatening an IRS lien or levy. The lien or levy is based on bogus delinquent taxes owed to a non-existent agency, “Bureau of Tax Enforcement.” There is no such agency. The lien notification scam also likely references the IRS to confuse potential victims into thinking the letter is from a legitimate organization.

A Reminder about Phone and Email Phishing Scams

The IRS does not leave prerecorded, urgent or threatening messages. In many variations of the phone scam, victims are told if they do not call back, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. Other verbal threats include law-enforcement agency intervention, deportation or revocation of licenses.

Criminals can fake or “spoof” caller ID numbers to appear to be from anywhere in the country, including an IRS office. This prevents taxpayers from being able to verify the true caller ID number. Fraudsters also have spoofed local sheriff’s offices, state departments of motor vehicles, federal agencies, and others to convince taxpayers the call is legitimate.

The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.

There are, however, special circumstances when the IRS will call or come to a home or business. Examples of when this might occur include times when a taxpayer has an overdue tax bill, a delinquent tax return or a delinquent employment tax payment, or the IRS needs to tour a business as part of a civil investigation (such as an audit or collection case) or during a criminal investigation.

If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or a program closely linked to the IRS that is fraudulent, report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov. The Report Phishing and Online Scams page provides additional details.

Taxpayers should also note that the IRS does not use text messages or social media to discuss personal tax issues, such as those involving bills or refunds.

Who Can Represent You Before the IRS?

Many people use a tax professional to prepare their taxes. Anyone who prepares, or assists in preparing, all or substantially all of a federal tax return for compensation is required to have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). All enrolled agents must also have a valid PTIN.

If you choose to have someone prepare your federal tax return, then you should know who can represent you before the IRS if there is a problem with your return. Here’s what you should know:

Representation rights, also known as practice rights, fall into two categories:

Unlimited Representation
Limited Representation

Unlimited representation rights allow a credentialed tax practitioner to represent you before the IRS on any tax matter. This is true no matter who prepared your return. Credentialed tax professionals who have unlimited representation rights include:

Enrolled agents
Certified Public Accountants
Attorneys

Limited representation rights authorize the tax professional to represent you if, and only if, they prepared and signed the return. They can do this only before IRS revenue agents, customer service representatives and similar IRS employees. They cannot represent clients whose returns they did not prepare. They cannot represent clients regarding appeals or collection issues even if they did prepare the return in question.

For returns filed after December 31, 2015, the only tax return preparers with limited representation rights are Annual Filing Season Program Participants. The Annual Filing Season Program is a voluntary program. Non-credentialed tax return preparers who aim for a higher level of professionalism are encouraged to participate.

Other tax return preparers have limited representation rights, but only for returns filed before January 1, 2016. Keep these changes in mind and choose wisely when you select a tax return preparer.

Tax Deductions for Teachers and Educators

Educators can take advantage of tax deductions for qualified out-of-pocket expenses related to their profession such as classroom supplies, training, and travel. As such, as the new school year begins, teachers, administrators, and aides should remember to keep track of education-related expenses that could help reduce the amount of tax owed next spring.

Prior to tax reform, educators could choose one of two methods for deducting qualified expenses: Claiming the Educator Expense Deduction (up to $250) or, for those who itemized their deductions, claiming eligible work-related expenses as a miscellaneous deduction on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions.

Taxpayers should note, however, that under tax reform, miscellaneous itemized deductions are no longer deductible for tax years 2018 through 2025.

Teachers and other educators can also take advantage of various education tax benefits for ongoing educational pursuits such as the Lifetime Learning Credit or, in some instances depending on their circumstances, the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

How The Educator Expense Deduction Works

Educators can deduct up to $250 of unreimbursed business expenses. If both spouses are eligible educators and file a joint return, they may deduct up to $500, but not more than $250 each. The educator expense deduction is available even if an educator doesn’t itemize their deductions. To take advantage of this deduction, the taxpayer must be a kindergarten through grade 12 teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide for at least 900 hours during a school year in a school that provides elementary or secondary education as determined under state law.

Those who qualify can deduct costs of books, supplies, computer equipment and software, classroom equipment, and supplementary materials used in the classroom. Expenses for participation in professional development courses are also deductible. Athletic supplies qualify if used for courses in health or physical education.

Keep Good Records

Educators should keep detailed records of qualifying expenses noting the date, amount, and purpose of each purchase. This will help prevent a missed deduction at tax time. Taxpayers should also keep a copy of their tax return for at least three years. Copies of tax returns may be needed for many reasons. A tax transcript summarizes return information and includes adjusted gross income and are available free of charge from the IRS.

Credit Reports: What You Should Know

Creditors keep their evaluation standards secret, making it difficult to know just how to improve your credit rating. Nonetheless, it is still important to understand the factors that determine creditworthiness. Periodically reviewing your credit report can also help you protect your credit rating from fraud–and you from identity theft.

Credit Evaluation Factors

Many factors are used in determining credit decisions. Here are some of them:

Payment history/late payments
Bankruptcy
Charge-offs (Forgiven debt)
Closed accounts and inactive accounts
Recent loans
Cosigning an account
Credit limits
Credit reports
Debt/income ratios
Mortgages

Obtaining Your Credit Reports

Credit reports are records of consumers’ bill-paying habits, but do not include FICO credit scores. Also referred to as credit records, credit files, and credit histories, they are collected, stored, and sold by three credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that each of the three credit bureaus provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, every 12 months. If you have been denied credit or believe you’ve been denied employment or insurance because of your credit report, you can request that the credit bureau involved provide you with a free copy of your credit report – but you must request it within 60 days of receiving the notification.

You can check your credit report three times a year for free by requesting a credit report from a different agency every four months.

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

This federal law was passed in 1970 to give consumers easier access to, and more information about, their credit files. The FCRA gives you the right to find out the information in your credit file, to dispute information you believe inaccurate or incomplete, and to find out who has seen your credit report in the past six months.

Understanding Your Credit Report

Credit reports contain symbols and codes that are abstract to the average consumer. Every credit bureau report also includes a key that explains each code. Some of these keys decipher the information, but others just cause more confusion.

Read your report carefully, making a note of anything you do not understand. The credit bureau is required by law to provide trained personnel to explain it to you. If accounts are identified by code number, or if there is a creditor listed on the report that you do not recognize, ask the credit bureau to supply you with the name and location of the creditor so you can ascertain if you do indeed hold an account with that creditor.

If the report includes accounts that you do not believe are yours, it is extremely important to find out why they are listed on your report. It is possible they are the accounts of a relative or someone with a name similar to yours. Less likely, but more importantly, someone may have used your credit information to apply for credit in your name. This type of fraud can cause a great deal of damage to your credit report, so investigate the unknown account as thoroughly as possible.

In light of numerous credit card and other breaches, it is recommended that you conduct an annual review of your credit report. It is vital that you understand every piece of information on your credit report so that you can identify possible errors or omissions.

Disputing Errors

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) protects consumers in the case of inaccurate or incomplete information in credit files. The FCRA requires credit bureaus to investigate and correct any errors in your file.

If you find any incorrect or incomplete information in your file, write to the credit bureau and askthem to investigate the information. Under the FCRA, they have about thirty days to contact the creditor and find out whether the information is correct. If not, it will be deleted.

Be aware that credit bureaus are not obligated to include all of your credit accounts in your report. If, for example, the credit union that holds your credit card account is not a paying subscriber of the credit bureau, the bureau is not obligated to add that reference to your file. Some may do so, however, for a small fee.