Simpers Tax & Payroll Services

We have just been notified that the Federal refund process is running 1 - 2 weeks behind schedule. Please allow the additional time to the projected direct deposit or mailing date we gave you. You can also click on the "IRS Federal refund" under "where is my refund" section on the top right side of this page.

Here again, Shop Maryland Energy Tax-Free Weekend

This year, people can look forward to shopping for tax-free Energy Star appliances and products from Saturday,February 18 until Monday, February 20, 2012 in Maryland.

During the 2007 special session, the Maryland General Assembly enacted legislation providing for two annual tax-free periods, one in August on clothing and footwear and another in February on
Energy Star products.

Until the legislature revisits the issue, Shop Maryland Energy weekend will occur in perpetuity from the Saturday immediately preceding the third Monday in February until the third Monday of February.

During Shop Maryland ENERGY, the following qualifying Energy Star products are exempt from Maryland’s six percent sales tax.
• Air conditioners
• Clothes washers
• Furnaces
• Heat pumps
• Boilers
• Solar water heaters (tax-exempt at all times now)
• Refrigerators
• Dehumidifiers
• Programmable thermostats
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs

For more information about Shop Maryland ENERGY weekend, please visit our website at http://www.marylandtaxes.com/shopmd/default.asp.

Please click on link for information:

Protect yourself from identity theft--
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1107826134890-91/FS-12-07.pdf

A taxpayer's guide to identity theft--
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1107826134890-92/FS-12-08.pdf

Enrolled Agents - Who they are and what they do.

Q: What are Enrolled Agents?
A: Enrolled Agents are individuals licensed by the federal government to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. Enrollment dates back to 1884, when Congress acted to regulate persons who represented citizens in their dealings with the Treasury Department, after questionable claims had been presented for Civil War losses.

Q: What exactly do Enrolled Agents do?
A: Unlike lawyers or CPAs, Enrolled Agents specialize in taxation. Throughout the year they advise, represent and prepare returns for individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts and any entities with tax-reporting requirements. In California, for example, the more than 4,000 members of the California Society of Enrolled Agents prepare almost 2,000,000 tax returns each year. Enrolled Agents' expertise in the constantly changing field of tax law enables them to be effective representatives when taxpayers are audited by the IRS.

Q: How do Enrolled Agents differ from other tax experts?
A: Only Enrolled Agents are required to demonstrate competence in matters of taxation before they may represent a taxpayer. Also, they are the only representatives for taxpayers who receive that right from the U. S. government. (CPAs and attorneys are licensed by the states.) An individual may become an Enrolled Agent in one of two ways: The primary way is to pass a difficult, two-day examination given annually by the IRS. The test covers taxation of individuals, corporations, partnerships, estates, trusts, procedures and ethics. The other way is to have been an employee of the Internal Revenue Service for five years, regularly applying and interpreting the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations.

Q: Are there other requirements?
A: Over the years, an average of one-third of individuals taking the examination have passed, allowing them to apply for enrollment and subject themselves to a background investigation. In addition to the stringent testing and application process, Enrolled Agents are required to earn 72 hours of continuing professional education, reported every three years, to maintain their status. Because of the difficulty in becoming enrolled and maintaining that enrollment, there are fewer than 34,000 Enrolled Agents in the United States. In contrast, there are about 375,000 certified public accountants (CPAs) nationwide.

- you might not be able to renew your MD Driver's license. Please read

Summary of Key FATCA Provisions


The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), enacted in 2010 as part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, is an important development in U.S. efforts to combat tax evasion by U.S. persons holding investments in offshore accounts.

Under FATCA, certain U.S. taxpayers holding financial assets outside the United States must report those assets to the IRS. In addition, FATCA will require foreign financial institutions to report directly to the IRS certain information about financial accounts held by U.S. taxpayers, or by foreign entities in which U.S. taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest.

Reporting by U.S. Taxpayers Holding Foreign Financial Assets

FATCA requires certain U.S. taxpayers holding foreign financial assets with an aggregate value exceeding $50,000 to report certain information about those assets on a new form (Form 8938) that must be attached to the taxpayer’s annual tax return. Reporting applies for assets held in taxable years beginning after March 18, 2010. For most taxpayers this will be the 2011 tax return they file during the 2012 tax filing season. Failure to report foreign financial assets on Form 8938 will result in a penalty of $10,000 (and a penalty up to $50,000 for continued failure after IRS notification). Further, underpayments of tax attributable to non-disclosed foreign financial assets will be subject to an additional substantial understatement penalty of 40 percent.

Reporting by Foreign Financial Institutions

FATCA will also require foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”) to report directly to the IRS certain information about financial accounts held by U.S. taxpayers, or by foreign entities in which U.S. taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest. To properly comply with these new reporting requirements, an FFI will have to enter into a special agreement with the IRS by June 30, 2013. Under this agreement a “participating” FFI will be obligated to:

(1) undertake certain identification and due diligence procedures with respect to its accountholders;

(2) report annually to the IRS on its accountholders who are U.S. persons or foreign entities with substantial U.S. ownership; and

(3) withhold and pay over to the IRS 30-percent of any payments of U.S. source income, as well as gross proceeds from the sale of securities that generate U.S. source income, made to (a) non-participating FFIs, (b) individual accountholders failing to provide sufficient information to determine whether or not they are a U.S. person, or (c) foreign entity accountholders failing to provide sufficient information about the identity of its substantial U.S. owners.

Income from Abroad is Taxable


Many United States (U.S.) citizens and resident aliens receive income from foreign sources. There have been recent reports about the interest of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in taxpayers with accounts in Liechtenstein. The interest of the IRS, however, extends beyond accounts in Liechtenstein to accounts anywhere in the world. Consequently, the IRS reminds you to report your worldwide income on your U.S. tax return.

If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, you must report income from all sources within and outside of the U.S. This is true whether or not you receive a Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement, a Form 1099 (Information Return) or the foreign equivalents. See Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income for more information.

Additionally, if you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, the rules for filing income, estate and gift tax returns and for paying estimated tax are generally the same whether you are living in the U.S. or abroad.

Hiding Income Offshore

Not reporting income from foreign sources may be a crime. The IRS and its international partners are pursuing those who hide income or assets offshore to evade taxes. Specially trained IRS examiners focus on aggressive international tax planning, including the abusive use of entities and structures established in foreign jurisdictions. The goal is to ensure U.S. citizens and residents are accurately reporting their income and paying the correct tax.

Foreign Financial Accounts

In addition to reporting your worldwide income, you must also report on your U.S. tax return whether you have any foreign bank or investment accounts. The Bank Secrecy Act requires you to file a Form TD F 90-22.1, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), if:

You have financial interest in, signature authority, or other authority over one or more accounts in a foreign country, and
The aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year.
More information on foreign financial account reporting requirements is in News Release FS-2007-15, Foreign Financial Accounts Reporting Requirements and Publication 4261, Do You have a Foreign Financial Account?

Consequences for Evading Taxes on Foreign Source Income

You will face serious consequences if the IRS finds you have unreported income or undisclosed foreign financial accounts. These consequences can include not only the additional taxes, but also substantial penalties, interest, fines and even imprisonment.

Reporting Promoters of Off-Shore Tax Avoidance Schemes

The IRS encourages you to report promoters of off-shore tax avoidance schemes. Whistleblowers who provide allegations of fraud to the IRS may be eligible for a reward by filing Form 211, Application for Award for Original Information, and following the procedures outlined in Notice 2008-4, Claims Submitted to the IRS Whistleblower Office under Section 7623.

2012 mileage rates -

Business.......... 55.5 cents per mile
Medical/Moving.... 23.0 cents per mile
Charitable........ 14.0 cents per mile

Charitable mileage is set by Congress and cannot change without the approval of Congress.

2011 Mileage Rate Changes

Purpose....Rates 1/1 - 6/30/11..Rates 7/1 - 12/31/11

Business....51 cents per mile....55.5 cents per mile
Medical......19 cents per mile...23.5 cents per mile
Moving.......19 cents per mile...23.5 cents per mile
Charitable...14 cents per mile...14.0 cents per mile

IRS has launched IRS2Go, a smartphone application that lets you interact with the IRS using your mobile device. IRS2Go reflects IRS' commitment to help you get the information you need—whenever you need it, wherever you are.

Get Your Refund Status
You can check the status of your federal income tax refund using IRS2Go. Simply enter your Social Security number, which will be masked and encrypted for security purposes, then select your filing status and enter the amount of your anticipated refund from your 2010 tax return. If you e-file your return, you can check your refund status within a few days. If you file a paper tax return, you will need to wait three to four weeks to check your refund status because it takes longer to process a paper return.

Get Tax Updates
You can also use IRS2Go to subscribe to filing season tax updates by entering your e-mail address to automatically get daily tax tips. Tax Tips can help you with your tax planning and preparation needs. They are issued daily during the tax filing season and periodically during the rest of the year. The plain English updates cover topics such as free tax help, child tax credits, the Earned Income Tax Credit, education credits and other topics.

Follow the IRS
Finally, you can use IRS2Go to sign up to follow the IRS Twitter news feed, @IRSnews. IRSnews provides the latest federal tax news, including information about tax law changes and important IRS programs.

Download the IRS2Go App
If you have an Apple iPhone or iTouch, you can download the free IRS2Go app by visiting the iTunes app store. If you have an Android device, you can visit the Android Marketplace to download the free IRS2Go app.