Tax Tips for the Self-Employed
February 2, 2012
Washington, D.C. – There are many benefits that come from being your own boss. If you work for yourself, as an independent contractor, or you carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor, you are generally considered to be self-employed.
The IRS would like you to know about six self-employment and self- employment tax tips. [Read more]
Governor Bill Haslam asks Tennesseans to ‘Believe in Better’
January 30, 2012
Governor delivers State of the State Address and Unveils Balanced Budget Proposal
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam tonight delivered his 2012 State of the State address before a joint session of the General Assembly in which he shared his vision for the state and called upon those watching and listening to “Believe in Better.”
“We can believe in better for how state government serves Tennesseans,” Haslam said. “We can believe in better when it comes to the education of our children, and we can believe in better when we talk about a stronger, healthier economy for our state.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam delivered his State of the State address on January 30th.
Internal Revenue Service Offers Lower-Income Workers Two Tax Benefits
January 28, 2012
Nashville, TN – The Internal Revenue Service today alerted Tennesseans about two significant tax benefits that are sometimes missed.
“The IRS offers options that can boost your tax refund and let you avoid paying a tax preparation fee,” said IRS spokesman Dan Boone.
First, those who worked some part of 2011 but made less than $49,078 may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which can increase tax refunds by as much as $5,751. Workers with qualifying children get the highest amount of EITC. [Read more]
Federal Tax Information Aplenty through Social Media
January 23, 2012
Washington, D.C. – Using the latest technologies, the Internal Revenue Service offers multiple avenues for you to get tax information. If you have a smartphone, we have an app! If you like to watch videos from your phone or computer, we have dozens of helpful YouTube videos…and, of course, follow us on Twitter.
Check out how the IRS delivers the latest tax information, initiatives, products and services through social media.
Social Media List
- IRS2Go The IRS recently launched a smartphone application that allows you interact with the IRS using your mobile device. Our app can help you get your refund status and tax updates. IRS2Go is available for the iPhone or iTouch and the Android.
- YouTube The IRS offers short, informative videos on an assortment of tax-related topics through our YouTube Video channel. The videos are offered in English, American Sign Language and a variety of foreign languages.
- Twitter IRS tweets include tax-related announcements, news for tax professionals and updates for job seekers. Follow us @IRSnews.
- Audio files for podcasts These short audio recordings provide useful information on one tax-related topic per podcast. They are available on iTunes or through the Multimedia Center on IRS.gov (along with their transcripts).
- Widgets These tools, which can be placed on websites, blogs or social media networks, direct others to IRS.gov for information. The widgets feature the latest tax initiatives and programs and can be found on Marketing Express, the marketing site that allows IRS partners and tax preparers to customize their IRS communications products.
- RSS Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, is an easy way to gather a wide variety of content in one place on your computer. The IRS now offers RSS feeds. RSS, is an easy way to get the news you want whenever it is updated, even if you are not on our website.
Keep in mind that the IRS uses these tools to share information with you. Do not post any confidential information on new or social media sites, especially your Social Security number. The IRS will not be able to answer personal tax or account questions through any of these services.
To find links to all of IRS’s social media tools, visit www.irs.gov and click on “Social Media.”
Links:
Everyone is Eligible to Free File
January 22, 2012
Washington, D.C. – Everyone can prepare and e-file their federal tax returns for free using the IRS Free File Program. Free File is offered through a public-private partnership between the Internal Revenue Service and tax software companies. Free File can help you do your taxes fast; it’s safe and it doesn’t cost anything.
Free File offers two options: easy-to-use software or online fillable forms. [Read more]
Make it Easy on Yourself: Choose the Simplest Tax Form
January 21, 2012
Washington, D.C. – If you’re among the taxpayers who still file a paper return, the IRS reminds you that it no longer mails paper tax packages, a step the agency took after continued growth in electronic filing, the availability of free options and as a way to reduce costs.
If you’re e-filing, the software will choose the best form for you, but if you’re taking pencil to paper, make it as simple as possible by choosing the simplest tax form for your situation. [Read more]
Tennessee Unemployment Rate was 8.7 Percent for December
January 21, 2012
Rate Drops 0.4 Percentage Point From November
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Karla Davis announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for December fell to 8.7 percent, down from the November revised rate of 9.1.
The national unemployment rate for December 2011 was 8.5 percent, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the November rate.
Top Tips Every Taxpayer Should Know about Identity Theft
January 20, 2012
Washington, D.C. – Identity theft often starts outside of the tax administration system when someone’s personal information is unfortunately stolen or lost. Identity thieves may then use a taxpayer’s identity to fraudulently file a tax return and claim a refund. In other cases, the identity thief uses the taxpayer’s personal information in order to get a job.
The legitimate taxpayer may be unaware that anything has happened until they file their return later in the filing season and it is discovered that two returns have been filed using the same Social Security number. [Read more]
Internal Revenue Service Offers Several Reasons to File Your Tax Return Electronically
January 19, 2012
Washington, D.C. – IRS e-file: It’s safe. It’s easy. It’s time. Most taxpayers—nearly 80 percent– file electronically. If you haven’t tried it, now is the time! The IRS has processed more than 1 billion individual tax returns safely and securely since the nationwide debut of electronic filing in 1990.
In fact, last year, 112 million people – 78 percent of all individual taxpayers – used IRS e-file to electronically transmit their tax returns to the IRS. The number of people who use a paper tax return or who mail a tax return dwindles each year – and for good reason. [Read more]
Internal Revenue Service e-file Launches Today
January 17, 2012
Taxpayers Can File Free
Nashville, TN – The Internal Revenue Service opened the 2012 electronic tax return filing season today with a reminder that e-file remains the best way to get fast refunds and ensure accurate tax returns, and that e-filing can be free for everyone through the IRS Free File program at www.IRS.gov.
In Tennessee, about 83 percent of all tax returns received by the IRS in 2011 were e-filed. More than 880,000 of returns that were e-filed were self-prepared by taxpayers using their own computers. [Read more]
