WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers that organizing tax records is an important first step for getting ready to prepare and file their 2020 tax return.

Taxpayers should keep all necessary records, such as W-2s, 1099s, receipts, canceled checks and other documents that support an item of income, or a deduction or credit, appearing on their tax return.

Taxpayers should develop a system that keeps all their important information together, which could include a software program for electronic records or a file cabinet for paper documents in labeled folders. Having records readily at hand makes preparing a tax return easier.

To avoid refund delays, taxpayers should be sure to gather all year-end income documents so they can file a complete and accurate 2020 tax return.

Most taxpayers will receive income documents near the end of January including:

View IRS account online
Taxpayers can view their online account allowing them to access the latest information available about their federal tax account and most recently filed tax return through a secure and convenient tool on IRS.gov. This can help taxpayers if they need information from last year’s return.

Additionally, in the coming weeks, individuals with an account on IRS.gov/account will be able to view the amounts of the Economic Impact Payments they received as well as the latest information available about their federal tax account. Eligible individuals who did not receive the full amounts of both Economic Impact Payments may claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 federal tax return. In order to claim the full amount of the Recovery Rebate Credit, taxpayers will need to know the amount of the Economic Impact Payments received. 

Visit Secure Access: How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools for more information about how to create an account or how to reset the username or password.

Remember unemployment compensation is taxable
Millions of Americans received unemployment compensation in 2020, many of them for the first time. This compensation is taxable and must be included as gross income on their tax return.

Taxpayers can expect to receive a Form 1099-G showing their unemployment income. Taxpayers can elect to have federal taxes withheld from their unemployment benefits or make estimated tax payments, but many do not take these options. In that case, taxes on those benefits will be paid when the 2020 tax return is filed. Therefore, taxpayers who did not have tax withheld from their payments may see a smaller refund than expected or even have a tax bill.

Individuals who receive a Form 1099-G for unemployment compensation they did not receive should contact their state tax agency and request a corrected Form 1099-G. States should not issue Forms 1099-Gs to taxpayers they know to be victims of identity theft involving unemployment compensation.

Taxpayers who are victims of identity theft involving unemployment compensation should not file an identity theft affidavit with the IRS.

Individuals can find more details on taxable unemployment compensation in Tax Topic 418, Unemployment Compensation, or in Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income, on IRS.gov.

Taxpayers can use 2019 income for Earned Income Tax Credit 
For taxpayers with income less than $56,844 in 2020, they may be eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. The EITC Assistant, available in English and Spanish, can help determine who is eligible. The EITC is as much as $6,660 for a family with children or up to $538 for taxpayers who do not have a qualifying child.

And this tax season, there’s a new rule that can help people impacted by a job loss or change in income in 2020. Under the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, taxpayers may elect to use their 2019 earned income to figure the credit if their 2019 earned income is more than their 2020 earned income. The same is true for the Additional Child Tax Credit. For details, see the instructions for Form 1040 or Publication 596, Earned Income Credit.

Electronic Filing makes filing easy
The best way to file a complete and accurate return is to file electronically and there are several options for doing this – some at no cost. Visit irs.gov/filing for more details about IRS Free File, Free File Fillable Forms, Free tax preparation sites or by finding a trusted tax professional. Free File is a great option for people who are only filing a tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, either because they didn’t receive an Economic Impact Payment or did not receive the full amount.

Use IRS.gov
IRS tax help is available 24 hours a day on IRS.gov, the official IRS website, where people can find answers to tax questions and resolve tax issues online from the safety of their home. The Let Us Help You page helps answer most tax questions, and the IRS Services Guide links to other important IRS services.

Today, the IRS published the latest executive column, “A Closer Look,” which features Jim Clifford, Deputy Project Director, Taxpayer First Act-Customer Service Strategy, discussing improving underserved taxpayer interactions with the IRS. “Our ultimate goal is to provide high-quality, personalized service to everyone, no matter where they live, what their background is, or what language they speak,” said Clifford. Read more here. Read the Spanish version here.

“A Closer Look” is a column from IRS executives that covers a variety of timely issues of interest to taxpayers and the tax community. It also provides a detailed look at key issues affecting everything from IRS operations and employees to issues involving taxpayers and tax professionals.

Check here for prior posts and new updates.

Please contact newsroom@irs.gov for any questions or requests for interviews.

Notice 2021-13 provides partnerships with relief from certain penalties due to the inclusion of incorrect information in reporting their partners' beginning capital account balances on the 2020 Schedules K-1 (Form 1065) and the 2020 Schedules K-1 (Form 8865) as outlined in the 2020 Instructions for Form 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income.  This notice also provides relief from accuracy-related penalties for any taxable year for the portion of an imputed underpayment attributable to the inclusion of incorrect information in a partner’s beginning capital account balance reported by a partnership for the 2020 taxable year. 

Notice 2021-13 will appear in IRB 2021-6, dated Feb. 8, 2021.

Notice 2021-10 provides additional relief under section 7508A of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for qualified opportunity funds (QOFs) and their investors in response to the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.  This notice also provides additional relief pursuant to section 1400Z-2(f)(3) and Income Tax Regulations under section 1400Z-2 of the Code (section 1400Z 2 regulations).  Specifically, this notice extends the relief for QOFs and their investors provided by Notice 2020-39, 2020-26 I.R.B. 984.

Notice 2021-10 will appear in IRB 2021-6, dated Feb. 8, 2021.

WASHINGTON − The Internal Revenue Service today released Notice 2021-11 addressing how employers who elected to defer certain employees’ taxes can withhold and pay the deferred taxes throughout 2021 instead of just the first four months of the year.

In response to a presidential memorandum signed Aug. 8, 2020, Notice 2020-65 was issued on Aug. 28, 2020, giving employers the option to defer certain employees’ Social Security taxes from Sept. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020. This applied to employees paid less than $4,000 every two weeks, or an equivalent amount for other pay periods, with each pay period considered separately. The taxes, which are technically called Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, or OASDI, are calculated at 6.2% of employees’ wages.

Any taxes deferred under Notice 2020-65 are withheld and paid ratably from employee wages between Jan. 1, 2021, until April 30, 2021. However, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, signed into law December 27, extended the period that the deferred taxes are withheld and paid ratably. The period is now for the entire year − from Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021. Notice 2021-11 makes changes to Notice 2020-65 to reflect this extended period. Payments made by Jan. 3, 2022, will be considered timely because Dec. 31, 2021, is a legal holiday. Penalties, interest and additions to tax will now start to apply on Jan. 1, 2022, for any unpaid balances

Employees could see their deferred taxes being collected immediately. Employees should check with their organization’s payroll point of contact on what their collection schedule will be.

Additional tax relief related to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on IRS.gov.

Notice 2021-11 provides that the end date of the period during which employers must withhold and pay the deferred taxes is postponed from April 30, 2021, to December 31, 2021, and associated interest, penalties, and additions to tax for late payment with respect to any unpaid deferred taxes will begin to accrue on January 1, 2022, rather than on May 1, 2021. As required by section 274 of the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, which was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, on December 27, 2020, this notice modifies Notice 2020 65 by extending the time period during which employers must withhold and pay certain taxes that were deferred under Notice 2020-65.  

Notice 2021-11 will be in IRB:  2021-6, dated February 8, 2021.

Notice 2021-06 waives the requirement to file certain information returns and furnish certain payee statements pursuant to section 279 of the COVID-related Tax Relief Act.  The waiver applies to Form 1099 series information returns for specified grants, payments, subsidies and loan forgiveness excludible from income under various COVID-19 relief acts.  The notice does not waive information reporting requirements to file and furnish Forms 1098 and 1098-T with respect to those amounts.

Notice 2021-06 will be in IRB 2021-6, dated Monday 02/08/2021.

Revenue Ruling 2021-04 provides various prescribed rates for federal income tax purposes including the applicable federal interest rates, the adjusted applicable federal interest rates, the adjusted federal long-term rate, and the adjusted federal long-term tax-exempt rate. These rates are determined as prescribed by § 1274. 
The rates are published monthly for purposes of sections 42, 382, 412, 642, 1288, 1274, 7520, 7872, and various other sections of the Internal Revenue Code.

Revenue Ruling will be in IRB:  2021-06, dated February 8, 2021.

Notice 2021-09 provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates used under § 417(e)(3), and the 24-month average segment rates under § 430(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.  In addition, this notice provides guidance as to the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities under § 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate under § 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I), as reflected by the application of § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv). 

Notice 2021-09 will be in IRB:   2021-5, dated February 1, 2021.

Notice 2021-08 provides a waiver of the addition to tax under § 6654 for underpayment of estimated income tax by individual taxpayers, where the underpayment is attributable to the amendment to § 461(l)(1)(B) made by the CARES Act.  The relief, which is not automatic, applies only for the purpose of calculating installments of estimated income tax of an affected individual taxpayer that were due on or before July 15, 2020, with respect to the taxable year that began during 2019. 

Notice 2021-08 will be in IRB:  2021-6, dated 02/08/2021.

Notice 2021-12 extends the temporary relief from certain requirements under § 42 for qualified low-income housing projects and under §§ 142(d) and 147(d) for qualified residential rental projects that was provided in Notice 2020-53, 2020-30 I.R.B. 151 in response to the continuing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.  This notice also provides relief for additional § 42 requirements not previously addressed in Notice 2020-53.

Notice 2021-12 will be in IRB:  2021-6, dated February 8, 2021.