WASHINGTON − As people across the country file their 2020 tax returns, some are claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC). The IRS is mailing letters to some taxpayers who claimed the 2020 credit and may be getting a different amount than they expected. 

It’s important to remember that the first and second Economic Impact Payments (EIP) were advance payments of the 2020 credit. Most eligible people already received the first and second payments and shouldn't or don’t need to include this information on their 2020 tax return.

People who didn’t receive a first or second EIP or received less than the full amounts may be eligible for the 2020 RRC. They must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit, even if they don’t usually file a tax return.

When the IRS processes a 2020 tax return claiming the credit, the IRS determines the eligibility and amount of the taxpayer’s credit based on the 2020 tax return information and the amounts of any EIP previously issued. If a taxpayer is eligible, it will be reduced by the amount of any EIPs already issued to them.

If there’s a mistake with the credit amount on Line 30 of the 1040 or 1040-SR, the IRS will calculate the correct amount, make the correction and continue processing the return. If a correction is needed, there may be a slight delay in processing the return and the IRS will send the taxpayer a letter or notice explaining any change.

Taxpayers who receive a notice saying the IRS changed the amount of their 2020 credit should read the notice. Then they should review their 2020 tax return, the requirements and the worksheet in the Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR instructions. 

Here are some common reasons the IRS corrected the credit:

IRS.gov has a special section - Correcting Recovery Rebate Credit issues after the 2020 tax return is filed – that provides additional information to explain what errors may have occurred. Taxpayers who disagree with the IRS calculation should review their letter as well as the questions and answers for what information they should have available when contacting the IRS.

The Internal Revenue Service urges people who have not yet filed their 2020 tax return to properly determine their eligibility for the 2020 before they file their 2020 tax returns. To calculate any credit due, start with the amount of any EIPs received. Use the RRC Worksheet or tax preparation software. Taxpayers who didn’t save or didn’t receive  an IRS letter or notice can securely access their individual tax information with an IRS online account.

Anyone with income of $72,000 or less can file their Federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS Free File Program. The fastest way to get a tax refund which will include your 2020 RRC is to file electronically and have it direct deposited  into their financial account. Bank accounts, many prepaid debit cards and several mobile apps can be used for direct deposit when a routing and account number are provided. If using a prepaid debit card, check with the financial institution to ensure the card can be used and to obtain the routing number and account number, which may be different from the card number.

For more information, visit IRS.gov.RRC and the frequently asked questions by topic.

WASHINGTON – Unclaimed income tax refunds worth more than $1.3 billion await an estimated 1.3 million taxpayers who did not file a 2017 Form 1040 federal income tax return, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

“The IRS wants to help taxpayers who are due refunds but haven’t filed their 2017 tax returns yet,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Time is quickly running out for these taxpayers. There’s only a three-year window to claim these refunds, and the window closes on May 17. We want to help people get these refunds, but they will need to quickly file a 2017 tax return.”

The IRS estimates the midpoint for the potential refunds for 2017 to be $865 — that is, half of the refunds are more than $865 and half are less.

In cases where a federal income tax return was not filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity to claim a tax refund. If they do not file a tax return within three years, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. For 2017 tax returns, the window closes May 17, 2021, for most taxpayers. The law requires taxpayers to properly address, mail and ensure the tax return is postmarked by that date.

The IRS reminds taxpayers seeking a 2017 tax refund that their checks may be held if they have not filed tax returns for 2018 and 2019. In addition, the refund will be applied to any amounts still owed to the IRS or a state tax agency and may be used to offset unpaid child support or past due federal debts, such as student loans.

By failing to file a tax return, people stand to lose more than just their refund of taxes withheld or paid during 2017. Many low- and moderate-income workers may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). For 2017, the credit was worth as much as $6,318. The EITC helps individuals and families whose incomes are below certain thresholds. The thresholds for 2017 were:

Current and prior year tax forms (such as the tax year 2017 Form 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ) and instructions are available on the IRS.gov Forms and Publications page or by calling toll-free 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Taxpayers who are missing Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 for the years 2017, 2018 or 2019 should request copies from their employer, bank or other payer. Taxpayers who are unable to get missing forms from their employer or other payer can order a free wage and income transcript at IRS.gov using the Get Transcript Online tool. Alternatively, they can file Form 4506-T to request a wage and income transcript. A wage and income transcript shows data from information returns received by the IRS, such as Forms W-2, 1099, 1098, Form 5498 and IRA contribution information. Taxpayers can use the information from the transcript to file their tax return.

First-time filers and EIP eligible
The IRS reminds first-time filers and those who usually don’t have a federal filing requirement that they must file a 2020 tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC), if they were eligible but did not receive the first or second Economic Impact Payment (EIP), or received less than the full amounts. The IRS offers free options to prepare and file a return at How to File on IRS.gov. Taxpayers who received the full amounts of both EIPs cannot claim the RRC and should not include any information about the payments on their 2020 tax return.

State-by-state estimates of individuals who may be due 2017 income tax refunds

State or	Estimated	Median	Total
District	Number of	Potential	Potential
	Individuals	Refund	Refunds*
Alabama	21,700	$848	$21,542,300
Alaska	5,000	$960	$5,527,400
Arizona	32,900	$766	$30,655,500
Arkansas	12,600	$811	$12,150,900
California	132,800	$833	$129,793,500
Colorado	27,000	$813	$26,020,400
Connecticut	13,200	$928	$13,945,100
Delaware	5,200	$853	$5,254,600
District of Columbia	3,600	$878	$3,765,500
Florida	89,600	$870	$89,767,400
Georgia	46,300	$791	$44,234,300
Hawaii	7,600	$913	$7,827,400
Idaho	6,200	$727	$5,572,300
Illinois	49,000	$901	$50,355,300
Indiana	30,800	$894	$31,291,100
Iowa	13,500	$922	$13,851,800
Kansas	13,400	$865	$13,313,500
Kentucky	17,700	$875	$17,612,600
Louisiana	21,700	$837	$21,659,900
Maine	5,300	$853	$5,158,000
Maryland	26,700	$872	$27,241,700
Massachusetts	28,000	$978	$30,469,100
Michigan	43,100	$863	$43,189,300
Minnesota	20,400	$808	$19,400,200
Mississippi	11,800	$776	$11,087,800
Missouri	30,500	$831	$29,778,200
Montana	4,400	$808	$4,255,500
Nebraska	7,200	$853	$6,982,000
Nevada	15,500	$845	$15,310,600
New Hampshire	5,900	$968	$6,391,000
New Jersey	34,200	$924	$35,778,700
New Mexico	9,000	$837	$8,913,100
New York	66,700	$956	$71,361,600
North Carolina	43,500	$837	$42,307,200
North Dakota	3,600	$958	$3,779,100
Ohio	48,700	$852	$47,892,500
Oklahoma	19,800	$869	$19,890,300
Oregon	21,200	$765	$19,733,900
Pennsylvania	50,900	$931	$52,861,200
Rhode Island	3,600	$921	$3,792,500
South Carolina	16,800	$768	$15,740,900
South Dakota	3,600	$912	$3,665,500
Tennessee	27,100	$851	$26,534,100
Texas	133,000	$904	$138,355,200
Utah	11,100	$771	$10,251,900
Vermont	2,600	$852	$2,505,200
Virginia	36,600	$827	$36,159,900
Washington	36,900	$928	$38,924,900
West Virginia	6,400	$946	$6,769,600
Wisconsin	18,900	$798	$17,759,900
Wyoming	3,100	$944	$3,273,400
Totals	1,345,900	$865	$1,349,654,800

* Excluding cred

Notice 2021-23 provides guidance on the employee retention credit provided under Section 2301 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, as amended by section 207 of the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, for qualified wages paid after December 31, 2020, and before July 1, 2021.  Notice 2021-23 amplifies Notice 2021-20 and provides employers with guidance on how to determine their eligibility for and the amount of the employee retention credit they may claim for the first and second calendar quarters of 2021.

Notice 2021-23 will be in IRB:  2021-16, dated April 19, 2021.

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance for employers claiming the Employee Retention Credit under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) modified by the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 (Relief Act).

Notice 2021-23 explains the changes to the Employee Retention Credit for the first two calendar quarters of 2021, including:

As a result of the changes made by the Relief Act, eligible employers can now claim a refundable tax credit against the employer share of Social Security tax equal to 70% of the qualified wages they pay to employees after Dec. 31, 2020, through June 30, 2021. Qualified wages are limited to $10,000 per employee per calendar quarter in 2021. Thus, the maximum employee retention credit available is $7,000 per employee per calendar quarter, for a total of $14,000 for the first two calendar quarters of 2021.

Employers can access the Employee Retention Credit for the 1st and 2nd calendar quarters of 2021 prior to filing their employment tax returns by reducing employment tax deposits. Small employers (i.e., employers with an average of 500 or fewer full-time employees in 2019) may request advance payment of the credit (subject to certain limits) on Form 7200, Advance of Employer Credits Due to Covid-19, after reducing deposits. In 2021, advances are not available for employers larger than this.  Further details on how to calculate and claim the employee retention credit for the first two calendar quarters of 2021 can be found in Notice 2021-23.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, enacted March 11, 2021, the Employee Retention Credit is available to eligible employers for wages paid during the third and fourth quarters of 2021. The Department of the Treasury and the IRS will provide further guidance on the Employee Retention Credit available under the ARPA.

Additional coronavirus relief information for businesses is available on IRS.gov.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced it is seeking civic-minded volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP).

The TAP is a federal advisory committee that listens to taxpayers, identifies major taxpayer concerns and makes recommendations for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction.

Taxpayers interested in serving on the panel may apply between April 5 and May 14.

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins recently expressed her appreciation for the contributions of TAP volunteers to improve the experience of U.S. taxpayers. “I am grateful to these citizens for volunteering their time and talent to the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel,” she said. “I am very proud of the accomplishments of the TAP last year, and I look forward to the TAP bringing its valuable taxpayer perspective in recommending changes to tax administration to achieve the quality service that taxpayers expect and deserve.”

The TAP reports annually to the Secretary of the Treasury, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and the National Taxpayer Advocate. The Office of the Taxpayer Advocate is an independent organization within the IRS that provides support for and oversight of the TAP.

To the extent possible, the TAP includes members from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and one member representing international taxpayers. Each member is appointed to represent the interests of taxpayers in his or her geographic location as well as taxpayers overall. For the TAP, "international taxpayers" are broadly defined to include U.S. citizens working, living, or doing business abroad or in U.S. territories.

The TAP is seeking members in the following locations: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, International, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

The panel is seeking alternates in the following locations: Alabama, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Federal advisory committees are required to have a balanced membership in terms of viewpoints represented. As such, applicants from under-represented groups, such as Native Americans and non-tax professionals, are particularly encouraged to apply. All timely applications, however, will be given consideration.

New TAP members will serve a three-year term starting in December 2021. Applicants chosen as alternate members will be considered to fill any vacancies that open in their areas during the next three years.

To be a member of the TAP, a person must be a U.S. citizen, be current with his or her federal tax obligations, be able to commit 200 to 300 volunteer hours during the year and pass a Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background check. Members cannot be federally registered lobbyists. Current Department of the Treasury or IRS employees cannot serve on the panel, and former Department of the Treasury or IRS employees and former TAP members must have a three-year separation from their service to be considered for appointment. Tax practitioner applicants must be in good standing with the IRS (meaning not currently under suspension or disbarment).

For additional information about the TAP or the application process, visit www.improveirs.org or call 888-912-1227 (a toll-free call) and select prompt number five. Callers outside the U.S. may call 214-413-6523 (not a toll-free call) or email the TAP staff at taxpayeradvocacypanel@irs.gov.

A video is available with more information about the TAP and about how to contribute to this dynamic group of volunteers.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced they are disbursing several million more payments in the third batch of Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan. This brings the total disbursed so far to more than 130 million payments worth approximately $335 billion.

As announced on March 12, Economic Impact Payments continue to roll out in batches to millions of Americans. The third batch of payments began processing on Friday, March 26, with an official payment date of March 31, with some people receiving direct payments in their accounts earlier as provisional or pending deposits. Here is additional information on this batch of payments:

For the first two batches of payments (which began processing on March 12 and March 19), payments were primarily sent to eligible taxpayers who filed 2019 or 2020 returns. People who don't typically file a return but who successfully used the Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov last year were also sent payments in these first two batches, either as a direct deposit or by paper check or an EIP Card, a prepaid debit card.

Starting Friday, a large set of payments will begin going to Social Security and other federal beneficiaries who didn’t file a 2020 or 2019 tax return and didn’t use the Non-Filers tool last year. These payments will go to Social Security retirement, survivor or disability (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) beneficiaries. As announced previously, these payments will begin to be issued this weekend, with the projection that the majority of these payments will be sent electronically and received on April 7.

No action is needed by most people to obtain this round of Economic Impact Payments. People can check the Get My Payment tool on IRS.gov on to see if the their payment has been scheduled. The IRS notes that the Get My Payment tool on IRS.gov will not be updated until the weekend of April 3-4 with information for Social Security and other federal beneficiaries expecting payments next week.

The IRS continues to review data received for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit recipients and expects to determine a payment date and provide more details soon. Currently, the IRS estimates that Economic Impact Payments for VA beneficiaries who do not regularly file tax returns could be disbursed by mid-April. VA beneficiary payment information will be available in the Get My Payment tool at a future date.

Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return

Some federal benefits recipients may need to file a 2020 tax return, even if they don't usually file, to provide information the IRS needs to send payments for any qualified dependent. Eligible individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return to be considered for an additional payment for their qualified dependent as quickly as possible.

People who don't normally file a tax return and don't receive federal benefits may qualify for these Economic Impact Payments. This includes those experiencing homelessness, the rural poor, and others. For those eligible individuals who didn't get a first or second Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts, they may be eligible for the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit, but they’ll need to file a 2020 tax return. See the special section on IRS.gov: Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return.

Free tax return preparation is available for qualifying people.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that the income levels in this new round of Economic Impact Payments have changed. This means that some people won't be eligible for the third payment even if they received a first or second Economic Impact Payment or claimed a 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit. Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000 or above in Adjusted Gross Income ($150,000 for married filing jointly). The payments end at $80,000 for individuals ($160,000 for married filing jointly); people with Adjusted Gross Incomes above these levels are ineligible for a payment.

Individuals can check the Get My Payment tool on IRS.gov to see the payment status of these payments. Additional information on Economic Impact Payments is available on IRS.gov.

WASHINGTON – To help taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service announced today that it will take steps to automatically refund money this spring and summer to people who filed their tax return reporting unemployment compensation before the recent changes made by the American Rescue Plan.

The legislation, signed on March 11, allows taxpayers who earned less than $150,000 in modified adjusted gross income to exclude unemployment compensation up to $20,400 if married filing jointly and $10,200 for all other eligible taxpayers. The legislation excludes only 2020 unemployment benefits from taxes.

Because the change occurred after some people filed their taxes, the IRS will take steps in the spring and summer to make the appropriate change to their return, which may result in a refund. The first refunds are expected to be made in May and will continue into the summer.

For those taxpayers who already have filed and figured their tax based on the full amount of unemployment compensation, the IRS will determine the correct taxable amount of unemployment compensation and tax. Any resulting overpayment of tax will be either refunded or applied to other outstanding taxes owed.

For those who have already filed, the IRS will do these recalculations in two phases, starting with those taxpayers eligible for the up to $10,200 exclusion. The IRS will then adjust returns for those married filing jointly taxpayers who are eligible for the up to $20,400 exclusion and others with more complex returns.
 
There is no need for taxpayers to file an amended return unless the calculations make the taxpayer newly eligible for additional federal credits and deductions not already included on the original tax return.

For example, the IRS can adjust returns for those taxpayers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and, because the exclusion changed the income level, may now be eligible for an increase in the EITC amount which may result in a larger refund. However, taxpayers would have to file an amended return if they did not originally claim the EITC or other credits but now are eligible because the exclusion changed their income.

These taxpayers may want to review their state tax returns as well.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 23 million U.S. workers nationwide filed for unemployment last year. For the first time, some self-employed workers qualified for unemployed benefits as well. The IRS is working to determine how many workers affected by the tax change already have filed their tax returns.

The new IRS guidance also includes details for those eligible taxpayers who have not yet filed.

The IRS has worked with the tax return preparation software industry to reflect these updates so people who choose to file electronically simply need to respond to the related questions when electronically preparing their tax returns. See New Exclusion of up to $10,200 of Unemployment Compensation for information and examples. For others, instructions and an updated worksheet about the exclusion were available in March and posted to IRS.gov/Form 1040. These instructions can assist taxpayers who have not yet filed to prepare returns correctly.

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today announced that individuals have until May 17, 2021 to meet certain deadlines that would normally fall on April 15, such as making IRA contributions and filing certain claims for refund.

This follows a previous announcement from the IRS on March 17, that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year was extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021.  Notice 2021-21 provides details on the additional tax deadlines which have been postponed until May 17.

Time to make contributions to IRAs and health savings accounts extended to May 17
In extending the deadline to file Form 1040 series returns to May 17, the IRS is automatically postponing to the same date the time for individuals to make 2020 contributions to their individual retirement arrangements (IRAs and Roth IRAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), Archer Medical Savings Accounts (Archer MSAs), and Coverdell education savings accounts (Coverdell ESAs).  This postponement also automatically postpones to May 17, 2021, the time for reporting and payment of the 10% additional tax on amounts includible in gross income from 2020 distributions from IRAs or workplace-based retirement plans.  Notice 2021-21 also postpones the due date for Form 5498 series returns related to these accounts to June 30, 2021. 

2017 unclaimed refunds – deadline extended to May 17
For tax year 2017 Federal income tax returns, the normal April 15 deadline to claim a refund has also been extended to May 17, 2021. The law provides a three-year window of opportunity to claim a refund.  If taxpayers do not file a return within three years, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. The law requires taxpayers to properly address, mail and ensure the tax return is postmarked by the May 17, 2021, date.

Additionally, foreign trusts and estates with federal income tax filing or payment obligations, who file Form 1040-NR, now have until May 17, 2021.

2021 AFSP deadline postponed to May 17
Tax preparers interested in voluntarily participating in the Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP) for calendar-year 2021 now have until May 17, 2021 to file their application with the Internal Revenue Service. The normal due date is April 15.

Details on this extension are in Notice 2021-21, posted on IRS.gov. For more information about the Annual Filing Season Program, visit the Tax Pros page on IRS.gov.

Estimated tax payment due April 15
Notice 2021-21, issued today does not alter the April 15, 2021, deadline for estimated tax payments; these payments are still due on April 15. Taxes must be paid as taxpayers earn or receive income during the year, either through withholding or estimated tax payments. In general, estimated tax payments are made quarterly to the IRS by people whose income isn't subject to income tax withholding, including self-employment income, interest, dividends, alimony or rental income. Most taxpayers automatically have their taxes withheld from their paychecks and submitted to the IRS by their employer.

Updates regarding tax relief as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can be found at IRS.gov.

Announcement 2021-6 issued pursuant to § 521(b) of Pub. L. 106-170, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report annually to the public concerning advance pricing agreements (APAs) and the Advance Pricing and Mutual Agreement Program (APMA Program), formerly known as the Advance Pricing Agreement Program (APA Program). This twenty-second report describes the experience, structure, and activities of the APMA Program during calendar year 2020.

Announcement 2021-6 will be in IRB: 2021-15, dated 04/12/2021.

IRS explains student and higher education institution reporting requirements, credits and deductions

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service issued frequently asked questions today on how students and higher education institutions should report pandemic-related emergency financial aid grants.

Students
Emergency financial aid grants made by a federal agency, state, Indian tribe, higher education institution or scholarship-granting organization (including a tribal organization) to a student because of an event related to the COVID-19 pandemic are not included in the student’s gross income. 

Also, students should not reduce an amount of qualified tuition and related expenses by the amount of an emergency financial aid grant. If students used any portion of the grants to pay for qualified tuition and related expenses on or before December 31, 2020, they may be eligible to claim a tuition and fees deduction or the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit on their 2020 tax return. See Education FAQs.

The tuition and fees deduction is not available for tax years beginning after December 31, 2020. For additional information on these credits and the tuition and fees deduction, see Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.

Higher Education Institutions
Because students don’t include emergency financial aid grants in their gross income, higher education institutions are not required to file or furnish Forms 1099-MISC reporting the grants made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) or the COVID-related Tax Relief Act (COVID Relief Act) and do not need to report the grants in Box 5 of Form 1098-T. 

But any amounts that qualify for the tuition and fees deduction or the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit are considered “qualified tuition and related expenses” and trigger the reporting requirements of Internal Revenue Code section 6050S.  Higher education institutions must include qualified tuition and related expenses paid by emergency financial aid grants awarded to students in Box 1 of Form 1098-T.