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Relief for Other Coronavirus-related Tax Issues

09/14/2020

Relief for taxpayers facing the challenges of COVID-19-related tax issues is now available through the IRS People First initiative. The projected start date will be April 1 and the effort will initially run through July 15, 2020. During this period, to the maximum extent possible, in-person contact will be avoided; however, the IRS will continue to take steps where necessary to protect all applicable statutes of limitations.

Some of the highlights affecting taxpayers include:

Installment Agreements

Existing Installment Agreements. For taxpayers under an existing Installment Agreement, payments due between April 1 and July 15, 2020, are suspended. Taxpayers who are currently unable to comply with the terms of an Installment Payment Agreement, including a Direct Deposit Installment Agreement, may suspend payments during this period if they prefer. Furthermore, during this period, Installment Agreements will not be defaulted on. By law, interest will continue to accrue on any unpaid balances.

New Installment Agreements. Taxpayers unable to fully pay their federal taxes can resolve outstanding liabilities by entering into a monthly payment agreement with the IRS. Please contact the office if you need assistance with this.

Offers in Compromise (OIC)

Several steps are available to assist taxpayers in various stages of the OIC process:

  • Pending OIC applications – Taxpayers have until July 15, 2020 to provide requested additional information to support a pending OIC. In addition, any pending OIC request before July 15, 2020, will not be closed without the taxpayer’s consent.
  • OIC Payments – Taxpayers have the option of suspending all payments on accepted OICs until July 15, 2020, although by law interest will continue to accrue on any unpaid balances.
  • Delinquent Return Filings – The IRS will not default an OIC for those taxpayers who are delinquent in filing their tax return for tax year 2018. However, taxpayers should file any delinquent 2018 return (and their 2019 return) on or before July 15, 2020.
  • New OIC Applications – Taxpayers facing a liability that exceeds their net worth can resolve outstanding tax liabilities through “Fresh Start.” Don’t hesitate to call if you have questions about this.

Non-Filers

If you have not filed a return for tax years before 2019, it is in your best interest to file any delinquent returns as you may be owed a refund. More than 1 million households that haven’t filed tax returns during the last three years are actually owed refunds and there is still time to claim these refunds. Once delinquent returns have been filed, anyone with a tax liability should consider taking the opportunity to resolve any outstanding liabilities by entering into an Installment Agreement or an Offer in Compromise with the IRS to obtain a “Fresh Start.” Please call if you need help filing delinquent tax returns.

Field, Office and Correspondence Audits

During this period, generally, no new field, office and correspondence examinations will be started and the IRS will continue to work refunding claims where possible. New examinations may be started, however, where deemed necessary to protect the government’s interest in preserving the applicable statute of limitations.

In-Person Meetings. In-person meetings regarding current field, office, and correspondence examinations will be suspended. Even though IRS examiners will not hold in-person meetings, they will continue their examinations remotely, where possible. Taxpayers are encouraged to respond to any requests for information they already have received – or may receive – on all examination activity during this period if they can do so.

Unique Situations. There may be instances – particularly for some corporate and business taxpayers – where the taxpayers desire to begin an examination while people and records are available and respective staff are available.

General Requests for Information. In addition to compliance activities and examinations, taxpayers are encouraged to respond to any other IRS correspondence requesting additional information during this time if possible.

Help is Just a Phone Call Away

Specific information about the implementation of these provisions is forthcoming; however, if you have any questions or if any of these situations affect you, please call.

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frequently asked questions

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    • a. A Virtual CFO can be a much-needed sounding board, coach, and guide. Outsourced Virtual CFO is generally not just one person, but an experienced team of professionals providing a full-stack Accounting and Finance Department at a fraction of the cost that it would otherwise cost a business to hire even just one full-time CFO internally. The right virtual CFO service team, such as the one at Perpetual CPA, can deliver timely, detailed, comprehensive financial reporting, interpret the financial data, prioritize recommendations, give expert guidance on how to execute those recommendations, and ultimately give a better path to business success.
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    • a. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) do a lot more than just crunch numbers and prepare taxes. They provide valuable expertise and strategies to help businesses and individuals achieve their business and financial goals. A CPA firm can help small businesses with management financial reporting, tax compliance, strategic business advice, and much more. Firms like Perpetual CPA, that specialize in helping small and medium-sized businesses achieve growth, can also provide Virtual CFO services, that help the business owners have the foresight into the short-term future cashflows and be able to more successfully navigate their business performance.
  • What are the best strategies for small business growth?
    • a. A business growth strategy is, simply, a plan of how a business gets from where it is today to where it wants to be in the future.

      b. Some of the questions to consider when coming up with a growth strategy are:
      i. Where will the business get new customers from?
      ii. How will the business expand into new markets?
      iii. What new products could the business offer?

      c. In reality, what happens with many small businesses, is that they generally achieve a specific level of business activity or sales and then the business growth trend flattens. In those cases, working with a firm like Perpetual CPA, which provides Virtual CFO services, can help small businesses avoid stagnation. Virtual CFO services, aside from providing timely accounting and tax reporting, can also provide valuable insight into the current performance of the business, as well as, foresight into the future cash flows for the business. Perpetual CPA Virtual CFO team helps small businesses interpret their financial information and come up with business strategies to help improve business performance and achieve growth.
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  • What is Strategic Advisory and Virtual CFO? / How do Strategic Advisory and Virtual CFO services work?
    • a. When small businesses start spinning wheels, it is a good time to consider hiring a reputable CPA firm, such as Perpetual CPA, which can provide both Strategic Advice and Virtual CFO services.

      b. As a strategic advisor, the CPA firm will work with business management to improve the effectiveness and profitability of the business. They will look holistically at the business and find ways to operate the business more efficiently, increase customers through additional or improved marketing or improve customer touchpoints and service.

      c. As a Virtual CFO, the CPA firm is like a part-time version of a traditional CFO or Chief Financial Officer plus a full Accounting support team. They perform the tasks that in a larger organization would be performed by the CFO, Controller, and Accounting Staff such as preparing and overseeing the budget process, identifying and analyzing current and future trends, and developing strategies for the business growth.
  • How can timely financial visibility and management reporting help with better business decisions and growth?
    • a. A simple way to a successful business is to prioritize the timely financial visibility and management reporting as it means:
      i. Timely financial information and analysis are essential for making informed decisions, evaluating your company’s results, improving financial performance, and ensuring you are on the path to meet your strategic goals.
      ii. Management reporting is a source of business intelligence that helps business leaders make more accurate, data-driven decisions. But, these reports are most useful if they are available timely and the management receives proper interpretation of the business financial information.

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