IR-2007-195: IRS Issues Fall 2007 Statistics of Income Bulletin

IRS Issues Fall 2007 Statistics of Income Bulletin

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today released the fall 2007 issue of the Statistics of Income Bulletin, featuring data from 134.4 million individual income tax returns filed for tax year 2005.

U.S. taxpayers reported $7.4 trillion of adjusted gross income less deficit in tax year 2005, up 9.3 percent from tax year 2004 when 132.2 million returns were filed.

Certain types of income posted strong gains between 2004 and 2005. Net capital gains climbed 41 percent and taxable interest rose 29.5 percent, while net partnership and S corporation income gained 27.3 percent.

Taxable income totaled $5.1 trillion in tax year 2005, up 10 percent from the prior year. Total income tax increased for a second straight year, rising 12.4 percent to $934.8 billion. Between tax years 2003 and 2004, total income tax rose 11.2 percent, the first increase in 4 years.

The alternative minimum tax (AMT) grew 33.7 percent between 2004 and 2005 to $17.4 billion. Four million taxpayers paid the AMT in 2005, compared to almost 3.1 million in tax year 2004.

This edition of the quarterly Bulletin also includes articles about:

* Growth trends in partnerships: Between tax years 2004 and 2005, the number of partnerships rose 8.5 percent to about 2.76 million. The number of partners increased just 4.2 percent to about 16.21 million in tax year 2005. Meanwhile, income rose at a much faster rate. Total partnership net income climbed 42 percent to $546.2 billion in tax year 2005.
* Municipal bond issuance: State and local governmental entities issued about $475 billion of tax-exempt bonds in calendar year 2005, up 11.9 percent from the prior year. Governmental bonds accounted for about three-quarters of the total, while private-activity bonds represented the remainder.
* A look at private foundations: The number of private foundations that filed Form 990-PF remained nearly the same between tax years 2003 and 2004, while the number of nonexempt charitable trusts treated as private foundations that filed the return increased by 12 percent. In tax year 2004, private foundations distributed $27.6 billion in contributions, gifts, and grants and other outlays for charitable purposes, while nonexempt charitable trusts distributed $314 million.
* Recent data on charities: For tax year 2004, nonprofit charitable organizations exempt from income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) filed more than 276,000 information returns, an increase of 5 percent from 2003. These organizations held more than $2.0 trillion in assets, a real increase of 5 percent from the previous year and 52 percent over the past decade.
* Corporate foreign tax credits: For tax year 2003, U.S. corporations claimed $50 billion in foreign tax credits. Corporations that claimed a foreign tax credit paid $140.5 billion in worldwide income taxes on $424.5 billion in worldwide taxable income.
* Historical data: The final article in the issue describes the availability and expansion of SOI's published corporate data between 1917 and today and presents some corporate data highlights within a historical context.

The Bulletin also includes historical data on income, deductions and tax reported on returns filed by individuals, corporations and unincorporated businesses, with selected data.

From the Tax Stats page, select "SOI Bulletins" under "Products, Publications, & Papers" and click on "Historical Tables and Appendix." Also on these pages are statistics presented on tax collections, including excise taxes by type, and refunds for recent years.

The Statistics of Income Bulletin is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. The annual subscription rate is $53 ($74.20 foreign), single issues cost $39 ($48.75 foreign).

For more information about these data, write the Director, Statistics of Income (SOI) Division, RAS:S, Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 2608, Washington, DC 20013-2608; call SOI's Statistical Information Services at (202) 874-0410; or fax, (202) 874-0964.

IR-2007-194: December’s Tax Talk Today Will Focus on Filing Season

December’s Tax Talk Today Will Focus on Filing Season

WASHINGTON — The 2008 filing season is right around the corner. December’s Tax Talk Today program, “Getting Ready for the Filing Season 2008: Part 1 (Individuals)”, on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007 at 2 p.m. will give tax professionals a head start and get preparers off on the right foot.

This annual filing season program focuses on individual tax return issues, such as changes to forms, the latest tax law changes and IRS processing issues that affect individual taxpayers. Tax preparers also will get tips on how to avoid common errors that can cost them and their clients time and money.

Panelists will be Kathleen Collins, principal of her own Savannah, Georgia-based tax practice, and president of the Georgia Association of Enrolled Agents; William Stevenson, president of National Tax Consultants, Inc., a tax preparation and taxpayer representation firm for individuals and businesses; Pamela J. Walker, IRS deputy director for Submission Processing at Cincinnati and Carole Barnette, IRS acting chief for Individual Tax Forms and Publications.

Tax Talk Today is a Webcast aimed at educating tax and payroll professionals on the most current and complex tax issues. Tax professionals are encouraged to watch and submit questions.

To access the Webcast at no charge, viewers can register online at www.TaxTalkToday.tv. Tax professionals in need of continuing education credits (CECs) are eligible to receive one CEC by viewing the Dec. 11 Webcast.

Archived shows are available on the site also, including the November broadcast “What’s Hot in Employment Taxes: Independent Contractor or Employee?”

NOTE: The next show will air on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008: “Getting Ready for Filing Season 2008 - Part 2 (Business)”, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

IR-2007-193: Interest Rates Drop for the First Quarter of 2008

Interest Rates Drop for the First Quarter of 2008

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today announced that interest rates for the calendar quarter beginning January 1, 2008, will drop by one percentage point. The new rates will be:

* seven (7) percent for overpayments [six (6) percent in the case of a corporation];
* seven (7) percent for underpayments;
* nine (9) percent for large corporate underpayments; and
* four and one-half (4.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal short-term rate based on daily compounding determined during October 2007.

Related Item: Revenue Ruling 2007-68 -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/a-07-114.pdf

IR-2007-192: IRS Announces 2008 Standard Mileage Rates; Rate for Business Miles Set at 50.5 Cents per Mile

IRS Announces 2008 Standard Mileage Rates; Rate for Business Miles Set at 50.5 Cents per Mile

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2008 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

* 50.5 cents per mile for business miles driven;
* 19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and
* 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

The new rate for business miles compares to a rate of 48.5 cents per mile for 2007. The new rate for medical and moving purposes compares to 20 cents in 2007. The rate for miles driven in service of charitable organizations has remained the same.

The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile; the standard rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs as determined by the same study. Runzheimer International, an independent contractor, conducted the study for the IRS.

The mileage rate for charitable miles is set by law.

A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS), after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle, for any vehicle used for hire or for more than four vehicles used simultaneously. Revenue Procedure 2007-70 contains additional information on these standard mileage rates.

Related link:

* RP-2007-70 -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-07-70.pdf

IR-2007-191: Honda Hybrid Begins Phase-Out on January 1

Honda Hybrid Begins Phase-Out on January 1

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that American Honda Motor Company, Inc, has submitted quarterly reports indicating that its cumulative sales of qualified vehicles to retail dealers reached the 60,000-vehicle limit during the calendar quarter ending Sept. 30, 2007.

Under the current tax law, the credit for buying a hybrid vehicle begins to phase out in the second calendar quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer sells its 60,000th hybrid or lean burn technology vehicle.

The credit for all new qualified hybrid passenger automobiles or light trucks manufactured by Honda will begin to phase out on Jan. 1, 2008.

Vehicles purchased before Jan. 1, 2008 qualify for the full credit. For Honda hybrid vehicles bought on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and on or before June 30, 2007, the credit is 50 percent of the otherwise allowable credit amount. Taxpayers buying vehicles on or after July 1, 2008, and on or before Dec. 31, 2008, can only get 25 percent of the credit.

Here are the credit amounts for Jan. 1, 2008, through June 30, 2008:

Honda Accord Hybrid AT, Model Year 2007 — $650
Honda Accord Hybrid Navi AT, Model Year 2007 — $650
Honda Civic Hybrid CVT, Model Year 2007 — $1,050
Honda Civic Hybrid CVT, Model Year 2008 — $1,050

Here are the credit amounts for July 1, 2008 – Dec. 31, 2008:

Honda Accord Hybrid AT, Model Year 2007 — $325
Honda Accord Hybrid Navi AT, Model Year 2007 — $325
Honda Civic Hybrid CVT, Model Year 2007 — $525
Honda Civic Hybrid CVT, Model Year 2008 — $525

Beginning Jan 1, 2009, taxpayers who buy a Honda hybrid cannot claim the related tax credit.

IR-2007-190: IRS Reminds Charities and Churches of Political Activity Ban

IRS Reminds Charities and Churches of Political Activity Ban

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded section 501(c)(3) organizations, including charities and churches that federal law prohibits them from becoming directly or indirectly involved in campaigns of political candidates.

The prohibition against political campaign activity has been in effect for more than half a century and bars certain tax-exempt organizations from engaging on behalf of or in opposition to political candidates. However, these organizations can engage in advocating for or against issues and, to a limited extent, ballot initiatives or other legislative activities.

“The political contests, especially for president, are starting earlier than usual. The IRS, as it has in the past, wants to remind charities and churches of the ban on political campaign activity. We also want to urge nonprofit and religious organizations to review the guidance we have issued to help them avoid any problems,” said Steven T. Miller, Commissioner of IRS’ Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division.

The IRS’ goal is to educate the leadership of these organizations to help them stay within the legal boundaries. In this regard, IRS Revenue Ruling 2007-41 outlines a number of scenarios to help charities and churches understand the ban on political campaign activity and actions that may arise.

In addition to the revenue ruling, the IRS has other helpful information for churches and charities on its website at www.irs.gov/eo. For example, IRS Publication 1828, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations, contains a discussion of the law affecting political campaign activity by churches and religious institutions.

Violation of the law can result in imposition of an excise tax or, in extreme cases, a loss of tax exempt status.

In June 2007, the IRS released its Report on the Political Activity Compliance Initiative for the 2006 election cycle. This report, PACI 2006, follows the report on prohibited political campaign intervention in the 2004 election cycle, which was issued in February 2006.

Related Items:

* Revenue Ruling 2007-41 -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-07-41.pdf
* Publication 1828 -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf
* Past PACI Reports -- http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=154622,00.html
* Charities, Churches and Educational Organizations - Political Campaign Initiative -- http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=155030,00.html

IR-2007-189: IRS Has $110 Million in Refund Checks Looking for a Home

IRS Has $110 Million in Refund Checks Looking for a Home

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 115,478 taxpayers who are due refund checks worth about $110 million after the checks were returned as undeliverable.

The refund checks, averaging about $953, can be claimed as soon as taxpayers update their addresses with the IRS. Some taxpayers have more than one check waiting.

“Taxpayers should not miss out on getting their money back,” said Richard Morgante, commissioner of the IRS Wage and Investment Division. ”The IRS makes it as easy as possible for taxpayers to update their addresses and claim their refunds.”

The “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov enables taxpayers to check the status of their refunds. A taxpayer must submit his or her social security number, filing status and amount of refund shown on their 2006 return. The tool will provide the status of their refund and in some cases provide instructions on how to resolve delivery problems.

Taxpayers can access a telephone version of “Where’s My Refund?” by calling 1-800-829-1954.

Most Refunds

The number of undeliverable refunds each year is a relatively small portion of all refunds returned to taxpayers. So far in 2007, the IRS has processed nearly 105 million refunds, totaling about $240 billion, either by mail or direct deposit.

In fact, undeliverable refunds account for less than one-tenth of one percent of all refunds, or about one in a thousand.

A refund check is normally returned as undeliverable when a taxpayer moves without updating his or her address with either the U.S. Postal Service or the IRS.

Telephone Tax Refund

The list of taxpayers due undeliverable refunds this year rose about 21 percent from 95,746 last year. The sharp increase is due in part to the Telephone Excise Tax Refund. The refund is a one-time payment available on 2006 federal income tax returns. It was designed to return to taxpayers previously collected long-distance telephone taxes. Individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations are eligible to request it.

Updating Your Address

Refund checks are mailed to a taxpayer’s last known address. Checks are returned to the IRS if a taxpayer moves without notifying the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service.

Taxpayers can update their addresses with the IRS on the “Where’s My Refund?” feature. Also, taxpayers checking on a refund will be prompted to provide an updated address if there is an undelivered check outstanding within the last 12 months. Taxpayers checking on a refund over the phone will be given instructions on how to update their addresses.

A taxpayer can also ensure the IRS has his or her correct address by filing Form 8822, Change of Address. Download the form from IRS.gov or request it by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).

Those who do not have access to the Internet and think they may be missing a refund should first check their records or contact their tax preparer, then call the IRS toll-free assistance line at 1-800-829-1040 to update their address.

Direct Deposit Can Stop Lost Refunds

Signing up for Direct Deposit can put an end to undelivered refunds, as well lost or stolen refund checks. Taxpayers can receive refunds directly into personal checking or savings accounts. Direct Deposit is available for filers of both paper and electronic returns. Taxpayers can sign up for direct deposit on their tax form.

Links:

* Want to hear more? Listen to an IRS interview on Undelivered Refunds(Editors: Download the .mp3 file to podcast from your Web site)
* Where's My Refund? -- http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html
* IRS Change of Address, Form 8822 -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8822.pdf

IR-2007-188: 2008 Nissan Altima Certified as Qualified Hybrid Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Certified as Qualified Hybrid Vehicle

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has acknowledged the certification by Nissan North America, Inc., that its 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid vehicle meets the requirements of the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit as a qualified hybrid motor vehicle.

The credit amount for the hybrid vehicle certification of the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid is $2,350.

The announcement comes after the IRS concluded its quarterly review of the number of hybrid vehicles sold. Nissan sold 2,627 qualifying vehicles to retail dealers in the quarter ending Sept. 30, 2007. This brings the total number of qualified hybrid vehicles sold to 7,849.

Original owners may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer records its sale of the 60,000th vehicle. For the second and third calendar quarters after the quarter in which the 60,000th vehicle is sold, taxpayers may claim 50 percent of the credit. For the fourth and fifth calendar quarters, taxpayers may claim 25 percent of the credit. No credit is allowed after the fifth quarter.

IR-2007-187: Plan Now to Get Full Benefit of Saver’s Credit; Tax Break Helps Low- and Moderate-Income Workers Save for Retirement

Plan Now to Get Full Benefit of Saver’s Credit; Tax Break Helps Low- and Moderate-Income Workers Save for Retirement

WASHINGTON — Low- and moderate-income workers can take steps now to save for retirement and earn a special tax credit in 2007 and the years ahead, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

The saver’s credit helps offset part of the first $2,000 workers voluntarily contribute to IRAs and to 401(k) plans and similar workplace retirement programs. Formally known as the retirement savings contributions credit, the saver’s credit is available in addition to any other tax savings that apply.

“We want low- and moderate-income workers to know about this valuable credit so they can effectively plan ahead and take full advantage of it,” said Richard J. Morgante, commissioner of the Wage and Investment Division of the IRS. “Now that a growing number of employers are automatically enrolling their employees in 401(k) plans, the saver’s credit offers many workers who save for retirement an added bonus.”

Eligible workers still have time to make qualifying retirement contributions and get the saver’s credit on their 2007 tax return. People have until April 15, 2008, to set up a new individual retirement arrangement or add money to an existing IRA and still get credit for 2007. However, elective deferrals must be made by the end of the year to a 401(k) plan or similar workplace program, such as a 403(b) plan for employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations, a governmental 457 plan for state or local government employees, and the Thrift Savings Plan for federal employees. Employees who are unable to set aside money for this year may want to schedule their 2008 contributions soon so their employer can begin withholding them in January.

The saver’s credit can be claimed by:

* Married couples filing jointly with incomes up to $52,000 in 2007 or $53,000 in 2008;
* Heads of Household with incomes up to $39,000 in 2007 or $39,750 in 2008; and
* Married individuals filing separately and singles with incomes up to $26,000 in 2007 or $26,500 in 2008.

Like other tax credits, the saver’s credit can increase a taxpayer’s refund or reduce the tax owed. Though the maximum saver’s credit is $1,000, $2,000 for married couples, the IRS cautioned that it is often much less and, due in part to the impact of other deductions and credits, may, in fact, be zero for some taxpayers.

A taxpayer’s credit amount is based on his or her filing status, adjusted gross income, tax liability and amount contributed to qualifying retirement programs. Form 8880 is used to claim the saver’s credit, and its instructions have details on figuring the credit correctly.

In 2005, the most recent year for which complete figures are available, saver’s credits totaling more than $900 million were claimed on nearly 5.3 million individual income tax returns. Saver’s credits claimed on these returns averaged $216 for joint filers, $149 for heads of household and $140 for single filers.

The saver’s credit supplements other tax benefits available to people who set money aside for retirement. For example, most workers may deduct their contributions to a traditional IRA. Though Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, qualifying withdrawals, usually after retirement, are tax-free. Normally, contributions to 401(k) and similar workplace plans are not taxed until withdrawn.

Other special rules that apply to the saver’s credit include the following:

* Eligible taxpayers must be at least 18 years of age.
* Anyone claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return cannot take the credit.
* A student cannot take the credit. A person enrolled as a full-time student during any part of 5 calendar months during the year is considered a student.
* Certain retirement plan distributions reduce the contribution amount used to figure the credit. For 2007, this rule applies to distributions received after 2004 and before the due date (including extensions) of the 2007 return. Form 8880 and its instructions have details on making this computation.

Begun in 2002 as a temporary provision, the saver’s credit was made a permanent part of the tax code in legislation enacted last year. To help preserve the value of the credit, income limits are now adjusted annually to keep pace with inflation. More information about the credit is on this Web site.

Related Item: Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590.pdf

IR-2007-186: 2008 Hybrids Certified As Tax Credit For Toyota and Lexus Comes to an End

2008 Hybrids Certified As Tax Credit For Toyota and Lexus Comes to an End

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service acknowledged the certification by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc., that several of its Model Year 2008 vehicles qualify for the hybrid vehicle tax credit. Only vehicles purchased prior to Oct. 1, 2007, qualify for a credit.

For purchases made April 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2007, the hybrid vehicle certifications recently acknowledged by the IRS and their credit amounts are:

* 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid — $787.50
* 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid — $650
* 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD — $650
* 2008 Lexus LS 600h L Hybrid — $450
* 2008 Lexus RX 400h 2WD and 4WD — $550

No credit is allowed for purchase of these vehicles after September 30, 2007.

The credit amounts reflect a decrease in the credit beginning on Oct. 1, 2006, as a result of the manufacturer’s having sold 60,000 qualified hybrid motor vehicles.

IR-2007-185: Another Record-Breaking Number of Taxpayers Choose to Electronically File in 2007

Another Record-Breaking Number of Taxpayers Choose to Electronically File in 2007

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service this year received nearly 80 million tax returns through e-file, breaking the record set last year.

The 2007 level is up about 9 percent from the 73 million returns filed for the same period last year. Of the 139.3 million returns filed in 2007, 79.98 million or about 57.4 percent were filed electronically.

“It was another record-breaking year for e-file,” said IRS Acting Commissioner Linda E. Stiff. “Paper returns continue to drop year after year. E-file is the safe, accurate way for more and more taxpayers to quickly complete their taxes and get a refund faster.”

Since 2001, the number of e-filed returns has almost doubled and over the past decade the number of e-filers has increased four-fold.

Year
Returns
Total E-file
Percent E-file

1997
121.5 million
19.2 million
15.8%

1998
123.8 million
24.6 million
19.9%

1999
125.9 million
29.3 million
23.3%

2000
128.4 million
35.4 million
27.6%

2001
131.0 million
40.2 million
30.7%

2002
131.7 million
46.9 million
35.6%

2003
131.6 million
52.9 million
40.2%

2004
132.2 million
61.5 million
46.5%

2005
134.0 million
68.5 million
51.1%

2006
136.1 million
73.3 million
53.8%



More than 22.6 million returns have been e-filed by taxpayers doing their own returns, up from 20.3 million from the same period last year. More than 57.4 million returns were e-filed by tax professionals, up from nearly 52.9 million last year.

Direct Deposit, IRS.gov also Set Records

Meanwhile, more people this year chose to have their tax refunds directly deposited than ever before. For the year to date, the IRS has directly deposited 61.4 million refunds, up 8 percent from last year.

The IRS Web site – IRS.gov – also experienced a record year. The IRS recorded 196.2 million visits to IRS.gov this year, a more than 10 percent increase from the 177.5 million visits for the same period last year.

IR-2007-184: IRS and States to Share Employment Tax Examination Results

IRS and States to Share Employment Tax Examination Results

WASHINGTON — Officials from the Internal Revenue Service and more than two dozen state workforce agencies today announced they have entered into agreements to share the results of employment tax examinations.

The agreements, part of the Questionable Employment Tax Practice (QETP) initiative, provide a centralized, uniform means for the IRS and state employment officials to exchange data, thereby leveraging resources and encouraging businesses to comply with federal and state employment tax requirements.

So far, 29 states have entered into individual information-sharing agreements with the IRS.

“These agreements present a united front for the IRS and its state partners to improve compliance in the employment tax arena,” said Kathy Petronchak, Commissioner of the IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division. “Combining resources will help IRS and the states reduce fraudulent filings, uncover employment tax avoidance schemes and ensure proper worker classification.”

“As the first state to sign a memorandum of understanding, Michigan has already begun to forge a much closer working relationship with the IRS, which has significantly increased the sharing of tax and audit information between the IRS and our unemployment insurance program,” said Keith W. Cooley, Director, Michigan Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth. “The exchange of data is helping to strengthen employer compliance with our unemployment insurance tax law by reducing the ability for some to manipulate the system, which burdens honest taxpaying employers with extra costs. Our objective is an unemployment tax system that is fair for all employers.”

"New York State is pleased to work with the IRS and other pilot states on the QETP initiative,” New York State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith said. “We are committed to the development of federal-state partnerships that are crucial to effective tax enforcement.”

California, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina all are part of the team that developed the strategy, and they were instrumental in helping make sure the agreements meet the needs of the participating states as well as the needs of the IRS.

The states that have signed partnership agreements with the IRS thus far are:

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

In addition to coordinating compliance activities, the agreements call for collaborative outreach and education activities designed to help businesses understand their employment and unemployment tax responsibilities.

The state agencies, the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, the Federation of Tax Administrators and the IRS worked together on various facets of the exchange agreements.

The exchange agreements are the first result of the QETP initiative. The QETP team will use the results of the project to find new opportunities for collaboration and to work toward improved employment tax compliance.

Related Fact Sheet: FS-2007-25 --

IR-2007-183: IRS Warns of E-mail Scam Soliciting Donations to California Wildfire Victims

IRS Warns of E-mail Scam Soliciting Donations to California Wildfire Victims

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers to be on the lookout for a new e-mail scam that appears to be a solicitation from the IRS and the U.S. government for charitable contributions to victims of the recent Southern California wildfires.

In an effort to appear legitimate, the bogus e-mails include text from an actual speech about the wildfires by a member of the California Assembly.

The scam e-mail urges recipients to click on a link, which then opens what appears to be the IRS Web site but which is, in fact, a fake. An item on the phony Web site urges donations and includes a link that opens a donation form which requests the recipient’s personal and financial information.

“People should exercise caution when they receive unsolicited e-mail or e-mail from senders they don’t know,” said Richard Spires, IRS Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support. “They should avoid opening any attachments or clicking on any links until they can verify the e-mail’s legitimacy.”

The bogus e-mails appear to be a “phishing” scheme, in which recipients are tricked into providing personal and financial information that can be used to gain access to and steal the e-mail recipient’s assets.

The IRS also believes that clicking on the link downloads malware, or malicious software, onto the recipient’s computer. The malware will steal passwords and other account information it finds on the victim's computer system and send them to the scamster.

Generally, scamsters use the data they fraudulently obtain to empty the recipient’s bank accounts, run up charges on the victim’s existing credit cards, apply for new loans, credit cards, services or benefits in the victim’s name or even file fraudulent tax returns to obtain refunds rightfully belonging to the victim.

The IRS does not send e-mails soliciting charitable donations. As a rule, the IRS does not send unsolicited e-mails or ask for personal and financial information via e-mail. The IRS never asks people for the PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

Recipients of the scam e-mail who clicked on any of the links should have their computers checked for malicious software and should monitor their financial accounts for suspicious activity, taking measures to prevent unauthorized access as necessary. Any unauthorized activity should be reported to law enforcement authorities and to the three major credit companies. More information on how to handle actual or potential identity theft may be found in IRS Publication 4535, Identity Theft Protection and Victim Assistance, available on the IRS Web site. Information is also available on the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft Web site.

Recipients of the scam e-mail can help the IRS shut down this scheme by forwarding the e-mail to an electronic mail box, phishing@irs.gov, using instructions found in “How to Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-Mails or Phishing Schemes” on this site. This mail box was established to receive copies of possibly fraudulent e-mails involving misuse of the IRS name, logo or Web site for investigation.

The IRS and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) work with the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and various Internet service providers and international CERT teams to have the phishing sites taken offline as soon as they are reported.

Since the establishment of the mail box last year, the IRS has received more than 30,000 e-mails from taxpayers reporting almost 600 separate phishing incidents. To date, investigations by TIGTA have identified almost 900 host sites in at least 55 different countries, as well as in the United States.

Recipients of questionable e-mails claiming to come from the IRS may also call TIGTA’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-366-4484.

The IRS has come across numerous schemes in which e-mails claim to come from the IRS. More information on these schemes may be found on the genuine IRS Web site, IRS.gov, by entering the term phishing in the search box.

IR-2007-182: IRS Announces New Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese Tax Glossaries To Assist Taxpayers

IRS Announces New Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese Tax Glossaries To Assist Taxpayers

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced five new publications to help foreign-language communities understand federal tax forms and publications that are written in English. These new glossaries of tax terminology will help meet increased demand for tax-related resources in languages other than English.

The five new publications are new versions of Publication 850 (names listed below) and are for Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, Russian and Vietnamese. A Spanish version was already available.

The Virtual Translation Office of the IRS helped create these glossaries of tax terminology to help taxpayers and the professionals who assist them. The publications were developed in cooperation with numerous professional translators and editors to establish uniformity in language usage in IRS tax products and to function as reference materials for these products.

Although the publications are not legal documents, the IRS hopes that these glossaries will be useful to members of the Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese communities in the United States in understanding IRS documents and clarifying tax-related issues.

The new publications are:

* Publication 850 (EN/CN-S), English-Chinese (Simplified) Glossary of Words and Phrases -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p850encs.pdf
* Publication 850 (EN/CN-T), English-Chinese (Traditional) Glossary of Words and Phrases -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p850enct.pdf
* Publication 850 (EN/KR), English-Korean Glossary of Words and Phrases -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p850enkr.pdf
* Publication 850 (EN/RU), English-Russian Glossary of Words and Phrases -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p850enru.pdf
* Publication 850 (EN/VN), English-Vietnamese Glossary of Words and Phrases -- http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p850envn.pdf