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Author: Sandy Steinwedel
MSATP Headquarters has Moved to Columbia, Maryland!
MSATP has Moved!
We have moved from our previous location in Taneytown, Maryland, to Columbia, Maryland. Our new address is
10630 Little Patuxent Pkwy Ste 146
Columbia, MD 21044
Proposed Rules for Overtime Pay
The U.S. Department of Labor just released new proposed rules regulating who is eligible for overtime pay and it will have employers scrambling to determine how many of their workers will need to be reclassified when new regulations take effect. Currently, the salary threshold for an employee to be exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is $455 a week ($23,660 a year). That figure was last revised in 2004. The new proposed rule puts the floor at an estimated $970 a week ($50,440 a year). The regulations propose setting the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of weekly earnings for full-time salaried workers. The DOL estimates that the 2016 level will be approximately $970 per week. Following publication in the Federal Register, the proposed regulations will be up for public comment before the DOL issues final regulations.
National Harbor IRS Tax Forum
On July 7 and 8 Sandy Steinwedel, Rick Messenger and I represented the MSATP at the IRS Tax Forum. The site of the forum was the Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor near Washington, D.C. Many small firm and independent tax professionals expressed interested becoming MSATP members. Keeping up their skills and staying current with the latest events impacting their profession was the most prevalent reason for their interest. Over 10 new applications were received during the 2 days and several membership renewals. Events such as these are important not just for new members, but members who aspire to be informed, better at what they do and peer interaction. While the new state of MD regulations generated their interest initially (and kept Sandy pretty busy) many became engaged on another level. Especially once they were informed of the many benefits MSATP membership has to offer. The solo conference was a point of interest for at least 3 of the new members. The next time you are at an event or seminar make sure you introduce yourself and welcome these new members. We know that can make all the difference.
IRS Detects Massive Data Breach in “Get Transcript” Application
Last week the Internal Revenue Service warned of a huge data breach of its on-line “Get Transcript” application that allowed tax returns of approximately 104,000 taxpayers to be accessed by identity thieves.
Has anyone had a client who was touched by this issue?
Working with IRS during the 2014 Tax Season
Now that tax season is over you can step back and breathe a little easier for a couple of weeks. Then you will begin receiving calls from the clients that are on extension or you may begin calling them. In many cases you will be calling them until October 15th – your next week of craziness.
During these next couple of days of peace and quiet – I would like to hear how your interaction with the Internal Revenue Service worked out this filing season. After IRS Commissioner John Koskinen announced “only to call IRS as a last resort,” I had visions of the phone ringing constantly with tax questions from consumers who were not members or clients. Amazingly the phones were normal – Whew! Maybe this was just us, I have to wonder how others faired over the last four months?? Thoughts? Comments?
MSATP Website
So if you are like me, you are a busy professional who doesn’t have time to do everything that is competing for your attention. That said, I’m pretty excited about MSATP’s new website. Finally! Succinct seminar offerings right on the front page and easy online registration for courses. I love talking to Sandy and the staff at the MSATP office but I love the new website’s layout. Everything I need is right at my fingertips with the new easy to navigate format, where I can get the info and resources I need quickly. There is a Member Discounts section where I can get succinct information about the various discounts that are MSATP has negotiated for all members. There is savings on office expenses, shipping, and Verizon cellular services as well as tax research services, and IT Support. New on the website are:
- A discussion board where I can ask questions and get feedback from my colleagues
- Freecycle – a place to find used equipment that colleagues are letting go of – free.
- A Lunch and Learn section where I can drop in and listen to brief web presentations on relevant topics to the tax and accounting industry.
Overall I’m really happy with the new layout. Thanks MSATP for going the extra mile and making it easier to access and use my member benefits.
Appointment Service Test
In recent years, the IRS has been increasingly encouraging taxpayers to get the help they need through our website, IRS.gov. As the nation increasingly conducts business online, the IRS has seen strong growth in the use of services available on our website, particularly for taxpayers checking the status of their refunds, making payments or finding answers to their tax questions. Still, traffic in many Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs), particularly during the filing season, remains consistently more than IRS limited resources can support, forcing people to face lengthy wait times for help.
In order to more effectively use the expertise of IRS TAC employees, we will test delivering face-to-face service through an appointment process in a sample of TACs during this filing season. All taxpayers have been notified in advance. This test will help determine if an appointment-based service approach can improve efficiency and reduce taxpayer wait times particularly in this period of severe budget cuts. We are testing this program now during the high peak traffic period to better gauge the output of the testing and make adjustments for the needs of the taxpayers. The appointments will be beneficial to taxpayers who will know in advance that they can get the service they need without waiting. The first come, first served process currently in place cannot guarantee when or if a taxpayer can be helped. Taxpayers can often get the tax information they need or resolve a tax problem without having to call or visit an IRS office. Go to www.irs.gov for more information, and see service listing.
Please remember that taxpayers should always check IRS.gov for days and hours of service as well as services offered at the location they plan to visit by going to “Contact Your Local IRS Office.”