The 2022 Tax Filing Season – IRS News Your Audiences Need To Know
TAX SEASON IS OPEN! HERE’S HOW TO GET YOUR REFUND
QUICKLY
EMS Staff
Tax season officially opened Jan. 24, but early birds will have to
wait for refunds until March, as the Internal Revenue Service is
barred from issuing payments before Feb. 15.
“It is our intent that filing is as smooth and easy as possible. We
want to make certain that consumers are getting all the credits
and refunds they are eligible to receive,” said IRS Commissioner
Chuck Rettig, at a Jan. 28 briefing hosted by Ethnic Media
Services.
Rettig strongly recommended filing electronically, and using
direct deposit so that funds are deposited directly to a bank
account. Paper returns have the greatest number of delays, he
said. Refunds are usually issued 21 days after the tax return has
been processed, but not before Feb. 15.
Tax returns and payments are due by April 18, and the IRS is not
considering extensions this year, as it did for the past two years
during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For those hoping to avoid costly online tax filing portals, the IRS
recommends using the free file program at:
https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-fr
ee. The service is available to those with Adjusted Gross
Incomes of under $73,000.
For those lacking broadband access, the IRS offers another
service: the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, also
known as VITA. The service is available to those who earn less
than $58,000 annually, seniors or people with disabilities, and
people with limited English skills. Services are offered in 350
languages, either by phone or by going into a local IRS office.
Several VITA sites are located at community centers.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for
-qualifying-taxpayers
Rettig advised those availing of free services to only use sites
from irs.gov, to avoid scams.
Ken Corbin, Wage and Investment Division Commissioner
and Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer at the IRS, noted at the
briefing that multiple changes have been made to the Earned
Income Tax Credit program, allowing more people to avail of its
benefits. For families without children, the benefit has almost
tripled from a maximum of $529 for the 2020 tax season, to
$1502 this year.
The credit has also been raised for families with children; one
qualifying child allows for a maximum credit of $3,733,
provided that household income is under $43,492. two
qualifying children allow for a maximum of $6,164, provided
household income is under $49, 399.
Families with three or more children with an annual income
below $53,000 can receive a maximum credit of $6,935.
The minimum age to qualify for EITC has been lowered from 25
to 18, said Corbin, adding that minors who have aged out of
foster care or experiencing homelessness can now also qualify
for the credit.
People who have investment income under $10,000 and meet
the household income guidelines may also qualify for EITC this
year, said Corbin.
He noted that the Economic Impact Payments sent out last year
to individuals earning less than $72,000 are not considered
taxable income, but must nonetheless be reported on your tax
return.
Both Rettig and Corbin noted the large number of scams,
stemming from people who represented themselves as IRS
agents. “The IRS will not call you by phone without a notice in
advance. Don’t accept a text, a call, especially if they ask for
bank info or to pay with a gift card. That is a scam,” cautioned
Corbin.
Consumers can read about the most-prolific IRS scams at
https://irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen
Corbin said the agency defines its success when “we meet our
taxpayers in the communities where they live and to expand
options and choices.”
To meet that goal, the IRS is hiring, especially those who speak
a language other than English. Job seekers can search for open
positions at the agency usajobs.gov.