Tax Time Guide and Creating an IRS Online Account

Have you heard about the IRS’s Tax Time Guide? For those who may not know, it is an online resource to help taxpayers with filing accurate tax returns while also answering frequently asked questions regarding any significant changes that may affect tax returns. This guide is updated throughout the tax filing season on an annual and periodic basis to provide information to taxpayers when submitting their tax returns to the IRS.

Other benefits of referring to the IRS’s Tax Time Guide is determining if there are any significant changes in deductions or credits for the tax filing year. In 2024, for example, there was a change in the maximum Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) amount which increased to $1,700 for each qualifying child. The Standard Deduction amount also increased for all filers which changed as follows: Single or Married filing separately ($14,600), Head of Household ($21,900) and Married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse ($29,200). For more information on changes for the 2024 tax year, check out the IRS’s Tax Time Guide 2025: Essentials needed for filing a 2024 tax return.

In preparation for filing your tax return(s), do not forget to gather and collect all tax documents before filing. This will help taxpayers avoid delays in processing, errors, corrections, and potential tax liabilities that could be minimized if filing accurately. The ability to safely examine your tax data, payment history, and other important information to expedite the tax preparation process and find any eligible deductions or credits is one of many advantages of setting up an IRS Online Account.

If you have any questions regarding your tax return(s) or received a notice from the IRS, FTB, EDD or any other regulatory agency, please call or email Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, to setup a consultation with our firm.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, is comprised of former IRS litigators & Special Agents, and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division, which at the time handled both civil tax lawsuits and criminal tax prosecutions on behalf of the United States of America.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office) 

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified attorney, accountant or financial advisor for specific guidance related to your circumstances.

2025 Second Quarter Interest Rate Update: IRS Makes No Changes

Interest rates will not change for the calendar quarter starting April 1, 2025, according to a statement released by the Internal Revenue Service this past Monday.

The annual compound interest rate for overpayments and underpayments for individuals will be 7%. The full list of the updated rates is as follows:

• 7% for overpayments (payments made more than the amount owed), 6% for corporations.


• 4.5% for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.


• 7% for underpayments (taxes owed but not fully paid).


• 9% for large corporate underpayments.

The rate of interest is set quarterly in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. The federal short-term rate plus three percentage points is the overpayment and underpayment rate for taxpayers that are not reporting as a “Corporation”.

For Corporations, the federal short-term rate plus three percentage points is often the underpayment rate, while the federal short-term rate plus two percentage points is the overpayment rate. The federal short-term rate plus five percentage points is the rate for underpayments by large corporations. The federal short-term rate plus  one-half (0.5) of a percentage point is the rate applied to the portion of a corporate overpayment of taxes that exceeds $10,000 for a taxable period.

The interest rates announced Monday are computed from the federal short-term rate determined during January 2025. See the revenue ruling for details. Revenue Ruling 2025-7 PDF announcing the rates of interest, is attached and will appear in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-13, dated March 24, 2025. Stay tuned for more information.

To find out more about how Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, could help you or your business with tax litigation and strengthen your defense strategies, we invite you to set up a  consultation with our firm.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, is comprised of former IRS litigators & Special Agents, and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division, which at the time handled both civil tax lawsuits and criminal tax prosecutions on behalf of the United States of America.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office) 

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified attorney, accountant or financial advisor for specific guidance related to your circumstances.

 

IRS Releases Over 6,000 Employees Ahead of Tax Season

About 6,700 probationary IRS employees, or nearly 7% of the agency's workforce, were let go by the current administration on February 20, 2025, according to multiple sources. Probationary staff in the Chief Counsel's Office will not be impacted as reported by Bloomberg Tax. Being probationary indicates that they were either new to the IRS or had been promoted and/or transferred to a different role.

With more than 3,500 employees discharged within IRS, the Small Business and Self-Employed Unit seems to be the most impacted because of this change. This reduction in workforce aims to conclude the previous Administration’s plan to expand the IRS where it’s focus was to scrutinize the work performed by the small business and self-employed unit, which has since been mostly revoked or suspended and previously funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

It has been reported that these workforce terminations were announced internally on February 20, 2025, and went into effect on February 21, 2025. These employee reductions come in addition to recent losses from employees accepting a voluntary termination offer. The IRS workforce reductions are heavily weighted on the enforcement side and will gut IRS efforts to increase audit activity. It is also possible that taxpayer services may be affected by such reductions. These layoffs occurring ahead of tax season are meant to shrink the federal work force as probationary positions were determined as unnecessary for this year’s tax filing season.

Please reach out to our firm if you need legal tax assistance. Until then, we will continue to closely monitor these drastic changes and report on any new information as it becomes available.

To find out more about how Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, could help you or your business with tax litigation and strengthen your defense strategies, we invite you to set up a  consultation with our firm.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, is comprised of former IRS litigators & Special Agents, and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division, which at the time handled both civil tax lawsuits and criminal tax prosecutions on behalf of the United States of America.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC.

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office) 

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified attorney, accountant or financial advisor for specific guidance related to your circumstances.

 

IRS and Tax-Exempt Entities: Interpreting Listed Transactions

The IRS and Tax-Exempt and Government Entities division are in charge of defining and issuing regulations on how taxpayers disclose certain transactions when filing tax returns which require taxpayers to include Form 8886 (disclosure statement) as part of their return.  Failure to disclose such reportable transactions may result in penalties and interest for the taxpayer if not abiding by such regulations. It is incumbent upon such qualifying tax-exempt taxpayers to review Form 8886 instructions and pay special attention to all IRS notices and/or published guidance which may affect the tax-exempt entities’ remedial efforts to correct discrepancies when using Employee Plans for tax-favored reasons to provide retirement benefits to employees.

 

Read more about what not to do when utilizing the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) as provided by the IRS when identifying what could be considered a “listed transaction” for purposes of tax avoidance. This self-correction tool also provides for the opportunity to correct the errors without IRS involvement, correction with IRS involvement/approval and correction of audit closing agreements under Audit CAP.

 

To find out more about how Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, could help you or your business with tax litigation and strengthen your defense strategies, we invite you to set up a  consultation with our firm.

 

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, is comprised of former IRS litigators & Special Agents, and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division, which at the time handled both civil tax lawsuits and criminal tax prosecutions on behalf of the United States of America.

 

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

 

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office) 

 

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

California Disaster Notice Updated

On January 10, 2025, the IRS issued a notice granting relief to victims of wildfires and straight-line winds that began on January 7, 2025, in parts of California was updated by the IRS on February 11, 2025, to clarify that qualified wildfire relief payments made to Los Angeles County taxpayers affected by the disaster that are not covered by insurance or other reimbursements would be excluded from income, even if these payments are made by nonprofit organizations or other non-governmental entities.  The details of the notice state:

 

These taxpayers now have until October 15, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

 

Following the disaster declaration issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), individuals and households that reside or have a business in Los Angeles County, qualify for tax relief. The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. For instance, certain deadlines falling on or after January 7, 2025, and before October 15, 2025, are granted additional time to file.

 

As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until October 15, 2025, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.

The October 15, 2025, deadline applies to individual income tax returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025. This relief also applies to the 2024 estimated tax payment normally due on January 15, 2025, and estimated tax payments normally due on April 15, June 16, and September 15, 2025. Penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after January 7, 2025, and before January 22, 2025, will be abated as long as the tax deposits are made by January 22, 2025.

 

The October 15, 2025, deadline also applies to affected businesses:

 

• Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on January 31, April 30, and July 31, 2025.


• Calendar-year partnership and S corporation returns normally due on March 17, 2025.


• Calendar-year corporation and fiduciary returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025.


• Calendar-year tax-exempt organization returns normally due on May 15, 2025.

 

If an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original filing, payment or deposit due date that falls within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the telephone number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.

 

The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area should call the IRS disaster hotline at 866-562-5227 to request this tax relief.

 

Covered disaster area

 

The locality listed above constitutes a covered disaster area for purposes of Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(d)(2) and are entitled to the relief detailed below.

 

Affected taxpayers

 

Taxpayers considered to be affected taxpayers eligible for the postponement of time to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts are those taxpayers listed in Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(d)(1), and include individuals who live, and businesses (including tax-exempt organizations) whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Taxpayers not in the covered disaster area, but whose records necessary to meet a deadline listed in Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(c) are in the covered disaster area, are also entitled to relief. In addition, all relief workers affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization assisting in the relief activities in the covered disaster area and any individual visiting the covered disaster area who was killed or injured as a result of the disaster are entitled to relief.

 

Under section 7508A, the IRS gives affected taxpayers until October 15, 2025, to file most tax returns (including individual, corporate, and estate and trust income tax returns; partnership returns, S corporation returns, and trust returns; estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns; annual information returns of tax-exempt organizations; and employment and certain excise tax returns), that have either an original or extended due date occurring on or after January 7, 2025, and before October 15, 2025, are granted additional time to file through October 15, 2025.

 

Affected taxpayers that have an estimated income tax payment originally due on or after January 7, 2025, are postponed through October 15, 2025, will not be subject to penalties for failure to pay estimated tax installments as long as such payments are paid on or before October 15, 2025.

 

The IRS also gives affected taxpayers until October 15, 2025, to perform other time-sensitive actions described in Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(c)(1) and Rev. Proc. 2018-58, 2018-50 IRB 990 (Dec. 10, 2018), that are due to be performed on or after January 7, 2025, and before October 15, 2025., are granted additional time to file through October 15, 2025.

 

This relief also includes the filing of Form 5500 series returns that were required to be filed on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before October 15, 2025, are postponed through October 15, 2025., in the manner described in section 8 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58. The relief described in section 17 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58, pertaining to like-kind exchanges of property, also applies to certain taxpayers who are not otherwise affected taxpayers and may include acts required to be performed before or after the period above.

 

Unless an act is specifically listed in Rev. Proc. 2018-58, the postponement of time to file and pay does not apply to information returns in the W-2, 1094, 1095, 1097, 1098 or 1099 series; to Forms 1042-S, 3921, 3922 or 8027; or to employment and excise tax deposits. However, penalties on deposits due on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before Jan. 22, 2025, will be abated as long as the tax deposits were made by January 22, 2025.

 

Casualty losses

 

Affected taxpayers in a federally declared disaster area have the option of claiming disaster-related casualty losses on their federal income tax return for either the year in which the event occurred, or the prior year. See Publication 547 for details. Individuals may deduct personal property losses that are not covered by insurance or other reimbursements. For details, see Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts PDF and its instructions PDF. Affected taxpayers claiming the disaster loss on their return should put FEMA disaster declaration number, 4856-DR on any return. See Publication 547 for details.

 

Other relief

 

The IRS will waive the usual fees and requests for copies of previously filed tax returns for affected taxpayers. Taxpayers should put the assigned FEMA declaration number ( 4856-DR), in bold letters at the top of Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return PDF, or Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return PDF, as appropriate, and submit it to the IRS.

 

Qualified disaster relief payments are generally excluded from gross income. This means that affected taxpayers can exclude from their gross income amounts received from a government agency for reasonable and necessary personal, family, living or funeral expenses, as well as for the repair or rehabilitation of their home, or for the repair or replacement of its contents. See Publication 525 for details.

 

Additional relief may be available to affected taxpayers who participate in a retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement (IRA). For example, a taxpayer may be eligible to take a special disaster distribution that would not be subject to the additional 10% early distribution tax and allows the taxpayer to spread the income over three years. Taxpayers may also be eligible to make a hardship withdrawal. Each plan or IRA has specific rules and guidance for their participants to follow.

 

The IRS may provide additional disaster relief in the future.

 

Affected taxpayers who are contacted by the IRS on a collection or examination matter should explain how the disaster impacts them so that the IRS can provide appropriate consideration to their case. Taxpayers may download forms and publications from the official IRS website, IRS.gov.

 

Reminder about tax return preparation options

 

• Eligible individuals or families can get free help preparing their tax return at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) sites. To find the closest free tax help site, use the VITA Locator Tool or call 800-906-9887. Note that normally, VITA sites cannot help claim disaster losses.


• To find an AARP Tax-Aide site, use the AARP Site Locator Tool or call 888-227-7669.


• Any individual or family whose adjusted gross income (AGI) was $84,000 or less in 2024 can use IRS Free File's Guided Tax Software at no cost. There are products in English and Spanish.


• Another Free File option is Free File Fillable Forms. These are electronic federal tax forms, equivalent to a paper 1040 and are designed for taxpayers who are comfortable filling out IRS tax forms. Anyone, regardless of income, can use this option.


• MilTax, a Department of Defense program, offers free return preparation software and electronic filing for federal tax returns and up to three state income tax returns. It's available for all military members and some veterans, with no income limit.

 

To find out more about how Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, could help you or your business with tax litigation and defense strategies, we invite you to set up a  consultation with our firm.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, is comprised of former IRS litigators & Special Agents, and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division, which at the time handled both civil tax lawsuits and criminal tax prosecutions on behalf of the United States of America.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office) 

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

California Disaster Notice Updated

On January 10, 2025, the IRS issued a notice granting relief to victims of wildfires and straight-line winds that began on January 7, 2025, in parts of California was updated by the IRS on February 11, 2025, to clarify that qualified wildfire relief payments made to Los Angeles County taxpayers affected by the disaster that are not covered by insurance or other reimbursements would be excluded from income, even if these payments are made by nonprofit organizations or other non-governmental entities.  The details of the notice state:

 

These taxpayers now have until Oct. 15, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

 

Following the disaster declaration issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), individuals and households that reside or have a business in Los Angeles County, qualify for tax relief. The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. For instance, certain deadlines falling on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before Oct. 15, 2025, are granted additional time to file.

 

As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Oct. 15, 2025, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.

The Oct. 15, 2025, deadline applies to individual income tax returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025. This relief also applies to the 2024 estimated tax payment normally due on Jan. 15, 2025, and estimated tax payments normally due on April 15, June 16, and Sept. 15, 2025. Penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before Jan. 22, 2025, will be abated as long as the tax deposits are made by Jan. 22, 2025.

 

The Oct. 15, 2025, deadline also applies to affected businesses:

 

• Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Jan. 31, April 30, and July 31, 2025.


• Calendar-year partnership and S corporation returns normally due on March 17, 2025.


• Calendar-year corporation and fiduciary returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025.


• Calendar-year tax-exempt organization returns normally due on May 15, 2025.

 

If an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original filing, payment or deposit due date that falls within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the telephone number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.

 

The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area should call the IRS disaster hotline at 866-562-5227 to request this tax relief.

 

Covered disaster area

 

The locality listed above constitutes a covered disaster area for purposes of Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(d)(2) and are entitled to the relief detailed below.

 

Affected taxpayers

 

Taxpayers considered to be affected taxpayers eligible for the postponement of time to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts are those taxpayers listed in Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(d)(1), and include individuals who live, and businesses (including tax-exempt organizations) whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Taxpayers not in the covered disaster area, but whose records necessary to meet a deadline listed in Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(c) are in the covered disaster area, are also entitled to relief. In addition, all relief workers affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization assisting in the relief activities in the covered disaster area and any individual visiting the covered disaster area who was killed or injured as a result of the disaster are entitled to relief.

 

Under section 7508A, the IRS gives affected taxpayers until Oct. 15, 2025, to file most tax returns (including individual, corporate, and estate and trust income tax returns; partnership returns, S corporation returns, and trust returns; estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns; annual information returns of tax-exempt organizations; and employment and certain excise tax returns), that have either an original or extended due date occurring on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before Oct. 15, 2025, are granted additional time to file through Oct. 15, 2025.

 

Affected taxpayers that have an estimated income tax payment originally due on or after Jan. 7, 2025, are postponed through Oct. 15, 2025, will not be subject to penalties for failure to pay estimated tax installments as long as such payments are paid on or before Oct. 15, 2025.

 

The IRS also gives affected taxpayers until Oct. 15, 2025, to perform other time-sensitive actions described in Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(c)(1) and Rev. Proc. 2018-58, 2018-50 IRB 990 (Dec. 10, 2018), that are due to be performed on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before Oct. 15, 2025., are granted additional time to file through Oct. 15, 2025.

 

This relief also includes the filing of Form 5500 series returns that were required to be filed on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before Oct. 15, 2025, are postponed through Oct. 15, 2025., in the manner described in section 8 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58. The relief described in section 17 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58, pertaining to like-kind exchanges of property, also applies to certain taxpayers who are not otherwise affected taxpayers and may include acts required to be performed before or after the period above.

 

Unless an act is specifically listed in Rev. Proc. 2018-58, the postponement of time to file and pay does not apply to information returns in the W-2, 1094, 1095, 1097, 1098 or 1099 series; to Forms 1042-S, 3921, 3922 or 8027; or to employment and excise tax deposits. However, penalties on deposits due on or after Jan. 7, 2025, and before Jan. 22, 2025, will be abated as long as the tax deposits were made by Jan. 22, 2025.

 

Casualty losses

 

Affected taxpayers in a federally declared disaster area have the option of claiming disaster-related casualty losses on their federal income tax return for either the year in which the event occurred, or the prior year. See Publication 547 for details. Individuals may deduct personal property losses that are not covered by insurance or other reimbursements. For details, see Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts PDF and its instructions PDF. Affected taxpayers claiming the disaster loss on their return should put FEMA disaster declaration number, 4856-DR on any return. See Publication 547 for details.

 

Other relief

 

The IRS will waive the usual fees and requests for copies of previously filed tax returns for affected taxpayers. Taxpayers should put the assigned FEMA declaration number ( 4856-DR), in bold letters at the top of Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return PDF, or Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return PDF, as appropriate, and submit it to the IRS.

 

Qualified disaster relief payments are generally excluded from gross income. This means that affected taxpayers can exclude from their gross income amounts received from a government agency for reasonable and necessary personal, family, living or funeral expenses, as well as for the repair or rehabilitation of their home, or for the repair or replacement of its contents. See Publication 525 for details.

 

Additional relief may be available to affected taxpayers who participate in a retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement (IRA). For example, a taxpayer may be eligible to take a special disaster distribution that would not be subject to the additional 10% early distribution tax and allows the taxpayer to spread the income over three years. Taxpayers may also be eligible to make a hardship withdrawal. Each plan or IRA has specific rules and guidance for their participants to follow.

 

The IRS may provide additional disaster relief in the future.

 

Affected taxpayers who are contacted by the IRS on a collection or examination matter should explain how the disaster impacts them so that the IRS can provide appropriate consideration to their case. Taxpayers may download forms and publications from the official IRS website, IRS.gov.

 

Reminder about tax return preparation options

 

• Eligible individuals or families can get free help preparing their tax return at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) sites. To find the closest free tax help site, use the VITA Locator Tool or call 800-906-9887. Note that normally, VITA sites cannot help claim disaster losses.


• To find an AARP Tax-Aide site, use the AARP Site Locator Tool or call 888-227-7669.


• Any individual or family whose adjusted gross income (AGI) was $84,000 or less in 2024 can use IRS Free File's Guided Tax Software at no cost. There are products in English and Spanish.


• Another Free File option is Free File Fillable Forms. These are electronic federal tax forms, equivalent to a paper 1040 and are designed for taxpayers who are comfortable filling out IRS tax forms. Anyone, regardless of income, can use this option.


• MilTax, a Department of Defense program, offers free return preparation software and electronic filing for federal tax returns and up to three state income tax returns. It's available for all military members and some veterans, with no income limit.

 

To find out more about how Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, could help you or your business with tax litigation and defense strategies, we invite you to set up a  consultation with our firm.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, is comprised of former IRS litigators & Special Agents, and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division, which at the time handled both civil tax lawsuits and criminal tax prosecutions on behalf of the United States of America.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office) 

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

Considerations for Selecting Your Tax Attorney

If you have been contacted by the IRS or a local tax authority, it might be time to consider legal representation of a trusted tax attorney on how best to handle such matters. Some instances where an individual or business would find legal representation helpful may include:

• Receive an Audit or IRS Notice


• Facing a Tax Lien or Levy


• Complex Business Tax Issues


• International Tax Matters


• Resolve a tax debt


• File missing tax returns


• Amend one or more tax returns


• Negotiate a tax settlement with the IRS


• Challenge a tax assessment

With the right legal representation, you can demystify the complexities of tax law and regulations which may also reduce any potential tax liabilities. The power of legal representation, especially when working with Wilson Tax Law Group's team, gives individuals or businesses the opportunity to be heard while optimizing the resolution of most tax issues. Your tax attorney can serve as a liaison with the IRS or local tax authority, as they are most knowledgeable about how legalities affect taxpayers and can negotiate support for the taxpayer's position, in most circumstances.

To find out more about how Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, could help you or your business with tax litigation and defense strategies, we invite you to set up a  consultation with our firm.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, is comprised of former IRS litigators & Special Agents, and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division, which at the time handled both civil tax lawsuits and criminal tax prosecutions on behalf of the United States of America.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office) 

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)