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The IRS revised the Instructions for Form 7004 allowing calendar year C corporations an automatic 6-month extension.

Previously §6081(b) granted a five-month extension for corporate returns. Section 6081(a) has been updated to allow a 6-month automatic extension. The extended due date will move to October 15 instead of the original September 15 due date.

Many people find it necessary to take out money early from their IRA or retirement plan. Doing so, however, can trigger an additional tax on top of income tax taxpayers may have to pay. Here are a few key points to know about taking an early distribution:

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about a new phishing scam targeting small businesses. The message looks like an email alert from accounting software QuickBooks with the subject line “QuickBooks Support: Change Request.”

The email is worded to “confirm” that you have changed your business name with Intuit, QuickBooks’ manufacturer. Though you haven’t made such a request, the email contains a link to cancel. Do not click this “cancel” link. It is used as bait. When clicked, the link will download malware onto your device, which scammers use to capture passwords or hunt for sensitive information on your machine. This can ultimately open you up to identity theft.

As Tax Season has officially started we are excited to offer once again refund transfers through Santa Barbara Bank. Our fees are the lowest in the region.

The Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the tax industry today renewed their warning about an email scam that uses a corporate officer’s name to request employee Forms W-2 from company payroll or human resources departments.

This week, the IRS already has received new notifications that the email scam is making its way across the nation for a second time. The IRS urges company payroll officials to double check any executive-level or unusual requests for lists of Forms W-2 or Social Security number.

The W-2 scam first appeared last year. Cybercriminals tricked payroll and human resource officials into disclosing employee names, SSNs and income information. The thieves then attempted to file fraudulent tax returns for tax refunds. This phishing variation is known as a “spoofing” e-mail. It will contain, for example, the actual name of the company chief executive officer. In this variation, the “CEO” sends an email to a company payroll office or human resource employee and requests a list of employees and information including SSNs. The following are some of the details that may be contained in the emails:

Kindly send me the individual 2016 W-2 (PDF) and earnings summary of all W-2 of our company staff for a quick review.
Can you send me the updated list of employees with full details (Name, Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Home Address, Salary).
I want you to send me the list of W-2 copy of employees wage and tax statement for 2016, I need them in PDF file type, you can send it as an attachment. Kindly prepare the lists and email them to me asap.

Easy, safe and fast — that’s direct deposit. It’s the best way to get a tax refund. Eighty percent of taxpayers choose it every year. The IRS knows taxpayers have a choice of how to receive their refunds.

IRS Direct Deposit:

1. Is Fast. The quickest way for taxpayers to get their refund is to electronically file their federal tax return and use direct deposit. Use IRS Free File to prepare and e-file federal returns for free. Use direct deposit for paper tax returns, too.

2. Is Secure. Since refunds go right into a bank account, there’s no risk of having a paper check stolen or lost in the mail. This is the same electronic transfer system used to deposit nearly 98 percent of all Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits into millions of accounts.

3. Is Convenient. There’s no need to wait for a refund check to come in the mail.

4. Is Easy. Choosing direct deposit is easy. With e-file, just follow the instructions in the tax software. For paper returns, the tax form instructions serve as a guide. Make sure to enter the correct bank account and routing number.

5. Has Options. Taxpayers can split a refund into several financial accounts. These include checking, savings, health, education and certain retirement accounts. The U.S. Treasury Department offers a retirement account. It’s called a MyRA account. Designate all or a part of a refund to a new MyRA account. Simply mark the “savings” box in the refund section of the return. Use IRS Form 8888, Allocation of Refund (including Savings Bond Purchases), to deposit a refund in up to three accounts. Do not use Form 8888 to designate part of a refund to pay tax preparers. Taxpayers should deposit refunds into accounts in their own name, their spouse’s name or both. Avoid making a deposit into accounts owned by others. Some banks require both spouses’ names on the account to deposit a tax refund from a joint return. Taxpayers should check with their bank for direct deposit rules. There is a limit of three electronic direct deposit refunds made into a single financial account or pre-paid debit card. The IRS will send a notice and a refund check in the mail to taxpayers who exceed the limit.

February 1st through February 7th Enrolled Agents Week official proclamation from Governor Tom Wolf Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The new annual due date for filing Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) for foreign financial accounts is April 15. This date change was mandated by the Highway Act, which also mandates an extension of the filing deadline. To implement the statute with minimal burden to the public, FinCEN will grant filers failing to meet the FBAR due date of April 15 an automatic extension to October 15 each year. Accordingly, specific requests for this extension are not required.

The due date for FBAR filings for foreign financial accounts maintained during calendar year 2016 is April 18, 2017, consistent with the federal income tax due date.