If you have official tax business that really needs to be finished up this week, be sure and get it done today. The Internal Revenue Service will be closed tomorrow, June 14. It is the second of a series of five furlough days previously announced by the IRS due to budgetary considerations (including the sequester).
As before, this means that the IRS will shut down completely tomorrow and taxpayers and practitioners will not have access to IRS resources. On those days, calls will not be answered, no returns will be processed or refunds issued and all IRS offices will be closed. You will also not be able to access the “Where’s My Refund?” tool and the Online Payment Agreement system.
Again, remember that due dates will not be extended as a result of the furloughs: tax-filing and tax payment deadlines will remain in place. Taxpayers should continue to file tax returns and pay taxes due. Since the Treasury Department’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) will operate, payroll and excise tax deposits for businesses can go on as usual.
If you’re counting days for court deadlines (for example, for U.S. Tax Court), furlough days count as normal days: you don’t get any extra time to file. However, IRS has announced that it will allow taxpayers extra time for certain document requests, including an administrative summons, requests for records in connection with a return examination, review or compliance check, or document requests related to a collection matter if the last day for the request falls on a furlough day. If that happens, you have until the next business day. So, if your deadline is tomorrow, June 14, you have until Monday, June 17, to comply.
How much is this saving taxpayers and costing IRS employees? Each of the furlough days will result in a loss to IRS employees of between $160 to $400 in pay, depending on the employee’s position. For many, the round of cuts follows three years of pay freezes.
Just three more furlough days to go after this one. Those are scheduled for July 5, July 22, and August 30.
It’s also Flag Day. And my mom’s birthday. So clearly, lots of reasons to celebrate.
Enjoy your weekend.
