Some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) call centers and services are temporarily shutting down in response to COVID-19. COVID-19 is the official name for the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. According to Johns Hopkins, as of March 27, 2020, there are 593,291 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 176 territories and countries. The United…
COVID-19 continues to impact the United States, the federal government is taking action to ease the burden on taxpayers. Most recently, Congress passed a massive stimulus package. A key feature of the stimulus is individual checks. You can read my rundown on the basics of the stimulus checks here – along with answers to popular questions. I’ve been updating…
Taxpayer asks: Just read your article on Forbes “Working From Home? Your Home Offices Expenses Are Probably Not Tax-Deductible.“ Now, it is as my understanding that an employee could still deduct home office if they are REQUIRED by their employer to work from home. My employer shut the doors early in March and required all…
As COVID-19 continues to impact the United States, the federal government is taking action to ease the burden on taxpayers. Most recently, the Senate passed a massive stimulus package (the House voted yes, too) and the CARES Act was signed into law. A key feature of the stimulus is individual checks. As with anything tax-related, there’s a little bit…
(Note: On March 27, 2020, the House approved this bill.) It’s been a long week on the Hill, but the Senate has finally reached an agreement on a bill intended to provide direct economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure passed late Wednesday by a vote of 96-0: Senators Romney (R-UT), Thune (R-SD), Paul…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced a series of steps to assist taxpayers impacted by COVID-19. Relief ranges from easing payment guidelines to postponing compliance actions. COVID-19 is the official name for the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. According to John Hopkins, as of March 25, 2020, there are 451,355 confirmed cases of…
(Update: The bill passed the Senate on 3/25/2020.) “It’s good news,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) early Wednesday morning. McConnell continued, “At last, we have a deal. After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic.” The text of the deal has…
(Update: A compromise bill passed the Senate on 3/25/2020. You can read more here.) Last week, Senate Republican leaders released their version of a stimulus package, dubbed the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” or the “CARES Act.” This week, House Democratic leaders proposed an alternative, “Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act.” Clearly, there…
(Update: A version of the bill passed the Senate on 3/25/2020, and is expected to pass the House.) Last week, the Senate introduced what I described as “a massive bill” intended to provide direct economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That bill didn’t move forward over the weekend. The House responded with “hold my beer.”…
Chances are that you’re reading this from home. With social distancing encouraged due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and in states like mine, actually mandatory – many taxpayers are working from home. And it’s not just those of us with routine desk jobs: even celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Savannah Guthrie have been staying home to work. But before you rush…