Most people file a tax return because they have to. Even if a taxpayer doesn’t have to file, there are times they should. They may be eligible for a tax refund and not know it.
Here are five tips on whether to file a tax return:

1. General Filing Rules.  In most cases, income, filing status and age determine if a taxpayer must file a tax return. Other rules may apply if the taxpayer is self-employed or a dependent of another person. For example, if a taxpayer is single and under age 65, they must file if their income was at least $10,350. There are other instances when a taxpayer must file. Go to IRS.gov/filing  for more information.
2. Tax Withheld or Paid.  Did the taxpayer’s employer withhold federal income tax from their pay? Did the taxpayer make estimated tax payments? Did they overpay last year and have it applied to this year’s tax? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, they could be due a refund. They have to file a tax return to get it.
3. Earned Income Tax Credit.  A taxpayer who worked and earned less than $53,505 last year could receive the EITC as a tax refund. They must qualify and may do so with or without a qualifying child. They may be eligible for up to $6,269. Use the 2016 EITC Assistant tool on IRS.gov to find out. Taxpayers need to file a tax return to claim the EITC.
4. Additional Child Tax Credit.  Did the taxpayer have at least one child that qualifies for the Child Tax Credit? If they do not qualify for the full credit amount, they may be eligible for the Additional Child Tax Credit. Beginning in January 2017, by law, the IRS must hold refunds for any tax return claiming either the EITC or the Additional Child Tax Credit until Feb. 15. This means the entire refund, not just the part related to either credit.
5. American Opportunity Tax Credit.  To claim the AOTC, the taxpayer, their spouse or their dependent must have been a student enrolled at least half time for one academic period to qualify. The credit is available for four years of post-secondary education. It can be worth up to $2,500 per eligible student. Even if the taxpayer doesn’t owe any taxes, they may still qualify. Complete Form 8863, Education Credits, and file it with the tax return.

By

• Michael Cohn

Published

• January 23 2017, 1:35pm EST
  

The Internal Revenue Service kicked off the 2017 tax season Monday, January 23, although the IRS won’t be able to process some returns until the week of February 15.

The IRS is anticipating it will receive more than 153 million tax returns this year. Taxpayers get a few extra days, until Tuesday, April 18, to file their 2016 tax returns, because April 15 falls on a Saturday, and April 17 is Emancipation Day, a holiday that is observed in Washington, D.C.
Taxpayers and preparers who file returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit will see some delays in getting their tax returns processed. A 2016 law requires the IRS to hold refunds claiming the EITC and the ACTC until February 15 to safeguard against identity theft. However, the IRS is encouraging taxpayers to file as they normally would, including returns claiming the EITC or ACTC.
The IRS will begin releasing EITC and ACTC refunds on February 15, but is warning taxpayers the refund probably won’t start arriving in their bank accounts or on their debit cards until the week of February 27. For EITC and ACTC filers, the three-day holiday weekend involving President’s Day could also affect the timing of their tax refunds.
"Following months of hard work, we successfully opened our processing systems today to start this year’s tax season,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen in a statement. “Getting to this point is a year-round effort for the IRS and the nation’s tax community. The dedicated employees of the IRS look forward to serving taxpayers this filing season, and I want to thank all of the tax and payroll community for their hard work that makes tax time smoother for the nation.”

January 19, 2017
by
Bridget Small

Consumer Education Specialist, FTCYou probably know that Western Union runs money transfer services in the US and worldwide. What you might not know is that, according to the FTC, Western Union has known for years that scammers were using its system to commit significant fraud. Even when faced with clear evidence that many of its agents were committing fraud, Western Union kept taking people’s money. Probably billions in fraud-related transfers, sent since January 2004. But today, in a global settlement with the FTC and the US Department of Justice, Western Union agreed to return $586 million to people and create a real and strong anti-fraud program.
So, what kind of evidence was Western Union ignoring? Well, says the FTC, from January 2004 to August 2015, the company got more than 550,000 complaints about money transfers made for fraudulent lottery and prizes, family emergency calls, advance-fee loans, online dating and more. There were its own internal reports, which flagged fraud by some of its own agents, including many international agents that paid out fraud-induced transfers from US consumers. And there were warnings from US and international law enforcement about the fraud. And yet, the money kept rolling on through.
Under the settlement, Western Union will return $586 million through a process to be named later. (Watch this space for more information.) The company will have to train and monitor its agents so that people are protected. It won’t be allowed to transmit a money transfer that it knows – or should know – is a fraud. It has to block money transfers to anyone who has a fraud report, make it easier for people to report fraud, give clear warnings to people who are sending money, and refund a fraud-related money transfer if the company didn’t comply with its own anti-fraud procedures.
If you ever wire money, also keep in mind that it’s illegal for a telemarketer to ask you to pay with a money transfer. That’s right: Illegal. Scammers love using money transfer services because once you send the money, it’s gone forever. So, if a telemarketer asks you to wire money, already you know they’re a crook. Don’t wire the money, and then tell the FTC.

Revenue Procedure 2017-24 provides relief from discharge of indebtedness income for taxpayers whose Federal student loans, taken out to attend a school owned by the American Career Institutes, Inc., are discharged by the Department of Education under the "Closed School" or "Defense to Repayment" discharge process.  The revenue procedure also provides that the IRS will not assert that the entity discharging these loans has an information reporting requirement.  This revenue procedure modifies Rev. Proc. 2015-57, 2015-51 I.R.B. 863, to provide similar reporting relief for creditors under that revenue procedure.