NewHampshireAARPFoundationTax-Aide

TY2015KickoffMeeting2015-Oct-22

Agenda• Introduction• Recap:whatwedidandwhywe’reawesome• Recognition:who’sparticularlyawesome• What’snew

• StateLeadership• TaxLaw• Scope• Tech• NationalTax-Aide

• IRS- Gregg• Tech- Lance• Training- Deb• Portal- Vicki

Tax-AideNHWe’reabout300fabulousandamazing volunteerswhodidover13,000returnsatover50locations andput$14.2million dollars backintoourneighbor’s pockets(andtook~$2.4Mout).Allforatotalcostofaround$20,000.Asthe leaders oftheprogram,youensuredourvolunteers coulddothis.

Thank you!

NewHampshireTax-AideVolunteeroftheYear

FredKollmorgen

ReviewofNHTax-Aide:StateLeadership

ADS VickiLaforet laforetv@gmail.com

PCS

PVS CharlesCaldwell charles.caldwell@graniteuw.org

TCS LancePratt lpratt14g@aol.com

TRS DebHatcher deb-hatcher@earthlink.net

SC JanNedelka jan@nedelka.net

ReviewofNHTax-Aide:DistrictLeadership

D01 NorthCountry ChuckMartindill mdill@hal-pc.org

D02 Grafton-Sullivan GusSeamans sea42@tds.net

D03 CarrollCounty JeanBeadle jeanmbeadle@gmail.com

D04 Concord DianeVince concordtaxaide@metrocast.net

D05 Manchester StacySomogyi thesomogyis@comcast.net

D06 Monadnock BunnyPeakes bcpeaks@comcast.net

D07 Nashua SteveMandra DC.Nashua@comcast.net

D08 Seacoast HarveyEpstein harveyiepstein@gmail.com

TaxLawChanges

•Notmuchchange– goodnews!• Ususal waitinggameforcongresstopass/notpassextenders

ScopeChanges

•Notmuchchange– moregoodnews!• AddedcodeLto1099-R• Mayhavechange(increase)toScheduleCexpenselimit• Twoseldom-encounteredbutdifficulttoprepareACAcasesnowout-of-scope

TechChanges

•Notmuchchange– evenmore goodnews!• StickingwithWin7• TaxWiseDesktopisdead.TaxWiseOnlineisonlyoptionnow

• Weshouldbeabletogetallthehardwareweneed

NationalTax-AideChanges

•NewPortaltomanageallvolunteeractivities

Notgood.

💩

Youknowelseisawesome?

Vicki

IRS- Gregg

NewHampshireAARPTax-AideFallMeeting2015

Thankyouallagainforyourservicetoyourcommunities!!

VITA/TCESitesNewHampshire2015Filingseason

� 71VITA/TCESitesinNewHampshire� 18,055taxreturnsincludingMyFreeTaxespreparedup7.6%fromtaxyear2014

� 61%returnsfiledsinglefilers� 19%EarnedIncomeTaxCredit(EITC)returns� $4.2millioninEITCclaimed� $19.3millioninrefundsclaimed� $2.8millioninbalanceduereturnsfiled� 96%returnse-filed� 69%returnsDirectDeposit� EncourageDirectDebitforbalanceduereturns� Fantasticresultsthankstoallofyou!!!!◦ NationwideVITA/TCEProgram◦ 3.7milliontaxreturns◦ $3.9billioninrefunds◦ $569millioninbalancedues

FilingSeason2015revisited� SPECQSSQualitySiteReviews:QualitySiteRequirementsadherencerate92.6%� 68%ofSitesuseInterviewandIntakeProcess� 85%ofSitesuseaQualityReviewProcess

� SPECQSSReviews94%accuracyrate� NomoreonepersonSites� Remotequalityreview

� SPECShoppingreviewsdiscontinued� RemoteSiteReviews� BostonTerritoryorotherTerritorypersonnel

2015FilingSeasonrevisited

� NewHampshireFieldSitevisits◦ Sitenotopenaslisted◦ ACAadefinitechallenge:newforeveryone◦ 100%Intake&Interviewprocess◦ 100%QualityReviewProcess◦ Possibleonepersonsite

2016FilingSeasonOpportunities

• MaintainthefocusonQuality• Usethe“process”• Intake/InterviewandQualityReview• Conversations withcustomers• Continuetoquestioninformationthatappearsunreasonable

• Interview/Intakeprocess+QualityReview=Accuratetaxreturn

2016FilingSeasonOpportunities

• UpdatingQualitySiteRequirements

• QSR#2InterviewandIntakeProcesstrainingrequired• QSR#10PhotoIDfromeverytaxpayertoreduceidentitytheftexceptionsallowedunder“extremecircumstances”

ProductOrderingTimelineFY2016

� Electronicfilesforall trainingproductsavailablenowonirs.gov� TrainingmaterialsarescheduledtoarrivetheweekofNovember13th

� Publication4491-We-productonly� Publication5091(CD)Containsalltrainingmaterials� Publication4961VITA/TCEVolunteerSOC-EthicsTraining

� e-product only

� Publication4480Link&LearnTaxeskit◦ IncludesPublication4012andVITA/TCETestForm6744

VITA/TCEProductsFY2016• Link&LearnTaxesavailableearlyNovember• e-productsencouragedandallproductsareavailableonwww.irs.gov• Form13614-Crevised• ACAnowincludedinPublication4491AdvancedcertificationPub5157eliminated

• Publication17forVITA/TCEvolunteersonly• Pub4491-XpublishedelectronicallyJanuary2016forlatetaxlawlegislation

• Optionale-moduleonLink&LearnforthosewhohavepassedAdvancedmodule• Health SavingsAccounts

TaxWiseFilingSeason2016

• NH100%TaxWiseOnline• Form8453/8879questions????• TaxWisetoshipNovember24th• “10to21days”forrefundsduetoIdentityTheft

◦ Alltrainingvideosavailableforviewing/downloadatVITA/TCECentralonwww.irs.gov

◦ PracticeLab:learntwo◦ ACAaffordabilityworksheetadded◦ Windows10?????◦ TWOissuesbehindus??????hopefully◦ DropoffmethodForm14446required◦ MyFreeTaxes◦ FreeFile

FS 2016 TaxWise

Modernizede-file/MeFreminders

• Yearrounde-filing• Fasteracknowledgements• Prioryearreturns• Moreplainlanguageerrorconditions• AllowAdobePDFattachmentstotaxreturns

Modernizede-fileorMeFcontinued

• MeFiscasesensitive• CCHrecommendstheuseofCAPSlockthroughoutthepreparationofthetaxreturn

• PunctuationorextraspacesontheMainInformationsheetwillcausevalidationerrors

• Specialcharactersshouldnotbeused(i.e.hyphens,commas,periods)

AlternativeFilingMethodsFacilitatedorSelfAssistance

� TheVITA/TCEProgramcouldnotserveeveryonewhoneedsassistanceiftheyallshowedup

� 70%oftaxpayerscanpreparetheirtaxesonlineatirs.govforfree� 55.1%ofallTaxreturnsfiledinNHforTaxYear2013were“selfprepared”including44,790EITCtaxreturns

� Certifiedvolunteerassistscustomers◦ Assistancecanbeonsite,viachat,e-mail,orphone◦ Remoteoption isthepreferredmethod bycustomers◦ Nationwide 43.6million peopleselfprepared theirowntaxreturn in2013

� Facilitated/SelfAssistanceanoptioninall50States◦ MyFreeTaxes-all50statesfree federalandstatereturns

� Remoteassistance availablewithcertifiedUnitedWayassistor◦ 204,960 returnsprepared usingMyFreeTaxes in2014

� 746inNewHampshire

AlternativeFilingMethodsVirtualVITA/DropOffMethod

� AllSPECVITA/TCEQualitySiteRequirements� Matchresourcestodemand� Opportunityformeaningfuldiscussionswithclients� Remote taxpreparationorQualityReview

◦ Securechannels viafax,dropbox,etc.� IntakeSites

◦ Forms14446/13614-C◦ Certified Intakepersonstronglyrecommended asbestpractice

Questions?????

• 603-628-7531• GreggWoodesgregg.p.woodes@irs.gov• InternalRevenueService/SPEC1000ElmStreetSuite900ManchesterNH03101

Thankyouallagain!!

TCS- Lance

LancePrattTechnologySpecialist

(TCS)(Lookingforareplacement)

EquipmentRepair1. Determineifunderwarrantyornot

2. Allrequestsaretobesenttoservice@graceworkz.com.Orbyphone866-

448-04203. Allcomputersandprintersreplaceby

GraceWorkz mustbereturnedtoGraceWorkz.

Re-Imaging &Security

• Shouldbedoneagainthisyear.WaitingforOctrelease.• Updatesshouldbeautomatic.• MicrosoftSecurityEssentials• WindowsDefender

• KrebsonSecurityBlog:krebsonsecurity.com• Excellentsourceofinformationonsoftwarevulnerabilitiesandupdates

Itemstobeawareof• ConsumableswillstillbeorderedbyHarveyEpstein,againthisyear.• PreferredoperatingsystemisWindows7.• Chromeworks.• Oneline InventoryBetaTesting• 6110’sthatNat’lhasoninventorywillbereplace(notanythattheyhavelistedashavingbeenreplaced)• NewsitecomputerneedscontactJanNedelka

TRS- Deb

SaintVicki