RECENTLY NEWS FROM IRS

With the tax filing season almost here, taxpayers should check out two IRS publications available on IRS.gov. These publications can help people get prepared and stay organized with tips for year-round tax planning.

Publication 5348, Get ready to file

Tax planning is for everyone. Taxpayers can use this publication to help themselves get ready to file their 2021 federal income tax return next year. Planning helps individuals file an accurate return and avoid processing delays that can slow their tax refund.

The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department announced today that millions of American families will soon receive their final advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of December. Eligible families who did not receive advance payments can claim the Child Tax Credit on their 2021 federal tax return to receive missed payments and the other half of the credit.

This final batch of advance monthly payments for 2021, totaling about $16 billion, will reach more than 36 million families across the country. Most payments are being made by direct deposit.

As taxpayers get ready to file their 2022 tax return, they may be considering hiring a tax return preparer. The IRS reminds taxpayers to choose a tax return preparer wisely. This is important because taxpayers are responsible for all the information on their return, no matter who prepares it for them.

There are different kinds of tax preparers, and a taxpayer's needs will help determine which kind of preparer is best for them. With that in mind, here are some quick tips to help people choose a preparer.

With the tax filing season around the corner, the IRS and its Security Summit partners remind tax pros to review their security measures. The Taxes-Security-Together Checklist can help tax professionals identify the basic steps they should take to safeguard their clients and their business.

Here's an overview of some of those safety measures.

Special rule helps most people get a deduction of up to $300 per individual, $600 for couples for gifts to charity; National Council of Nonprofits and Independent Sector highlight how donations can help the nation's charitable community

The Internal Revenue Service joined today with several leading nonprofit groups to highlight a special tax provision that allows more people to deduct donations to qualifying charities on their 2021 federal income tax return.

Tax professionals are prime targets for criminals. These criminals not only want to steal client data, but also the professionals' data, such as their electronic filing identification numbers.

A thief who breaches the data of just one tax return preparer can get their hands on lots of other data. In fact, they can get personal info on hundreds or even thousands of people.

The IRS recently launched an improved identity verification and sign-in process that enables more people to securely access and use IRS online tools and applications.

Taxpayers using the new mobile-friendly verification process can access several IRS online services including:

The IRS and its Security Summit partners recently held the annual National Tax Security Awareness Week. One of the key messages this year was even if someone doesn't file a tax return, their online interactions can lead to scammers stealing sensitive information and using it to try and get a tax refund. Here are some other key messages from the week.

The Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the nation's tax industry urged businesses to be alert to cyberattacks aimed at gaining access to business data and customer information and be aware of steps to help them on tax-related issues related to identity theft.

Cybercrime is a constant concern in the online world which means everyone must be mindful of risks when they share devices, shop online and interact on social media. While this may seem overwhelming, it doesn't have to be. A few small security measures can lower the risk of exposure to online safety threats.