The Costliest Tax Scams & Mistakes Of 2017
Earlier this month the IRS released its “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for 2017. The Canada Revenue Agency also offers resources for detecting tax scams and fraud. Click here to access the Canada Revenue Agency website. Common scams include return preparer fraud, tax collection scams and phishing scams. In addition, many filers wait until the last minute, which can lead to costly mistakes and missed deductions.
Whether you hire a professional tax service, use software, file online or via mail, it is important to make sure you understand the most common scams and mistakes.
- Identity Theft Scams. For the sixth year in a row identity theft makes the list of top scams. IDShield offers Tax ID Theft Consultation services ready that arm you with the knowledge and guidance you need to spot identity theft risks or issues. If issues occur, IDShield will help place alerts, walk you through the Tax Resolution guide, IRS Resolution packet and much more. If you do not yet have a LegalShield IDShield membership, visit LegalShield to learn how IDShield is there for you during tax season.
- Beware of dishonest or inept tax professionals. There are many wonderful tax professionals who can help you file accurate and timely returns. Tax preparation services can be invaluable to businesses and individuals with complex personal finances. If you decide to utilize a professional tax preparer find someone you can trust and always make sure they sign your return. Taking a little extra time to consider your preparer before you hire them could save you a great deal trouble. The IRS has a webpage to help you select a preparer and check his or her credentials.
- Do not fall for fake tax collection scams. Tax collection scams often start with a threatening phone call or email. They may claim you owe thousands of dollars in back taxes and that IRS agents are on the way to your home to take you into custody. They will demand immediate payment via wire transfer or credit card. Do not engage with these scammers, hang up the phone or delete the email. The IRS will not call your home or email you. The IRS initiates contact with taxpayers via postal mail. You may report tax collection scams to the U.S. Treasury Department.
- Failing to file and make payment on time. In the U.S. taxes are due on April 18th 2017. In Canada returns are due by April 30th. The IRS does allow a six-month filing extension until October 17th. You must file Form 4868 before the April 18th deadline to request an extension. If you owe money, you will be subject to late fees if the full amount is not paid by April 18th. The Canadian Revenue Agency does not allow for late filing; however, if you cannot make your full payment you can avoid late-filing penalties if you file your return before the April 30th deadline.
- Last minute filing mistakes. Many individuals put off filing their taxes until the last minute. The cost of some tax preparation services may increase as filing deadlines approach. Disorganized late filers may pay late fees, miss out on key deductions or make mistakes. Online tax preparation and filing is a great way to complete your return quickly and with time to spare. You may even be eligible for free online filing if you meet certain income requirements (learn more U.S. and Canada).
- Do not claim a deduction you cannot back up with proper documentation. Underpaying your taxes could subject you to costly fines and penalties. You must be able to show proof of your deductions in the event of an audit. Save copies of your return as well as all of the receipts and other documents you use to prepare your taxes. Keep the documents in a safe and accessible location.
Find out more about LegalShield, our corporate partner which gives you the power to talk to an attorney about any legal issue, and offering high-quality Identity Theft protection plans.
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In northern Afghanistan, six Red Cross workers were killed and two others were missing on Wednesday after an attack. The Taliban quickly denied any involvement in the attack. The governor of Jowzjan Province, Lutfullah Azizi, blamed affiliates of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, for the attack.
Mr. Azizi said that the Red Cross had begun a mission to distribute livestock material in the Qush Tepah area of Jowzjan Province, where the attack happened, but that its work was suspended by recent avalanches. When workers went to resume giving out aid, they were targeted.
“They were a team of eight people in three vehicles, including three drivers and five staff,” Mr. Azizi said. “Islamic State attacked the convoy, killed the three drivers and three staff members on the spot and took two staff members with them.”
The plan was for the Red Cross staff to help distribute the 1,000 tons of feed, which is critical for farmers because there is nowhere for animals to graze in the winter months. Before the vehicles got to the distribution point, they were ambushed by armed men. The panic button sent an alert to Red Cross offices in Kabul, but efforts to reach the staffers by satellite phone and other means failed. “We couldn’t get hold of them,” says Thomas Glass, head of communications for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan. The Red Cross is “desperately” searching for the two missing field staff members.
Glass stated that the Red Cross has 30 years of continuous presence in Afghanistan and they are well-known and respected for their work within the communities they serve. The vehicles are clearly marked so the ambush has all the signs of a deliberate attack. Red Cross workers being attacked in Afghanistan is nothing new but the loss of 6 lives at one time seems like another level of violence.
In Afghanistan, the Red Cross helps with many efforts for the communities such as supporting health care, anti-poverty work and sanitation efforts. The Red Cross issued a statement that activities are suspended until Tuesday, possibly longer. Certain activities will continue, such as the treatment of patients at medical facilities will continue but any movement in the field, including the transfer of war-wounded to hospitals, has been put on hold.
Qush Tepah is about 37 miles from the provincial capital and is rife with militant groups, including five Islamic State factions with an estimated 200 fighters. A spokesman for the northern police zone said there were about 600 foreign fighters in five Northern provinces.
In recent weeks, officials in northern Afghanistan had expressed concern about an increase in foreign fighters there, many of them suspected of affiliation with the Islamic State. Amnesty International condemned the attack and noted that violence has intensified recently in Afghanistan. The work of humanitarian workers and journalists has become increasingly dangerous as there has been an increase of deliberate attacks on aid workers and journalists.
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February 14, 2017
Lowes recently settled a $2.85 million-dollar worker classification lawsuit. The suit claimed that Lowes misclassified installers as independent contractors depriving them of workers’ compensation, liability insurance and requiring the workers to pay taxes as self-employed. The suit and settlement underscore the importance of properly classifying workers. Making the wrong determination may have serious financial and legal consequences. The following guide will help you understand the primary distinctions between an employee and a contractor. If you are an employer or contractor with a LegalShield membership, and need additional information call your LegalShield provider law firm. 
If you are not currently a member of our LegalShield benefits plans, you can seek more information on membership and plans offered in your state at: LegalShield
- Worker Classifications – There are four worker classifications made by the IRS.
- Independent Contractor – Under common law, an independent contractor controls the kind of work they take on and how they complete the work. In this circumstance the business hiring them to complete the work would only control the result or product. While you may set deadlines for an independent contractor you may not set specific work hours.
- Employee – Under common law if you control what, when, where and how work is done, the individual you pay is considered an employee.
- Statutory Employee – Some workers who meet the common-law requirements as an independent contractor may still be considered an employee due to specific statutes designating them as such. Statutory employees include:
- Individuals who work from home under specific instruction with materials you provide, which are returned to you or to someone you name;
- Food and beverage delivery drivers (milk excluded);
- Commissioned laundry and dry cleaning drivers;
- Insurance agents working primarily for one life insurance company selling life insurance or annuity contracts; and
- Full-time traveling salespersons submitting orders directly to you from businesses or wholesale establishments.
- Statutory Nonemployee – Statutes deem some workers, who would otherwise be considered employees, nonemployees. These include:
- Direct sellers and real estate workers who are not paid on an hourly basis; and
- Companion sitters (private duty nurses and home health aids) not employed by a placement service.
- Still unsure how to classify a worker? – In some instances it may be difficult to determine the status of a worker. The IRS does have a form, which you can complete and submit, allowing them to determine the worker’s status. Form SS-8 can be downloaded here and includes detailed instructions. Before filing the form consult with your LegalShield provider law firm. It may take the IRS six months or more to respond to your request.
- State Regulations – Some states may classify workers differently than the IRS. In the Lowes case claims involved both federal rules and the New Jersey Construction Industry Independent Contractor Act. It is vital to understand how state regulations impact classification of employees in your industry.
- Taxes & Reporting – The main purpose for classifying a worker is to determine the taxes and record keeping for which your business will be responsible.
- Independent Contractors – The forms and information needed for independent contractors can be found here via the IRS. The IRS does offer electronic filing.
- Employees – The appropriate forms and tax information for employees can also be located on the IRS website.
- Penalties –If you fail to accurately report an employee you may be held liable for past due employment taxes. There are relief provisions in some circumstances. If you believe you have misclassified a worker or have any questions, current members can call their LegalShield provider law firm.
If you are not currently a member of our LegalShield benefits plans, you can seek more information on membership and plans offered in your state at: LegalShield
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At Health Insurance 4 Everyone, we not only want to improve our customer service but also interact with our customers on a social media level that was not available before. Interested in connecting with us? Look us up on….
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Follow Mark Shuster, Founder/Owner at Health & Life Solutions, LLC for daily health tips! HealthInsurance4Everyone or Health & Life Solutions, LLC
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Immediately after swearing in Sessions as attorney general, President Trump signed three new executive orders addressing crime and immigration. One executive order seeks to increase penalties on those found guilty of assaulting police officers. A second order directs law enforcement agencies to increase intelligence sharing while going after drug cartels. A third order directs Attorney General Sessions to prioritize fighting “illegal immigration” alongside drug trafficking and violent crime.
President Trump also green-lighted construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, a proposal he repeatedly mentioned while campaigning. The wall is just one component of sweeping action Trump took to clamp down on immigration to the U.S. “Building this barrier is more than just a campaign promise, it is a common-sense first step to securing our border. This will stem the flow of drugs, crime, and illegal immigration into the United States. And yes, one way or another, as the President has said, Mexico will pay for it,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.
Other actions recently taken by President Trump include:
- Ending federal grant funding to sanctuary cities and states, which opt out of reporting undocumented immigrants.
- Ordering the Department of Homeland Security to allocate funds or establish contracts for the construction or operation of detention facilities.
- Ending the policy known as “catch and release,” under which some immigrants are released from detention while they await a hearing with an immigration judge.
- Prioritizing the deportation of immigrants who have committed crimes.
During the White House press briefing on Wednesday, Spicer reiterated earlier statements that the President’s priority would be on criminals. “His priorities, first and foremost, are the people in this country that seek to do us harm,” he said.
Reactions to the immigration actions were swift from eight immigration and refugee-rights groups who joined a conference call to denounce the new orders. They argue that the orders make the U.S. less safe and tear apart families and communities across the country. Advocates said the executive orders are “anti-immigrant, anti-refugee and anti-religious freedom”. None of the advocacy organizations that were on the call had been briefed or received any guidance from the Trump Administration on the orders and future immigration plans.
Advocacy groups are preparing to take legal action and provide lawyers to protect people who are concerned about pending visa applications, hate crimes and continued confusion at the U.S. border. Many mayors of U.S. cities who have adopted sanctuary policies have said they are ready and willing to push back on Trump’s funding plans.
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In an effort to broaden the company’s “social interaction” with our clients and FaceBook fans, Daily Trivia Questions are posted on both of our business pages. Here are the weekly standings for this past week, and the winner of the Sunday night Weekly Drawing for an AmEx gift card!
Congratulations – To this past week’s Trivia Contest Winner!! Our latest contest winner for the weekly FaceBook HealthInsurance4Everyone/Health & Life Solutions, LLC Trivia Contest, drawn randomly by computer late Sunday evening, February 12th, 2017 was:
BRITTANY MICHELLE
Archdale, NC
Winner Of A $25.00 AmEx Gift Card
Each day, fans of either of our company FaceBook pages (HealthInsurance4Everyone or Health & Life Solutions LLC) are able to test their skills with our Daily TRIVIA QUESTION. The first 20 winners who post the correct answer to the TRIVIA QUESTION, will then get entered into the weekly drawing held late on Sunday evenings for a $25.00 Am Ex Gift. Card
Weekly Gift Card winners will be posted in our blog at this site. Remember to become a FaceBook “fan” on either of our company pages to enter and post your answers.
Here are the daily contestants from last week’s Trivia Contest that were entered into the Sunday drawing:
2/6/17
Christine Acoba
Crystal Young
Ashley Nichole Busse
Kristina Harris
Autumn Dansby
Jamie Shapiro
Sandy Nevels
Sherri Kidwell
Kristen Raia Bowman
Sheila Vives
Heather Marie Stacy
Andrea Timms
Phylicia Phillips
Erin Leigh Will
Lotorya Patrick
Alexandra Vindiola
Deborah Farris
Shawna Poole
Eva Biggs
Tiffany Banks
2/7/17
Christine Acoba
Beth Cleveland
Mya Murphy
Brandi Kerr
Tessa Davis
Lisa Puckett
Carla S-Paige Williams
Joanie Waterman
Preeti Chand
Tina Marie
Sherri Kidwell
Marcy Coull
Valerie Kuehn
Kayla Hernandez
Nai Merri
Andrea Timms
Heather Jacques
Jennifer Downing
Alisa Jones
Priscilla Shimp
2/8/17
Christine Acoba
Valerie Kuehn
Jennifer Downing
Nai Merri
Anna Nichols
Nitasha Shank
Isis Sample
Amy Marie Wilkinson
Cheyenne Shaw
Mya Murphy
Fanny Wat
Andrea Timms
Jacqlyn Gummert
Traci Anderson
Ashley Stamey Phillips
Tabitha Sinks
Deborah Farris
Cassandra Berholtz
Chelcie Malow
Alicia Dansby
2/9/17
Christy Hawkes
Valerie Kuehn
Jonnalyn Gates
Megan Rhyne
Sheila Carvell
Jade Good
Anna Ashley Pinder
Kelly Prestenbach
Katrina Worford
Kim Floyd
Preeti Chand
Geri Rus
Roberta Thomas
Lisa David Carr
Darrell Ashley Street
Becky Freeman
Karen Bondehagen
Adaria Johnson
Wendi Black
Brittany Michelle
2/10/17
Jennifer Alice Duran
Lori Capobianco
Brittany Deaver
Jennifer Ramlet
Valerie Kuehn
Megan Rhyne
Rhonda Nicholson
Sandy Nevels
Brandy Marie Williams
Poonam Gosain
Jade Good
Dean Bruss
Poonam Gosain
Samantha Brwn Ramos
Lisa David Carr
Roberta Thomas
Ashley Stamey Phillips
Tammy Alcorta
Angela Nicole
Susanne Killion
Muneca Muneca
Tessa Davis
2/11/17
Hollie Jahnke
Holly Cajigas
Nai Merri
Kimberly Taylor Hall
Tina Marie
Jodi Stevens
Ashley Stamey Phillips
Karen Bondehagen
Alexandria Fields
Phyllis Hines
Rebecca Fauteux
Amy Hopper
Sheila Carvell
Jessica Miller
Kellie Lacy
Tina Casto-Shafer
Mary Achio
Christina Radcliff
Melissa Turner Baker
Heather Jacques
2/12/17
Kendra George
Christine Acoba
Amy Chavis
Anna Nichols
Glenna Zanaglio
Mary Achio
Lotorya Patrick
Mary Ann Cody
Angela Nicole
Dale Fish
Holly Cajigas
Darbie Brown
Dean Bruss
Emily Rice Bowersock
Lori Marie Timms
Brenda Casey
Christine McKinnon
Mike Adamski
Jane Peterson
Jennifer Downing
Crystal Hazelwood
Be sure to watch both of our FaceBook pages for your chance to win and enter again next week, with questions posted daily on HealthInsurance4Everyone or at Health & Life Solutions, LLC!!
Remember that if you try your hand at answering the Trivia Question several days each week, your odds of winning the Sunday weekly drawing are much better. You may also find that if you “Like” both of the business pages, you will receive faster notifications of the other players as they post their answers to compete with you!
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At Health Insurance 4 Everyone, we not only want to improve our customer service but also interact with our customers on a social media level that wasn’t available before. Interested in connecting with us? Look us up on….
Twitter: Healthinsurane4 (Follow Us On Twitter To Receive Faster Notifications When Daily Trivia Questions Posted, & To Be Immediately Notified When Weekly AmEX & HI4Eshop Gift Card Winners Are Announced!!)
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Like us on facebook: HealthInsurance4Everyone or Health & Life Solutions, LLC
Follow Mark Shuster, Founder/Owner at Health & Life Solutions, LLC for daily health tips!
Mark Shuster FaceBook Link
Follow our word press blog and read about everything from health insurance and reform news to healthy living and current events!
Company Blogs
Find out more about LegalShield, our corporate partner which gives you the power to talk to an attorney about any legal issue, and offering high-quality Identity Theft plans.
LegalShield
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The Army Corps of Engineers appears ready to approve the final permit required to build the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. The Dakota Access project has faced months of resistance from hundreds of indigenous nations and non-Native allies. Policing the protests in North Dakota has cost the taxpayers over 22 million dollars.
North Dakota Senator John Hoeven said that acting Secretary of the Army Robert Speer has directed the Army Corps to issue the easement for Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline. The easement allows the company to drill underneath the Missouri River.
Energy Transfer Partners is poised to begin drilling under Lake Oahe as soon as approval is given. Workers have drilled entry and exit holes for the crossing and oil has been put in the pipeline leading up to the lake in anticipation of finishing the project. CEO Kelcy Warren has said the company should be able to finish the project in about three months once the permit is granted.
The 1,200-mile pipeline would carry North Dakota oil through the Dakotas and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois. Dallas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners had hoped to have the pipeline operating by the end of 2016, but construction has been stalled while the Corps and the company battled in court over the crossing.
An assessment conducted last year determined the crossing would not have a significant impact on the environment. However, on Dec. 4th, then-Assistant Army Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy declined to issue permission for the crossing, saying a broader environmental study was warranted. The Corps launched a study of the crossing on Jan. 18th. President Donald Trump signed an executive action Jan. 24 telling the Corps to quickly reconsider Darcy’s decision and shortly after court documents were filed that include a proposed Federal Register notice terminating the study.
The Corps has notified the remaining protesters that the government-owned land will be closed Feb. 22nd 2017. The Standing Rock Sioux and supporters fear a pipeline spill could contaminate the river, which serves as a drinking water source for millions.
Water protectors say that if the easement is granted, the government would be illegally circumventing the process of an environmental impact statement, which was ordered in December under President Obama’s administration. Members of the resistance camp Sacred Stone on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota have called for water protectors to come to support the resistance to the Dakota Access pipeline.
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President Trump has imposed a controversial 90-day ban on travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. On January 27th, Trump signed the order banning travel from the seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and suspending all refugee admission for 120 days. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership saw the final details shortly before the order was finalized.
The result was widespread confusion across the country on Saturday as airports struggled to adjust to the new directives. Stories of families separated or detained for hours starting circulating news outlets.The policy team at the White House developed the executive order on refugees and visas and avoided the traditional inter-agency process that allowed the Justice Department and homeland security agencies to provide operational guidance.
DHS arrived at the legal interpretation that the executive order restrictions did not apply to people with lawful permanent residence, referred to as green card holders. The White House overruled that guidance overnight and decided that on a case by case basis, DHS could allow green card holders to enter the US. The Department of Homeland Security decided that green card holders would be allowed to board international flights but would be considered on a case-by-case basis after passing a secondary screening.
Acting Attorney General Sally Yates announced the Justice Department would not defend Trump’s executive order temporarily banning all refugees, as well as all citizens, from the seven Muslim-majority nations. Just hours after her announcement, President Trump fired her. Yates had served in the Justice Department for 27 years and Trump had asked her to serve as acting attorney general until the Senate confirmed Sen. Jeff Sessions.
Yates is not the only one to publicly disagree with the executive order. More than 200 State Department officials and diplomats have signed on to drafts of a dissent memo that condemns Trump’s executive order. Executives at a growing number of corporations have spoken out against Trump’s immigration ban, including Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla, Airbnb, Ford and Goldman Sachs. World-wide protests has erupted across the globe as well.
Then, Federal Judge James Robart, who presides in Seattle, halted the enforcement of Trump’s order Friday night, effective nationwide. Ruling in a lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of Washington state and Minnesota who sought to stop the order, he said the states “have met their burden of demonstrating that they face immediate and irreparable injury as a result of the signing and implementation of the Executive Order. ” He said the order adversely affects residents in areas of education, employment, education and freedom to travel.
The Department of Homeland Security announced it has suspended all actions to implement the immigration order and will resume standard inspections of travelers as it did prior to the signing of the travel ban. They said the Justice Department — which is expected to file an emergency motion to stop the order — needed to challenge the ruling “at the earliest possible time.”
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In a press conference earlier in January, to announce the start of the 2017 tax filing season, which began on Jan. 23rd, the IRS said it expects more than 153 million tax returns this year.
More than 70% of taxpayers will receive a refund in 2017, with 90% or more of refunds issued in fewer than 21 days after returns are submitted, the IRS estimated. In 2016, 111 million individual tax refunds were issued.
Most filers who received government subsidies to buy Obamacare state exchange plans had to pay money back to the IRS last year, according to an H&R Block analysis released in 2016 that looks at the health law’s two full tax seasons. If a taxpayer projected a higher annual household income than they actually claimed in their filing, they may owe tax credits back that they received by purchasing an Obamacare policy or their state’s exchange plan. One other cause for having to repay tax credits is due to claiming eligibility, but not being eligible due to having access to affordable employer coverage.
The tax-prep giant studied its own massive customer base and concluded that two-thirds of its filers who got subsidies from Obamacare were overpaid during the course of the year, and owed money back to the IRS on the April 15th deadline. 
The ‘Affordable’ Care Act, better known as Obamacare, mandates Americans — unless they’re qualified for an exemption — to carry health insurance coverage or pay a penalty when filing their tax returns. The IRS says most taxpayers simply need to check a box to verify that they have insurance. For others with more complex answers, the agency offers tips on IRS.gov/aca.
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said the number of people receiving Obamacare subsidies during the last tax season (2015 tax filing), was up from 3 million in 2014. For that year, customers got more than $10 billion in tax credits, with an average subsidy of $3,430 annually, according to the IRS. Obamacare subsidies are available to wage earners with low and moderate incomes. People who earn less money get more in assistance than higher earners.
Koskinen wrote that about 6.5 million taxpayers last tax season reported owing a total of $3 billion in such tax penalties for failing to have coverage in 2015. In contrast, about 8 million people owed an Obamacare fine for lack of coverage in 2014. Fines related to lack of coverage in 2014 totaled $1.6 billion.
CNBC reported that some 12.7 million people claimed one or more exemptions from the ACA-coverage mandate when they filed their taxes last year. “The exemptions are wide ranging and can include having very low income, being incarcerated or having a close family member die recently,” according to CNBC.
The primary reason for the decline in Obamacare fines last year appears to be that millions of Americans experienced a significant drop in income, which ironically is a direct result of the economic damage inflicted on businesses by the financial strictures of the Obama ‘Affordable’ Care Act (ACA).
CNBC also reported that the new Republican-led Congress last month began taking steps toward repealing key parts of the ACA, which include the funding of premium subsidies and the individual mandate. For the middle class’s economic sake, let’s hope the effort is successful.
The National Taxpayer Advocate has released their 2016 Annual Report to Congress. The report contains data regarding Obamacare premium tax credits (PTC) and individual shared responsibility payment (ISRP) filings – The Obamacare tax penalties for not having health coverage.
The report identifies a number of issues that the IRS has faced or is facing involving the Obamacare ACA and makes a number of recommendations. These include:
- The IRS seems to have largely addressed early problems of Obamacare tax overpayments through outreach conducted to tax practitioners and software providers.
- Reconciliation of PTCs (the Obamacare low-income subsidies) with advance PTCs (APTCs) continues to cause problems, and has risen to the fourth highest category of Taxpayer Advocacy Service cases, accounting for nearly 11,000 cases in 2016. The primary problem seems to be the IRS holding up processing of returns when taxpayers fail to file a form 8962 and reconcile their advance PTC with their PTC.
- Processing of tax filings is delayed when Obamacare APTC recipients incorrectly file form 1040-E, which does not allow for APTC reconciliation.
- The IRS is taking action to address “silent returns,” which do not either check the box indicating full-year coverage, claim an exemption, or paying the ISRP tax penalty. The IRS will send a letter 12C requesting more information in these cases and assess the ISRP if no response is forthcoming.
- The Taxpayer Advocate recommends that the IRS should ease the burden on individuals claiming the religious exemption by allowing individuals exempt from the Social Security and Medicare taxes to simply indicate this on their form 8965 rather than requiring them to apply separately for an Obamacare ISRP religious exemption.
- The Taxpayer Advocate recognizes that taxpayers who receive large Social Security Disability Payments may have to repay Obamacare APTC subsidies they received. There is no apparent administrative fix for this problem.
- The IRS needs to provide specialized training to its newly established Obamacare ACA Business Exam unit, which handles employer ACA returns.
- The IRS may not be adequately prepared to handle Obamacare ACA employer filings. It had expected 77 million 1095-Cs for 2016 and received 104 million or 35% more than expected. Of these Obamacare employer filings, 5.4 percent were then rejected.
The IRS, in a statement regarding taxpayer compliance issues has said: “The IRS will follow its normal compliance approach to filed tax returns. During its normal processes, the IRS routinely follows up on the accuracy and completeness of tax returns and may ask taxpayers to substantiate the information on their tax returns. These inquiries sometime occur before processing refund requests and other times after the processing of refund requests.”
“The vast majority of taxpayers voluntarily comply with their tax responsibilities—our income tax system is built on voluntary compliance,” the IRS said.
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At Health Insurance 4 Everyone, we not only want to improve our customer service but also interact with our customers on a social media level that was not available before. Interested in connecting with us? Look us up on….
Twitter: Healthinsurane4
Click-On for LinkedIn: LinkedIn
Like us on facebook: HealthInsurance4Everyone
Follow Mark Shuster, Founder/Owner at Health & Life Solutions, LLC for daily health tips! HealthInsurance4Everyone or Health & Life Solutions, LLC
Mark Shuster FaceBook Link
Follow our word press blog and read about everything from health insurance and reform news to healthy living and current events!
Company Blogs
Find out more about LegalShield, our corporate partner which gives you the power to talk to an attorney about any legal issue, and offering high-quality Identity Theft plans.
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Police have arrested a gunman charged with opening fire at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City during evening prayers. Canadian university student Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, has been charged with 6 counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder in the shooting that left six people dead and 19 wounded.
Witnesses described a gunman dressed in black, opening fire indiscriminately with semi-automatic weapons. More than 50 people were at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre when the shooting began. All the shooting victims were men and those killed ranged in age from 39 to 60. Of the four victims who remained hospitalized, two were in critical condition, authorities said.
Among the six men killed were a butcher, a university professor, a pharmacist and an accountant, according to police. The government of Guinea said in a statement that two of its citizens were among those killed in the mosque attack.
The suspect was arrested in his car on a bridge near d’Orleans, after he called 911 to say he wanted to cooperate with police. Authorities initially named two suspects, but later said the other man taken into custody was a witness to the attack and was released. Officials said they did not believe there were others involved. Police did not give a motive for the attack.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard both characterized the attack as an act of terrorism, which came amid strong criticism around the world over Trump’s temporary travel ban for people from seven Muslim countries. Shortly after Trump’s executive order was issued, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that Canada would welcome refugees banned from entering the United States.
Federal Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters in Ottawa there was no change to “the national terrorism threat level” from medium because “there is no information known to the government of Canada that would lead to a change at this time.”
According to media outlets, Bissonnette was known for far-right, nationalist views and his support of the French rightist party led by Marine Le Pen. The suspect has expressed support for Le Pen and U.S. President Donald Trump on his Facebook page. He was known to those who monitor extremist groups in Quebec, said François Deschamps, an official with a refugee advocacy group.
Bissonnette made a brief appearance in court under tight security wearing a white prison garment. Prosecutors said they do not have all the evidence yet. Bissonnette is set to appear again on Feb. 21. No charge was read in court and Bissonnette did not enter a plea.
The attack was a shock to the community of Quebec City, a city of just over 500,000 which reported just two murders in all of 2015. Incidents of Islamophobia have increased in Quebec in recent years. The face-covering, or niqab, became an issue in the 2015 Canadian federal election, especially in Quebec, where the majority of the population supported a ban on it at citizenship ceremonies.
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In an effort to broaden the company’s “social interaction” with our clients and FaceBook fans, Daily Trivia Questions are posted on both of our business pages. Here are the weekly standings for this past week, and the winner of the Sunday night Weekly Drawing for an AmEx gift card!
Congratulations – To this past week’s Trivia Contest Winner!! Our latest contest winner for the weekly FaceBook HealthInsurance4Everyone/Health & Life Solutions, LLC Trivia Contest, drawn randomly by computer late Sunday evening, February 5th, 2017 was:
JENNIFER KINNER
Boyne Falls, MI
Winner Of A $25.00 AmEx Gift Card
Each day, fans of either of our company FaceBook pages (HealthInsurance4Everyone or Health & Life Solutions LLC) are able to test their skills with our Daily TRIVIA QUESTION. The first 20 winners who post the correct answer to the TRIVIA QUESTION, will then get entered into the weekly drawing held late on Sunday evenings for a $25.00 Am Ex Gift. Card
Weekly Gift Card winners will be posted in our blog at this site. Remember to become a FaceBook “fan” on either of our company pages to enter and post your answers.
Here are the daily contestants from last week’s Trivia Contest that were entered into the Sunday drawing:
1/30/17
Brittany Deaver
Carol Scheive
Dawn Raasch
Sherri Kidwell
Ashley Stamey Phillips
Karen Hacker Lewis
Mary Ann Cody
Holly Cajigas
Lisa Puckett
Melissa Barnes Walker
Erica Hansen
Kristin Yergey
Amy Marie Wilkinson
Alexandria Tinnon
Melissa Turner Baker
Tammy Alcorta
Jennie Gallagher
Adaria Johnson
Mya Murphy
Pamela White Brearley
Tabitha Sinks
Sandy Nevels
Jennifer Kinner
Cheryl Hall
1/31/17
Kendra George
Paula Rivers
Mary Achio
Alexandra Vindiola
Christine Acoba
Brittany Deaver
Raquel Munoz Navarro
Darrell Skarvan
Heather Jacques
Megan Akins
Brandi Chaney
Jennifer Kinner
Susanne Killion
Sheila Carvell
Lotorya Patrick
Paula M Bondy
Sheila Carvell
Terri Llexxes
Juanita Williams-Jones
Thomas Ryan
2/1/17
Kendra George
Cheryl Hall
Jakara Jackson
Kassi Krick-King
Michelle Hughes
Priscilla Shimp
Anna Ashley Pinder
Mary Achio
Dawn Raasch
Dana Marie Germain
Leslie Wagner Hobson
Ashley Agner
Thomas Ryan
Kristina Harris
Crystal Young
Sheila Carvell
Brenda Casey
Kizzy Alvarez DeSantis
Samantha Brwn Ramos
Cheyenne Shaw
Jade Good
Kathleen Hickman
2/2/17
Michelle Hughes
Jennifer Saavedra
Anna Nichols
Glenna Zanaglio
Preeti Chand
Melissa Turner Baker
Paula Rousseau
Heather Marie Stacy
Kendra George
Kimberly Snyder
Christy Hawkes
Darbie Brown
Melissa Ann Stura-Bassett
Wayne Gallas
Dena Baji
Kayla Clemons
Misty Shallcross
Kimberly Taylor Hall
Angel Anderson
Phyllis Hines
2/3/17
Mya Murphy
Preeti Chand
Annette French
Beth Cleveland
Trish Hysell
Sarah Bellestri Shih
Kayla Hernandez
Alisa Jones
Adaria Johnson
Raquel Munoz Navarro
Wizdom Norwood-Goins
Christine Acoba
Mary Alice Ford
Lezlie Earley
Kizzy Alvarez DeSantis
Jennifer Sparks
Chrissy Kim
Carla S-Paige Williams
Terri Llexxes
Angela Nicole
2/4/17
Crystal Young
Kayla Clemons
Ashley Oshier
Angelique Drummond
Mya Murphy
Kimberly Taylor Hall
Paula Rousseau
Megan Akins
Stephanie Beckwith
Lotorya Patrick
Kristina Harris
Jennifer Downing
Kimberly Foster
Beth Cleveland
Nitasha Shank
Amy Chavis
Georgiann D’Angelo
Mary Achio
Lisa Wright
Brandy Marie Williams
2/5/17
Misty Shallcross
Sheila Carvell
Ashley Stamey Phillips
Mary Achio
Jennifer Ramlet
Christy Hawkes
Joanie Waterman
Ashley Agner
Jade Good
Tiffany Greene Elliott
Melissa Ann Stura-Bassett
Brandi Chaney
Becca Dotsun
Kimberly Foster
Brandy Marie Williams
Jennifer Downing
Crystal Young
Brenda Casey
Tina Marie
Andrea Timms
Be sure to watch both of our FaceBook pages for your chance to win and enter again next week, with questions posted daily on HealthInsurance4Everyone or at Health & Life Solutions, LLC!!
Remember that if you try your hand at answering the Trivia Question several days each week, your odds of winning the Sunday weekly drawing are much better. You may also find that if you “Like” both of the business pages, you will receive faster notifications of the other players as they post their answers to compete with you!
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