As 2012 draws to a close, many business opportunity, distributorship, licensee opportunity, franchise opportunity and other small business owners are focused on getting their fiscal house in order to prepare for the impending tax season. To assist them this year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is not only highlighting its expanded resources and extended hours, but offering an important warning.
Available in English and Spanish as well as a number of other languages, IRS.gov/smallbiz is your 24/7 online tax center if you are a self-employed or other small business taxpayer who files Form 1040, Schedules C, E or F or Form 2106, or if your small business has assets under $10 million. Everything from filing forms and publications to Employer Identification Number (EIN) acquisition and Affordable Care Act info as well as numerous other helpful resources are available here. It’s your go-to webpage for finding everything you need to make this tax season as stress-free as possible.
Additionally and recognizing that one-on-one communication is sometimes necessary, the IRS provides toll-free hotlines for individuals and small business owners, all of which will offer extended hours of operation during the height of tax season. Individual tax payers can have their questions answered by calling 1-800-TAX-1040, while small business owners can dial 1-800-829-4933.
The IRS also has hundreds of taxpayer assistance centers across the country, all of which can provide multilingual services in more than 150 languages using either a bilingual employee or an Over-the-Phone Interpreter. So, don’t let a language barrier stand in the way of your getting the attention you need. No appointment is necessary, just walk in. To locate the office nearest you, simply click here on “Contact Your Local IRS Office” and then your state.
Lastly, the IRS has issued an important warning for the 2012-13 tax season…
*Please be alert!* There is a new tax scam that uses a website that mimics the IRS e-services online registration page. The actual IRS e-services website is www.irs.gov. It DOES NOT end in .com, .net, .org or any other designation other than .gov!
These fake sites look almost identical to the real thing, yet they are nothing more than a front to lure you to provide personal and financial information that may be used to steal your money or identity. Because the IRS never initiates contact with taxpayers via email, text or any social media to request personal or financial information, an attempt by anyone to do so should send up a red flag, and you should contact the IRS immediately. Suspicious websites claiming to be the IRS can be reported by sending the site’s URL address by email to [email protected] using the subject line, “Suspicious Website.”