DIY Tax Software, Not So User Friendly

This article from AccountingToday is a great read! It not only outlines the benefits of using a tax professional versus tax software, it explains that the taxpayer is still liable for any filing mistakes and NOT the software company itself.  Even though you've followed all of the prompts and double checked everything, it doesn't mean your purchased software covers the intricacies your individual circumstances.  In most cases you can find your tax bill a little lighter by using a professional who is aware of tax law and every exemption you qualify for.  If you owe less by using DIY software, it is most likely a mistake and could end up costing you a lot in the long run!

Cleaning Up the Mess Left By DIY Tax Software
By Greg Freyman

More and more taxpayers are turning towards do-it-yourself tax software to prepare and file business and individual income tax returns.
With every passing year, our offices receive an ever-increasing number of calls asking for help fixing previously self-filed returns. Consumers of these products are beginning to treat tax preparation software as virtual tax return preparers. As the IRS has focused on increased regulation for paid providers of tax return services, I believe the Service’s scope should include tax preparation software providers as well.

The security of taxpayer accounts and personal information has been a top priority of the IRS for e-file providers since the electronic filing program’s inception. Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data, and Publication 4600, Safeguarding Taxpayer Information were published to provide guidance and best practices. However, in 2015, Intuit’s TurboTax systems were hacked, leading to many fraudulent returns being filed without the taxpayers’ knowledge, due to poorly designed security measures. The repercussions of the fraudulent returns left fraud victims having to manually file their tax returns, file police reports detailing possible identity theft, and monitor their credit reports for any other signs of their information being used. Despite the security breach, no penalties were imposed against Intuit. The company was only instructed to prepare a list of changes to reduce tax fraud by the next filing year.

Tax preparation software providers need to apply the same strict data-handling guidelines to self-preparation tax software as do the professional tax preparers.

Another significant issue with do-it-yourself software is the consumer’s reliance on it to do the impossible and apply the voluminous amount of tax law to their individual scenario. Without a firm grasp of the ever-changing tax law, individuals are relying heavily on the automated prompts within the system to help guide them, further creating the illusion that preparing and filing income tax returns is simple in all cases.

Granted, a tax return may be simple, and the software utilized may be sufficient, in some cases. However, even in straightforward scenarios, costly mistakes can and do happen. A client of ours, for example, forgot to enter the city tax that was withheld from them, costing them approximately $4,000 while self-preparing a very simple return. Additionally, what most fail to realize about tax audits and proceedings is that the burden of proof, unlike the legal system, fall on the taxpayer to show the reason why certain deductions were taken or key information was omitted from the return. Consumers of these tax products need to be reminded that relying on prompts from the software does not constitute a viable defense.

Another case involved both a business and a personal income tax return, and arose from the taxpayer’s limited knowledge of Schedule K-1s, the IRS’s ability to cross-reference documents, misclassifying large expenses, and misrepresented 1099 filings. The taxpayer had not included Schedule K-1’s on his personal return after preparing his own business’s return. The taxpayer failed to realize that the IRS operates on a matching system in which it matches third-party filings with an individual’s return. The mismatch of the K-1 that was present on the S corporation return, but not found on the client’s 1040, triggered a correspondence audit. In yet another example, the client incurred over $161,000 worth of penalties and interest over multiple years, and had to spend over $30,000 in accounting fees over a number of years, working with the IRS and states, to remove the incorrect penalties and amend six years of business and individual tax filings.

The cause? The client used self-preparation tax and payroll software, and assumed their company was correctly filing partnership and payroll forms for years. In fact, the client had been sending in payroll tax deposits, but not filing all of the forms consistently, omitting filing for the periods where no payroll tax was due. The client was unaware of a requirement that mandated taxpayers to file zero payroll forms. Since the IRS had not received zero payroll forms, the tax liability from prior periods was assumed for the periods with missing tax forms. Aside from missing forms, the client was also unaware that an employee had a certain type of visa status that exempted an employer from certain payroll taxes. Presenting this information helped to show that a payroll tax overpayment existed on the account, helping to reduce their penalties and interest.

Taxpayers should be made aware that the software they are using and relying on to prepare and file their taxes may not adequately report their tax liability to comply with tax laws. Furthermore, taxpayers may inadvertently be leaving more of their money on the table due to the automated software. ABC News recently showed a segment on how one family’s refund amounts differed when using do-it-yourself tax software, a storefront tax preparer and a tax accountant. Their highest refund was calculated by the tax accountant. The family admitted to having overlooked a key item within the tax software, which the tax accountant had found for them. By engaging in an open dialogue with a tax professional, the family was able to more than double their tax refund amount.

Until the IRS requires all tax preparation software providers be held to the same standards of paid tax professionals, we must continue to advocate for our clients and those burned by do-it-yourself software. It is up to us to remind taxpayers to seek professional help with their tax issues to avoid costly mistakes. The services of tax professionals may seem more expensive upfront than do-it-yourself tax software at first glance. To overcome this obstacle, it is important to showcase the value in choosing tax professionals who not only provide peace of mind, quality of service, and thorough investigation and resolution of their tax issues, but also perform in-depth tax research and perform representation services. As tax professionals, we need to keep the dialogue open with our clients and those attempting to navigate through tax laws on their own, and remind them of the value we bring.

The original source of this article is found at AccountingToday.com

15 Things to Keep After Filing & How Long to Keep Them

In Kelly Phillips Erb's own words, a Forbes Tax writer, here are the things you need to keep after filing your return and for how long!

1. As a rule, keep your tax records and supporting documentation until the statute of limitations runs for filing returns or filing for refund. For most taxpayers, that means that you’ll want to keep those records for three years following the date of filing or the due date of your tax return, whichever is later.

2. If you don’t report all of the income that you should report (generally, if you omit more than 25% of the gross income shown on your return), the statute of limitations is extended: you’ll want to keep those records for at least six years. You may also want to get a better tax professional.

3. If you file a clearly fraudulent return or if you don’t file a return at all, the statute of limitations never actually runs. That means that there is no time limit on IRS action. In that event, you’ll want to hold onto your records forever. And in that case, you absolutely want to get a better tax professional and possibly a defense attorney on speed dial.

4. If you file a claim for credit or refund after you file your return, you’ll want to keep your records for three years from the date you filed your original return or two years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.

5. If you are a partner or S corporation shareholder, the statute of limitations is generally controlled by the date of your individual return.

6. If you file an amended return, it does not extend the statute of limitations for your original return. The clock doesn’t restart: the original date determines the statute of limitations (some exceptions apply if you file within 60 days of the assessment window).

7. You’ll want to keep supporting documentation for as long as the statute of limitations runs. Supporting documentations for your tax returns includes not only your forms W-2 and 1099 but also bills, credit card and other receipts, invoices, mileage logs, canceled, imaged or substitute checks, proofs of payment, and any other records to support deductions or credits you claim on your return.

8. Don’t forget about those Obamacare requirements. Beginning with the 2014 tax year (the return you filed in 2015), you’ll need to keep records of minimum essential health insurance coverage or proof that you qualified for an exemption or premium tax credit (especially if you had to pay it back).

9. If you make nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA, hold onto those records until you make a complete withdrawal/distribution: you don’t want to pay tax on those twice. But don’t stop there. As a rule of thumb, you should hold onto all IRA records – including Roth contributions – until you withdraw all of the money from the account.

10. If you claim depreciation, amortization, or depletion deductions, you’ll want to keep related records for as long as you own the underlying property. That includes deeds, titles and cost basis records.

11. If you claim special deductions and credits, you may need to keep your records longer than normal (for example, if you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction, you should keep those records for seven years).

12. If you have employees, including household employees, keep your employment tax records for at least four years after the date that payroll taxes become due or is paid, whichever is later. This should include forms W-2 and W-4, as well as related pay information including benefit forms.

13. If you claim any other special tax benefits not mentioned above (for example, the first time homeowner’s credit), a good rule of thumb is to keep your records for as long as the tax benefit runs plus three years.

14. If you own property that will result in a taxable event at sale or disposition (like stocks, bonds or your home), you’ll want to keep records which support your related tax consequences (capital gains, etc.) until the disposition of the property plus three years. That means, for example, that you should keep records related to your home, including home improvements, for as long as you own the house. Remember that you’re entitled to exclude up to $250,000 of gain on the sale of your home ($500,000 if married filing jointly) – so keep excellent records of the cost of the home as well as any improvements or other adjustments to basis.

15. If you receive property as the result of a gift or inheritance, you’ll want to keep records that support your basis in that property. Generally, if you inherit property, your basis is the stepped up value as of the date of death; if you receive a gift, your basis is the same as the donor’s basis. Don’t toss those old records just because you’re the new owner of the assets.

The full article "Tax Records You Should Keep After Tax Day (And How Long to Keep Them)" By Kelly Phillips Erb can be found here.