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Taxpayers will have until Tuesday, April 18, 2017 to file their 2016 returns and pay any taxes due. That’s because of the combined impact of the weekend and a holiday in the District of Columbia. 

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that unclaimed federal income tax refunds totaling more than $1 billion may be waiting for an estimated 1 million taxpayers who did not file a 2013 federal income tax return. 

This article appears in Crains Cleveland Business 

By Steven A. Dimengo and Richard B. Fry III 
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC.

February 12, 2017 - Gov. Kasich’s quest to lower the Ohio personal income tax rate continues in his latest proposed biennium budget, even in the face of Ohio’s tax revenue falling short of estimates.

Employees of closely held corporations, whether structured as a C corporation or an S corporation, who also serve as shareholders of that same corporation, may find themselves in a precarious position when it comes to determining their compensation.

For the taxpayers who went through the painstaking process of sifting through their shoebox full of receipts in the attempt to file their income tax return early, we have to offer you a gentle and friendly reminder that refunds stemming from returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax credit will be delayed until February 15. 

Like many taxpayers, you may have recently (or routinely) donated a few bags of clothing and household items to a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The $125 designer jeans, a box of barely-used stuffed animals, and eclectic wall art were sought-after purchases that found their way to your home through your hard-earned dollars. Certainly, your goods were priceless treasures to you and you presumed the same for the lucky charity to which you would donate them. 

On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed legislation called “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes” Act of 2015, or the PATH Act for short. 

The PATH Act contained many extensions and changes to existing tax laws.  The Act also included a provision which will delay refunds for certain taxpayers.  The IRS is now required to not issue a refund to anyone claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit until February 15.  Both of these refunds are considered “refundable credits,” which are essentially treated as additional tax payments, and can reduce one’s tax liability below zero.  More, the PATH Act was enacted to give the IRS more time to review refund claims, in an effort to reduce fraud and catch refunds that may be improperly issued.

Do you have questions about the PATH Act, your refund, or income tax preparation? Let's talk! Contact me at btheofilos@zinnerco.com or any of the professionals here at 216.831.0733. We're ready to start the conversation and end the confusion.