What are the reasons for receiving IRS certified mail?
You are going to be audited, you didn't sign your forms (the biggest one) , you owe them money because of a mistake or they owe you more of a refund because of a mistake.Just don't panic when you see it. That's why I like H & R Block. The time they said I owed more money because of a mistake they helped me prove it wasn't so.
Notarize document copies for IRS, 1040X?
I filed 1040X as Single and am entitled to refund. Few years back I filed as "Married Filing Separately", and my marriage was Annulled by the Courts due to fraud. Now IRS sent letter asking for entire Annulment judgement, signed by courts. Since this is a copy of judgement, should this be notarized?
How do I document I pay a babysitter?
Both your canceled check and receipts if possible. And if you want to save yourself a huge and very common end-of-year hassle, get your babysitter's Soc Sec Number or EIN number NOW instead of waiting until the year end. They are required to give it to you and you are required to have it if you want to claim the Child Care Credit, but with all the identity theft issues, lots of people including babysitters are hesitant to give them out. You may have to convince her that she is required to. You could download Form W-10 from http://www.irs.gov to give her. It is an official request for such a number.
Can I claim Closer Connection Exception (Form 8840) when filing US tax if I am starting a job in the US and meet the substantial presence test, but have spent less than 183 days in the US this year?
The answer is YES! Being spent less than 183 days (in 2015) in USA...although you meet the substantial presence test still qualifies you for Closer Connection Exception. BUT in order to claim this exception, you will have to prove that your TAX HOME was another country (Singapore in your case) in 2015. So in order to do so....you can consider the following factors:The country of residence you designate on forms and documentsThe types of official forms and documents you file, such as Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding, or W-8ECI, Certificate of Foreign Person’s Claim That Income Is Effectively Connected With the Conduct of a Trade or Business in the United States.The location of: Your permanent home,Your family,Your personal belongings, such as cars, furniture, clothing, and jewelry,Your current social, political, cultural, or religious affiliations,Your business activities (other than those that constitute your tax home),The jurisdiction in which you hold a driver's license,The jurisdiction in which you vote, andCharitable organizations to which you contribute.But remember that if at any time during 2015 IRS finds that you actively pursued or tried to pursue for a U.S. green card...then they would simply disallow your claim.How would you know that whether it is approved or disapproved.....is a matter of timing. If IRS doesn't ask you additional questions (IRS audit) after filing your tax return....you might assume that your claim has been accepted. i hope it helps.Best of luck with your future!
Were can i get my taxes done for free?
Log onto the irs.gov site they have plenty of sites they direct you to where you can file for free. :)
Do I need to obtain a W-9 from an international (non-US) based company if I am making over $600 in payments to them over the course of a year?
No you do not….and they will probably laugh at you like they laughed at me because W-9s and such documentation reflect U.S. employment and tax laws, and the foreign company you are working for is unlikely to feel compelled to be bound to U.S. laws and its documentation requirements. As it is relevant to this discussion I will mention that I have had foreign earned income for 20 of the past 24 years, none of which was documented with a W-9, or anything else U.S. tax-like from the foreign employer for that matter.You may have to declare you made the income depending on your citizenship and U.S. Residence status. However here is the complication: A tax preparer who cannot verify your sources of income may not accept your personal declaration of income. In essence, you might have to prove you made this money through honest foreign employment. Why would someone “fake” that they made foreign money? Lots and lots of reasons, but that’s not your question (smile). If you cannot prove you made the money lawfully, and you cannot convince your tax accountant of this, you might not be able to get your income included in your tax return.What’s the problem? Try making $250,000 a year, take all of the IRS foreign income credit exclusions ( $175,000 worth) and then have a U.S. bank say you can’t qualify for a U.S. mortgage because your tax returns do not show sufficient income. Gasp!FYI - after 7 years of being an expat with significant foreign earned income and no U.S. accountant willing to do my returns for a reasonable price (under $3K), I decided to learn all the regulations myself. Its been enormously helpful since I did (where helpful means, paying federal taxes in the single digits because of the massive number of allowances) and the options for structuring one’s foreign compensation such that many of the added costs are treated as tax-free.Good luck.Peter, a 20+ years, 59 country former expat.
Is there a free database to look up any company's EIN/tax I.D. number?
Most of the governments made this number mandatory to issue license. The employer must have this number and this number will be included in the pay slips also. Whether it’s a business or a nonprofit organization everyone should get this EIN. This number is just like a social security number of an individual. Individual persons have SSN’s and Businesses have EIN Numbers.If you want to look up the Employer Identification Numbers use the IRS service. You can get the details of public companies very easily. Just follow the below steps,Check for an Old EIN return.Have you used this number to get a license or a bank account? Remember that.Refer the Notice of IRS.Or Check the application procedure to get EIN Number and other details like format of the number etc.Source - Employer Identification Number - LookUp, Retrieve, Benefits, Apply Etc
Can I apply for an ITIN without filing taxes?
Matthew and Kyle are generally correct, however there are some misconceptions.If you do not have taxable income or a withholding requirement by a payer (like a scholarship from school or a prize in the lottery), then you will not be eligible for an ITIN. If you are an F-1 or J-1 student, then the DSO at your school can certify your documents through the SEVP process. The IRS has a really good website for foreign students, scholars and visitors. If you are an F or J student, then you are also eligible to work at your school. The IRS will only give you an ITIN if you get a letter from the DSO (designated school official who signed your I-20) saying that you are not working and will not be working during your stay as a student.If you have taxable scholarships that require withholding, you will be eligible for an ITIN. If you come from a country with a tax treaty and receive a scholarship or fellowship, you will be eligible to apply for an ITIN. Neither of these requires a tax return filing.If you are a speaker, lecturer or ACWIA (B-1/B-2) visitor who will be paid for academic activities, collaboration, presentation, research grants, etc. then you are eligible to get an ITIN without filing a tax return. You will either have a withholding exception or a potential treaty exception. If you are not an F-1 or J-1 scholar, then you cannot use a DSO or the SEVP process to get an ITIN. That is when you should find a CAA (Certifying Acceptance Agent) to verify your documents and ensure that you are not required to send your passport to the IRS. Although a number of schools have CAAs, there are many freelance CAAs in the accounting firms across the world. The IRS has them listed, but only those who choose to be listed and will work outside their employer’s needs. (I chose not to be on the list.)So, yes, you can apply for an ITIN without filing taxes, but only if you meet the very specific criteria published in the W-7 instructions.