News & Updates

“This business tax credit helps employers provide their employees with child-care services and facilities,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “We’ve heard that some employers may be overlooking this important credit, so the IRS has created a new one-stop shop for information on IRS.gov that provides an easy place to learn more.”

The information is available at IRS.gov/employerchildcare or by searching “employer child care.”

This tax credit is designed to help employers cover some of the qualified child care facility and resource and referral expenditures associated with providing child care services to their employees. A qualified child care facility is one that meets the requirements of all applicable laws and regulations of the state or local government in which it is located.

The credit is limited to $150,000 per year to offset 25% of qualified child care facility expenditures and 10% of qualified child care resource and referral expenditures.

Employers should complete Form 8882, Credit for Employer-Provided Child Care Facilities and Services, to claim the credit for qualified child care facility and resource and referral expenditures. The credit is part of the general business credit subject to the carryback and carryforward rule. This means employers may carryback unused credit one year and then carryforward 20 years after the year of the credit. Taxpayers whose only source for the credit is from pass-through entities can report the credit directly on Form 3800, General Business Credit.

The Employer-Provided Childcare Tax Credit homepage on IRS.gov has more information about claiming the credit, including the requirements for qualified child care expenditures and qualified child care facilities.

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These six easy tips will help make tax preparation smoother in 2024. Much of this information is also available on a special IRS.gov free help page:

1. Gather all necessary tax paperwork and records for accuracy to avoid missing a deduction or credit. Taxpayers should have all their important and necessary documents before preparing their return. This will help file a complete and accurate tax return. Errors and omissions slow down tax processing, including refund times.

Before beginning, taxpayers should have:

• Social Security numbers for everyone listed on the tax return.
• Bank account and routing numbers.
• Various tax forms such as W-2s, 1099s, 1098s and other income documents or records of digital asset transactions.
• Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace statement.
• Any IRS letters citing an amount received for a certain tax deduction or credit.

2. Remember to report all types of income on the tax return. This is important to avoid receiving a notice or a bill from the IRS. Don’t forget to include income from:

• Goods created and sold on online platforms.
• Investment income.
• Part-time or seasonal work.
• Self-employment or other business activities.
• Services provided through mobile apps.

3. Filing electronically with direct deposit is the fastest way to receive a refund. Avoid paper returns. Tax software helps individuals avoid mistakes by doing the math. It guides people through each section of their tax return using a question and answer format.

For those waiting on their 2022 tax return to be processed, here's a special tip to ensure their 2023 tax return is accepted by the IRS for processing. Make sure to enter $0 (zero dollars) for last year's adjusted gross income (AGI) on the 2023 tax return. Everyone else should enter their prior year's AGI from last year's return.

4. Free resources are available to help eligible taxpayers file online. Free help may also be available to qualified taxpayers. IRS Free File provides a free online alternative to filing a paper tax return. IRS Free File is available to any individual or family who earned $79,000 or less in 2023.

With IRS Free File, leading tax software providers make their online products available for free as part of a 21-year partnership with the IRS. This year, there are eight products in English and one in Spanish. Taxpayers must access these products through the IRS website.

People who make over $79,000 can use the IRS' Free File Fillable Forms. These are the electronic version of IRS paper forms. This product is best for people who are comfortable preparing their own taxes.

Qualified taxpayers can also find free one-on-one tax preparation help around the nation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.

5. Consider which filing option to use; each one has its own benefits. Taxpayers should decide based on their personal situation and comfort level with tax preparation.

• Personally file taxes.
• Use online filing services.
• Hire a tax professional. Choose a tax professional carefully. Most tax return preparers are professional, honest and provide excellent service to their clients. However, dishonest tax return preparers who file false income tax returns do exist. The IRS has a Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications and more on choosing a tax pro on IRS.gov.

6. Don’t wait on hold when calling the IRS. Use online resources at IRS.gov to get answers to tax questions, check a refund status or pay taxes. There’s no wait time or appointment needed — online tools and resources are available 24 hours a day. The IRS’ Interactive Tax Assistant tool and Let us help you resources are especially helpful.

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Filing these documents timely prevents late-filing penalties for employers, helps employees file their income tax returns and prevents tax fraud.

Employers must file copies of their 2023 Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statements, and Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, with the SSA by Jan. 31, whether filing electronically or by paper forms.

Employers must also provide copies B, C and 2 of Form W-2 to their employees by Jan. 31. For more information on filing Form W-2, see General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3.

The Jan. 31 deadline also applies to Forms 1099-NEC filed with the IRS to report non-employee compensation to independent contractors. Employers and payers can review the Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NECPDF for details and other due dates.

Employer Identification Numbers

Employers need to make sure the employer identification number (EIN) on their wage and tax statements (Forms W-2, W-3, etc.) and their payroll tax returns (Forms 941, 943, 944, etc.) match the EIN the IRS assigned to their business.

Do not use a Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification number (ITIN) on forms that ask for an EIN, and never truncate EINs or SSNs on any forms.

Extensions

Employers may request a 30-day extension to file Forms W-2 with SSA by submitting Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns, by Jan. 31. Additionally, extensions of time to furnish Forms W-2 to employees must also occur by Jan. 31.

For detailed information and instructions on how to file an extension of time to furnish Forms W-2 to employees or to request a 30-day extension with the SSA, see Form 8809 and General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3.

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The IRS expects more than 146 million individual tax returns for 2023 to be filed this filing season, which has a deadline of April 15, 2024.

With the start of the 2024 filing season, the IRS will be extending hours of service in nearly 250 Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across the country, providing additional help to people. The IRS will also be working to continue improvements on its phone service as well as expanding online tools. The Where’s My Refund? tool on IRS.gov will add more details for taxpayers checking on the status of their tax refund.

Building off the success of the 2023 tax season that saw significant improvements following passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2024 filing season will continue reflecting the focus on improving services to taxpayers.

“For months, IRS employees have been working hard to be ready to help taxpayers and make tax season as easy and smooth as possible,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “We’ve taken important steps to add more improvements to help taxpayers, ranging from expanded in-person hours, better online options and improved phone service.”

The IRS reminds taxpayers the deadline to file a 2023 tax return and pay any tax owed is Monday, April 15, 2024. Taxpayers living in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17, 2024, due to the Patriot’s Day and Emancipation Day holidays. If a taxpayer resides in a federally declared disaster area, they may have additional time to file.

Nearly 250 Taxpayer Assistance Centers expand hours; Where’s My Refund? updates

Taxpayer Assistance Center hours expanded. As part of expanded taxpayer service efforts, nearly 250 IRS TACs around the country will extend their weekly office hours to give taxpayers additional time to get the help they need during the filing season.

The extended office hours will run through Tuesday, April 16. To see if a nearby TAC is offering extended hours, taxpayers can visit Contact your local office to access the IRS.gov TAC Locator tool. The site lists services offered, including extended hours and directions to each office. Taxpayers can call 844-545-5640 to make an appointment or walk in to get help at designated TACs offering the additional time. Normally, TACs are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and operate by appointment.

Special Saturday hours available. In addition to extended hours during the work week, the IRS will again offer special Saturday hours at many TACs across the country February through May. On these special Saturdays, taxpayers can walk in to receive all services routinely provided at participating offices, except for cash payments.

These extra hours are in addition to the IRS opening or reopening 50 Taxpayer Assistance Centers that have occurred since Inflation Reduction Act funding became available in 2022.

“Where’s My Refund?” expanded. Taxpayers will also see important new updates to the “Where's My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov. These ongoing updates will allow taxpayers to see more detailed refund status messages in plain language, and they will also ensure Where's My Refund? works seamlessly on mobile devices. Taxpayers often see a generic message stating that their returns are still being processed and to check back later. With the new and improved Where's My Refund?, taxpayers will see clearer and more detailed updates, including whether the IRS needs them to respond to a letter requesting additional information. The new updates will reduce the need for taxpayers to call the IRS for answers to these basic questions. The IRS plans to continue expanding the information available on Where’s My Refund? later this year.

Taxpayers will also see other improvements this tax season, including:

• Phone service. Increased help available on the toll-free line and an expanded customer call back feature designed to significantly reduce wait times.
• Paperless processing. Enhanced paperless processing that will enable taxpayers to submit all correspondence, non-tax forms, and responses to notices digitally and will be able to e-File nine additional tax forms with 11 more planned. Achieving this milestone will enable up to 125 million paper documents to be submitted digitally per year.
• Online Account. An enhanced IRS Individual Online Account that includes chat, the option to schedule and cancel future payments, revise payment plans and validate and save bank accounts. Individuals with a Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification number can log-in or sign-up for an IRS Individual Online Account to securely access information about their federal tax account, view balance and payment options, view and approve authorizations from their tax professional, view digital copies of select IRS notices and get information on their most recently filed return that includes their Adjusted Gross Income.

Get free help preparing and filing taxes electronically

Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov 24 hours a day to get answers to tax questions. IRS.gov is the quickest and easiest option to get help. The Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to several tax law questions specific to individual circumstances. Based on input, it can determine a taxpayer’s filing status, if a person should file a tax return, if someone can be claimed as a dependent, if a type of income is taxable, if a filer is eligible to claim a credit or if an expense can be deducted.

The IRS encourages people to file their tax returns electronically and choose direct deposit for faster refunds. Filing electronically reduces tax return errors as the tax software does the calculations, flags common errors and prompts taxpayers for missing information.

The IRS offers free online and in-person tax preparation options for qualifying taxpayers through the IRS Free File program and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.

Taxpayers with income of $79,000 or less last year – and that's most taxpayers – can use IRS Free File Guided Tax Software now through Oct 15. IRS Free File Fillable forms, a part of this program, is available at no cost to any income level and provides electronic forms that people fill out and e-file themselves, also at no cost.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $64,000 or less, persons with disabilities and taxpayers whose preferred language is not English. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.

In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.

MilTax, a Department of Defense program, generally offers free return preparation and electronic filing software for federal income tax returns and up to three state income tax returns for all military members, and some veterans, with no income limit.

Another option is the Direct File pilot program. This program gives eligible taxpayers a new choice to file their 2023 federal tax returns online, for free, directly with the IRS. It will be rolled out in phases and is expected to be widely available in mid-March. Find more about Direct File pilot eligibility, scope and the 12 participating states on Direct File.

Sign and validate electronically filed tax returns

The IRS reminds taxpayers that they should keep copies of their prior-year tax returns for at least three years. Taxpayers who are using the same tax software they used last year will not need to enter prior-year information to electronically sign their 2023 tax return.

Taxpayers who are using a tax software product for the first time will need their adjusted gross income from their 2022 tax return to file electronically. Review these steps to validate and sign an electronically filed return.

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Generally, federal tax law only allows one tax-free rollover in a 12-month period from one qualified tuition program to another for the benefit of the same beneficiary. The notice issued today provides that the 12-month limitation for taxpayers making such rollovers will not be asserted by the IRS provided the rollover in question meets the criteria described in Notice 2024-23.

Under the newly issued notice, a qualified tuition program distribution will be treated as a qualified rollover (as defined in the notice) if the following criteria are met:

• The taxpayer makes a rollover to or from the designated beneficiary's Maryland Prepaid College Trust account before Jan. 1, 2025;
• The 12-month limitation described above would otherwise apply to the rollover to or from the Maryland Prepaid College Trust account; and
• The rollover was preceded by a qualified rollover from that same designated beneficiary's Maryland Prepaid College Trust account after Dec. 31, 2021.

If a taxpayer eligible for the relief described in Notice 2024-23 receives a Form 1099-Q that includes a distribution that is treated as a qualified rollover under Notice 2024-23, then the amount corresponding to the qualified rollover is not includible in gross income, and the taxpayer is not required to report the amount on the taxpayer's tax return.

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