California Black Media
Your 2021 Taxes: 7 Things the IRS Wants You to Know
IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said the IRS, which is still processing a backlog of about 6 million tax returns from the last two years, is currently hiring. “We want to be reflective of the people we proudly serve,” the Commissioner said, touting the agency’s commitment to diversity. He said the IRS wants to employ people, including those who speak more than one language, who are able to communicate with taxpayers from all backgrounds. For more information, visit USAJobs.Gov.
By Manny Otiko | California Black Media
As the 2022 tax season kicks off, the IRS is reaching out to the public, encouraging people to file their taxes online and early. This was the main takeaway from a recent news briefing featuring IRS officers that Ethnic Media Services organized.
During the virtual meeting, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig and Ken Corbin, Wage and Investment Division Commissioner and Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer at the IRS, stressed the importance of filing via the internet and making sure all information submitted is accurate. That way, they said, taxpayers can avoid delays and seamlessly receive their returns into their bank accounts by direct deposit.
“It is our intent that filing is as smooth and easy as possible. We want to make certain that consumers are getting all the credits and refunds they are eligible to receive,” said Rettig.
“Paper returns have an inherent delay in processing,” Rettig emphasized.
During the presentation, Rettig and Corbin shared several updates and pointers they said everyone filing taxes this year should know. Here are seven important ones:
The Tax Deadline Filing Deadline This Year Is April 18
Unlike the last two years of the pandemic when the IRS moved the tax filing deadline to July (2020) and May (2021), this year’s deadline to file your taxes is April 18. That is much closer to the April 15 date we all know and have become accustomed to over the years.
You Can File Your Taxes Online for Free
The IRS is providing the option for you to file your taxes online at no cost via the IRS Free File Program. The IRS also provides a service to taxpayers called Volunteer Income Tax Assistant Program (VITA).
The program allows taxpayers to get in-person tax filing assistance from certified tax professionals in their community for free. This year, due to the pandemic, some of the VITA professionals are offering virtual tax preparation sessions.
For customer support, Rettig is also discouraging taxpayers from contacting the agency via telephone. He said they should use the website instead. The IRS gets about 1 million calls a day and it only employs about 15,000 people to service the phone lines. The service is mainly for people who don’t have access to broadband or the internet, the Commissioner said.
Mistakes Could Delay Your Return
Corbin said it is important for people to be accurate when filing their taxes. Inaccurate filings mean the IRS has to schedule an employee to contact the filer, which will cause a delay.
“We urge taxpayers to take care, particularly for those who received a third economic impact payment or an Advanced Child Tax Credits in 2021,” he said. “Taxpayers should ensure the amounts they receive are entered correctly on the tax return.”
“This slows down the return process,” Rettig added, explaining that the automated system pushes filings with incorrect figures. “Last year we had 10 million returns that didn’t match.”
To get ahead of the problem this year, the IRS issued letters to taxpayers indicating the total amount received in 2021 by filers that were eligible for Advanced Child Tax Credits. Taxpayers can also create an account at IRS.Gov to verify the amount they received.
Rettig said the IRS still owes people who received the Advanced Child Tax Credits between July and December 2021, but they have to make sure all the information they include in their tax returns is correct. “Know that was only half of the advance tax credit they should receive,” he said. “To receive the other half, they must file a tax return with us.”
More Married Couples and Singles Qualify for Earned Income Credit
This year, Corbin says more families qualify for Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), which is federal tax relief for filers with low to moderate annual incomes.
“Workers with qualifying dependents may be eligible for EITC if their earned income was less than $57,414,” he said. “The maximum EITC for those with no dependents is $1,502. That’s up from over $500 in 2020.”
The annual income requirement to qualify for EITC for taxpayers without dependents is $21,430 for single filers, and $27,380 for those filing joint returns.
“In the past, EITC for those with no dependents was only available to people ages 25 to 64,” he added.
You also don’t need to be under the age of 65 any longer to qualify for EITC without a qualifying dependent, and individuals and families who received investment income up to $10,000 may also qualify.
Homeless and Former Foster Youth Qualify for EITC
Homeless and former foster youth who are at least 18 years old also quality for EITC this year. The minimum age is 19 for most taxpayers and 18 for former foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness.
Beware of Scams
Corbin says tax filers should beware of scams.
“The IRS will not call you by phone without a notice in advance. Don’t accept a text, a call, especially if they ask for bank info or to pay with a gift card. That is a scam,” he said. “Those are the things we are seeing this season.”
The IRS Is Hiring
Rettig said the IRS, which is still processing a backlog of about 6 million tax returns from the last two years, is currently hiring. “We want to be reflective of the people we proudly serve,” the Commissioner said, touting the agency’s commitment to diversity. He said the IRS wants to employ people, including those who speak more than one language, who are able to communicate with taxpayers from all backgrounds. For more information, visit USAJobs.Gov.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024
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Black History
California Leaders Pay Tribute to Quincy Jones
On Nov. 4, the celebrated life of music producer Quincy Delight Jones came to an end at his home in Bel Air. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Jones leaves behind a rich legacy of music and achievements that spans 70 plus years. His impact on multiple genres of music as well as his contributions to art and education will have a lasting impact.
By Reginald S. Webb Jr.
California Black Media
On Nov. 4, the celebrated life of music producer Quincy Delight Jones came to an end at his home in Bel Air.
The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Jones leaves behind a rich legacy of music and achievements that spans 70 plus years. His impact on multiple genres of music as well as his contributions to art and education will have a lasting impact.
“Quincy Jones brought the world endless joy with his optimistic spirit and colossal imagination. Not a day goes by without hearing a masterpiece that Quincy produced or hearing about the good he created with his generous heart,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Jen and I — and all of California — mourn the loss of this great humanitarian and artist.”
Jones was born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago. By 10 years old, Jones’s family relocated to Bremerton, Washington where he met his first formal music mentor, Robert Blackwell, a well-known arranger, bandleader, song writer, and producer. He was a vital part of Quincy’s growth as a musician.
In 1951, Jones earned a scholarship to study music at Seattle University. After a semester there, he transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston. His stay at this college was short-lived because he left to tour with the jazz percussionist and bandleader Lionel Hampton.
“I’m deeply saddened to learn of Quincy Jones’ passing. His talent and resilience led him to not only break barriers but become one of the most successful producers of all time, touching countless lives through music,” said Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager (D-CA-37). “We’ll miss my fellow Chicagoan-turned-Angeleno.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Jones “broke barriers in an industry that had long worked to exclude artists that looked like him.”
“Quincy Jones brought laughter, celebration, happiness and joy into the homes of millions. As a musician, composer, producer, and arranger, he changed our culture, and he changed our world,” added Bass.
Film scoring led to another trailblazing moment for Quincy Jones. He became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for best original film score in 1967 for In Cold Blood. The same year he was also nominated for best original song for, The Eyes of Love, from a film titled Banning.
“He was unmatched in the creativity of his many productions. I will never forget how he worked with me to present Nelson Mandela, where 90 thousand people showed up at the Los Angeles Coliseum following his release from prison in South Africa. Quincy Jones will never be forgotten,” remembers Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43).
Over his career, Jones received 80 Grammy nominations and won 28 of them. He released 16 studio jazz albums, 24 soundtracks albums, three live albums, and four compilation albums.
1n 2011, President Barack Obama honored Jones with the National Medal of Arts.
Jones is survived by his seven children and six grandchildren.
“Jones has provided a soundtrack to the best moments of so many lives – and to the deepest movements of change in this country. Our city is forever bettered by his gifts. We celebrate his life, and we mourn this loss,” Bass paid tribute to Jones.
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