Penalties Increase When You File W-2 Forms Late

You know how sometimes you’re late and that’s the worst that could happen? Like in a college course with a lenient professor or when you’re the boss and are a few minutes late to a meeting. Unfortunately - and not surprisingly - “being late” isn’t considered a punishment in and of itself with the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Instead, if you file your W-2 forms late, they’ll have you count up even more money this year to send them to give you a chance to think about what you’ve done. In previous years, the absolute most the IRS could fine you for late filing was a measly $3 million ($1 million if you’re a small business). Now, that number can get upwards of $3,193,000, or $1,064,000.

Keep in mind that you could be subject to this penalty if you:

• Fail to file your W-2s on time,
• Fail to include all the required W-2 information in your return,
• Include incorrect information in your W-2 return,
• File on paper when you’re required to e-file,
• Report an incorrect TIN (so like an SSN or EIN),
• Fail to report a TIN at all, or
• Fail to file paper W-2 Forms that are machine readable.

There is a small silver lining: if you have reasonable cause for why you were late or incorrect in your filing, the IRS will work with you to get your W-2s filed correctly rather than penalize you. So best start preparing a better excuse than “the dog ate my information returns” because these are the fees you’re looking at for late or incorrect W-2 filing:

• $50 per W-2 Form if you file correctly within 30 days of your due date
• Maximum penalty: $532,000
• Maximum penalty for small businesses: $186,000
• $100 per W-2 Form if you file correctly more than 30 days after your due date but before August 1
• Maximum penalty: $1,596,500
• Maximum penalty for small businesses: $532,000
• $260 per W-2 Form if you file after August 1 or don’t file your returns or corrections at all
• Maximum penalty: $3,193,000
• Maximum penalty for small businesses: $1,064,000

Now you see why it’s such a big deal to have your W-2 Forms filed on time, especially since that the deadline to complete and submit your W-2 return with the SSA has changed. So it’s a good thing you’ve found your way to ExpressIRSForms! Our program makes e-filing your W-2 Forms as fast and simple as possible. Sign up today to get started and set up your account in preparation for the upcoming tax season!

And if you have any questions about the upcoming tax season or e-filing your W-2 Forms, just give us a call! We’re available by phone (704-684-4751) and live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. And we also offer 24/7 assistance by email at support@ExpressIRSForms.com!

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SSA Form W-2 Extensions are No Longer Automatic

More news on the Form W-2 front!

Last week we learned that the deadline to have Form W-2 filed with the Social Security Administration (SSA) has been moved up to January 31. So be sure to keep that in mind as you prepare for the upcoming filing season!

Another new thing to keep in mind is that extensions of time to file Form W-2 with the SSA are no longer automatic.

You can still apply for a 30-day extension of time to file your W-2 Forms with the SSA by submitting Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns, by January 31. Keep in mind though that you’ll need to provide a reason for your request and the SSA will only allow extensions “in extraordinary circumstances or catastrophe.”

Remember: if you’re granted an extension with Form 8809, it only applies to your W-2 Forms that are sent to the SSA. The copies of Form W-2 that are sent to your employees will still need to be sent by January 31.

Form 8809 must be submitted in paper form this year, so you'll want to make sure you send it off as soon as you know you'll need an extension. Form 8809 should be mailed to: Internal Revenue Service, Attn: Extension of Time Coordinator, 240 Murall Drive, Mail Stop 4360, Kearneysville, WV 25430.

Luckily, you can still e-file your W-2 Forms with ExpressIRSForms! Not yet, that is; you’ll need to wait until January 1, 2017, to apply for an extension or submit your 2016 return. But you can create your free account today and play around with the program to prepare for the upcoming filing season - it’ll be here before we know it!

In the meantime, if you have any questions about e-filing Form 8809, Form W-2, Form 1099, or ACA forms, give us a call! We’re here Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, and available by phone (704-684-4751) and live chat. We also offer 24/7 email assistance at support@ExpressIRSForms.com!

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4 Reasons You May Need to Amend Your 2014 Tax Return

Have you heard from the IRS about your 2014 tax returns? The IRS sent out a Tax Tip a few weeks ago that stated that some taxpayers might have paid more than they were required to pay, and they had a few reasons for why.

Some filers may have miscalculated their individual shared responsibility payment and overpaid, while others may have not been required to pay anything if they were exempt from the Affordable Care Act’s coverage requirement.

If you didn’t claim an exemption from this requirement but were eligible to, or you overpaid the individual shared responsibility payment when you filed your taxes in 2014, you can fix it by amending your return.

These are the four examples of situations the IRS has given where you might want to seriously consider amending your 2014 return:

• You were exempt from the individual shared responsibility payment because you reported income less than the 2014 tax filing requirement.
• You were not required to make an individual shared responsibility payment because someone else claimed you as a dependent. 
• You reported a greater individual shared responsibility payment than required.
• You made an error in calculating your individual shared responsibility payment.

In some cases, you may be due a refund after your amended return is processed. You can amend your return using Form 1040X and by completing and attaching Form 8965, Health Coverage Exemptions.

For more tax and e-filing information, be sure to keep up with the ExpressIRSForms blog. And if you need any help in your e-filing, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly, expert support team. We’re available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. EST, by phone (704-839-2270) and live chat. We also offer ‘round the clock help at support@expressirsforms.com.

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Form 1099 FATCA Update for the 2015 Tax Year

Welcome to another blog post brought to you by ExpressIRSForms to prepare you for the 2015 tax filing year. We’ll keep this one short and sweet: with the shortest day of the year (tomorrow) falling on a short work week like this one, there isn’t time for much more than a quick update. Plus, there’s not that much information to divulge; it really is a quick update from the IRS this time (I know, who’d have thunk?).

If you’re the type to read the General Instructions for Certain Information Returns PDF each year before you file, you probably already noticed the “What’s New” section. If you haven’t caught up on your IRS reading yet, however, here’s what you’re missing:

FATCA -- that’s the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act -- states new filing requirements be completed by certain foreign financial institutions (FFIs) beginning with 2015 tax year filings. So from now on, FFIs with a chapter 4 requirement to report a US account maintained by that FFI and held by a specified US person can fulfill this requirement by checking the box that says “FATCA filing requirement” on the 1099 form they’re filing.

The FATCA filing requirement box is now included on forms 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, and 1099-DIV that have been updated for the 2016 filing season. So if you’re an FFI and this chapter 4 requirement applies to you, be prepared to check an extra box on your 1099s.

Told ya that would be quick. And, as far as new IRS requirements go, it’s a pretty painless one. Now the new Affordable Care Act requirements, those are a different story (but we can help you with those, too).

If you need help with your 1099s, W-2s, ACA forms, or the e-filing process, feel free to reach out to us. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST through phone (704-839-2270) and live chat, and we have 24/7 email support for any emergencies.

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