De-Stress at Work with a Little Office Yoga

While summer doesn’t officially start for another week or so, between the longer days, warm weather, and schools letting out, it’s sure felt like summer for a bit now! And while we can’t give you the summer break your kids are getting, we can give you the tools for a much-needed mini-work break to destress and realign yourself to be ready and alert for the rest of your day.

Stress is no joke: it negatively affects your body, mood, and behavior, which, in turn, can seriously affect your work and productivity. So what’s something you can do to de-stress? Office yoga! Yoga has been shown to help reduce stress in those who practice it. And now we’ve got a little yoga sequence you can do at your desk so you can get right back to helping your clients with their taxes and feel more at ease.

1. First, assume the position by sitting straight in your chair, feet flat on the ground, hands on your thighs. Start to pay more attention to your breath and how your body feels now.
2. Inhale your arms up and over, bringing your hands together above your head. Use your back muscles to keep your chest and upper body lifted. Breathe here for five seconds.
3. Keeping your arms raised, loop your left hand around your right wrist and lean to your left for a side stretch. Gaze up if you can and hold this for five breaths before repeating on the other side.
4. Arms still over your head, place each palm on the opposite elbow and imagine you’re pulling your arms apart, but keep them held together. Hold this pose for five breaths.
5. Next, extend both arms out in front of you and cross your left arm over your right. Bend your elbows 90° and try to touch your palms together. Lift your arms up to rest your chin on your left arm and hold for 3-5 breaths. Cross your arms the other way and repeat.
6. Next, stand for a forward fold (if you need to stop to explain to your coworkers what you’re doing here, feel free and maybe even invite them to join!). While standing, inhale to straighten your spine then, as you exhale, hinge at the hips and slowly fold downwards. Let your arms hang or grab opposite elbows for a frame like we did before. If you need, keep your knees bent here, and stay like this for 3-5 breaths.
7. Release your arms if you need, then slowly roll up to standing. Keep your chin at your chest and place your left, then right hand on top of your heart. Breathe here for a few moments, listening to your heart and body.
8. Now sit back down, making sure to keep your back straight and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your thighs and as you inhale, round your back and tuck your chin to your chest. On each exhale, lift your face, bring your shoulders back, and lift your chest. Do this for 3-5 rounds of breath.
9. Next, place your right hand in front of you on your desk or chair and twist to place your left hand behind you. Keep your spine tall and breathe here for 3-5 breaths. Repeat on the other side.
10. Now take one last big stretch - however feels best in your body - and smile! Because now you’re ready to take on the rest of your day with a little (or a lot) less stress!

We know filing tax returns can be stressful. That’s why we’re here with the best de-stress tips and the best e-filing software around to help you get your 1099, W-2, ACA, and 941 filing done as quickly and easily as possible! Just stay tuned with ExpressIRSForms and feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your e-filing!

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All About Form 1099-S

Form 1099-S, the newest 1099 Form available with ExpressIRSForms, is a very important form indeed! Form 1099-S, also known as Real Estate Transactions, is used to report the sale or exchange of real estate administered by a real estate agent during the tax year being reported. Unlike some other 1099 Forms that total everything throughout the year, a separate 1099-S Form must be filed for each real estate transaction that took place.

Who Files Form 1099-S
Basically, if you oversee a sale or exchange of real estate, you’re required to file Form 1099-S to report that transaction. For IRS regulation purposes, reports must be made for transactions that consist in whole - or in part - of selling any present or future ownership interest in any of the following:

• Improved or unimproved land, including air space
• Residential, commercial, or industrial buildings/structures deemed to be inherently permanent
• Condominium units, including land, appurtenant fixtures, and all other common elements
• Cooperative housing corporation stock
• Non-contingent interest in standing timber

When to File Form 1099-S
A copy of Form 1099-S must be mailed to the transferor(s) of the property/properties by the real estate agent by February 15 of the year following the year in which the transaction occurred. If paper filing Form 1099-S with the IRS, the return must be mailed by February 28 or 29; and when e-filing Form 1099-S, your return must be transmitted by March 31.

Where to File Form 1099-S
Of course, you can always easily e-file Form 1099-S with us! We’ll talk more on that later. But if you absolutely have your heart set on paper filing, first make sure you have fewer than 250 forms to file; if you have more than 250, the IRS requires you to e-file. Then, if you’re able to paper file, all you need to do is mail your return to

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service Center

Austin, TX 73301

if your principal business or legal residence is in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, or West Virginia.

If your principal business is in any other state, including Washington, D.C., mail your 1099-S return to

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service Center

Kansas City, MO 64999

How to E-file Form 1099-S
Now for the fun part! If you want to go the easier, more secure route, you can e-file your Form 1099-S return with ExpressIRSForms. Well, once you log in, you’ll be filing with ExpressTaxFilings, but that’s just a technical distinction for the IRS; we’re all still the same e-file provider you know and trust.

Anyway, all you have to do to e-file Form 1099-S with us is create or log into your account and select the Start New Form button. Choose Form 1099-S from the 1099 options listed on the next screen. Next, you’ll just add your filer, transferor, and transaction details and review your form(s)! Before you transmit, you can select whether you’d like us to mail your transferor copies for you, then just pay the one-time transmittal fee and securely send your forms off to the IRS. Easy as pie!



You can find more detailed instructions for completing a Form 1099-S return from the IRS here. And if you have any questions about e-filing your 1099-S return, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’re available by phone, live chat, and email to help with any e-filing needs you have!

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Tax Day for Citizens Abroad is Coming Up!

Everyone knows Tax Day is in April. Well, unless you get an extension of time to file with Form 4868, that is.

But did you know some Americans automatically receive a two-month extension each year, making their tax day June 15th instead? And unlike the Form 4868 extension, those who receive this extension also have the extra two months to pay any taxes owed. Unfortunately, though, this isn’t something just anyone can apply for: it can only be used by U.S. citizens and residents abroad.

Those who are eligible for this two-month extension include

• Those living outside the United States and Puerto Rico whose main place of business is also outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico and
• Those in the military or naval service who are on duty outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
• If you’re serving in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area, see this IRS publication for more info on deadline extensions for your taxes.

If you’re married and filing a joint return, either you or your spouse can qualify for this extension and receive more time to file. However, if you file separately, only the spouse who qualifies for the extension may get two more months to file.

So if the above conditions apply to you, your personal tax deadline is June 15, 2017, for the 2016 tax year. To avoid any confusion or late fees, attach a statement to your return explaining which situation qualifies you for the extension.

You can find more info about this extended tax day deadline here! And be sure to stay tuned with ExpressIRSForms for all your tax-filing information!

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There's Another IRS Deadline Soon!

Have you ever volunteered for a nonprofit or charity? Chances are, it was a 501(c)(3) organization recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS. But did you know that even tax-exempt organizations have to report to the IRS every year?

Well, head’s up: they do and their main deadline is coming up!

In order to confirm that they’re still operating within the regulations for tax-exempt organizations with the IRS each year, these groups must file one of the forms in the 990 Form Series. And their deadline to have their 990 Form filed is the 15th day of the fifth month after their tax year end date. So, for organizations that follow a calendar year tax year - which runs from January 1 to December 31 - that deadline is May 15!

Curious to know more about the 990 Forms? Well, we’ll tell ya! First, there’s the one that started it all: the 990 Form, also known as the 990 Long Form. This one’s filed by organizations that receive $200,000 or more in gross receipts for the year or those with more than $500,000 in total assets. A lot of information is needed for the 990 Long Form to confirm such large amounts of money are being used for the organization’s tax-exempt purpose.

Slightly less in-depth is the 990-EZ Form, which is filed by organizations that receive between $50,000 and $200,000 in gross receipts annually. Not as much information is needed to complete Form 990-EZ, but filers should still be prepared to provide thorough data on their contributions, expenses, assets, etc. to complete the form.

For those tax-exempt organizations that make fewer than $50,000 in gross receipts annually - which is the majority of them - there’s the Form 990-N, also known as the e-Postcard. It gets this name because it’s an online-only form that must be e-filed either with the IRS directly or through a third-party, IRS-authorized e-file provider (psst…like ExpressTaxExempt!). With the 990-N, all filers need to do is provide their organizations basic identifying information (name, EIN, address, contact), confirm that they made less than $50,000 and are still operational, and submit the return.

Now, based on how they’re set up and receive donations, some tax-exempt organizations fall under the category Private Foundation. These organizations, regardless of their total gross receipts, must file Form 990-PF.

And now for the best part: all of these forms are available to e-file more easily than ever with our sister product, ExpressTaxExempt! They even have the extension form for the 990 Series, Form 8868, so users can get an automatic 6 extra months to file if they need it. So why not pop on over to their website and check ‘em out? Or, if you want, give us a call and we’ll put you right in touch with them to answer any questions you may have!

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Your First Quarter Taxes Are Due Soon!

Ahoy there, ExpressIRSForms readers!

You may have noticed we’ve been a little scarce lately…that’s because we’ve consolidated some things around the office and are now officially back full-time as ExpressTaxFilings! Those of you who’ve been with us for a while may remember when we made the switch from ExpressTaxFilings to ExpressIRSForms about a year and a half ago. Well, in order to streamline our e-filing services (and so as not to get e-filers confused with the actual IRS’s e-filing system), we’ve reworked ExpressTaxFilings to be better than ever!

Don’t worry: you can still visit us here and even log into your account from ExpressIRSForms.com, but for official purposes, everything will operate under the name ExpressTaxFilings from now on. Of course, we’ll be popping back over here every now and again to bring you the e-filing information you need to stay compliant with the IRS! Liiike…

Form 941 - to report your 2017 first quarter taxes - is due soon!

And it’s in just under a week, to be exact: the deadline is May 1, 2017.

If this isn’t your first 941 rodeo, you’re probably aware of the rule that the 941 deadline for each quarter is the last day of the month after the quarter ends. Technically, this means Form 941 for the first quarter should be due April 30, but since that day falls on a Sunday this year, the IRS gives you until Monday (May 1) to get everything filed.

Even with all our changes, you can still e-file Form 941 with your ExpressIRSForms (turned ExpressTaxFilings) account! And everything’s just a fast and simple as ever. Of course, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call; we’re still here at (704) 684-4751 and via live chat and email at support@ExpressTaxFilings.com!

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Not Ready to File Your 1040? Get an Extension!

Okay, everyone, today’s the day! It’s Tax Day 2017, the deadline to have your 2016 personal tax return filed with the IRS.

Unless…

If you’re not ready to file, you still have options. Well, one option. Hmm, unless you decide to go rogue and not do anything. Okay, well, you have one legal option that doesn’t end in you owing lots of money in fines to the IRS. And that option is: Form 4868!

Form 4868, a.k.a. the Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return is just that: an application you can use to get an automatic six extra months to file your individual or joint tax return. It’s very easy to fill out; all you have to do is provide your basic taxpayer information (name, address, SSN) and an estimate of the taxes you owe or will receive as a refund. That’s it - you don’t even need to have a reason for why you need more time to file.

Keep in mind that if you’re filing a joint personal tax return, you can still use Form 4868, but you will need your spouse’s taxpayer information (name and SSN as it appears with the IRS) as well. You’ll also want to keep in mind that Form 4868 only extends the amount of time you have to file your tax return forms; it doesn’t extend the deadline to pay any taxes you may owe.

Now, Form 4868 is also due today, but as you can gather from the information needed, it won’t take nearly as long as completing your 1040 Form. In fact, if you e-file it with our sister product, ExpressExtension, you’ll be done in just a few minutes and receive email confirmation of your extension from the IRS within 15 minutes to an hour!

So what are you waiting for? Stop rushing through that 1040 and take a break to go file your 4868 application form. Then, you’ll be able to come back to your tax return anytime between now and October and finish it when you can give it the attention it deserves. Because goodness knows the IRS isn’t crazy about incorrectly completed or filed returns.

If you have any questions about getting started with ExpressExtension, give us a call and we’ll connect you with one of the friendly EE team members, or contact them directly at (803) 514-5155.

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Introducing Form 941 E-filing!

Move over Forms 1099-B and 1099-S, there’s a new form in town, and its name is...Form 941!

That’s right: the Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return is now available to be e-filed through ExpressIRSForms, your favorite business-oriented, IRS-authorized e-filer! And just in time for the first quarter deadline at the end of this month!

And just a brief refresher for those of you still in 1099 or ACA mode: Form 941 is the document used to report income taxes, social security tax, and/or Medicare tax withheld from employee paychecks. It’s also the form you use to pay your employer portion of social security or Medicare tax. And when you e-file with ExpressIRSForms, you can transmit your forms and pay your taxes securely all in one place!

When you e-file Form 941 with ExpressIRSForms, you get access to all of the built-in features you love that make e-filing as simple and secure as possible. Just sign in, start a new 941 Form, then follow the step-by-step instructions to complete all the required fields with the correct information. Before you transmit, you’ll be given the option to pay your taxes now or pay them by check or EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) later.

And, as always, your form goes through a series of built-in error checks to ensure it’s sent off as accurate as possible, nearly eliminating your chance for a form rejection.

Also, as always, when you e-file with ExpressIRSForms, you get complimentary access to our top-of-the-line, US-based customer service support team. They’re available by phone (704-684-4751), live chat (through the site), and email (support@ExpressIRSForms.com) and are always ready to take your questions, in English or Spanish!


Get started with ExpressIRSForms today to see how easy filing your quarterly taxes can be!

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