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National Community
Tax Coalition
29 E. Madison, Suite 900
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 252-0280 (phone)
(312) 252-0285 (fax)
www.tax-coalition.org
a program of the
Center for Economic Progress |
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March 1, 2007 |
The Newsletter of the
National Community Tax Coalition
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In this issue: |
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Community
Tax News |
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Many taxpayers miss out on telephone excise tax refund
The Internal Revenue Service observed that more than 10 million early filers did not request the one-time refund. In the first release of this year’s weekly filing season statistics, about 30 percent of all taxpayers did not request the telephone excise tax refund.
Read the IRS tips for applying for the refund, and tax season filing statistics.
Hear the latest in asset building
Discover the latest ideas and the results of initiatives in connecting asset building to free tax preparation. Join the Coalition for a conference call:
Asset Building Initiatives: Challenges and Opportunities
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Time: 2pm Eastern, 1pm Central, 12pm Mountain, 11am Pacific
Mark your calendars now. More details next month.
IRS Tax Forums schedule
The IRS has announced the schedule for their annual Tax Forums nationwide (see the Calendar below). Workshop topics include:
- Form 990 Workshop
- Workshops
- Practitioner Case Resolution
- Networking Opportunities
- IRS Oversight Board
- Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)
- Focus Groups
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Program Profile |
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Northside Community Weed and Seed, Birmingham
Why would the Department of Justice fund free tax preparation? Why would a retired 33-year veteran of the IRS take a modest stipend to work at a VITA site? How could five volunteers run a free tax preparation site for the whole season? Northside Community Weed and Seed, Birmingham, discovered the answers in 2006, their first tax filing season. Read the full story.
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Affiliates in the News |
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Volunteers providing tax assistance to poor
Angela Thomas has her taxes prepared by volunteers with the non-profit Center for Economic Progress, which offers free tax preparation for lower-income workers around the state, including 15 Chicago neighborhoods.
The Center, based in Chicago, started its free statewide tax preparation program in 1994. In the last 12 years, the Center has generated $200 million in state and federal refunds for the working poor, the first program in the country to pass this milestone, according to Executive Director David Marzahl. Read the full story in the Sun-Times of February 13.
Minnesota Tax Assistance Nonprofit Director Testifies on EITC Outreach
Bonnie Esposito, executive director of AccountAbility Minnesota, testified at a February 13 House Ways and Means panel hearing about her organization's work helping low-income taxpayers to claim the earned income tax credit and explained why she thinks so many eligible taxpayers fail to take advantage of the credit. Reported in Tax Notes, 2/14/07.
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Jobs |
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Calendar |
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March
Tuesday, March 13, 2007. Discover the latest ideas and the results of initiatives in connecting asset building to free tax preparation. Join the Coalition for a conference call: Asset Building Initiatives: Challenges and Opportunities.
Time: 2pm Eastern, 1pm Central, 12pm Mountain, 11am Pacific. More details next month.
June
June 27–29 IRS Tax Forum in Ahaheim, Calif.
July
July 11–13 IRS Tax Forum in Chicago, Ill.
July 25 –27 IRS Tax Forum in Atlanta, Ga.
August
August 1 –3 IRS Tax Forum in Orlando, Fla.
August 22 –24 IRS Tax Forum in Las Vegas, Nev.
August 29 –31 IRS Tax Forum in New York, N.Y.
October
October 1-2 NCTC National Conference in Denver, Colorado.
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New Resources |
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On the Coalition website
Volunteer Quality Alert 2007-03—Earned Income Tax Credit
Lists common errors that prevent eligible taxpayers from receiving the EITC, and suggests ways to prevent this. [PDF, 10KB posted 2/28/07]
Talk to the Client—The Q Word
TaxWise is enjoyable, but the fun really starts when you talk to the client. Barbara DelBene, Senior Training Specialist at the Center for Economic Progress, provides several sample conversations based on real scenarios seen at tax sites. [PDF, 44KB, posted 2/27/07]
Complete the Intake Sheet—The Q Word, 02/20/07
It’s tempting to skip over some of the fine print, but you really need to complete the Intake Sheet. Provided by Barbara DelBene, Senior Training Specialist at the Center for Economic Progress. [PDF, 60KB, posted 2/20/07]
TaxWise—The Q Word, 02/13/07
We love it. We hate it. We learn to live with it. We couldn’t live without it. One thing we know for sure: If we understand TaxWise better, the tax season will be easier and the returns that we prepare will be more accurate and complete. Provided by Barbara DelBene, Senior Training Specialist at the Center for Economic Progress. [PDF, 36 KB, posted 02/13/07]
Splitting Refunds—The Q Word, 02/06/07
The rules, procedures and cautions for offering refund splitting to taxpayers, using TaxWise. Provided by Barbara DelBene, Senior Training Specialist at the Center for Economic Progress. [PDF, 100KB, posted 02/06/07]
IRS Volunteer Quality Alert 2007-02 Retirement Savings Contribution Credit
Guidelines of who is eligible and not eligible for this non-refundable credit. [DOC, KB, posted 2/13/07]
2006 Earned Income Tax Credit Estimator
This online calculator for tax year January–December, 2006, invites taxpayers to input their earnings, filing status and number of children, and provides an estimate of their EITC refund.
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