Identity Theft Crackdown Sweeps Across the Nation; More than 200 Actions Taken in Past Week in 23 States IR-2012-13, Jan. 31, 2012 – The IRS and Justice Department today announced the results of a massive national sweep cracking down on suspected identity theft perpetrators as part of a stepped-up effort against refund fraud and identity theft. Free Tax Help Available Nationwide 2012 IR-2012-12, Jan. 27, 2012 — Free tax preparation services for low- to moderate-income or elderly taxpayers are available nationwide. On Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day, IRS and Partners Launch Outreach Campaign to Low- and Moderate-Income Workers IR-2012-11, Jan. 27, 2012 — Millions of Americans who earned $49,078 or less may be able to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit. Taxpayers should look into the credit to see if they qualify, especially if their financial, marital and parental statuses have changed recently. IRS to Host Second Real-Time Tax System Meeting IR-2012-10, Jan. 18, 2012 –– IRS hosts second meeting to discuss matching information in real-time instead of by the look-back method. IRS Announces Five New Members for Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee IR-2012-9, Jan. 17, 2012 — Five new members have been selected to serve on the Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee. Do Your Federal Taxes for Free with IRS Free File IR-2012-8, Jan. 17, 2012 — IRS Free File opens today. Everyone can use Free File, either the brand-name software offered by IRS’ commercial partners or the online fillable forms. IRS e-file Launches Today; Most Taxpayers Can File Immediately 2012 IR-2012-7, Jan. 17, 2012 — The IRS opened the 2012 electronic tax return filing season today with a reminder to taxpayers that e-file remains the best way to get fast refunds and ensure accurate tax returns. National Taxpayer Advocate Delivers Annual Report to Congress; Focuses on IRS Funding and Taxpayer Rights IR-2012-6, Jan. 11, 2012 — National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson released her annual report to Congress, identifying the combination of the IRS’s expanding workload and declining resources as the most serious problem facing taxpayers. IRS Offshore Programs Produce $4.4 Billion To Date for Nation’s Taxpayers; Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program Reopens IR-2012-5, Jan. 9, 2012 — The IRS reopened the offshore voluntary disclosure program to help people hiding offshore accounts get current with their taxes and announced the collection of more than $4.4 billion so far from the two previous international programs. IRS Releases New Tax Gap Estimates; Compliance Rates Remain Statistically Unchanged From Previous Study IR-2012-4, Jan. 6, 2012 — The Internal Revenue Service today released a new set of tax gap estimates for tax year 2006. The tax gap is defined as the amount of tax liability faced by taxpayers that is not paid on time. More Innocent Spouses Qualify for Relief Under New IRS Guidelines IR-2012-3, Jan 5, 2012 — New proposed guidelines to provide relief to more innocent spouses requesting equitable relief from income tax liability. Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Members Selected Jan. 2012 IR-2012-2, Jan. 5, 2012 — Twenty-six new members have been selected to serve on the nationwide Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. IRS Kicks Off 2012 Tax Season with Deadline Extended to April 17 IR-2012-1, Jan. 4, 2012 — Tax filing season begins today. E-file and Free File will be available beginning Jan. 17. Taxpayers have until April 17 to file their tax year 2011 returns. News release and fact sheet archive Find previous year news releases and fact sheets from 1997 through last month.
