IRS Message to the Tax Professional Community

The IRS continues to review its procedures to better protect sensitive taxpayer data. As part of this effort, the IRS will request additional information from tax professionals who contact us through the Practitioner Priority Service or any toll-free IRS telephone number.

This procedural change will require tax practitioners to provide personal information so that our customer service representatives may confirm their identities. This additional information may include data such as your Social Security number and your date of birth. This personal information, in addition to the CAF number, is necessary to verify the identities of the person to whom we are releasing taxpayer information.

We’ve also made an update to Form 2848, Power of Attorney, and Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization, that will require you to inform your client if you are using an Intermediate Service Provider to access client transcripts via the Transcript Delivery System. A box must be checked if you are using a third party. We define Intermediate Service Providers as privately owned companies that offer subscriptions to their software and/or services that the taxpayer’s authorized representative can use to retrieve, store, and display tax return data (personal or business) instead of obtaining tax information directly from the IRS. The IRS must know who is using our tools; and taxpayers must know when a party other than their authorized representative is involved in accessing their sensitive data.

We realize there have been a number of changes for tax professionals in recent weeks. But each change is intended to enhance protections for you and your clients. Unfortunately, business as usual is no longer an option. Cybercriminals are well-funded, persistent and adept at stealing data from outside the IRS and using it to eventually file fraudulent tax returns. As cybercriminals evolve, so must we.

As part of our efforts, we also have strengthened protections for IRS e-Services. If you are an e-Services account holder, we urge you to immediately upgrade your account through our new two-factor identity verification process. Some of you may need to complete this process by mail which could add 10 days or more to the process. Please, do not wait until the start of filing season or until you have an urgent need for one of the e-Services tools before updating your account.

In the future, we will be asking each e-Service user to sign a new user agreement intended to ensure that all tax professionals understand their security obligations. We will share this information with you in advance.

Protecting you and your clients from identity theft is a paramount issue for us. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help and your understanding as we continue to review and enhance our procedures.

RI Division of Taxation Extends Office Hours for Amnesty Program

The Division of Taxation today announced extended office hours for Rhode Island's state tax amnesty program. Amnesty filings and payments are due five weeks from tomorrow, on February 15, 2018

CANCELLED!! Update Seminar Schedule for Thursday 01/04/18 has been cancelled.

We apologize for the late notice, but because of the reasons to me mentioned, the seminar is being canceled.  Both the MA and RI representatives canceled on us.  Many participants have already stated that they will not be attending.  Though we realize some of you were willing to brave out the storm, we feel it best to be on the safe side and cancel the seminar.  Everyone’s safety is of utmost importance to us.

We will advise you shortly how you will be receiving your conference materials.

Once again, our apologies for this last minute cancellation.

Best wishes to you all in 2018.

IMPORTANT SEMINAR UPDATE INFO

Good afternoon everyone,

I wanted to update you on the current situation of our Thursday seminar.  At this point in time, the seminar is still on.  We understand if some of you choose not to attend because of the possible bad weather.  However, we fell that unless Massachusetts calls a state of emergency  because of the storm, we owe it to all those who plan on attending, to go forward with the seminar.

Should the state call for state of emergency at some point in the future, we will try our best to reach everyone, and inform them of such. However, should you be informed of this fact via local media, you can consider the seminar as being canceled.  For those of you who are unable to attend tomorrow, we will provide you with copies of all the handouts from the seminar.

I apologize for not being able to provide you with any further information at this time, but one can never tell what mother nature wants to send our way here in beautiful New England.

Louis F Vastano Jr, CPA, CGMA

President

MA/RI NATP CHAPTER

Massachusetts / Rhode Island NATP Chapter Annual State Update Seminar - January 4th 2018 - TWO DAYS AWAY!!

Massachusetts / Rhode Island NATP Chapter Annual State Update Seminar - January 4th 2018

Join the Massachusetts / Rhode Island NATP Chapter on Thursday, January 4th, 2018 for our Annual State Update Seminar. This all day event will be held at a NEW LOCATION for our chapter at the Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center, Southbridge MA. Registration details are below, and are handled online directly by National NATP. A link to the registration website is listed below. Please take a look at the details on our speakers and topics provided in this great update opportunity including continental breakfast, snacks, lunch, vendors and great networking opportunities PLUS even 2 CE Credit Hours. Registration is from 7:30am to 8:30am & Education is from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

• Register online with credit card.
• For more information or to register by phone, fax or mail, use this form.
• After January 3, please register at the door with the form above.

Topics:

Connecticut State Tax update presented by Kristin A. Roberts, MBA, EA, ABD.


Roberts holds the position of Post University’s Assistant Program Manager of Accounting. Her previous position at Post University was as an Associate Faculty in Accounting. Her course specialties at the university level include Financial Accounting, Individual Taxation, and Corporate Taxation. Roberts is actively involved in her local community, volunteering on a variety of councils for the historic district of Torrington.  She is also the Treasurer of the NW CT Chamber Education Foundation, and also serves as the Education Committee Chairperson for the CT Chapter of the National Association of Tax Professionals.  She is also a current member of the CT Department of Revenue External Editorial Board. Roberts is married with grown children.  She enjoys horror movies and classic rock music. When not working, her favorite pastime is spending time with her sons or listening to her husband singing and playing his guitar.

Massachusetts State Tax Update presented by Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

Rhode Island State Tax Update presented by Rhode Island Division of Taxation.

New York State Tax Update presented by Kathryn Keane of New York NATP Chapter.

Federal Tax Update presented by Kathryn Keane of New York NATP Chapter. (2 Hours of CE Credits)

Featured Speaker - Kathryn M. Keane, EA.

Kathryn is a principal of Macanta, a small tax and related services practice located in Brooklyn, NY, serving over 850 individual clients and 50 businesses. In December 2006, Kathryn completed two three-year terms on the National Board of Directors of NATP and was twice awarded Chapter Person of the Year for 2002 and 2008 for her volunteer service to the community at large as well as to NATP. In addition to serving as an Education Committee member for NY NATP, she currently serves as Chair of the IRS Tri-Boro Practitioner Liaison Committee. Kathryn is a frequent speaker for NATP Chapters. She has also presented for VASEA, NCCPAC (Nassau-Suffolk County Chapter) and local chapters of NYSSCPA. Kathryn has a B.S. degree from Brooklyn College.