We received the following information from the AICPA over the weekend to share with our members:
Update – IRS information service lines closed
Late last week, the IRS closed the Practitioner Priority Service hotline, the e-Services Help Desk and the Centralized Authorization File (CAF) office because they have limited staff available to work.
To help you answer questions
Understanding how important it is to keep staff safe, the unfortunate effect of closing those hotlines is that it’s now more difficult for CPAs to file tax returns. AICPA’s Tax Policy & Advocacy Team is pushing Treasury and IRS to extend the relief to all types of filers and the different filings, including information returns and exempt organization returns, in addition to the already-announced April 15th deadline extension to July 15. We’re also pushing for the relief to apply to all types of taxes (including Q2 estimated tax payments and excise taxes).
You can find the state tax filing relief chart is at this link – we update it daily.
The IRS posted FAQs on its website this week about the filing and payment relief. The information is helpful – but more is needed. As you’ve sent questions from members, the Tax Advocacy Team is making sure those questions are on the list for IRS to answer. I’ll share those answers as IRS makes them available.
Over the weekend, the Department of Labor (DOL) updated its FAQs related to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This expanded list answers some of the open questions and provides more details on some previously answered questions. The content is more robust, and is a good resource for members.
AICPA’s Tax Advocacy Team continues to work on adding more resources to help members.
Finally, the AICPA asked Treasury Secretary Mnuchin (in a letter sent yesterday) to deem public accounting as an “essential service” by the federal government, similar to what many state governors have already done for shelter-in-place orders.