GOV'T SHUTDOWN! ARE YOU PREPARED?

[kludge]

For sure less personnel.  Which leads to...

(#1) R E F U N D S        D E L A Y E D !!!!!!   (oh BOY!!!!!)

(2) Long Wait on the phone call.  (If any).

(3)Paper returns will NOT BE PROCESSED..... (1040X, etc...)

Any one have any other to ADD???

 

[Jack from Ohio]

The sky will NOT fall!!

[Evan S. Golar]

What do practitioners like me to do who just received (01/20) the IRS authorization code via mail for e-services because I don't have a cell phone from a phone company - I'm a prepaid card user? Do I dare attempt to go in and try completing the application - or wait until the Federal government is up and running again?

[Lee B]

The U S Treasury announced that 56 % of IRS employees have been furloughed. So the chance of an IRS employee answering the phone is about zero.

[Catherine]

What does this do to the time limit on 90-day letters?  Anything?

[jklcpa]

Tax court is shut down so hand delivery of a petition is not an option at this time and neither is hand delivery of returns to IRS.  The postmark date would be used to determine whether the taxpayer met the deadline in a timely manner.

[kludge]

Conveniently, ATX Support team will use it as an excuse to NOT answer or return phone calls.

[easytax]

From a local new article:

Despite the shutdown of the federal government, the tax return you're owed for 2017 won't be affected as long as the shutdown doesn't last too long.

Internal Revenue Service released a contingency plan that explains how the agency will handle the filing season, which is supposed to begin on Monday, Jan. 29.

CNN Money reports the IRS is keeping 35,076 employees on the job, and that as part of the contingency plan, processing electronic returns, testing upcoming filing year programs, and computer operations to prevent the loss of data are IRS functions that will continue despite the shutdown.

Some functions the IRS will not perform include audits, return examinations, non-automated collections, and issuing refunds.

"Unless the shutdown drags on for weeks, the refund you're owed for 2017 likely won't be affected," CNN reports. "Why? The IRS already announced it wouldn't start accepting 2017 tax returns until January 29."

The Department of the Treasury and IRS can reassess how many people they need on the job, and what functions need to be performed, according to the report.

[Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana]

Re Tax Court - tax court practitioners are mandated to electronically file their petitions. Only pro se taxpayers may submit  a paper / snail mailed petition.