Tag: Tax and IRS News

Issue Number:   IR-2026-56

Inside This Issue

IRS recognizes thousands of VITA and TCE volunteers during National Volunteer Week: April 19-25

IR-2026-56, April 24, 2026

WASHINGTON — During National Volunteer Week, the Internal Revenue Service recognizes the tens of thousands of volunteers who donate their time to serve their communities and the nation by participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.

These volunteers are essential in providing no-cost tax preparation services for low- to moderate-income individuals across the country. For over 50 years, VITA and TCE volunteers have partnered with the IRS to not only help taxpayers file accurate and reliable returns for free, but to educate them on important credits and applicable tax law.

“This filing season, thousands of VITA and TCE volunteers demonstrated their commitment to serving taxpayers who needed support the most,” said IRS CEO Frank J. Bisignano. “Volunteers assisted members of the military, those in rural communities, senior citizens and many more. Their dedication furthers the IRS’s mission and reminds us that serving others creates a lasting impact, not just during National Volunteer Week, but throughout the year.”

In 2026, VITA and TCE volunteers filed over 2.8 million tax returns at more than 9,000 VITA/TCE sites. These efforts resulted in over $3.37 billion in refunds. Over 71,000 volunteers also played a critical role in spreading awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit this year at over 100 EITC Awareness Day events across the country.

National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 when former President Richard Nixon signed Proclamation 4288.

Does your organization want to be a part of the VITA/TCE mission? You can make a difference in your community by applying for a VITA and TCE grant beginning May 1, 2026. Visit IRS.gov for more information.

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Issue Number:  IR-2026-56

Inside This Issue

IRS hosting free webinar to share last-minute tips for the filing season

IR-2026-51, April 13, 2026

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced it will be hosting a free 30-minute webinar for taxpayers and tax professionals to provide last-minute tips for filing season on Tuesday, April 14, at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

The IRS continues to work to ensure a successful filing season for America’s taxpayers and this webinar will offer information that last minute filers can use to file and pay on time. Highlights from the 2026 filing season, through April 3:

• The average refund amount is $3,462.
• About 98 percent of tax refunds have been issued electronically via direct deposit, out of a total of about 70 million refunds issued.
• Over 98 percent of returns were filed electronically, out of a total of about 100 million individual federal income tax returns.
• The average refund is up by more than 11 percent with total refunds now at about $242 billion.

Webinar for Taxpayers

There will be IRS experts providing details on multiple topics. Helping taxpayers is especially important this filing season to ensure they are aware of the taxpayer-favorable changes enacted last year as part of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. American families are seeing major financial benefits, in the form of higher refunds, as a result of several signature provisions of this landmark legislation, including:

• No tax on tips
• No tax on overtime
• No tax on car loan interest
• A special tax deduction for seniors, and
• Permanent extension of several existing tax provisions that had been set to expire

The IRS encourages anyone who has not filed a federal tax return yet to electronically file and choose direct deposit if they are due a refund. IRS Free File is available to most taxpayers, but there are also other options like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for Elderly (TCE).

The IRS provides assistance to taxpayers through multiple channels: online, over the phone or in person. Taxpayer Assistance Centers remain open with extended hours through the end of this month. IRS.gov offers a wide range of resources.

Please be advised that a Continuing Education (CE) credit will not be offered for this webinar, as this session is designed to provide general informational guidance for the public.

Registration for Last-Minute Tips

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Issue Number: IRS Tax Tip 2026-34

Every taxpayer has the right to quality service from the IRS

All taxpayers have the right to quality service. This is one of 10 core rights within the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Let’s define what this means for taxpayers.

Right to quality service
Taxpayers have the right to:

• Receive prompt, courteous and professional assistance from the IRS
• Be spoken to in a way they can easily understand
• Receive clear and easily understandable communications from the IRS
• Speak to a supervisor about inadequate service

What taxpayers can expect
When taxpayers interact with the IRS, they can expect IRS representatives to:

• Listen objectively. They will consider all relevant information prior to giving the taxpayer an answer.
• Answer questions promptly, accurately and thoroughly
• Give the taxpayer information on recourse options and applicable appeal rights
• Treat people with courtesy
• Generally, only contact taxpayers between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
• Provide the taxpayer with information about how to get help from the Taxpayer Advocate Service in all statutory notices of deficiency
• Provide information about options for legal help if someone is eligible for assistance from a Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic

IRS representatives will not:

• Contact the taxpayer’s employer if they know the employer doesn’t allow such contact
• Make aggressive phone calls that threaten arrest or prison time

Taxpayers can find answers to most tax questions on IRS.gov. Taxpayers can also contact the IRS directly by calling the number on the top right corner of all notices and letters.

More information

• Taxpayer Advocate Service
• Publication 556, Examination of Returns, Appeal Rights, and Claims for Refund
• Forms and publications about your appeal rights
• Publication 594, The IRS Collection Process

Subscribe to IRS Tax Tips

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Issue Number:  IRS Tax Tip 2026-33 

Tax return filed: Here are ways to check the status of a tax refund

Taxpayers who filed their federal tax returns and are owed a refund may be wondering about the status. There are several options for people to check.

A new feature in Individual Online Account lets taxpayers opt in to receive email notifications when there’s an update to their refund status. Taxpayers still have the option to check their refund status without signing in with Where’s my Refund?

Other ways to check refund status

• IRS mobile app
• Automated hotline- refunds: 800-829-1954 or amended returns 866-464-2050

Refund statuses are available as soon 24 hours after the current filing year tax return is e-filed. The IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days.

In some cases, a refund could be delayed. A few reasons for this are:

• Making a common mistake. These include forgetting to sign the return or making a math error.
• Claiming the Additional Child Tax Credit. This credit can be complicated and requires more time to review.
• Failing to include bank account information for direct deposit.
• Filing an amended return. The IRS must compare the two returns as well as review both.
• Requesting injured spouse relief which requires the IRS to manually process the case.

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Issue Number:  2025-08

Inside This Issue

• IRS issues final regulations for workers who receive tips
• IRS seeks public input on remittance transfer tax under One, Big, Beautiful Bill
• Guidance available for nominating census tracts as Qualified Opportunity Zones
• Beware of fake tax deduction calculators related to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill
• IRS issues tax relief for Tennessee
• Other tax news

    IRS issues final regulations for workers who receive tips

Treasury and IRS recently issued final regulations on the “No Tax on Tips” deduction. These regulations list more than 70 occupations from tipped workers, to bartenders and water taxi operators.

Qualified tips must meet these requirements:

• Must be received from customers through a mandatory or voluntary tip-sharing arrangement
• Must be paid voluntarily by the customer and not subject to negotiation
• Doesn’t include service charges unless the customer has an option to disregard or modify the service charge

Taxpayers can only take the deduction for qualified tips included on Form W-2, Form 1099-NEC, Form 1099-MISC, Form 1099-K, or reported on Form 4137.

Gig workers and other self-employed individuals may qualify for this deduction if their job is on the approved list of tip-earning occupations and they meet the other requirements. Additionally, the new law limits the deduction for self-employed individuals to their net income.

For more information about the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, visit the provisions page on IRS.gov.

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    IRS seeks public input on remittance transfer tax under One, Big, Beautiful Bill

Treasury and the IRS recently issued guidance related to the new excise tax imposed on certain remittance transferers subject to 1% remittance transfer tax beginning Jan. 1, 2026. This tax applies when sender uses cash, money order, cashier’s check, or similar methods to send money to recipients in foreign countries.

The proposed guidance:

• Specifies which part of transaction is subject to tax
• Defines which physical payment instruments trigger the tax
• Provides examples to show how the rules apply

To report the new remittance transfer tax, use Form 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return.

Businesses and individuals should review Notice 2025-55 for guidance on limited penalty relief for remittance transfer providers who fail to deposit the correct amount during the first three quarters of 2026.

Public comments on these proposed regulations should be submitted by June 12, 2026, through Regulations.gov.

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    Guidance available for nominating census tracts as Qualified Opportunity Zones

Treasury and the IRS are providing guidance in Revenue Procedure 2026-14 for all states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories to nominate census tracts as Qualified Opportunity Zones. The OBBB made the QOZ tax incentive permanent. The first round of designations will be effective Jan. 1, 2027.

States can nominate eligible census tracts from July 1 – Sept. 27, 2026, and are subject to a 30-day extension.

After the nomination and selection processes are complete, the IRS will provide more guidance on which areas are designated as QOZ.

For additional information, see QOZ investments in rural areas under OBBB.

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    Beware of fake tax deduction calculators related to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill

IRS warns taxpayers of latest scam making false promises on eligibility for new tax credits and deductions due to recent provisions under OBBB. Business and individual taxpayers should be cautious when using tax deduction calculators and software online.

Guidelines when using online digital tools:

• Trust the URL: Only use sites ending in .gov for official government resources. Be wary of misspellings like irsgov.com or irs-gov.org instead of IRS.gov.
• Expect estimates, not guaranteed calculations: Legitimate calculators that provide estimates and tools that promise a big payday is likely a phishing attempt to obtain personal information.
• Stick to trusted sources: Use only official IRS website or sites of well-known, established tax software companies. Refer to One, Big, Beautiful Bill Provisions for information about new or expanded tax credits and deductions.
• Too good to be true: Be wary of calculators or websites that guarantee a big payday or an unusually large, unexpected refund.
• Don’t engage: Avoid replying, clicking on links or opening suspicious messages.

Report suspected scams using the new tool at IRS.gov/SubmitATip. This tool consolidates IRS fraud-reporting options into a centralized location. It uses clear prompts and a simplified reporting process to help ensure information is routed to the appropriate IRS office.

For more information, visit the recognize tax scams and fraud page on IRS.gov.

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    IRS issues tax relief for Tennessee

Individuals and businesses in Tennessee affected by Winter Storm Fern that began on Jan. 22, 2026, have until May 22, 2026, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in covered disaster areas and applies filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area should call the IRS Special Services toll-free number at 866-562-5227 to request this tax relief.

The Tax relief in disaster situations page on IRS.gov has the most recent tax relief info for taxpayers affected by a disaster.

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    Other tax news

The following information may be of interest to individuals and groups in or related to small businesses:

• Don’t leave a potential refund on the table
• Options for taxpayers who need help paying their tax bill
• Special Saturday hours at Taxpayer Assistance Centers nationwide April 25

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