Biden’s plan is a starting point and will not pass Congress as-is.
It is bound to evolve, with many compromises expected to be made over time. Enacting tax hikes will be difficult in general. There is zero GOP support for higher taxes. Senate Democrats would again have to turn to budget reconciliation to allow tax increases on individuals to pass the Senate with a simple-majority vote. And getting all Democratic senators to support tax increases is not a given. But even if tax hikes do pass this year, we don’t think they’ll be retroactive.
Consider asking for a penalty waiver under IRS’s first-time abatement policy.
IRS will OK a waiver of the late filing or late payment penalties for filers who pay or arrange to pay the tax due and have been tax-compliant for the past three years. The penalties for late payroll tax deposits and delinquent returns of S corporations or partnerships are also eligible for the waiver if the conditions are satisfied. You have to request the waiver. The abatement isn’t provided automatically. Also, check to see if you have reasonable cause to get the penalty dismissed.
Filed your 2020 return and awaiting your refund? It could be delayed.
IRS is holding 16 million individual returns for manual processing. These include returns using 2019 income to figure the 2020 earned income tax credit, returns showing inconsistencies between IRS’s records on stimulus checks paid and the recovery rebate credit reported on the 1040, plus returns with other errors or potential fraud issues. 11 million business and other returns are also delayed. And believe it or not, IRS is still processing some 2019 individual returns.
Calling IRS’s toll-free line about your refund or other tax queries?
Good luck in reaching a live person. The agency’s phone service is dismal. As of April 10, IRS employees have answered only 2% of calls to the 1040 number. This means that only one out of 50 calls have gotten through to a live operator, and the average wait time on hold for these lucky callers was 20 minutes. And if you are calling about a delayed refund, expect even more frustration. Even if you can reach a live person, it’s unlikely the operator can help you much. IRS systems don’t give a reason for why a return is needed for further manual review.