Tag Archives: Unemployment Insurance

The American Rescue Plan has retroactive tax benefits

May 25, 2021

The IRS reminds taxpayers who still haven’t filed, that several provisions of the American Rescue Plan affect their 2020 tax returns.  

One provision excludes up to $10,200 in unemployment compensation from income. Another provision benefits many people who purchased subsidized health coverage through either federal or state Health Insurance Marketplaces. The law also includes a third round of Economic Impact Payments, currently going out to eligible Americans, that are generally equal to $1,400 per person for most people. The IRS will automatically provide these benefits to eligible filers.

Most taxpayers who have already filed their 2020 returns should not file amended returns, file refund claims, or contact the IRS about obtaining these newly enacted tax benefits.  These actions will not speed up a future refund. In fact, they could even slow down an existing refund claim.

Some unemployment compensation not taxed for many
For tax year 2020 only, the first $10,200 of unemployment compensation is not taxable for most households. This tax benefit is available only to those whose modified adjusted gross income is below $150,000 during 2020. The same income cap applies to all filing statuses.

This means that those eligible who haven’t yet filed a 2020 return can exclude the first $10,200 of total unemployment compensation received from their income and pay tax only on the difference. For couples, the $10,200 exclusion applies to each spouse. Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov for details.

For any eligible taxpayer who has already filed a tax return and reported their total unemployment compensation as income, the IRS is automatically adjusting their return and providing them this tax benefit. Refunds, based on this adjustment, are being issued in May and will continue through the summer. Refund amounts will vary and not all adjustments will result in a refund.

Repayment of excess advance premium tax credit suspended
Taxpayers who purchased health insurance through a federal or state Health Insurance Marketplace for insurance in 2020 don’t need to repay their 2020 excess advance payments of the premium tax credit and will need to attach Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, when they file their 2020 return only to claim an additional credit. They may use Form 8962 to figure the amount of the premium tax credit  they qualify for based on their 2020 tax information and reconcile it with any advance premium tax credit that was paid for them through the Marketplace. If the PTC based on their 2020 tax information is more than the APTC, they can claim a net premium tax credit on Form 8962 and must file Form 8962 when they file their 2020 tax return.

However, if the APTC was more than their allowable PTC based on their 2020 tax information, known as the excess APTC, the new law suspends the requirement to repay excess APTC for 2020. This means that taxpayers with excess APTC for 2020 do not need to report the excess APTC or file Form 8962.

Taxpayers who have already filed should not file an amended tax return. The IRS will automatically reduce the repayment amount to zero for anyone who already reported excess APTC for 2020. In addition, the agency will automatically reimburse anyone who has already repaid their 2020 excess APTC when they filed.

You may contact Tax On Wheels, LLC at 803 732-4288 if we can assist you with this or any other tax matter.

IRS to recalculate taxes on unemployment; refunds start in May

March 31, 2021

WASHINGTON – To help taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service announced today that it will take steps to automatically refund money this spring and summer to people who filed their tax return reporting unemployment compensation before the recent changes made by the American Rescue Plan.

The legislation, signed on March 11, allows taxpayers who earned less than $150,000 in modified adjusted gross income to exclude unemployment compensation up to $20,400 if married filing jointly and $10,200 for all other eligible taxpayers. The legislation excludes only 2020 unemployment benefits from taxes.

Because the change occurred after some people filed their taxes, the IRS will take steps in the spring and summer to make the appropriate change to their return, which may result in a refund. The first refunds are expected to be made in May and will continue into the summer.

For those taxpayers who already have filed and figured their tax based on the full amount of unemployment compensation, the IRS will determine the correct taxable amount of unemployment compensation and tax. Any resulting overpayment of tax will be either refunded or applied to other outstanding taxes owed.

For those who have already filed, the IRS will do these recalculations in two phases, starting with those taxpayers eligible for the up to $10,200 exclusion. The IRS will then adjust returns for those married filing jointly taxpayers who are eligible for the up to $20,400 exclusion and others with more complex returns.

There is no need for taxpayers to file an amended return unless the calculations make the taxpayer newly eligible for additional federal credits and deductions not already included on the original tax return.

For example, the IRS can adjust returns for those taxpayers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and, because the exclusion changed the income level, may now be eligible for an increase in the EITC amount which may result in a larger refund. However, taxpayers would have to file an amended return if they did not originally claim the EITC or other credits but now are eligible because the exclusion changed their income.

These taxpayers may want to review their state tax returns as well.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 23 million U.S. workers nationwide filed for unemployment last year. For the first time, some self-employed workers qualified for unemployed benefits as well. The IRS is working to determine how many workers affected by the tax change already have filed their tax returns.

The new IRS guidance also includes details for those eligible taxpayers who have not yet filed.

The IRS has worked with the tax return preparation software industry to reflect these updates so people who choose to file electronically simply need to respond to the related questions when electronically preparing their tax returns. See New Exclusion of up to $10,200 of Unemployment Compensation for information and examples. For others, instructions and an updated worksheet about the exclusion were available in March and posted to IRS.gov/Form 1040. These instructions can assist taxpayers who have not yet filed to prepare returns correctly.

As always, please feel free to contact Tax On Wheels, LLC at 803 732-4288 if we can assist you with this or any other tax matter.

Four Tax Tips about Your Unemployment Benefits

If you received unemployment benefits this year, you must report the payments on your federal income tax return.

Here are four tips from the IRS about unemployment benefits.

1. You must include all unemployment compensation you received in your total income for the year. You should receive a Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments. It will show the amount you were paid and the amount of any federal income taxes withheld from your payments.

2. Types of unemployment benefits include:

  • Benefits paid by a state or the District of Columbia from the Federal Unemployment Trust Fund
  • Railroad unemployment compensation benefits
  • Disability payments from a government program paid as a substitute for unemployment compensation
  • Trade readjustment allowances under the Trade Act of 1974
  • Unemployment assistance under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

3. You must include benefits from regular union dues paid to you as an unemployed member of a union in your income. However, other rules apply if you contribute to a special union fund and your contributions are not deductible. If this applies to you, only include in income the amount you received from the fund that is more than your contributions.

4. You can choose to have federal income tax withheld from your unemployment benefits. You make this choice using Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request. If you complete the form and give it to the paying office, they will withhold tax at 10 percent of your payments. If you choose not to have tax withheld, you may have to make estimated tax payments throughout the year.

For more information on unemployment benefits give Tax On Wheels, LLC a call at 803 732-4288.

IRS Offers Four Tips on Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment can be stressful enough without having to figure out the tax treatment of the unemployment benefits you receive.

Unemployment compensation generally includes, among other forms, state unemployment compensation benefits, but the tax implications depend on the type of program paying the benefits. You must report unemployment compensation on line 19 of Form 1040, line 13 of Form 1040A, or line 3 of Form 1040EZ.

Here are four tips from the IRS about unemployment benefits.

1. You must include all unemployment compensation you receive in your total income for the year. You should receive a Form 1099-G, with the total unemployment compensation paid to you shown in box 1.

2. Other types of unemployment benefits include:

  • Benefits paid by a state or the District of Columbia from the Federal Unemployment Trust Fund
  • Railroad unemployment compensation benefits
  • Disability payments from a government program paid as a substitute for unemployment compensation
  • Trade readjustment allowances under the Trade Act of 1974
  • Unemployment assistance under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

For complete information on each of the benefits listed, see chapter 12 in IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax, or Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income.

3. You must report benefits paid to you as an unemployed member of a union from regular union dues. However, if you contribute to a special union fund and your payments to the fund are not deductible, you only need to include in your income the unemployment benefits that exceed the amount of your contributions.

4. You can choose to have federal income tax withheld from your unemployment compensation. To make this choice, complete Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request, and give it to the paying office. Tax will be withheld at 10 percent of your payment. If you choose not to have tax withheld, you may have to make estimated tax payments throughout the year.

Please give us a call at 803 732-4288 if we can help you with this or any other tax issue.