General

• Attention Quickfinder Users   For QuickFinders users, use THIS LINK to get updates and corrections. Bookmark the location – you will want to recheck it periodically.
• You have a unique opportunity to influence how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) delivers services to the public. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel or TAP is a group of volunteers dedicated to helping the IRS identify ways to improve customer service and satisfaction. The panel is a Federal Advisory committee established under the authority of the Department of the Treasury.
• Before you donate to that charity, do your homework!   There is too much real need in the world for you to allow your generosity to be diverted for anyone's personal gain. At a minimum, remember:
  
  1. Know exactly who you're giving to. Many fake charities masquerade under names deceptively similar to legitimate charities.
  2. Check their record. Sites like www.give.org (The Better Business Bureau), www.charitynavigator.org, and www.guidestar.org can provide a good feel for what your donation will actually be used for. Tip: Ratings for NATIONAL vs. LOCAL chapters of an organization can vary drastically.
  3. Protect your personal information. It is safest not to respond to e-mail solicitations, nor to give out credit card or other financial information over the telephone.

Federal Government

• Taxpayers can now go online and check the status of their individual federal income tax refunds using Where’s My Refund? , the first IRS web-based service giving taxpayers direct access to their personal tax account information. Spanish-speaking taxpayers may prefer ¿Dónde Está mi Reembolso?
• The IRS-issued 2009 Refund Cycle Chart (in English and Spanish)
• The Internal Revenue Service provides free Spanish-language products and services – CLICK HERE for a listing of what's available for Small Businesses, and CLICK HERE to visit the El IRS en Español webpage, which contains forms, notices, business resource links, online tools, and publications for both individual and business taxpayers.
• New Web site: Business.gov provides one-stop information for small businesses. The site helps small businesses find compliance information and services by searching multiple government web sites and by organizing the information into industry and topic categories. Managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration in a partnership with 21 federal agencies, Business.gov provides quick and focused compliance search results, a comprehensive catalog of federal government forms, a directory of knowledgeable government contacts, links to key industry resources and “how to” information for starting, growing and managing a business.
• IRS warns of bogus refund emails and Web sites! Email, appearing to come from "tax-refunds@irs.gov", tells the recipient that he or she is eligible to receive a tax refund for a given amount. It states that to access a form for the tax refund, the recipient must use a link contained in the e-mail. The link leads the recipient to a form which asks for the personal and financial information. The information fraudulently obtained is then used to steal the taxpayer’s identity and financial assets. The IRS never asks for personal identifying or financial information via unsolicited e-mail. To learn more about this scam and what to do if you suspect that you have received one, do NOT open it – CLICK HERE to read the advise of the IRS.
• A new (and free, except for a small handling and shipping charge!) Treasury Department DVD Identity Theft: Outsmarting the Crooks aims to inform citizens about that new breed of criminals: identity thieves. Identity theft experts from a diverse selection of fields give testimonials as well as advice on how best to foil the efforts of those wishing to steal your Social Security number, user names, PIN numbers, passwords, and credit card numbers. Other experts advise victims of identity theft what steps are necessary to remediate their credit status. Go to the Treasury Department Identity Theft Resource Page for more information on the DVD and its supporting materials.
• The Internal Revenue Service is providing an online tool, the AMT Assistant, which helps taxpayers determine whether or not they may be subject to the AMT by automating the AMT Worksheet of the 1040 Instructions, called the "Worksheet to See if You Should Fill in Form 6251 - Line 45." The IRS estimates most taxpayers can make entries and get an answer in five to 10 minutes using the new application. Read more about the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Assistant for Individuals...

• Retirement Plan Information – find tips on how to find, fix, and avoid common mistakes in: SEP, SIMPLE IRA Plan, and 401(k) Fix-It Guides are available in .pdf format.

• The Internal Revenue Service is offers a range of tax-related resources for Small Businesses, including electronic "workshops" on-line, or on CD/DVD. Most are free for up to five copies. Check what they have to offer...
• The IRS has issued several documents relating to tax relief as a result of Hurricane Katrina. They have a special page set up with links to just about everything published regarding Katrina Relief. There is information regarding charitable giving and tax relief actions and other assistance for hurricane victims. You may want to bookmark the page and check it often.
• A complete course on Disaster Assistance Self-Study and Kits can be found on the IRS web site. Read more on this topic...
• Pub. 590 Tax Calendars for 2009
• The IRS.GOV One Click is a MS Word hypertext index of the most frequently used links on the IRS Web site. It has been thoughtfully provided by the Stakeholder Liaison team, who encourage you to download it and place it on your desktop for easy access.
• Hear it directly from the source – sign up for an IRS e-mailing list that targets your area of concern.
• The IRS has a new interactive tool, the "EITC Assistant", to help tax practitioners determine whether their clients are eligible for the earned income tax credit (EITC). The EITC Assistant will help determine eligibility, filing status, and if the children are qualifying children for EITC purposes. The tool will also calculate the amount of the expected credit.
• Site map (index) of the Internal Revenue Service Web site
• Internal Revenue Service E-file Services
• The National Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the IRS, created to help taxpayers resolve problems with the IRS and to recommend changes that will prevent the problems. If you have an ongoing issue with the IRS that has not been resolved through normal processes, or you have suffered, or are about to suffer a significant hardship/economic burden as a result of the administration of the tax laws, contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
• Social Security Administration
• Federal Bureau of Investigation

State/Local Government

Alaska

• The Tax Division OnLine Payment System (TOPS). You can make secure payments online anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there is no charge for using this system.
• Information on all Tax Division Programs offered by the Tax Division OnLine
• Monthly Tax Reports published by Tax Division Online.
• Index of services offered by the Alaska Division of Retirement and Benefits, with email links to the respective units.

Oregon

• Check the status of your refund with Oregon DOR's online service Where's My Oregon Refund?
• Oregon Withholding Tax Tables are now ONLINE ONLY, so that they may be maintained more efficiently.
• DOR circular 2-d Bar Code Filing for Oregon (2-d bar codes are now required)
• The IRS Directory for Oregon Practitioners, provided by the Small Business Self-Employed Stakeholder Liaison Division.
• A complete list of PO Boxes for Returns, Forms and Correspondence and their priorities, in the form of an .xls spreadsheet provided by the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR).
• The Oregon representative for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) can be reached at milissa@uci.net, and I can be reached through the TAP contact number of 888-912-1227.
• If you're an Oregon Tax Professional you should seriously consider subscribing to the Revenews mailing list established by the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR), Personal Income Tax Division, to disseminate Oregon tax information to tax practitioners. Practitioners can easily self - subscribe to the list by visiting http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/TAXPRO/revenews.shtml.
• The Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) has created a new email listserv called Payrolltax-news designed to provide the most current payroll tax information to its subscribers. Employers and other interested individuals can easily subscribe to Payrolltax-news by going to: http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/BUS/payrolltaxnews.shtml. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact them at payroll.help.dor@state.or.us .
• The Oregon State Board of Tax Practitioners describes Proper Disposal of Confidential Client Records.
• A two-hour Tax Practitioner Liason (TPL) meeting worth 2 hours of CPE credit takes place one Friday each month at the Oregon Department of Revenue Building in Salem, Oregon. An excellent opportunity to gather timely resource materials prepared by the DOR and for face-to-face communication. CLICK HERE to learn more.
• Oregon E-Government - Online Services: Taxes. File income taxes, make a payment on Payroll, Estimated Corporate Excise and Income Taxes, or pay Motor Carrier Highway Use Tax.
• Detailed requirements to be an Oregon State Tax Consultant
• Detailed requirements to be an Oregon State Tax Preparer
• Oregon State Board of Tax Practitioners.
• PortlandMaps.com, a joint project of Corporate GIS (CGIS), and the Bureau of Information Technology (BIT) at The City of Portland. This site offers a new way of accessing public data: you simply enter an address or intersection and click Search. The returned data includes not only Assessor/Tax Lot information, but a mind-boggling array of clear, concise information about the site and the area around it.

Washington

• Washington State Incentive Programs: Deferrals, Exemptions, and Credits.
• Washington State Board of Accountancy Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Requirements

Affiliated State Organizations

• Alaska Association of Tax Consultants (AATC)

Professional Organizations: National

• National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP)
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• National Association of Tax Professionals

Professional Organizations: State

Alaska

• Alaska Society of Certified Public Accountants

Oregon

• The Oregon Association of Independent Accountants (OAIA)
• The Oregon Society of Enrolled Agents (ORSEA)
• The Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA)
• Oregon Association of Tax Consultants (OATC)

Washington

• Washington State Tax Consultants (WSTC)
• South King County Chapter of the WSTC
• Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA)
• Washington State Society of Enrolled Agents (WSSEA)

Tax Research Sites

• Thomson RIA is a premier provider of advanced research, practice materials, and compliance tools for tax, accounting and corporate finance professionals
• Non-Profit Resources
• Tax Info - variety of info & more links
• Tax Information Resource
• Tax Info