Now that Xanddy’s (Harmonia do Samba) tour in the United States is officially confirmed, we can start thinking about the best place to watch the concert “Xanddy, Samba & Summer“. A four-hour event, a DJ to warm up and 2 hours of lots of samba, the performance in the magical city will be in a carefully assembled environment, consisting on top-shelf all inclusive drinks and an intimate proposal that has never been seen before in Orlando, Central Florida.

The space, with a total capacity for 600 people and exclusive sale only for 300, will make you feel like you are in Porto Seguro, Bahia, and was created by specialists and designers to offer the public the proper infrastructure to enjoy the concert close to Xanddy, in one of the performances of his tour in the United States. At least 20 people are required for its assembly, which in this case, for the concert “Xanddy, Samba & Summer”, takes four days to be fully built. Besides the central stage and dressing rooms, the structure is also divided into sectors for the public, being the VIP area ticket sales exclusive for Larson Accounting Group clients.

The concert which has been confirmed for Saturday, June 19th, will be a milestone and the official Summer Opening.

The opening date for the sales in Orlando has not been announced yet, but the number of tickets is limited. The ticket sales for the upcoming tour will start soon, but Larson Accounting Group customers will have exclusive pre-sale tickets until May 31.

We at Larson are delighted to support the culture and art of a great Brazilian artist. “Supporting the culture and great talents of our Brazil has always been and will always be a commitment of mine, along with our entire community,” says Carol Larson – CEO & founder of Larson Accounting.

Visit the pre-sale website, sign up and become a part of this special moment of joy and fun.

Learn how to save and what to buy during Florida’s tax free holidays for back-to-school and emergency preparedness — as well as its brand-new “Freedom Week.”

It’s not often that states revamp their annual tax-free holidays. But Florida, filled with post-pandemic enthusiasm, has drastically changed its tax-free holiday offerings for 2021. Shoppers not only get a completely new tax-free holiday geared at post-pandemic, economy-stimulating purchases (dubbed “Freedom Week”). But it’s ballooned its tax-free back-to-school shopping holiday into 10 days (it’s usually just three days long).

Here’s everything Florida shoppers need to know to get all the stuff they can without paying sales tax this year.

When is Florida’s tax-free holiday?

Florida is offering three tax-free holidays during 2021 at different times.

Florida Freedom Week (July 1-7)

Florida Freedom Week runs over the Fourth of July holiday, from July 1 to 7.

This sales tax holiday is brand new for 2021, and it’s geared at post-pandemic purchases. So what exactly are these eligible freedom-related purchases? The list includes:

• Tickets to music events, sporting events, cultural events, movies, museums and state parks for admission through Dec. 31.
• Boating and water supplies: Get the first $25 tax free when you buy snorkels, goggles and swimming masks; the first $50 tax free when you buy safety flares; the first $75 tax free when you buy life jackets, paddles, oars and coolers; the first $150 tax free when you buy water skis, wakeboards, kneeboards and inflatable water tubes; the first $300 tax free when you buy paddleboards and surfboards; and the first $500 tax free when you buy canoes and kayaks.
• Camping supplies: You can get the first $30 tax free when you buy camping lanterns and flashlights; the first $50 tax free when you buy sleeping bags, portable hammocks and camping stoves; and the first $200 tax free when you buy tents.
• Fishing supplies, general outdoor supplies and sports equipment: See a full list of what qualifies in this Florida Freedom Week press release.

Florida tax-free weekend for back-to-school (July 31-Aug.9)

For 2021, Florida’s tax-free weekend for back-to-school prep runs 12:01 a.m. on July 31, through 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 9. That’s 10 days, up from three days in past years. Shoppers save Florida’s 6% state sales tax plus local tax.

What qualifies for back-to-school tax-free weekend in Florida?

The following items are tax free:

• Clothing and apparel costing $60 or less per item.

• School supplies and related items costing $15 or less per item.

• The first $1,000 for personal computers and related accessories (for noncommercial use only). This is a slight change over last year. In 2019, only computers selling for $1,000 or less were tax exempt. This year, things are more flexible — you can buy a computer for more than $1,000 and still have taxes waived on the first $1k you spend.

See a full list of tax-free items for 2020.

Most items that children need for school are tax exempt. This includes most clothing and most school supplies, but not all of them. Within each category, there are exemptions.

Because the guidelines aren’t necessarily intuitive, take some time on the Florida Department of Revenue website to familiarize yourself with Florida’s list of exempt and taxable items.

And keep in mind the spending thresholds, too. Tax exemptions apply only to clothing items $60 or less. There’s also no limit to how many tax-free items you can buy so, in essence, you could buy a hundred $50 jackets, and they’d all be tax-free.

Florida tax-free week for disaster preparedness (May 28-June 6)

This one’s also been extended to 10 days for 2021, running from May 28 to June 6.

In anticipation of hurricane season, Florida’s tax-free emergency preparedness week waives sales tax on items residents need to weather the storm.

When is Florida’s tax-free week for disaster preparedness?

Shop the Florida emergency-prep tax-free holiday from May 28 to June 6. That roughly matches the holiday’s usual Memorial-Day weekend timing, but the holiday is longer this year. In 2020, that same holiday ran May 29 to June 4 (seven days).

What does the Florida disaster-preparation tax-free week include?

Eligible items include generators costing $1,000 or less; flashlights and lanterns costing $40 or less; radios costing $50 or less; tarps costing $100 or less; coolers costing $60 or less; and batteries costing $50 or less. See the full list of eligible items.]

Does Florida’s tax-free holidays apply to online purchases?

Florida residents can also take advantage of the tax-free weekend online. Tax-free shopping applies to all transactions that are accepted and confirmed by the retailer during the tax-free period (even if delivery happens later). However, according to Florida law, shipping and handling charges are part of the sales price of an item, even if they are stated separately. This means that an order of a $59 jacket with $5 shipping would not be tax exempt because the item exceeds the $60 apparel threshold. Pro Tip: Bypass this rule by adding a couple more items to your order – shipping and handling will be divided by the number of items in the order to determine tax exemption.

Learn more about tax-free shopping and see a list of other state’s tax-free holidays for 2021.

Using coupons during Florida’s tax-free week

Coupons and discounts can help you buy more items tax free during Tax Free Weekend. That’s because it’s the total paid the retailer — not the sticker price — that determines whether sales tax is waived. For example, if you want a $65 jacket, it would not be tax free because it’s above the $60 threshold. However, if you have a coupon for 10% off, the price would fall below $60, and you’d get the jacket tax free. Note that manufacturers’ coupons are different. Because the retailer is reimbursed for the amount of the discount, manufacturer coupons do notrender an item tax exempt, even if they bring the customer’s price down below the threshold.

Are layaway items tax free during Florida’s sales tax holidays?

Yes. However, you must place the item on layaway during Tax Free Weekend, or pick it up during that time frame.

Source: Offers
By: Kristin McGrath

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today continued an ongoing effort to help those experiencing homelessness by reminding people who don’t have a permanent address or a bank account that they may still qualify for stimulus payments and other credits, including the advance Child Tax Credit.

The agency is also asking for help from groups that assist vulnerable or underserved people who may have difficulty getting a stimulus payment automatically. Filing a 2020 tax return, even if people don’t have to, could put money in their pocket.

While the third round of Economic Impact Payments continue to be made automatically to most eligible people, the IRS can’t issue a payment to eligible Americans when information about them isn’t available in the tax agency’s systems.

To help people experiencing homelessness, the rural poor and other historically underserved groups, the IRS urges community groups, employers and others to share information about Economic Impact Payments, the upcoming advance Child Tax Credit and other tax details to help more eligible people file a tax return so they can receive everything to which they’re eligible.

Advance Child Tax Credit: Payments begin soon

The IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced earlier this week that the first monthly payment of the expanded and newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit (CTC) from the American Rescue Plan will be made on July 15. Roughly 39 million households—covering 88% of children in the United States—are slated to begin receiving monthly payments without any further action required.

IRS and Treasury also announced the increased CTC payments will be made on the 15th of each month unless the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday. Families who receive the credit by direct deposit can plan their budgets around receipt of the benefit. Eligible families will receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each child age 6 and above.

The American Rescue Plan increased the maximum Child Tax Credit in 2021 to $3,600 for children under the age of 6 and to $3,000 per child for children between ages 6 and 17. The American Rescue Plan is projected to lift more than five million children out of poverty this year, cutting child poverty by more than half.

Households covering more than 65 million children will receive the monthly CTC payments through direct deposit, paper check, or debit cards, and IRS and Treasury are committed to maximizing the use of direct deposit to ensure fast and secure delivery. While most taxpayers will not be required to take any action to receive their payments, Treasury and the IRS will continue outreach efforts with partner organizations over the coming months to make more families aware of their eligibility.

How to help

The IRS urges community groups, employers and others to share information about the Child Tax Credit, Economic Impact Payments and other key programs to help more eligible people file a tax return so they can receive everything to which they’re eligible. IRS.gov has a variety of information and tools to help people.

Economic Impact Payments, also known as stimulus payments, are different from most other tax benefits; people are eligible for the payments even if they have little or no income and even if they don’t usually file a tax return. This is true as long as they have a Social Security number and are not being supported by someone else who can claim them as a dependent. For anyone who missed out on the first two rounds of payments, it’s not too late.

However, filing a 2020 tax return is the only way, if they’re eligible, to get the money from the first or second payment now. People will need to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit. Most people who don’t usually file can use IRS Free File to provide very basic information. There’s even a special section on IRS.gov that can help: Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren’t required to file a tax return.

When the individual answers the questions in Free File, they may also find that they’re eligible for other tax credits which may mean a bigger refund. The IRS will process the tax return and issue a refund. The individual can expect two payments because the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit is paid as part of the tax refund. After the refund is issued, if they’re eligible, they’ll get another payment shortly afterward for the third Economic Impact Payment.

For the third round of payments, people who are experiencing homelessness may qualify to receive $1,400 for themselves. If they are married or have eligible dependents, they can get an additional $1,400 for each of their family members.

Filing a 2020 federal income tax return that provides very basic information about the person is something that can be done electronically using a smartphone or a computer. When the IRS receives the return, it will automatically calculate and issue the Economic Impact Payments to eligible individuals. People do not need a permanent address or a bank account. They don’t need to have a job. For eligible individuals, the IRS will still issue the payment even if they haven’t filed a tax return in years.

Permanent address not required

People can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit or other credits or get a third Economic Impact Payment even if they don’t have a permanent address. For example, someone experiencing homelessness may list the address of a friend, relative or trusted service provider, such as a shelter, drop-in day center or transitional housing program, on the return filed with the IRS. If they are unable to choose direct deposit, a check or debit card for the tax refund and the third Economic Impact Payment can then be mailed to this address.

For those with no bank account

Many financial institutions will help a person lacking an account to open a low-cost or no-cost bank account. Individuals who open accounts will then have an account and routing number available if they file and request a direct deposit of the Economic Impact Payment.

Visit the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) website for details, in both English and Spanish, on opening an account online. Among other things, people can use the FDIC’s BankFind tool to locate a nearby FDIC-insured bank. In addition, BankOn, the American Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers of America and the National Credit Union Administration have all compiled lists of banks and credit unions that can open an account online.

For veterans, see the Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) for access to financial services at participating banks.

People with a prepaid debit card may be able to have their refund applied to the card. Many reloadable prepaid cards or mobile payment apps have account and routing numbers that can be provided to the IRS. Individuals would need to check with the financial institution to ensure the card can be used and to obtain the routing number and account number, which may be different from the card number.

Workers experiencing homelessness can also receive the EITC

A worker experiencing homelessness might also qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). To get the credit, federal law requires that a worker live in the U.S. for more than half of the year and meet other requirements. This means living in a home in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Therefore, individuals experiencing homelessness, including those who reside at one or more homeless shelters, can meet that requirement.

More details on the Earned Income Tax Credit

For people experiencing homelessness who have a job, filing a return often carries an added bonus—getting a refund based on various tax benefits, especially the EITC for low-and moderate-income workers and working families.

Like many other workers, some workers experiencing homelessness still qualify for the credit even if they earned too little income during 2020 to owe tax. For 2020, the income limit is $15,820 for singles with no children ($21,710 for couples with no children). The income limit is higher for people with children. For example, the limit is $50,594 for singles with three or more children ($56,844 for couples with three or more children). Those who make less must also meet other eligibility requirements.

Because it’s a refundable credit, those who qualify and claim the credit could pay less federal tax, pay no tax or even get a tax refund. The EITC can put up to $6,660 into a worker’s pocket. The amount varies depending upon the worker’s income, filing status and other factors.

The IRS recognizes that eligible workers experiencing homelessness often encounter unique challenges not faced by other people.

To find out if they’re eligible, people can use the EITC Assistant on IRS.gov. It’s available in both English and Spanish.

File for free

The fastest and easiest way to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or to get the third Economic Impact Payment is to file a return electronically using IRS Free File. People can use a smartphone or computer to visit IRS.gov.

Through the Free File system, anyone who qualifies for the EITC also qualifies to use brand-name software to prepare and electronically file their return for free. The IRS urges anyone experiencing homelessness who has a smartphone or access to a computer to take advantage of this service.

Direct deposit speeds payments

Direct deposit is the safest and fastest way to receive a refund and the third Economic Impact Payment. People will need to include direct deposit information on their 2020 tax return to get their payment directly deposited.

Anyone with a savings, checking or brokerage account can choose to have their refund electronically deposited in that account. Taxpayers can also purchase U.S. Savings Bonds with their refund. Direct deposit is available even for people who file a paper tax return, but processing of paper returns takes longer.

Help spread the word

Employers can help by making their employees aware of the third Economic Impact Payment, 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and Earned Income Tax and Child Tax Credit, and by encouraging them to file for these benefits based on tax year 2020 rules. In addition, the American Rescue Plan, enacted in March 2021, expands EITC and the Child Tax Credit benefits for the 2021 tax year.

Some people will be able to get advance payments of the Child Tax Credit later this year. There is nothing those who qualify need to do at this point other than file a 2020 tax return.

The IRS also continues to work extensively with community groups across the country to get people to file tax returns and receive all the Economic Impact Payments and credits they’re entitled to. These efforts helped lead to more than 8 million people last year to submit tax returns who normally don’t file.

For more information, check out the outreach material, available on IRS.gov.

Source: IRS – R-2021-116, May 19, 2021

The IRS is falling behind in processing millions of income tax returns, potentially delaying refunds for many Americans.

According to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent arm of the IRS focused on tax filers’ rights, the agency is holding almost 31 million returns for manual processing just ahead of the May 17 tax-filing deadline. That backlog has grown by 2 million returns since mid-April, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins told CBS MoneyWatch.

“I was hoping it would go down, but I’m not that optimistic,” she said of the logjam. “Taxpayers will continue to experience unusually long delays. I don’t think anyone wants to hear that, but that is the case.”

Collins had flagged the issue in an April 22 blog post, when the number of tax returns held up for manual processing had reached about 29 million. Some of those returns are paper tax filings from 2019, which the IRS got behind in processing due to the coronavirus pandemic last year. But much of the backlog also consists of 2020 tax returns, which are still flowing into the IRS.

Some of those newly filed tax returns are getting flagged by the IRS because of issues related to recent tax changes and federal stimulus checks, Collins said. One of those relates to the “Recovery Rebate Credit,” the line on Form 1040 that allows people to adjust their stimulus payments if they didn’t receive all the funds to which they were entitled. Some people are incorrectly filling out that line, typically by claiming the incorrect amount on the form.

In such instances, the IRS flags the return for review — that requires an employee to check the return against the agency’s record of stimulus payments. All that can add time to processing a tax return, which, in turn, means delays for taxpayers in getting their refunds.

About 1 in 3 people who have claimed the Recovery Rebate Credit have had their returns flagged for review by an employee, according to a May 6 report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

Collins expressed concern that the returns-processing backlog will continue to grow ahead of the May 17 filing deadline. So far, about 121 million tax returns have been filed out of the more than 160 million that are expected. The IRS has issued about 5 million fewer refunds so far this tax season compared with the same time last year, according to the agency’s statistics.

With more than 40 million taxpayers yet to file, it’s likely a portion of those returns will end up flagged for review — leaving those taxpayers with an unknown wait for their refunds, rather than the usual three-week turnaround.

“My tax person said he was shocked if I wouldn’t see my refund in 10 days, and it’s been over two months,” said Hillary Osborne, 41. She filed her 2020 tax return on February 27. So far, nothing. “I check ‘Where’s My Refund?,’ and it says it’s still being processed — I called the IRS after 21 days, and you can’t get through to anyone.”

Osborne, a single mother who works as a project administrator in Tennessee, said her refund should amount to more than $4,400, which will cover about four months of rent. She said her taxes are fairly simple, but she wondered if something about the stimulus checks have tied up her return.

For now she remains in limbo, with Osborne telling CBS MoneyWatch she’s been unable to reach anyone at the IRS. “I’m not happy,” she said. “I depend on that money.”

In limbo for a year

Some taxpayers are still in the dark due to tax returns filed last year, when the IRS shut down its offices as the pandemic took hold. Paper tax returns filed for the 2019 tax year were stored in trailers until IRS employees could get to them. As of March, the agency still had a backlog of 2.4 million paper returns from the 2019 tax year to process.

The IRS also must cope with the unprecedented health crisis with significantly fewer employees and less funding compared with a decade ago. The number of operations staff has fallen by almost a third since 2010, while overall funding has declined by more than 20%, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The IRS said the agency is now opening mail within “normal timeframes,” and noted that it’s making progress on processing tax returns that were filed last year. As of April 23, it had a backlog of 1.3 million individual returns filed before 2021 to finish processing, an IRS spokesman told CBS MoneyWatch in an emailed statement.

One of those taxpayers is Eileen Mahoney, 63, an American who lives in London and who mailed her paper tax forms last year. She’s still waiting for her tax return to be processed. Although Mahoney said she wasn’t due a refund, she worries the issue is holding up her second and third stimulus checks — $600 and $1,400, respectively — which she has yet to receive.

“It is money I could well do with,” Mahoney said, noting that she was laid off from her job as a paralegal before COVID-19 hit. The stimulus checks would allow her and her husband to fix up their home in London and list it for sale, achieving a dream of moving to Galway, Ireland. She’s reached out to lawmakers and spent four hours and about $60 in overseas telephone charges to try to get through to the IRS, but hasn’t been able to find out where her 2019 tax return is, or when it might be processed.

“The fact I might have to wait 12 to 18 months for it is driving me insane,” Mahoney said. “This is not my fault — it’s the IRS’.”

Other taxpayers who spoke with CBS MoneyWatch about their return-processing delays also expressed frustration. Many have been unable to reach an IRS employees, an issue that’s carried over from last year, when only one in four callers got through to an actual person.

All expressed a desire to get two questions answered: Where is my tax return, and when will it be processed? Knowing some information — even if it’s learning that their tax return wouldn’t be processed for several months — is better than nothing, they said.

Collins of the Taxpayer Advocate Service agreed. “The IRS should do a better job of being more transparent even if it’s bad news,” she said. “Being in limbo is worse.”

Avoiding manual review?

Taxpayers who have yet to file should heed the issues that millions of taxpayers are currently facing, tax experts say. For one, file electronically if possible, which is something the IRS is also urging taxpayers to do given their backlog of paper tax returns.

If you have to file via paper — a requirement for people who live outside the U.S., as well as in some other cases — make sure to send it via certified mail with a required signature, said Lisa Greene-Lewis, a certified public accountant and TurboTax tax expert. Without that, you may not know whether the IRS received your return, she added.

People who are filing for the Recovery Rebate Credit should also check their records to make sure they are accurately noting the amount they received, Greene-Lewis said. If you can’t find the letters the IRS sent to confirm payment (forms 1444 and 1444-b), then check your bank and deposit records, she recommended.