IRS OPERATIONS CLOSED FOR 5 DAYS DUE TO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS

On May 15, 2013, the IRS announced in IR-2013-51 that, due to budgetary constraints, IRS operations will be shut down on the following 5 days.  While these furlough days generally should not impact operations or client service, they should be noted:

•          Friday, May 24, 2013

•          Friday, June 14, 2013

•          Friday, July 5, 2013

•          Monday, July 22, 2013

•          Friday, August 30, 2013

On the shutdown days, IRS offices will be closed, including the Taxpayer Advocate Service and the taxpayer assistance centers. In addition, the IRS toll-free hotlines will not be available.

The shutdowns will have no impact on any tax filing deadline. However, the IRS will be unable to accept or acknowledge receipt of electronically-filed returns on a shutdown day.

The shutdowns will have no impact on any tax payment deadline. Please note that the only payment deadlines coinciding with a particular shutdown day relate to employment tax deposits and excise tax deposits, which are made through Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, or EFTPS. EFTPS will not be affected by the shutdowns.

Certain web-based online tools and phone-based automated services will continue to function on the shutdown days, including:  Withholding Calculator; Order a Transcript; EITC Assistant; Interactive Tax Assistant; PTIN system for tax professionals; Tele-Tax; and Online Look-up Tool.

The following services will not be available on any shutdown day:  Where’s My Refund? and On-line Payment Agreement.

If the deadline for complying with an IRS request for documents (such as, an administrative summons, a request for records in connection with a return examination, a review or compliance check, or a document request related to a collection matter) falls on a shutdown day, the taxpayer will have until the next business day to provide the IRS with the requested documents/information.  For example, suppose the last day to respond to an IRS request for documents falls on Friday, May 24, 2013. In such a case, the taxpayer will have until Tuesday, May 28, 2013, to comply with the request because that is the “next business day” given that Monday, May 27, Memorial Day, is a federal holiday.