Posts by Kimberly Harris6

ruggedmaker2 said:For the business owners who’ve been doing international deals—meaning the IRS already sees all that activity on their filings—they’re just going to send out official notices directly.
Word from my contact at the agency: everything is ready to go. They were just sitting around waiting for the new tax law to be officially published in the federal register. Now that it’s finally live today, expect those formal VAT ID notifications to start hitting mailboxes pretty soon.

As for everyone else, there should be instructions posted somewhere on the IRS website, and I'm pretty sure the local agents already have the technical specifics down pat.
My number is coming through automatically, so I haven't bothered digging through the fine print yet. But yeah, I'm certain I saw some guidance about it somewhere.

Lately, whenever I ask an agent a question that doesn't have an official explanation, I get nothing back. It's my last resort because their standard response is always, "We haven't received any instructions yet."
So, time and again, it turns out they don't actually have any explanations and they're just mindlessly following procedures without truly understanding the laws themselves. I could go on... basically, in all my years of experience, I can count on one hand how many agents actually know what they're doing.

"When the new tax law first kicks in, following the transitional rules laid out in the final tax bill, the IRS is going to automatically assign VAT IDs to domestic taxpayers who handle transactions with foreign entities. Everyone else will just have to apply for their ID manually."

Does anyone know..
Is the IRS actually going to notify the taxpayers they’ve assigned an ID to, or are we just supposed to figure it out ourselves?
Is there a specific application form for those domestic taxpayers who don't get an ID automatically?
And if the IRS assigns an ID to someone who doesn't even need one, is that person required to go through the hassle of requesting a cancellation?

Zachary White17 said:Are you certain about that part, where it goes as both an obligation and an input credit on the VAT return simultaneously??? I suspect it might only go as an obligation. If you acquire goods from the European Union, calculate the VAT on them, and then report it as both an obligation and an input credit, the net result on the VAT return would be zero. That wouldn't leave anything to pay, which doesn't seem right. You generally have to pay that tax upon acquisition. If you only list it as an obligation, then you simply have that tax due for the period, which seems more logical. So, I imagine it only counts as an obligation.

That’s exactly how I understood it too—that you record the liability while simultaneously using the input tax, all without any actual cash changing hands. That’s how they presented it to us during our seminar regarding business dealings within the European Union.

Happy Easter to all our forum members and to my respected fellow accountants who work tirelessly all year long to stay helpful and available

Raymond Martinez10 said:Actually, you don't—not if you already filed with the financial index.

But that Goldman Sachs filing is for PUBLIC RECORD. Unless, of course, the IRS agents are feeling particularly lazy and decide they won't bother checking the public database, opting instead to demand you bring it in personally... which, let's be honest, happens more often than it should.

Kimberly Harris6 said:Fine, I guess I'll give that a shot. I use all sorts of different cards and security sticks, and everything has worked fine on this same computer until now... But tomorrow, I'm going to try logging into the IRS from a different machine and see what happens. Because this is exactly what's happening to me—that damn loading icon just keeps spinning and it's driving me absolutely insane.

It works on the other computer!!!! Apis😘😘😘😘😘😘 You seriously saved my sanity

Richard Howard55 said:That’s exactly how I read it! If those certificate verification apps don't play nice together, you could just end up staring at a loading icon spinning forever. 😵
This snippet is basically just some part of an explanation from a Police Department officer regarding why that loading wheel might be stuck.

Fine, I guess I'll give that a shot. I use all sorts of different cards and security sticks, and everything has worked fine on this same computer until now... But tomorrow, I'm going to try logging into the IRS from a different machine and see what happens. Because this is exactly what's happening to me—that damn loading icon just keeps spinning and it's driving me absolutely insane.

Raymond Martinez10 said:I'm having the exact same issue!!!
The FBI form won't go through (keeps saying unsigned), and the ISIS paperwork is just as broken. The only thing that actually works is viewing sent forms. Total nonsense. 🤷

The digital signature is what's killing me. Every time I click to sign, the little loading icon just spins endlessly. Eventually, I have to force-quit because clearly, something is broken deep in the system...
I am at my wit's end here. I can see the ISIS cards, but trying to submit sales tax or excise tax forms is a complete impossibility. I don't even know what else to try. I've switched between Firefox and Chrome, tried pulling the card manually, checked all the certificates—you name it. Nothing works. It's ridiculous. 🙂

Dennis Sanchez84 said:That old app you installed on your computer? It's officially obsolete.
You gotta log in through the website now:
https://www.irs.gov/

If the login says you don't have authorization, just try registering.
Still getting an error saying your certificate isn't valid? You'll need to call customer service. They didn't even start working until 1 PM today. 🙄

Since I ran into that issue myself, here’s what you need to do:
Email their support team at support@irs.gov
with these details:
- Your certificate name, like John Doe xxxxx.x.x. (that ID number)
- The business name
- The EIN
- Your contact number
- A note saying you're requesting authorization

Basically, I just sent over all my important info from the previous app.
Certificate name: John Doe xxxxx.x.x
Business name:
App user:
Business EIN:
Address:
Email:
Local office:
Phone number

Just waiting for them to call me back and confirm everything went through.

I know the drill, I've already done all that and I haven't heard anything back yet... I'm going to try submitting the forms later today and see what happens. I realize we can't use the old software anymore and have to use that link instead. Hopefully, everything gets sorted out before the deadline.

The IRS website is being a total nightmare right now. I can't submit forms, and I can't even pull up tax transcripts for some of my clients. I actually spoke with a lady at the local field office yesterday, and she admitted that a ton of people have been filing complaints because the system is such a mess. She basically said they’re still trying to iron out the kinks and told me we just need to hang in there through the week—she’s personally hoping everything stabilizes by next Monday. To top it all off, getting a hold of technical support is impossible; they aren't responding to any of my emails at all.

Raymond Martinez10 said:Thanks, vitas—I always prefer having the full context behind these kinds of obligations.😉

Honestly, same here. I was driving myself crazy trying to remember where I’d read about this... I didn't even realize it until I happened to stumble upon some paperwork from the company, and then—boom—total surprise and massive relief.🙂

Raymond Martinez10 said:Where did this rumor even come from?

Apparently, 🙂 it came from the safety consulting firm I used back when I was working. Honestly, I couldn't quite recall where I read about it at the time 🙂 since I didn't have any major injuries to deal with, so I wasn't exactly obsessing over the details...
In the meantime, I've filled out the report and passed it off to the company involved so they can file it officially.

Apparently, there’s a deadline coming up on January 31st, 2013, to get those reports over to OSHA regarding all the workplace injuries logged throughout 2012.
Has anyone actually dealt with this yet? Does anyone know what the specific format for these filings is supposed to look like?

Henry Edwards33 said:🤣

I’ve never had to show my ID at the IRS before. This is actually kind of funny 🤣

The OECD stuff is fascinating!! When I first started, they told me I only needed to show up once, but then after a while, they started demanding it every single time... Honestly, I'm just over the hassle. I'd rather just send a power of attorney and my card via a colleague (I don't even have to go myself); they handle the paperwork and everyone stays happy. They constantly wear me down with these contradictory statements and endless requirements. At this point, I'd much rather deal with extra paperwork than have to listen to them acting all "brilliant."

Jessica Grant56 said:Are you ladies actually pulling my leg here?? Because I am honestly struggling so much over here—everything feels like such a massive headache right now...

I hope you don't think I'm picking on you. My comment wasn't even directed at this specific thread—I wasn't following this exact debate, I was just making a general observation about everything else going on.

silverbadger said:I figured I’d just post this here to answer my own question, though it might actually end up being pretty helpful for someone else on the forum too.

When you're heading in to get your access set up on the IRS online portal, there is absolutely no need to bring your FINRA card along with you.
"The agent really shouldn't have been asking you for that card in the first place, since those digital certificates are all accessible right through the intranet—it's just that nobody can actually do anything with them unless they have the correct PIN."

So, bottom line: if an agent asks to see your FINRA card with its digital signature, just keep it to yourself and don't hand it over.

Wait, is this actually news? Every time I set up a new client, I’ve always brought along their card and a power of attorney... mostly because I was told they couldn't assign authorization without the physical card. I hand them the card, they process everything, and within 24 hours, I can manage that client's account perfectly fine. I honestly don't see what the big deal is.

I feel like I need to weigh in here..
I honestly don't get how some people can be so incredibly lazy. They come to this forum asking questions that they could find the answer to with a single click on Google! Look, if it’s something debatable or complex, fine. But when it comes to the simplest things? That really gets under my skin...

Kenneth Bailey6 said:Greetings, everyone. I have a question regarding these digital tax certificates... Up until now, I’ve been filing my sales tax returns once a month
in person at the local IRS office—it's just a quick five-minute walk from my place. Now, I understand that starting January 1st, everything has to be submitted
electronically. For someone like me, who handles all my own bookkeeping and runs a solo operation, this feels like nothing more than an added expense.
I handle all my electronic transfers through JP Morgan Chase, but during a recent visit to the Department of the Treasury, I was told I might also need to pay them $17 monthly just to maintain the
digital credentials. It seems excessive to me to pay a recurring fee just to submit a single monthly return, especially since I am already paying service fees
to JP Morgan Chase. If the certificate can be downloaded directly from the government website, how exactly is this "free" system supposed to work? Does it actually make more financial sense to migrate all my payment processing over to the Department of the Treasury?

Generally speaking, you’re paying for the use of the card or the security token. The Department of the Treasury provides access to services like e-Treasury for submitting annual and quarterly financial and statistical reports, and the DMV for filing various state forms. So, there really is plenty of utility coming from the Department of the Treasury. Once you have that card, access to other services like electronic pension or health insurance filings is absolutely free. In my opinion, that card can be put to very good use, and I think it's worth having it..

Hannah Harris6 said:Hey there, Vitasica fans and everyone else... thank goodness I'm not blowing up your notifications quite as often lately. But, hey, you can't stay quiet forever! I wanted to pick your brains on something. When dealing with pretty small-scale clients, I used to just hand over the Intel data manually on paper last year. Even with a bit of grumbling from the IRS, they accepted it without much fuss. Now, I'm hearing whispers that this year, everything absolutely has to be submitted via Excel on a digital medium. So, two questions for the group: 1. Is that actually true? 2. If it is, I am completely lost looking at these forms on the IRS website... does anyone here have any insight or perhaps some clarity?
(If you could keep it brief so I don't hog too much of your time)
Best regards!

Thanks!

Hi there.🙂 It’s not Excel; it’s an XML format. First, just ask your local agent at the IRS office. If they won't accept the paperwork by hand, then you can do it this way... If your accounting software doesn't have the option to generate the file automatically, you can go to the official IRS site http://www.irs.gov/e-file...p.asp?id=b03d5 and look under the downloadable files section for the "Intel Form with XML export capability." You can enter all the data manually into that form. It's basically the same info from the individual cards, except it shows one line per employee for the entire year. The form has two tabs: first, you fill out the employee details, and then the taxpayer information (your business or LLC). Once you've entered everything according to the guidelines (take a moment to study the instructions), you create the XML file and save it to a flash drive or whatever works. Just attach a cover sheet and bring it down to the IRS office. You can also download the IP Validator to check your XML file, though it's not strictly necessary. The Validator doesn't check if your data is accurate; it just checks if the file itself is formatted correctly. The IRS verifies the actual accuracy of the data once they input it.

ruggedcyclist74 said:Oh sure, why stop there? We might as well all revert to Windows 98 since our software is apparently prehistoric... 🙂

I was looking through some statements from Goldman Sachs recently—they print them out in DOS format, as if we're still living in the Stone Age... they're completely illegible, lacking any perforation space, so every time I try to punch holes in a printout, I usually end up punching through a critical digit or a previous balance.🙂

The sheer authoritarianism of it all is infuriating; it’s so easy for them to just force their will upon us regarding what WE have to do... yet no one bothers to ask if small business owners actually have the capital to upgrade their tech, set up high-speed internet, and so on... then they go ahead and mandate these archaic programs that are nearly impossible to even source anymore... it's just exhausting.🙂

Vitas, I truly value your insights and the depth of knowledge you bring to the table; I am certain that you find this whole situation just as aggravating as I do, even if you don't feel the need to say so.😉🙂

To be honest, I don't spend much time worrying about this stuff. I’ve never been one to jump on every new app that hits the market, and frankly, I had to be practically talked into using Wind 7. 🙂 Look, I definitely agree that you need to stay on top of tech trends, but there’s absolutely no reason to go rushing blindly into every new thing. These systems are massive, and honestly, they need time to stabilize before everyone starts pivoting. I'm not talking about DOS—that's ancient history at this point. I mean things like the software updates from FIN. Usually, when they roll out new applications, the recommendation is to stick with certain legacy tools for a while just to give the new infrastructure some breathing room to settle. It’s common sense, isn't it? In my case, I haven't had any issues at all. I actually had someone from the FIN office come over personally with a disc and get everything configured exactly how I need it. So, for now, everything is running smoothly.