Jeffsthelawyer.com
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Info
  • PORTAL
  • Not in VA?

Sodoma Law PLLC Blog Page

You found it!  Leave some comments!

New Tax Form Coming!

12/3/2019

0 Comments

 
IRS Releases Draft Form of New 1040 Tailored for SeniorsEasier-to-read form highlights retirement income streams and other tax benefits for citizens 65 and older.
Getty Images
By Rachel L. Sheedy, Editor 

A new Form 1040 tailored to taxpayers 65 and older is making its debut today. In mid July, the IRS released a draft form of the inaugural version of the 1040-SR, “U.S. Tax Return for Seniors.”
The new form was created by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, which among its provisions called for the development of a tax return that would be easy for seniors to use and highlighted retirement income streams and other tax benefits for seniors. Those age 65 and older will be able to use this form to file their 2019 tax returns, and the IRS presented an overview of the new form at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum in National Harbor, Md., earlier this week.
Using the new form isn’t mandatory, but seniors can choose to use it if they want to. The form is based off the regular 1040, and the IRS says it uses all the same schedules, instructions and attachments. Older taxpayers who use tax software to file are unlikely to even notice.
But for taxpayers who still file by paper, the new form will be modified for aging eyes. The font is bigger to make the text easier to read. The shading in boxes on the regular 1040 has been removed to improve the contrast and increase legibility.
AdvertisementA highlighted feature of the new form is the addition of a standard deduction chart, said Darren Hamilton, an official in the agency’s forms and publications division who presented information about the new form. The form lists the standard deduction amounts, including the extra standard deduction amount that taxpayers age 65 and older qualify for “so seniors don’t have to hunt for it,” said Hamilton at the Maryland tax forum. The chart makes it simpler for seniors to take advantage of the full standard deduction for which they are eligible, particularly for those who may not even be aware of the extra amount for which they qualify.
The form has lines for specific retirement income streams, such as Social Security benefits, IRA distributions, and pensions and annuities. “AARP supported the development of the simpler 1040 SR tax form since most seniors could not use the 1040 EZ due to their different sources of income,” says David Certner, AARP legislative counsel.
But the IRS says you don’t have to be retired to use the form. The agency says the form is appropriate for older workers to use, too.
SEE ALSO: State-by-State Guide to Taxes on RetireesYou can take a look at the draft form of the 1040-SR at IRS.gov/DraftForms. Of course, the draft form is subject to change before it is finalized later this year. Industry players, such as certified public accountants and enrolled tax agents, will get a chance to comment on it and suggest improvements. You can submit comments, too, no later than August 15 to WI.1040.Comments@IRS.gov.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Jeff Sodoma, MPA, Esq. is a lawyer based in Virginia Beach, Virginia

    Blog! 

    Hello, there!  Welcome to my blog.  I will use this blog as a platform for my writing.  I will write about topics in the legal world, certainly, as well as everything else under the sun, because I have many interests (and viewpoints).  All views expressed in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are mine alone.  One of my interests is music--my wife believes that I should go on "Beat Shazam" because I know so many songs--and I will be, from time to time, analyzing song lyrics and how they relate to the legal world.  

    Archives

    July 2022
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All
    Decisions
    Elder Law

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Info
  • PORTAL
  • Not in VA?