The step-by-step instructions I painstakingly wrote up earlier this year for making business replacement income tax estimated and extension payments are now out-of-date, because IDOR revamped their MyTaxIllinois website in September (grrrrr). So here are the basic instructions (screenshots are coming soon, but this will have to do for now):
— Log into the business’s My Tax IL account — On the ‘Summary’ tab, look for the ‘Business Income Tax’ section — Click on the link for ‘View more account options’
There are two ways to do it from here; the first is: — In the ‘Account Options’ section, click the link for ‘Make An Estimated Payment’ — Select the period you want to pay (which is 12/31/2021 for tax year 2021 — choose a later period if paying estimated taxes for 2022) — Click the first ‘Add Payment’ hyperlink in the Payment Schedule table for each payment you would like to schedule. — If your payment information is saved in MyTax Illinois, then in the ‘Choose’ tab you can select the dropdown under ‘Payment Channel’ — Otherwise, select ‘New’ and enter your company bank info. — In either case, on the right where it says ‘Payment’, you can change the payment’s debit date and enter the amount. — Click Submit, and re-enter your password for security purposes
Alternatively: — In the ‘Periods and Submissions’ section, click the link for ‘View Account Periods’ — Click the 12/31/2021 link so that your payment is applied to tax year 2021 (or a later period if paying 2022 estimated quarterly taxes) — In the upper right corner of this page, click the ‘Make A Payment’ link — Select the ‘Bank Account Debit’ link — Click the IL-1120-ST Payment link (ST denotes a “Small Business” payment) — Enter the amount you want to pay in the Amount and Confirm Amount fields — Click Submit, and re-enter your password for security purposes
Congrats, you did it!
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In a December 17th IAAI tax update webinar, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) walked through instructions for claiming a new “SALT” tax benefit signed into law in September, and in today’s AICPA Town Hall, the importance of making these payments before year-end was underscored. This new law is a workaround for individual taxpayers who are otherwise unable to benefit from a full deduction on state tax payments on pass-through income from their businesses.
As a result, we (along with probably thousands of other CPA firms) have made a list of our own pass-through clients (aka S-Corps and Partnerships) who might benefit from this increased deduction, and we’re scrambling to calculate estimates and reach out to them to recommend these payments be made by 12/31.
So, what the heck is SALT? And why have the deduction rules changed?
SALT stands for “state and local taxes”, and they are generally deducted by individual taxpayers on their annual 1040 tax return. Before 2018, taxpayers could deduct these taxes by itemizing them on Schedule A.
However, the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act limited this to $10,000. This cap was likely to be removed with the Build Back Better Act, but it appears that legislation will not be passed before year-end after all.
Many states, including Illinois, have passed legislation allowing these taxes to be paid at the business level, on behalf of the shareholders and partners. Since these companies “pass-through” their income to owners, they are known as Pass-Through Entities (PTEs). The PTE does not have a cap on this type of tax, so it reduces both federal and state income and also allows the full deduction.
Why are we all scrambling to do this before year-end?
Usually, estimated state tax payments are paid by the individual and are due 4/15, 6/15, 9/15 and 1/15, with any balance remaining payable by the following 4/15. The IL state law was not passed until after estimated tax deadlines for the first three quarters were already paid. And a December 20 article in Journal of Accountancy, as well as the aforementioned AICPA Town Hall from earlier today, suggest that the IRS guidance requires the business pay the tax by year-end, not by 1/15.
From The Journal of Accountancy: Crucially, a specified income tax payment is one the PTE “makes … during a taxable year” in computing its taxable income “for the taxable year in which the payment is made” (Notice 2020-75, Section 3.02(2)). Even though Sec. 164(a) provides that the SALT deduction is for the tax year in which taxes are “paid or accrued,” the more restrictive, literal application of the notice to taxes paid is the safer course, advocates say.
To get the largest tax benefit from the new law, businesses would want to pay in the entire state tax liability for the year by 12/31, even if the owners have already paid quarterly estimated taxes. In other words, take the company’s full taxable income for the year (which you won’t know before 12/31, but this is where estimates come in) times 4.95% (IL flat tax rate for individuals). The resulting overpayment would be refunded to the taxpayer upon filing their personal tax return.
Not all businesses will have the cash to do this, but to the extent it can be paid, it is certainly a smart tax-reduction move.
Okay, then how do we make the payments?
The step-by-step instructions I painstakingly wrote up earlier this year for making business replacement income tax estimated and extension payments are now out of date, because IDOR revamped their MyTaxIllinois website in September (grrrrr). So here are the basic instructions (a blog post with screenshots is coming soon, but this will have to do for now):
— Log into the business’s My Tax IL account — On the ‘Summary’ tab, look for the ‘Business Income Tax’ section — Click on the link for ‘View more account options’
There are two ways to do it from here; the first is: — In the ‘Account Options’ section, click the link for ‘Make An Estimated Payment’ — Select the period you want to pay, which is 12/31/2021 — Click the first ‘Add Payment’ hyperlink in the Payment Schedule table for each payment you would like to schedule. — If your payment information is saved in MyTax Illinois, then in the ‘Choose’ tab you can select the dropdown under ‘Payment Channel’ — Otherwise, select ‘New’ and enter your company bank info. — In either case, on the right where it says ‘Payment’, you can change the payment’s debit date and enter the amount. — Click Submit, and re-enter your password for security purposes
Alternatively: — In the ‘Periods and Submissions’ section, click the link for ‘View Account Periods’ — Click the 12/31/2021 link so that your payment is applied to tax year 2021 — In the upper right corner of this page, click the ‘Make A Payment’ link — Select the ‘Bank Account Debit’ link — Click the IL-1120-ST Payment link (ST denotes a “Small Business” payment) — Enter the amount you want to pay in the Amount and Confirm Amount fields — Click Submit, and re-enter your password for security purposes
Best of luck, and… Happy New Year!
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
The child tax credit has been around for a long time, but as part of the American Rescue Plan Act that was enacted in March 2021, the child tax credit was expanded — the amount has increased for certain taxpayers; it is fully refundable (meaning you get it back even if you don’t owe the IRS); and it may be partially-received in monthly advance payments. The new law also raised the age of qualifying children to 17 (from 16).
The thing is, the amount folks are starting to receive right now is just an advance payment of half of what the IRS thinks your credit will be based on last year’s tax return. The entire credit itself will be calculated and show up on your annual tax return for 2021, and any advance payments will be subtracted from it.
So: let’s say that you qualified for a big credit based on last year’s tax return, but then you made more money this year than last year (which is the case for many small business owners) — then you’d have to pay the difference back on your tax return. As a result, we’re actually recommending to most folks that they just opt-out entirely to be safe. Don’t worry — you will get the entire amount that’s coming to you on the next tax return; you just won’t have to worry about paying back an accidental overpayment.
These tax changes are temporary and only apply to the 2021 tax year. The credit is normally part of your income tax return and would reduce your tax liability. The choice to have the child tax credit advanced will affect your refund or amount due when you file your return. To avoid any unpleasant surprises, I strongly recommend you opt out, or at least contact your tax preparer to run the numbers.
Our colleagues over at Wegner CPAs put together a 5-minute video explaining when you might want to opt out versus receiving the advance payments — it’s worth a watch! She does a great job explaining the situations when you might want to remain enrolled in the program, and other scenarios when you should definitely opt out.
If that wasn’t enough for you, please read on for more details about what it means to qualify and how much you might receive.
Qualifications and how much to expect
The child tax credit and advance payments are based on several factors, including the age of your children and your income.
The credit for children ages five and younger is up to $3,600 –– with up to $300 received in monthly payments.
The credit for children ages six to 17 is up to $3,000 –– with up to $250 received in monthly payments.
To qualify for the child tax credit monthly payments, you (and your spouse if you file a joint tax return) must have:
Filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return and claimed the child tax credit or given the IRS your information using the non-filer tool;
A main home in the U.S. for more than half the year or file a joint return with a spouse who has a main home in the U.S. for more than half the year;
A qualifying child who is under age 18 at the end of 2021 and who has a valid Social Security number;
Income less than certain limits.
You can take full advantage of the credit if your income (specifically, your modified adjusted gross income) is less than $75,000 for single filers, $150,000 for married filing jointly filers and $112,500 for head of household filers. The credit begins to phase out above those thresholds.
Higher-income families (e.g., married filing jointly couples with $400,000 or less in income or other filers with $200,000 or less in income) will generally get the same credit as prior law (generally $2,000 per qualifying child) but may also choose to receive monthly payments.
Taxpayers generally won’t need to do anything to receive any advance payments as the IRS will use the information it has on file to start issuing the payments.
IRS’s child tax credit update portal
Using the IRS’s child tax credit and update portal, taxpayers can update their information to reflect any new information that might impact their child tax credit amount, such as filing status or number of children. Parents may also use the online portal to check on the status of payments or elect out of the advance payments. (To reiterate: that’s what we’re recommending to most of our clients. In general, we’d rather our clients be happily surprised at tax-time rather than frustrated that they have to return a portion of what they received.) The IRS also has a non-filer portal to use for certain situations where the taxpayers haven’t filed a tax return, similar to the one that existed for the stimulus payments.
Lastly, if you haven’t filed a tax return for 2020 yet — do not fret! The credit will show up on your 2021 tax return for the full amount; you are not missing out on getting your fair share.
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
It’s that time again… Tax Day (May 17th this year, aka my birthday) is upon us and it’s the end of what is certainly one of — if not the — roughest tax seasons in history. Millions of taxpayers will need to have their returns extended for various reasons. What does this mean? The AICPA has released a “Tax Extension FAQ” for CPA members to share with their clients.
What does filing an “extension” do?
• An extension is a form filed with the IRS to request additional time to file your federal tax return. This extends the due date for submitting your individual return to October 15. In some states, filing an extension with the IRS will automatically extend the time to complete a state income tax return. • Filing an extension grants you additional time to submit your complete and accurate return, but you still need to estimate whether you will owe any taxes and pay that estimated balance by the original due date. • Extending your return allows you and your CPA more time to prepare your tax return to ensure the filing of an accurate tax return. In many cases, you may still be waiting for additional information (e.g., Schedules K-1, corrected Forms 1099, etc.) to complete your return.
Why does my CPA suggest we extend my tax return?
• If your CPA has recommended that you file an extension, it may be due to many reasons, such as: – The volume of data or complexity of certain transactions (e.g., sale of a rental property) on your return requires additional time. – The amount of time remaining in filing season is limited for the CPA to complete client returns by the due date* due to late-arriving information. – My note: this year exacerbated the situation by requiring small business CPAs to simultaneously navigate the Restaurant Relief Fund (RRF), PPP1 Forgiveness, and 2020 Employee Retention Credit. • Many CPAs have a “cutoff” or deadline for clients submitting their tax information so they can plan their workload to ensure all client returns and extensions are completed by the due date.* • Your CPA may suggest filing an extension if there are aspects of your return affected by pending guidance or legislation. My note: this is the case for many more clients this year than usual; late-changing tax rules delayed the start of tax season, and waiting for guidance has further stretched it thin.
Am I more likely to be audited if I extend?
• Extending will NOT increase your likelihood of being audited by the IRS. • It is better to file an extension than to file a return that is incomplete or that you have not had time to carefully review before signing.
What are the primary benefits of extending my tax return?
• It provides for additional time to file returns without penalty when you are waiting for missing information or tax documents (such as corrected Forms 1099). Just remember that an extension provides additional time to file, but no additional time to pay. Penalties may be assessed if sufficient payment is not remitted with the extension. • You may qualify for additional retirement planning opportunities or additional time to fund certain types of retirement plans (e.g., SEP IRA). • It is often less expensive (and easier) to file an extension rather than rushing and possibly needing to amend your return later.
Should I do anything differently if I am filing an extension or “going on extension?”
• No, you still should give your CPA whatever information you have as early as possible or as soon as it becomes available. • Expect to pay any anticipated taxes owed by the due date.* You still need to submit all available tax information to your CPA promptly so they can determine if you will have a balance due or if you can expect a refund. • If you are required to make quarterly estimated tax payments, individual first quarter estimated tax payments are due April 15. Your CPA may recommend that you pay the balance due for last year and your first quarter estimated tax payment for this year with your extension. • If you are anticipating a large refund, your CPA will likely try to get your extended return completed as soon as possible once all tax information is available. Your CPA may also want to discuss tax planning opportunities with you so that, in future years, you don’t give the IRS an interest-free loan.
Have there been any changes to the due dates of returns for this year?
• For tax year 2020, the IRS is postponing the deadline for all individual tax returns. – Individual returns otherwise due April 15 will not have to be filed until May 17, 2021. – Certain states have also postponed their filing and/or payment due dates. • Note that victims of natural disasters may be granted extensions, such as victims of the Texas winter storms have until June 15, 2021 to file various individual and business tax returns and to make payments.
My note: I’d like to add that we take filing extensions for our clients very seriously. We collect as much information as we possibly can about the year’s taxable income and deductions, extrapolate based on information from the prior year, and build a complete tax return — filling in estimates where needed. This way, we get as accurate a picture as we can so as to project how much might be owed to the tax agencies. We do our best, although it’s not perfect, and as a result, much more work is involved in putting together an extension than most folks might think.
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
However, many have already filed their taxes and have scheduled their tax payments to be direct-debited on April 15th. IDOR has released instructions for how to move these payments to the new due date.
If you scheduled an electronic payment for 2020 income taxes to be paid on or before April 15, 2021, your payment will not automatically be rescheduled to May 17, 2021. If you do nothing, the payment will be made on the date you chose.
If the payment has not been processed, you may be able to cancel or reschedule it. You must cancel or reschedule the payment before its scheduled date.
Here is information on how to cancel and reschedule your payment:
If you scheduled a payment through MyTax Illinois, you can login to your account and cancel any pending payment. If you made your payment through the non-login option, you can use Retrieve Saved or Submitted Request to view and withdraw any pending future payment using the email address and confirmation code associated with your payment. For specific instructions, see Cancel a MyTax Illinois Payment.
If you scheduled a payment through a credit card or your bank, you must contact your financial institution to stop the payment. (financial institution stop payment fees may apply.)
If you scheduled a payment through a tax professional or using tax preparation software, you may cancel your payment or request the date be changed. You must email us at REV.TaxPay@illinois.gov to make a payment cancellation no later than 11:59 p.m. CT two business days prior to the scheduled payment date and include ALL of the following information:
Your first and last name or your company name if you are a business
Identification number:
For individuals, last four of your social security number (SSN) or your Illinois PIN
Mailing address and phone number
Specify if you are requesting to Cancel or Reschedule your payment
Exact dollar amount of your original payment
Date the original payment was scheduled to be paid (Month, Day, and Year)
If rescheduling, you must include the new date to which the payment will be changed.
Note: Checks and money orders are cashed upon receipt. We are unable to stop these transactions, therefore your check or money order will be cashed. You may contact your financial institution for more information regarding your options.
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
Recent new legislation from Congress and the White House, as well as guidance from the IRS and DOL, has caused sweeping changes for small business owners and individuals, and we tax preparers are still trying to wrap our heads around it — during what was already the most complex and demanding tax season on record.
Specifically, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) included a few provisions that are retroactive to 2020 — and the IRS, various state Departments of Revenue, Department of Labor, and tax software programs are trying to figure out how best to implement these changes as efficiently as possible. (For a breakdown of key provisions in the Act, see this excellent summary.)
These changes include:
1) The first $10,200 per person of 2020 unemployment benefits will no longer be taxable at the federal level, though certain states will continue to tax the full amount (Illinois has asked all taxpayers with unemployment income to hold off on filing returns until the Dept of Revenue has addressed the situation). The IRS will be releasing a worksheet that the tax software companies then need to incorporate into the 1040 returns.
2) A 2020 “Repayment Holiday” for the Marketplace Health Insurance Advance Premium Tax Credit was issued, but implementation questions remain; IRS guidance is expected soon.
3) Another economic impact payment (stimulus check) is on its way. You do not need to file your 2020 tax return right now to claim your check, as the law allows for an additional payment in a few months if your 2020 tax return shows you are entitled to more (vs your 2019 tax return). Conversely, if your income went up in 2020 and you are now ineligible for the full benefit, you’ll want to wait to file your 2020 taxes until after your payment arrives, since you won’t have to pay back the overage on your 2021 tax return.
In addition to the above legislative shifts, the IRS recently released guidance concerning the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) that changed our expectation of how it would be handled on business tax returns for cash-basis business tax filers. Previously we had expected that those who received PPP funds in 2020 and can now (as of the Dec 21 Consolidated Appropriations Act) retroactively claim ERC would adjust for the related deductions on their 2021 tax returns. Not so. These adjustments will have to be made on the 2020 tax returns. As a result, we have had to put approximately 75% of our client business returns on extension.
(Technical note: keep in mind if you are doing tax returns for a client that claimed ERC, not only do you have to reduce deductible wages by the amount of the credit, but also recognize this reduction may impact Section 199A eligible wages for purposes of the 20% qualified business income deduction.)
I’m guessing you see the challenge here: we don’t yet know the rules for claiming the ERC, and yet we have to report related adjustments (as a direct result of the credit calculation) on the 2020 business tax returns. Most of these returns have a flow-through relationship with the business owners’ personal tax returns — so those may have to be placed on extension as well if we do not get guidance soon.
(Related blog post: please call your representatives and ask for all taxes — estimated quarterly as well as corporate — to be extended; not just the Form 1040.)
Yet another example of a forced need to wait on certain returns: using tax filing software, we can e-file a return today, but set the payment direct-debit date to a future date — not later than the return due-date. This date has not yet been updated in most tax prep systems to go beyond April 15th to the new due date of May 17th.
It’s particularly frustrating for us as small business advocates, because filing a tax return is the only way to get a refund if you’re owed one, and many of our clients may be more in need this year than usual. And yet, for a large number of taxpayers right now, holding off on filing is the recommended approach.
The provisions noted above — and others — may affect your return. Tax professionals everywhere need some time and space to learn about these changes, analyze their impact, and develop personalized recommendations to maximize your COVID-19 tax benefits. Please be patient with us during this extremely stressful time.
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
As I outlined in a recent post, the IRS extended the individual tax date for filing, but not business and estimated tax dates, which are the ones that small business owners and their tax preparers truly need.
You can share this great article from Money Magazine with them, outlining the issues, or just ask them to google “AICPA tax deadline small business” — there are a ton of great articles that explain why the need for them to act is so great.
We in the small business accounting and tax world would immensely appreciate your taking a few moments of your time to help us and our small business clients out — it has been a tax season like no other and we need your assistance to make it to the other side.
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
– Same as last year, the new date was announced after the March 15 deadline for filing S-Corp and Partnership tax returns; due to a long list of new guidance and still-awaited guidance, this forced us to do extra work to put approximately 75% of our clients in this category on extension. – The extension does not apply to C-Corps and Co-ops, whose returns are still due on the original date of April 15th. This category represents approximately 15% of our struggling small business clients. – The May 17th extension is only for 2020 tax year filings and, quite problematically, does not apply to first-quarter 2021 estimated taxes due on April 15th, which almost all of our clients are required to pay.
Furthermore, when recently questioned about whether or not there was a way the IRS could help small business owners by coordinating the first-quarter payment with the new deadline, Rettig flatly refused: “no”. Pressed regarding the consequences that not extending this due date would have on small business owners, Rettig said that they had to draw a line somewhere to keep wealthy taxpayers from “gaming the system” (for one month, really?); that small business owners challenged by this could just call the IRS if they have a problem (because that’s been going so well this season?); and tried to point out that the penalties aren’t really that high (so suck it up, and never mind that the state penalties are out of control?).
I cannot begin to express the frustration and disappointment with this decision, and I am not alone.
“The announcement is far too selective in who is receiving relief,” Barry Melancon, AICPA’s president and chief executive, said in a statement. “Failure to include estimated payments nullifies any benefit of a postponement since the tax return work has to be done to calculate estimated payments.”
“While this is welcome news for some taxpayers, there are a number of concerns that this limited extension does not address,” writes Frank Washelesky of ORBA. “The IRS extension does not extend the time for paying first quarter estimated income taxes for the 2021 tax year. It is difficult for taxpayers to determine the amount of the estimated tax required without, at least, a reasonable estimate of their 2020 tax situation. Without an extension of these payments, the filing extension to May 17, 2021 has minimal value for many taxpayers.”
Here’s what the problem is: most small business owners need to pay quarterly estimated taxes to the IRS based on either: 1) 100% of the prior-year’s tax liability; or, 2) 90% of the current-year’s tax liability (which we can’t know yet, so we extrapolate based on the actual profit from the quarter).
Based on a somewhat complex set of rules (which are often different at the state level), small business owners and their tax advisers calculate the actual amount to submit. But they generally need to know both these amounts — which is impossible if their tax return for 2020 hasn’t been filed yet. See why this mismatch in dates is a problem?
And to spice things up even further, not all states are going along with the IRS rules. Taxpayers and their advisers need to check with each agency separately (here’s a good running list at-a-glance). Illinois recently decided to comply with the IRS dates, meaning that the quarterly estimated tax problem exists with our Department of Revenue as well.
“This selective decision by the IRS unfortunately creates more bureaucracy and confusion and is out of sync with real world stresses that taxpayers, tax practitioners and small businesses are dealing with,” said Melancon.
We in the accounting profession would be greatly appreciative if you could contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators and ask them to move ALL tax return and payment due dates, including estimated tax payments and corporate taxes.
I know it’s a pain, but AICPA insists that this type of grassroots work really does have an impact… and if you care about the physical and mental health of your tax preparer, and about the anxiety level and financial well-being of millions of small business owners, you’ll hopefully take a moment to make our request go a bit further.
Thank you!
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
The IRS strongly urges taxpayers not to file amended returns related to the new legislative provisions or take other unnecessary steps at this time.
The IRS will provide taxpayers with additional guidance on those provisions that could affect their 2020 tax return, including the retroactive provision that makes the first $10,200 of 2020 unemployment benefits nontaxable.
For those who haven’t filed yet, the IRS will provide a worksheet for paper filers and work with the software industry to update current tax software so that taxpayers can determine how to report their unemployment income on their 2020 tax return.
For those who received unemployment benefits last year and have already filed their 2020 tax return, the IRS emphasizes they should not file an amended return at this time, until the IRS issues additional guidance.
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. This allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
Understandably, there is some confusion this year about unemployment compensation, how it is reported to recipients, and what tax forms taxpayers might need to report it on their returns.
The Illinois Department of Economic Security (IDES) created the helpful infographic above, as well as an Info Sheet, which I’m sharing in its entirety here so it’s easy for folks to find.
From the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) – January 2021
Background
All individuals who received unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in 2020 will receive the 1099-G tax form.
ClaimantswhocollectedUIbenefitslastyearneedthe1099-GtaxformfromIDEStocompletetheirfederalandstatetaxreturns.The 1099-G tax form will be available by the end of January 2021 and mailed or emailed to IDES claimants based on previously selected claimant preference.
The 1099-G form is necessary for individuals who received state and/or federal benefits. This pertains to claimants who received both regular UI benefits and benefits paid under new federal pandemic relief programs including Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), state Extended Benefits (EB), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Lost Wages Assistance (LWA).
How to Access the 1099-G Form
Upon establishing an IDES account, claimants are provided an option to receive their 1099-G form electronically. Those who opted for electronic delivery will receive an email notification towards the end of January 2021. This email will contain instructions to access the document from the IDES website.
For those who opted NOT to receive their 1099-G form electronically, IDES will mail a paper form during the last week of January. These claimants may also access and print their 1099-G form online by going to ides.illinois.gov/1099G, or calling Tele-Serve at (312) 338-4337.
Fraud Warning
If an individual did not receive UI benefits in 2020, yet still received a 1099-G form from IDES, this may indicate that a fraudulent claim was filed in their name. The IRS has provided guidance to states regarding these nationwide identity theft and unemployment fraud schemes. Individuals who may have erroneously received a 1099-G formshould immediately contact IDES at (800) 244-5631.
IDES representatives will return calls on a first-in, first-out basis to ensure the fraudulent claim is shut down, and to address the 1099-G form. Once a fraudulent claim is reported, investigated, and confirmed by IDES, the victim will not be held responsible for repaying any benefits fraudsters may have received in their name, nor will they be held responsible for tax implications resulting from a fraudulent claim. IDES understands the urgency associated with tax season and is committed to ensuring agency resources are available to assist individuals who received a form in error.
See the recent alert on 1099-G forms from the U.S. Department of Justice National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force.
Additional Information and Questions
Additional information on 1099-G forms is available at ides.illinois.gov/1099G. For tax filing information, individuals are encouraged to call the IRS at (800) 829-1040 or visit their website at irs.gov.
Individuals can also contact the Department at 800-244-5631 and select the appropriate queue to speak with an expert:
• Select your language
• When prompted, press2to indicate you are an individual
• Next, press1if you received a 1099-G form in error, or press2for all other 1099-G related inquiries
If you are already awaiting a callback for a different inquiry, we will be able to handle your 1099-G related questions on that same call. There is no need to queue for an additional callback.
Additional FAQs are available here. With questions about tax filing, please visit the IRS.
Tax fraud can result in criminal penalties. Some of the criminal activities in violations of federal tax law include deliberately underreporting or omitting income or hiding or transferring assets or income. See https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/types-of-fraudulent-activities-general-fraud. Federal criminal penalties can include fines and imprisonment. See 26 U.S.C. §7201, §7206, and §7207. Under Illinois law, intent to defraud for tax purposes may be inferred from conduct such as concealment of assets or covering up sources of income, or any other conduct, the likely effect of which would be to mislead or conceal. See 86 Illinois Admin Code 700.330(c). State law provides penalties for tax fraud. 35 ILCS 735/3-6.
If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. This allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.
