Important Reminders

Electronic deposit requirement. You must make electronic deposits of all depository taxes (such as employment tax, excise tax, and corporate income tax) using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) in 2001 if:

• The total deposits of such taxes in 1999 was more than $200,000 or
• You were required to use EFTPS in 2000.

If you are required to use EFTPS and fail to do so, you may be subject to a 10% penalty. If you are not required to use EFTPS, you may participate voluntarily. To get more information or to enroll in EFTPS, call 1-800-555-4477 or 1-800-945-8400.

See section 7 for more information.

Extended due date for electronic filers. The due date for filing Copy A of electronically filed 2000 Forms W-2 with the Social Security Administration, or Copy A of electronically filed Forms 1098, 1099, 8027, and W-2G with the Internal Revenue Service, is April 2, 2001. The extended due date does not apply to magnetic media or paper filing.

Change of address. If you changed your business mailing address or business location, notify the IRS by filing Form 8822, Change of Address. For information on how to change your address for deposit coupons, see Making deposits with FTD coupons (section 7).

When you hire a new employee. Ask each new employee to complete the 2001 Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. Also, ask the employee to show you his or her social security card so you can record the employee's name and social security number accurately. If the employee has lost the card or recently changed names, have the employee apply for a new card. If the employee does not have a card, have the employee apply for one on Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. (See section 1.)

Eligibility for employment. You must verify that each new employee is legally eligible to work in the United States. This includes completing the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. You can get the form from INS offices. Contact the INS at 1-800-375-5283, or visit the INS Web Site at www.ins.usdoj.gov for further information.

New hire reporting. You are required to report any new employee to a designated state new hire registry. Many states accept a copy of Form W-4 with employer information added. Call the Office of Child Support Enforcement at 202-401-9267 or visit its web site at www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cse/newhire for more information.

When a crew leader furnishes workers to you. Record the crew leader's name, address, and employer identification number. (See sections 2 and 11.)

Information returns. You must furnish Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, to each employee by January 31 for the previous year. You also may have to file information returns to report certain types of payments made during the year. For example, you must file Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, to report payments of $600 or more to persons not treated as employees (e.g., independent contractors) for services performed for your trade or business. For general information about Forms 1099 and for information about required electronic or magnetic media filing, see the 2001 General Instructions for Forms 1099, 1098, 5498, and W-2G. Also see the separate instructions for each information return you file (e.g., 2001 Instructions for Form 1099-Misc). Do not use Form 1099 to report wages or other compensation you paid to employees; report these on Form W-2. See the separate Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 for details.

Private delivery services. You can use certain private delivery services designated by the IRS to send tax returns or payments. If you mail by the due date using any of these services, you are considered to have filed on time. The most recent list of designated private delivery services was published in August 1999. The list includes only the following:

• Airborne Express (Airborne): Overnight Air Express Service, Next Afternoon Service, Second Day Service.
• DHL Worldwide Express (DHL): DHL "Same Day" Service, DHL USA Overnight.
• Federal Express (FedEx): FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx Standard Overnight, FedEx 2 Day.
• United Parcel Service (UPS): UPS Next Day Air, UPS Next Day Air Saver, UPS 2nd Day Air, UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.

The private delivery service can tell you how to get written proof of the mailing date. Caution: Private delivery services cannot deliver items to P.O. boxes. You must use the U.S. Postal Service to mail any item to an IRS P.O. box address.

Unresolved tax issues. If you have attempted to deal with an IRS problem unsuccessfully, you should contact the Taxpayer Advocate. The Taxpayer Advocate independently represents your interests and concerns within the IRS by protecting your rights and resolving problems that have not been fixed through normal channels.

While Taxpayer Advocates cannot change the tax law or make a technical tax decision, they can clear up problems that resulted from previous contacts and ensure that your case is given a complete and impartial review.

Your assigned personal advocate will listen to your point of view and will work with you to address your concerns. You can expect the advocate to provide:

• A "fresh look" at a new or ongoing problem.
• Timely acknowledgment.
• The name and phone number of the individual assigned to your case.
• Updates on progress.
• Timeframes for action.
• Speedy resolution.
• Courteous service.

When contacting the Taxpayer Advocate, you should provide the following information:

• Your name, address, and employer identification number.
• The name and telephone number of an authorized contact person and the hours he or she can be reached.
• The type of tax return and year(s) involved.
• A detailed description of the problem.
• Previous attempts to solve the problem and the office that had been contacted.
• A description of the hardship you are facing (if applicable).

You may contact a Taxpayer Advocate by calling a toll-free number, 1-877-777-4778. Persons who have access to TTY/TDD equipment may call 1-800-829-4059 and ask for Taxpayer Advocate assistance. If you prefer, you may call, write, or fax the Taxpayer Advocate office in your area. See Pub. 1546, The Taxpayer Advocate Service of the IRS, for a list of addresses and fax numbers.

Information reporting call site. The IRS operates a centralized call site to answer questions about reporting on Forms W-2, W-3, 1099, and other information returns. If you have questions related to reporting on information returns, you may call 304-263-8700.

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