WASHINGTON -
The U.S. Treasury Department today announced it is conceding the
legal dispute over the federal excise tax on long-distance telephone
service. The Department of Justice will no longer pursue
litigation and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will issue refunds of
tax on long-distance service for the past three years. Taxpayers will
be able to apply for refunds on their 2006 tax forms, to be filed in
2007.
Treasury Secretary John Snow states, "Today is a good day for
American taxpayers; it marks the beginning of the end of an outdated,
antiquated tax that has survived a century beyond its original purpose,
and by now should have been ancient history.
"The Federal Appeals courts have spoken across the
board. It's time to `disconnect' this tax and put it on the
permanent `do not call' list.
"In addition to ending the litigation, I would like to call on
Congress to terminate the remainder of this antique tax by repealing
the excise tax on local service as well."
Key Facts Regarding Tax Refunds:
- No immediate action is required by taxpayers.
- Refunds will be a part of 2006 tax returns filed in 2007.
- Refund claims will cover all excise tax paid on long-distance
service over the last three years (time allowed given statute of
limitations). Interest will be paid on refunds.
- The IRS is working on a simplified method for individuals to use to claim a refund on their 2006 tax returns.
- Refunds will not include tax paid on local telephone service, which was not involved in the litigation.
- Originally established in 1898 as a "luxury" tax on wealthy
Americans who owned telephones, the federal excise tax on telephone
calls is not compatible with today's modern information-age society.
Related Links:
- Form 8913, Credit for Federal Telephone Excise Tax Paid
- Instructions for Form 8913, Credit for Federal Telephone Excise Tax Paid
- 1040EZ-T, Request for Refund of Federal Telephone Excise Tax
- IR-2007-52, Free File Available for Requesting Telephone Tax Refund
- FS-2007-12, Tax Return Preparer Fraud
- IR-2007-40, 10 Million Taxpayers Miss Out on Telephone Tax Refunds; IRS Urges People to Check before Filing
- IR-2007-37, Fraudulent Telephone Tax Refunds, Abusive Roth IRAs Top Off 2007 �Dirty Dozen� Tax Scams
- IR-2007-36, IRS Moves to Stop Abusive Telephone Tax Refund Requests; Search Warrants Target Tax Preparers in Seven Cities Nationwide
- IR-2007-27, IRS Moves to Prevent Telephone Tax Refund Abuse; Help Taxpayers Make Accurate Requests
- IR-2007-21, Mistakes Abound on Telephone-Tax Refund Requests; IRS Offers Tips for Getting a Speedy Refund
- IR-2007-16, Some Telephone Tax Refund Requests May Be Too High; IRS Will Deny Improper Requests
- Telephone Tax Refunds: Questions and Answers for Businesses and Tax-Exempt Organizations
- Telephone Tax Refund: Questions and Answers for Individuals
- Telephone Excise Tax Refund
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- IR-2006-179, Businesses and Tax-Exempts Can Use Formula for Telephone Tax Refund
- IR-2006-137, IRS Announces Standard Amounts for Telphone Tax Refunds
- Notice 2006-50, Communications Excise Tax; Toll Telephone Service
- IR-2006-82, Government to Stop Collecting Long-Distance Telephone Tax