Social Security Resources

Surprisingly enough, you can now get information about your Social Security account online.
Just go to www.socialsecurity.gov.  Here, you can handle much of your Social Security business quickly and securely from your home or office computer, or your tablet.
At the Social Security website you can:
• create a “my Social Security” account for quick access to your information;
• get an instant, personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits;
• apply for retirement, disability, spouse’s, and Medicare benefits;
• check the status of your benefit application;
• change your address and phone number, if you receive monthly Social Security benefits
• sign up for direct deposit of Social Security benefits;
• use the benefit planners to help you better understand your Social Security option;
• find additional social security resources
• request a replacement Medicare card; and
• apply for Extra Help with your Medicare prescription drug costs.… Read More

IRS NEWS RELEASE – January 31, 2014 will begin the 2013 tax filing season.

IR-2013-100, Dec. 18, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced plans to open the 2014 filing season on Jan. 31 and encouraged taxpayers to use e-file or Free File as the fastest way to receive refunds.

The new opening date for individuals to file their 2013 tax returns will allow the IRS adequate time to program and test its tax processing systems. The annual process for updating IRS systems saw significant delays in October following the 16-day federal government closure.

“Our teams have been working hard throughout the fall to prepare for the upcoming tax season,” IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel said. “The late January opening gives us enough time to get things right with our programming, testing and systems validation. It’s a complex process, and our bottom-line goal is to provide a smooth filing and refund process for the nation’s taxpayers.”

The government closure meant the IRS had … Read More

IRS Aims to Make FSA more Flexible

If you have ever found yourself frantically digging through old receipts in an attempt to claim the remaining dollars in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) before the end of the year—or worse, realizing with dismay on January 1st that you still had money in the account—you know how frustrating the IRS’ “Use or Lose” rule for FSAs has been in the past.

That’s right—in the past. Last month the IRS announced a few changes in this rule, which gives employers the opportunity to take some of the stress out of their employees’ end-of-year spending. Got some extra cash sitting in that FSA on December 31st? No problem—the new rule says you may be able to roll it over to next year.

This is good news for the 33 million Americans who use FSAs to funnel pre-tax dollars toward healthcare expenses, including those that might otherwise not … Read More