IRS Communications

And you thought the IRS was inaccessible and scary.  Well, perhaps that's just me.  Now that I am getting multiple emails from them every day, I am conquering the intimidation of a previously confusing process (filing taxes) and agency with KNOWLEDGE.  In this case at least, knowledge really does equal power.  Or at least confidence.  

This is an example of an email I got from the IRS today, check out what they are doing in the realm of media and mobile devices!  I know you will all be scrambling to follow them on Twitter, as I can testify that the entirety of their communication are just as enthralling.

I'm also encouraged that they developed an Android app as well (which I promptly downloaded).  iPhones are not the "end all be all" of smart phones, and I breathe a sigh of Apple-monopoly relief when companies simultaneously develop for both platforms.

IRS Launches the IRS2Go App for iPhone, Android; Taxpayers Can Check Refunds, Get Tax Information

Video: IRS2Go: English
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today unveiled IRS2Go, its first smartphone application that lets taxpayers check on their status of their tax refund and obtain helpful tax information.

"This new smart phone app reflects our commitment to modernizing the agency and engaging taxpayers where they want when they want it," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "As technology evolves and younger taxpayers get their information in new ways, we will keep innovating to make it easy for all taxpayers to access helpful information." 

The IRS2Go phone app gives people a convenient way of checking on their federal refund. It also gives people a quick way of obtaining easy-to-understand tax tips. 

Apple users can download the free IRS2Go application by visiting the Apple App Store. Android users can visit the Android Marketplace to download the free IRS2Go app. 

"This phone app is a first step for us," Shulman said. "We will look for additional ways to expand and refine our use of smartphones and other new technologies to help meet the needs of taxpayers." 

The mobile app, among a handful in the federal government, offers a number of safe and secure ways to help taxpayers. Features of the first release of the IRS2Go app include:

1. Get Your Refund Status - Taxpayers can check the status of their federal refund through the new phone app with a few basic pieces of information. First, taxpayers enter a Social Security number, which is masked and encrypted for security purposes. Next, taxpayers pick the filing status they used on their tax return. Finally, taxpayers enter the amount of the refund they expect from their 2010 tax return. For people who e-file, the refund function of the phone app will work within about 72 hours after taxpayers receive an e-mail acknowledgement saying the IRS received their tax return. For people filing paper tax returns, longer processing times mean they will need to wait three to four weeks before they can check their refund status. About 70 percent of the 142 million individual tax returns were filed electronically last year.
2. Get Tax Updates - Phone app users enter their e-mail address to automatically get daily tax tips. Tax Tips are simple, straightforward tips and reminders to help with tax planning and preparation. Tax Tips are issued daily during the tax filing season and periodically during the rest of the year. The plain English updates cover topics such as free tax help, child tax credits, the Earned Income Tax Credit, education credits and other topics.
3. Follow the IRS - Taxpayers can sign up to follow the IRS Twitter news feed, @IRSnews. IRSnews provides the latest federal tax news and information for taxpayers. The IRSnews tweets provide easy-to-use information, including tax law changes and important IRS programs.  IRS2Go is the latest IRS effort to provide information to taxpayers beyond traditional channels. The IRS also uses tools such as YouTube and Twitter to share the latest information on tax changes, initiatives, products and services through social media channels. For more information on IRS2Go and other new media products, visit www.IRS.gov.

Related Item: IRS Goes Mobile With IRS2Go

Welcomed at Molina

Check this out!  I did a presentation to case workers at Molina so when their Medicaid clients call in with social needs other than medical assistance, they can direct them to a Benefit Bank site.  When I walked into their office, they had this lovely welcoming sign.  I feel so official!

What it's about

Looking at my first pay direct deposited paycheck of the new year brought a little surprise for my bank account.  Instead of a Christmas bonus, my stipend was cut 15 dollars.  Not much to many people, but it adds up by the time my service ends.  And this means that I now only have 35% of my paycheck left after all my bills.  It stinks, and it stinks that it happened without any warning.  But if I’ve learned anything so far in my 23 years of life, I’ve learned that bitterness imprisons life; love releases it.  Perhaps Mr. Harry Emerson Fosdick said that last poetic bit before I did, but I concur. 

My life is not about making money.  My life isn’t even about living for myself.  It’s about serving a God with a plan bigger than I can fathom and accepting the blessings I’ve been given, since I can fully acknowledge I’ve been given way more than I could do anything to deserve.

So what do I have? 

An AmeriCorps placement at a supportive and groundbreaking organization

A compassionate supervisor who I know always has my back and has been a great joy to work with

A car

A warm apartment and a trustworthy roomie friend

A past that has offered me lots of birthday and Christmas presents that included fleece blankets

Hot chocolate

A daily hot shower.  Two, if I want.

(can you tell it’s cold outside?)

An immediate and extended family that has proven time and again that we are in it together for the long haul, and shown amazing feats of forgiveness and love towards each other.

A boyfriend who has loved and supported me for over 6 years, from hours away

Oreos.  6 of which are in my stomach.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition whilst I write my blog.  I may make Mom cry twice in one night after all this sappiness. 

Gratitude is the only proven way I’ve found to surmount those unexpected setbacks in life.  Things that, if you chose, could make you bitter and angry.   I implore you to turn to your gratitude list in a time of doubt, and I implore you also to start it now.



Update:  After numerous emails this pay adjustment was clarified as a tax issue, specifically dealing with the Making Work Pay credit.  Essentially this credit was applied throughout the year, allowing more money to come in my paycheck and less "estimated tax" withheld through the year to the federal gov't.  With the change I can no longer keep that money and it has to be taken out of my paycheck throughout the year, as normal wages typically work.  Perhaps I will be poor again next year, not owe tax, and get it back anyways!

Christmas Break

I've been alerted that my blog url was included in all the Christmas letters my Mom sends out, so Hello to all our family members and friends who actually made your way to my blog!  As a reminder, this blog is personal and in no way representing or speaking on behalf of my organizations.  With that said, check out the organization I work for (OASHF) and the specific program I help administer, doing outreach and trainings: (OBB)

My office is closing down between Christmas and New Years, but as a VISTA I still have hours that I have to work.  Therefore, I get the thrilling task of going through the IRS tax training called Link and Learn.  I am learning way more about taxes than I ever thought I would, but I do find it weirdly satisfying to know a lot about something that I hate, but is still worthwhile in my life.  I will conquer taxes!

Lastly, I am heading to Chicago for New Years Eve with my wonderful group of friends from college.  We went to Florida together for Spring Break and to Michigan this August, so I am beyond excited to spend NYE in Chicago with them all again. 

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Soup Kitchen Lunch

Chicken fajita soup and hamburger for lunch, yummy!  My training in Champaign County yesterday was at a homeless shelter/soup kitchen in Urbana.  For lunch, I ate with the Director of the facility and the other volunteer I was training in the kitchen. 

For this week, living in solidarity means breaking bread with people who are at the end of their rope.  I'm hoping they've all tied a knot and are hanging on!

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” - Thomas Jefferson

Crazy Training Weeks

I have dreams about taxes.   About training taxes.  About missing a tax training and 15 angry people being lost and confused about taxes.   Tax season at my organization is nuts.  This week especially, we have trainings every day, sometimes two a day (taking all three people on the Central Ohio team to handle everything).  All the organizations are gearing up and they need many new people trained.

These trainings come in all shapes and sizes. Earlier this week I trained two gentlemen in Logan County at a library:

 The library reserved their "large study room" for me.  There is a possibility that I am biased just coming from Miami, where we had an amazing library with study rooms to accommodate the plethora of class groups, but I was still a little unprepared for what I found:

I didn't have enough room to capture the entire table, but there are 6 chairs in the "large study room."  Just enough room for me to squeeze around to help.

I also had a training in Pickaway County, in Circleville.  I always have trainees introduce themselves and explain what agency they are from.  In this case they were all involved with the same agency, and they all described in one way or the other how the head of the organization had strong-armed (her words!) them into coming to this training.  Hey, I don't care how they get there, as long as they are trained and can help people file their taxes for free.  I did think it was funny though.

The next training was at a facility that will stay un-named, where I found this sitting on the desk:

 

Finally, my training in Springfield on Monday provided these lovelies for everyone:

Christmas COOKIES!

If anyone is keeping count, I have conducted 10 trainings in the past 3 weeks, traveling a total of 490.8 miles to seven different counties in Central Ohio.

Let me eat cake. And other things.

New Desk.  New Co-worker.  Santa Clause.  Cake.  Youth for Technology.   My last couple weeks in a nutshell.

Most significantly my co-worker John's term was finished at the end of November, and he was replaced by my new co-worker.  I am eagerly teaching her the ropes, considering I am doing double duty covering all John's responsibilities and training load until my new co-worker is ready to go.  This huge transition was ushered in by an in-office desk move to the other end of the office.  I now have a bigger desk with a back wall that doubles as a bulletin board (yay!!) and I get to sit right by the window.  Also note the computer bag on my chair.  This is a newfangled fancy chair, and I have yet to figure out how to raise it high enough to be functional.  You win this time, fancy desk chair.  Also note my lovely TOMS flag on display.  I get to tell all my visitors about my favourite shoe brand and spread the social entrepreneurship love.  Sustainable models of giving.  Service in all aspects of life, that's how I see it.  It's meaningless unless you live it out.



When I train people on my programs' online tool, I take them through simulations with fake clients.  These training tools are used by thousands of people all over Ohio, and all the training is administered out of my office in Columbus.  Therefore, how could we not commemorate the birthday of our favourite fictitious training client, Alice Nelson?  We had cake!
As I said in my region's blog, please excuse the photo of a half eaten cake.  There are lots of hungry VISTAs in my office who love cake and who were not moved to the opposite end of the office.   That's another thing, my new desk is so much further away from the area where we put the free leftover meeting food.  I am going to have to be on my game...

I also went with my co-workers to the Statehouse to see the arrival of Santa Clause.  (I know him!  I know him! < Elf reference.  If you have not seen the movie Elf, you need to stop reading this and go watch it.  Immediately.)  I maintain this would have been a traumatizing experience as a small child, but I was scared of everything as a kid.  The children at the Statehouse I believe instead enjoyed the pretty flashing lights that delivered Santa.  I got a cookie out of the deal so I was fairly satisfied. 

 

My volunteer work with Youth for Technology Foundation is starting to picking up as well.  Naturally, this is coinciding with my actual job becoming insanely busy.  I do enjoy the chance to do something I am passionate about and specifically have a degree in.  Right now I'm helping them put together a social media strategy outline, maintain and analyze their current efforts, and interview new volunteers.
My roommate also forwarded me a job posting that had "Social Media" in the job title, which reflects an encouraging job market that is hopefully growing and eager for new hires when I am out in June.