contingency planThe IRS has a contingency plan in place, the Lapsed Appropriations Contingency Plan (‘contingency plan’), in preparation for the US government shutdown which is currently occurring.

 

The 120-page document details what areas of the IRS will shut down, and what activities will be affected.

 

Activities which will cease include:

  • Issuing of refunds
  • Processing non-disaster relief transcripts, income verification express service/return and income verification services
  • Processing of amended income tax returns
  • All audit functions, examination of returns, and processing of non-electronic tax returns that do not include remittances
  • Non-automated collections
  • Legal counsel
  • Taxpayer services including call centres

 

Activities which will continue to be conducted include:

  • Processing of remittances including payment perfection
  • Completion and testing of 2019 Filing Year programmes
  • Processing of returns with payments
  • Design and printing of tax forms
  • Processing disaster relief transcripts

What does this mean for expats?

The Withholding and International Individual Compliance Practice Area, the area of the Large Business and International Division (LB&I) of the IRS has 20 employees. All 20 employees fall within category B “Excepted Activities”. This means these employees are authorized to continue operating only to the extent necessary for the oversight and protection of statutes (pp 69-72 of the contingency plan). Accordingly, calls to the international hotline are not able to be made currently.

We will provide a status update in due course.

 

 

 

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