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State of the Union reaction from Amy McAnarney, executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block

$250 Economic Recovery Payment - IRS error code rejects 1132
(Schedule M) and 1133 (1040-EZ)

The IRS is experiencing a very high volume of rejects related to the Economic Recovery Payment (ERP). If a client isn't sure whether they received the $250 ERP payment, the client can verify receipt by contacting the relevant agency below.

This should be done PRIOR to the return being completed or e-filed. The IRS will be unable to provide this information to the tax preparer or client.
  • Social Security Administration: Toll Free number 800-772-1213. General ERP inquiries can be answered by the SSA Web site, www.ssa.gov/recovery.
  • Veterans Administration: Toll free number is 800-827-1000. General ERP inquiries can be answered by going to the VA Web site, www.va.gov/recovery.
  • Railroad Retirement Board: Go to the RRB Web site at www.rrb.gov/recovery for more details.
As a general rule, the agencies above will not provide verification of the ERP to a tax professional contacting them on behalf of a taxpayer, so the client will need to contact the agency themselves.

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Tax Law Changes

For an overview of key tax law changes, The Tax Institute created a couple of quick reference cards. These cards in PDF format detail information such as who's affected, when they're effective and what actions need to be taken.

Available quick reference cards:
Impact of Key Tax Law Changes — Calendar
   Year 2009
Impact of Key Tax Law Changes — Calendar
   Year 2010

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