IRS on the air: Federal tax agency embraces YouTube, iTunes

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the availability of video and audio products to provide tips for taxpayers looking for more information about 2009 tax provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The IRS has launched a YouTube video site and an iTunes podcast site to better serve taxpayers.
 
People can visit the video site at www.youtube.com/irsvideos to view information about the Recovery, tax tips and how-to videos. These videos are presented in English, Spanish, American Sign Language, and other languages are in the works.
 
The YouTube focus is on the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Videos highlight the $8,000 first-time homebuyer’s credit for those who purchase a house this year, the sales or excise tax deduction on new car purchases, and the expanded credits for education and energy conservation.
 
The IRS YouTube channel debuted with seven Recovery videos in English and ASL and eight in Spanish. Also, included is a video on using the IRS Withholding Calculator. Many workers received the Making Work Pay tax credit in April through their tax withholding at work. However, the IRS is encouraging people who have more than one job or working spouses to check their withholding to ensure neither too much nor too little is being withheld. People can use the calculator to help determine if they should make adjustments.
 
People can visit the audio site to listen to IRS podcasts about ARRA tax credits. People without an iTunes account can hear those same podcasts, in English and Spanish, on IRS.gov’s Multimedia Center.

Voice of the Editor

Even though any accounting auditor would tell you it seems like there are an awful lot of tax accountants out there, surely one-third of the country isn't made up of tax preparers, so it's rather startling news to learn that one-third of Americans like to do their taxes. Who knew?
ADVERTISEMENT

This Week on AccountingWEB

Bill Walter of Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates and Harold Gaar of TravisWolff LLP weigh in on mobile technology use while employees are at work.
WestArk RSVP and Fayette County Community Action Agency – organizations that received grant funding through the IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program – spoke with AccountingWEB about how they assist senior citizens in their communities.
CPA Robert Raiola, who heads the Sports & Entertainment Group of Fazio, Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPilusa, LLC, talks NFL player income taxes with AccountingWEB.
Retiring KPMG Centennial Professor of Accounting at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business Robert May, PhD talks with AccountingWEB about his rewarding forty-three-year career.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT