January 23, 2015

It is an honor and a privilege to serve you and the entire 77th Assembly District.  It is very important for me to stay in touch with you on issues that personally affect you, your family, and our community.  I welcome your feedback and will continue to work here in the legislature toward our shared goals and values by promoting job growth, strengthening education, and protecting our treasured natural resources.  These are all key investments in the future of our community and our state.

I've developed this electronic newsletter to provide a simple but direct way to communicate with you about my work as your legislator.  I will be sending out updates on a regular basis.  To unsubscribe, simply respond to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me to share your thoughts or concerns about any issues facing state government.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Terese Berceau

State Representative

77th Assembly District

Thousands of people fall victim to tax scams every year, collectively losing millions of dollars.  Scams involving phone calls from criminals pretending to be IRS agents and people engaging in identity theft to steal tax refunds are among the most common this year.

In the phone scam, thieves change caller ID numbers to make it appear that the phone call is coming from the IRS.  They make up names and falsify IRS badge numbers.  Some even claim to be calling from the IRS Criminal Investigation unit.  The thieves will demand money and trick you into giving out your private information.  Or they may say you have a refund due and they need your financial information in order to deposit the money into your account.  Some of the more brazen criminals will even claim the police are on their way to arrest you.

Don't be fooled.  According to the IRS, its agents will NEVER:

• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first mailing you a bill.

• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a pre-paid debit card.

• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

• Use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue involving bills or refunds.

If you try to file your tax return and it won't go through, or you don't get the refund you were expecting in a timely manner, you may be the victim of identity theft.  Someone else has filed a tax return in your name and pocketed your refund.  All the thieves need are your name, birth date, and Social Security number.  You will eventually get the money you are owed from the IRS, but it can take several months and a great deal of hassle.  Here are some ways to protect yourself:

• Don't procrastinate.  Scammers file their fake returns early so they can claim your refund before you do.

• If you file your taxes online, make sure your Internet connection is secure.  NEVER use a public wi-fi network for important financial transactions like banking or filing your taxes.

• Don't leave your personal financial information or tax return on your computer.  Once you've filed your return, move that information to external storage, such as a flash drive or CD.

• If you e-file your taxes and don't receive your refund within a month, contact the IRS.

If you are a victim of one of these scams:

• Call the IRS at (800) 829-1040.

• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at (800) 366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
  Contact the Federal Trade Commission and use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your complaint.
   

If you're used to picking up hard copies of federal tax forms and instructional booklets at your local public library, you might be out of luck this year.  Due to IRS budget cuts that Congressional Republicans added to the omnibus budget bill late last year, libraries will get just three IRS forms — the 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ.  Taxpayers will have to obtain supplemental forms, schedules, and instructions on their own.

You can download and print the forms from the IRS web site.  If you don't have Internet access or a printer, you can call the IRS at (800) 829-3676 to have forms mailed to you.

Libraries will still have copies of many state tax forms.  Here is a list of libraries where you can get them.  You can also obtain state tax forms by:

• Visiting the Department of Revenue office at 2135 Rimrock Road in Madison between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

• Calling DOR at (608) 266-1961.

• Requesting them in writing:

  Forms Request Office
  Wisconsin Department of Revenue
  P.O. Box 8949
  Madison, WI 53708-8949

Our state and federal tax laws can be confusing.  A number of services are available to you save time and money preparing your tax returns.  Many of these services offer free tax preparation, tax deduction, and asset-building strategies, and are available at convenient locations in our community.  Most locations also offer free electronic filing, so you can get your refund back in as little as five days.

1. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) - free federal and state tax filing assistance for low to moderate income people (generally $53,000 and below), the disabled, people with limited English proficiency, and the elderly who cannot prepare their own returns.  VITA volunteers can inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled.

2. Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) - free federal and state tax filing assistance for elderly, low-income, and disabled people.  TCE volunteers specialize questions about pensions and retirement issues unique to seniors.  This program is supported by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Foundation.  AARP's Tax-Aide volunteers are trained by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the state Department of Revenue (DOR) to prepare basic income tax returns at TCE/Tax-Aide sites.  Some of these sites offer free IRS electronic filing of tax returns.  For information on TCE, call toll-free 1-800-829-1040.  To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call toll-free 1-888-227-7669.

Click HERE for a list of VITA and TCE/AARP tax assistance at Madison libraries and other locations in our community.

According to the IRS, you will need to bring these items to the VITA/TCE sites to have your tax returns prepared:

• Proof of identification – Picture ID.
• Social Security Cards for you, your spouse, and dependents or a Social Security Number verification letter issued by the Social Security Administration.
• Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter for you, your spouse, and dependents.
• Proof of foreign status, if applying for an ITIN.
• Birth dates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the tax return.
• Wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc from all employers.
• Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099).
• A copy of last year’s federal and state returns if available.
• Proof of bank account routing numbers and account numbers for Direct Deposit, such as a blank check.
• Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider's tax identifying number (the provider's Social Security Number or the provider's business Employer Identification Number) if appropriate.
• Forms 1095-A, B or C, Affordable Health Care Statements.
• To file taxes electronically on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

3. IRS Online Free File Program - offers low to moderate income taxpayers free access to leading online commercial tax preparation software.  This year, every taxpayer with a 2014 Adjusted Gross Income of $60,000 or less may use the Free File Program to complete and e-file his or her federal tax returns at no cost.  To use this service, taxpayers should visit the IRS Web site by clicking HERE.  This service is also available in Spanish.

Check on your federal refund at the IRS's Where's My Refund web page or by using its IRS2Go mobile app.  Status updates are available within 24 hours after the IRS receives your tax return if you e-file, or four weeks after you send in a paper return.  You will need:

• Your Social Security Number or your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number,

• Your filing status, and

• The exact amount of the refund you are due.

Click HERE or call (608) 266-8100 to check the status of your state tax refund.  Have a copy of your Wisconsin tax return on hand to verify information.  DOR also has an online app to check on your refund.  It's available through Google Play and the Apple App Store.  Search for WI Revenue.

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Contact Me

Room 104 North

State Capitol

P.O. Box 8952

Madison, WI  53708

(608) 266-3784

rep.berceau@legis.wi.gov

www.terese.org

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Order Blue Books, highway maps, and Arts & Craft Fair Guides!

 If you would like to receive any or all of these free publications, please e-mail me at rep.berceau@legis.wi.gov with your complete name and mailing address.
View the 2013 - 2014 Blue Book HERE .  (The 2015 Arts and Craft Fair Guide is not yet available.  Please let me know if you would like one and I will send it to you when the new edition is released.)

Vintage Blue Books Available

I also have several Blue Books from prior years. If you need a copy to complete your collection, e-mail me at rep.berceau@legis.wi.gov  with your complete name and mailing address.

1995 - 1996 (1 copy)
1997 - 1998 (2 copies)
1999 - 2000 (1 copy)
2001 - 2002 (2 copies)
2005 - 2006 (5 copies)
2009 - 2010 (12 copies)