Haiti Relief Donations Qualify for Immediate Tax Relief
People who give to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti can claim these donations on the tax return they are completing this season. Taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 return qualify for this special tax relief provision, enacted Jan. 22. Only cash contributions made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.

Economic Recovery Payment Contact Information
Taxpayers who can't recall if they received the economic recovery payment should contact their respective agency (Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, or Railroad Retirement Board) for confirmation before completing and filing their 2009 tax return in 2010. The IRS will not be able to provide this information. If a taxpayer needs to know whether they got a payment they should contact their respective agency personally.   Contact information is located on the Economic Recovery Payment page of IRS.gov.

Now you can buy U.S. Series I Savings Bonds with your tax refund
Starting in January 2010, you can buy Series I U.S. Savings Bonds with a portion or all of your tax refund. Issued by the Department of the Treasury, Series I bonds are low-risk bonds that grow in value for up to 30 years. While you own them they earn interest and protect you from inflation. For more information see IRS.gov, search "savings bonds."

New Homebuyer Credit Form Released; Taxpayers Reminded to Attach Settlement Statement and Other Key Documents
The Internal Revenue Service has released Form 5405 that eligible homebuyers need to claim the first-time homebuyer credit this tax season and announced processing of those tax returns will begin in mid-February. The IRS also announced new documentation requirements to deter fraud related to the first-time homebuyer credit. For more information, see news release IR-2010-6.

IRS Issues Proposed Regulations Adjusting Use of Some Taxpayer Information
The Internal Revenue Service has announced the issuance of proposed and temporary regulations and related revenue rulings addressing the use or disclosure of tax return information by tax return preparers. The regulations and related revenue rulings under section 7216 enable tax return preparers to more effectively provide a range of services that taxpayers would ordinarily expect from tax return preparers. For more information see IRS.gov, search “ section 7216.”

Waiver of Estimated Tax Penalty due to Making Work Pay Credit for Individuals
If you have an underpayment, all or part of the penalty for that underpayment will be waived if the IRS determines that the underpayment was caused by adjustments made to income tax withholding tables that took effect in spring 2009. For more information, see the Form 2210 Instructions.