Frequently Asked Questions - Employee 2019 Tax Issue
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The information contained here is being updated as more information becomes available. If you have any other questions or wish to speak to someone about this issue, please contact Michael MacMillan, MRSD Business Manager, at 508-945-5148 or mmacmillan@monomoy.edu.
This information was last updated on 4/13/2021.
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What’s the quick version of what’s happened?
Due to a mistake Monomoy Regional School District made, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) believes some individuals received more income from the district than they actually received. We have to take steps to correct this information so that those individuals are not required to pay additional taxes. Once these steps are taken, we believe the people affected will not be required to pay any additional taxes, interest or penalties due to this error.
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Please explain what has happened?
The district submitted incorrect information to the IRS for the year 2019. This information reported certain staff as having received retirement benefits from Monomoy Regional School District. This was incorrect and no information should have been reported to the IRS.
The IRS is now recalculating tax payments based on this incorrect information. As a result, some staff have received letters from the IRS explaining that the IRS believe they owe additional taxes.
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Please provide more detail on exactly what happened?
Every January the district submits 1099 information to the IRS for the previous tax year. This is information that shows payments that were made to certain types of contractors. The district also issues 1099 forms to those vendors.
In January 2020, the district submitted the wrong file. The district did not submit 1099 information but instead submitted 1099-R information and did not include contractors but included many past and present employees. The district does not issue retirement payments and no 1099-R information should have been reported.
The IRS has started to process the information in this file. Based on this incorrect information the IRS is sending letters to those individuals with new proposed tax payments.
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What tax year does this relate to?
2019.
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Was this information submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for State taxes?
No, this information was only submitted to the IRS.
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How much retirement benefits should have been reported?
None. The district does not pay retirement benefits.
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What has to be done to correct this error?
The district is submitting a corrected file to the IRS. This will update the information that the IRS has for the individuals in the file.
If you receive a payment request from the IRS relating to this issue, then you should follow the steps to disagree with their information. The district will send each person affected by the error a letter on district letter head that explains the error and a 1099-R form with all values set to zero. This information should be included with correspondence to the IRS regarding this issue.
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What exactly do I have to do?
- If you have not received a letter from the IRS about this issue: Do nothing, and keep the documents we send you so that you may use them if you do receive a letter from the IRS.
- If you have received a letter from the IRS about this issue: You must respond to the IRS letter. If you have received a CP2000 notice, there is a response form. Complete the response form and send back to the IRS. Include with the form:
- Statement signed by you that explains what you don’t agree with (the district will also send you a template you can use).
- Monomoy Regional School District letter explaining the issue.
- Corrected 1099-R issued to you by Monomoy Regional School District.
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What should I do if I have not received any notification from the IRS?
At the moment, the advice the district has received from the IRS is that you should not submit anything to them until you receive a letter proposing payment.
We will let you know if that changes.
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How much will I have to pay to the IRS?
We believe that once this issue is cleared up and the correct information is provided to the IRS you will not have to pay any additional taxes to the IRS based on this issue.
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How much does the IRS believe I owe them?
The additional payment requested by the IRS depends on your own circumstances and is not the same for everyone. However, we believe that once this issue is cleared up and the correct information is provided to the IRS you will not have to pay any additional taxes to the IRS based on this issue.
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There was a leading zero missing from my zip code in the mailing address confirmation email. Is that a problem?
No. This was a typo in the email and not in your address in the district records.
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What should I do with the documents that Monomoy Regional School District sends me?
If you receive a payment request from the IRS relating to this issue, then you should follow the steps to disagree with their information. The district will send each person affected by the error a letter on district letter head that explains the error and a 1099-R form with all values set to zero. This information should be included with correspondence to the IRS regarding this issue.
If you have not received a payment request from the IRS, you should keep these documents for your records and use them to respond to the IRS if you receive a payment request.
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I have received a payment request from the IRS but I have not received any documentation from Monomoy Regional School District?
The district is planning to send out documentation by mail on April 7th and 8th. If you have not received the documents shortly thereafter please contact the MRSD Business Manager Michael MacMillan at 508-945-5148 or mmacmillan@monomoy.edu.
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I have received a payment request from the IRS but I can’t find the documentation from Monomoy Regional School District?
The district is planning to send out documentation by mail on April 7 and 8, 2021. After that, if you need copies of the documents, please contact the MRSD Business Manager Michael MacMillan at 508-945-5148 or mmacmillan@monomoy.edu.
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What documentation will the district send me?
The district will send you two documents:
- A letter on district letterhead that explains what happened.
- A 1099-R form for you that shows all the dollar values set to zero.
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There are two parts to the 1099-R form - what should I do with them?
The top part of the form should go to the IRS. The bottom half is for your records. Although it says on the form that it can be used for 'State, City or Local Tax Department' it does not need to be submitted of these bodies and can be saved for future reference.
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In the new 1099-R from Monomoy, there are no dollar amounts in any of the fields - shouldn't they be $0.00?
The fields should be blank. The 1099-R form is designed to have blanks fields where there are no monetary values. In the case of the corrected 1099-R all the values now equal $0.00 and so appear on the form as blanks.
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The address on my new 1099-R is different from my current address, is this a problem?
The address on the newly issued 1099-R forms is the address that was linked to the original IRS submission. It is not a problem that it is no longer your current address.
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I sent both parts of the 1099-R form to the IRS, is that a problem?
No, this is fine. The IRS will disregard the bottom half of the form.
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What should I say in my statement response to the IRS letter?
We have attached a template letter for you to use to respond to the IRS. Please note that this is in addition to the letter from the district and the 1099-R form.IRS Template Letter
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Why are you sending me a 1099-R form?
A 1099-R form is an IRS form used to report payment of retirement benefits such as pensions. Although you did not receive any such benefits from Monomoy Regional School District, the IRS believes that you did due to the file that the district submitted.
Sending a 1099-R form with all the dollar values set to zero to the IRS will correct the information they have already received.
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Should I anticipate owing money to the IRS?
We believe that once this issue is cleared up and the correct information is provided to the IRS you will not have to pay any additional taxes or penalties to the IRS based on this issue.
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If we are assessed any interest or penalties as a result of the district’s error, will the district will be covering those costs for those impacted?
Once the correct information is provided to the IRS, you should not have to pay any additional taxes, interest or penalties to the IRS due to this issue.
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Will this error make me more vulnerable to being audited?
According to the IRS website, the IRS uses several different methods to determine which individuals to audit so it is difficult to know what will be the impact of one transaction on the likelihood of being audited. Once this issue is resolved there should be no changes to your 2019 tax return and there should be no penalties or interest charged due to this issue – hopefully this will mean that you are no more likely to be audited as a result of this error.
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Is there anything that I personally have to do or is this taken care of through the Business Office and the IRS?
If you have received a letter from the IRS, then you should reply. You should never ignore correspondence from the IRS.
If you have not received a letter from the IRS, then you do not have any actions until you do.
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Why can’t the Monomoy Regional School District just deal with this?
Although the district will submit corrected information to the IRS, unfortunately, the district is not able to deal with individual tax issues. The IRS will not recognize the district as representing individuals for tax purposes.
Nevertheless, the district is committed to doing everything necessary to minimize the impact of this error on individuals. We will provide you documentation to help respond to the IRS.
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Should I consult my attorney?
Seeking legal representation is a personal decision.
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Should I consult a tax advisor?
If you normally work with a tax advisor or accountant, you may wish to share this information with them.
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Should I hold off on filing my 2020 taxes until this is fixed?
The district cannot provide tax advice however, we have not received any information that suggests you should postpone 2020 tax return as this relates to the 2019 tax year.
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Will you also be contacting the prior employees (retired) that this might have affected?
The district will be contacting everyone affected by this issue.
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Is this related to the recent unemployment fraud?
No, this is an unrelated issue.
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What if I can’t receive physical mail at this time?
We can send your documentation by email. Please contact the Business Office to request electronic copies: Michael MacMillan, School Business Manager, 508-945-5148 or mmacmillan@monomoy.edu.
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I am submitting my 2019 tax return now, should I include this documentation?
The district cannot provide tax advice however, it may be sensible to include the documentation the district provides with your 2019 tax return.
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Does this mean I have to redo my taxes?
You will not have to resubmit your 2019 or 2020 tax return. However, you will need to respond to any correspondence you received from the IRS.
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I have an accountant do my taxes; if I need her assistance, does Monomoy pay her fees?
The district is not able to use public funds to pay for individual tax or legal advice. However, if you believe you will incur costs due to this error and wish to receive reimbursement from the district please contact the district before receiving those services. Michael MacMillan, School Business Manager, at 508-945-5148 or mmacmillan@monomoy.edu.
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I’ve already submitted my 2020 taxes; will this impact them?
This should not impact your 2020 tax return. However, any funds owed to or from the IRS will be impacted by this issue unless it is resolved. That is why the district will be submitting new information to the IRS and providing information as to how to respond if the IRS contacts you.
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I have received calls from the IRS, are the calls about this?
The IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information. Please see information available on tax scams: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts and how to tell if it’s really the IRS contacting you: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-know-its-really-the-irs-calling-or-knocking-on-your-door.
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I was retired in 2019 so is the information reported to the IRS correct for me?
No. The district does not issue retirement payments.
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Is my 2019 W2 correct?
The district has not received any information to suggest that the 2019 W2 is incorrect. Your W-2 should not be impacted by this error (although the IRS will use the W-2 information, this incorrect 1009-R information, and any other documentation they receive to determine the required tax payment).
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As I am retiring this year, will this impact that process in any way?
No. This will not affect your retirement plans.
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Does the 2019 W-2 not agree with the actual figures filed with the IRS?
A W-2 is the form that an employer sends to an individual, and files with the IRS, to show the employee’s annual wage and the taxes withheld from their wages. This information was reported accurately by the district.
A 1099-R form reports retirement benefits paid by an organization to an employee, this is not the same as the annual wages in the W-2.
The IRS will use information received from W-2s, 1099s and any other sources to determine your total income for the year and appropriate taxes.
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What letter will I receive from the IRS?
The letter that the IRS will send is a CP2000 notice, this is described as follows by the IRS:
When a tax return’s information doesn’t match data reported to the Internal Revenue Service by employers, banks and other third parties, the IRS will send a letter to the taxpayer. The letter is called an IRS Notice CP 2000, and it gives detailed information about issues the IRS identified and provides steps taxpayers should take to resolve those issues.
(https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-explains-cp-2000-letters-sent-to-taxpayers-when-tax-return-information-doesnt-match-information-from-3rd-parties#:~:text=When%20a%20tax%20return's%20information,a%20letter%20to%20the%20taxpayer.&text=This%20letter%20gives%20detailed%20information,the%20agency%20determined%20the%20change.)
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Where can I get more information about the IRS letter?
The following IRS you tube video provides helpful information on the CP2000 notice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R0POvqL3Ko
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What is a 1099-R form?
A 1099-R form is an IRS form used to report payment of retirement benefits such as pensions.
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I have received a letter from the IRS but I have not heard from Monomoy Regional School District, what should I do?
Please contact Michael MacMillan, School Business Manager, at 508-945-5148 or mmacmillan@monomoy.edu to ensure you receive the correct documents from the district.
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I have not received anything from the district or from the IRS, do I still need to be worried?
The district is trying to contact everyone who may be affected. However, some of the people affected left the District’s employment many years ago and up-to-date contact information is not always available. If you have not been contacted by the district or IRS but you are still concerned you may be been impacted, please email Michael MacMillan, School Business Manager, at mmacmillan@monomoy.edu who can confirm whether or not you were impacted.
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I still have questions – who can I call?
Please call Michael MacMillan, School Business Manager, at 508-945-5148 or mmacmillan@monomoy.edu.