Radio Interview (October 28, 2024)

Host 00:11
Keystock 969 – 1025, talk of the keys. And we’re looking at traffic situation pretty well smooth this morning, just the typical slowdowns.

Host 00:20
Big cop at Key, also on Stock Island and in Almorada. Keep in mind some of those areas we will see the typical slowdowns. But no major incidents to report on the highways this morning. Everybody seemed to get out of the keys from Fantasy Fest over Sunday.

Host 00:37
Pretty congested then, but looking pretty good now. 77 degrees currently, 85 is your high, 10% chance of rain today, 20% chance tonight. Up to 30% chance of rain tomorrow, 83, then it backs down to 20% chance of rain for the rest of the week.

Host 00:52
So, that’s not looking bad either. We now turn to Steven Klitzner, the IRS tax attorney, floridataxsolvers.com. Good morning to you, Steven.

Steven Klitzner 01:01
Good morning, Michael.

Host 01:03
Hi there. So thanks for being here.

Host 01:04
I want to start off right off the bat for people to consult with you. Your number here, 305 – 682 – 1118, 305 – 682 – 1118, your local tax solver with floridataxsolvers.com. So we talked a lot about hurricanes.

Host 01:22
We might be looking at yet another, at least tropical disturbance coming late next week, late in the hurricane season. Had a couple of instances of major storms here over the past couple of months, Milton being one, but it has caused the IRS to maybe give a little bit of a break as far as filing deadlines for Florida taxpayers.

Steven Klitzner 01:42
Right. All of Florida was declared a disaster area. As far as the IRS goes, I know here in Miami where I’m at. We didn’t in my section of the county. We didn’t have much bad weather, but despite that the IRS is giving a free pass to all taxpayers in Florida when it comes to filing their returns.

Steven Klitzner 02:07
Now, May 1, 2025, for individuals and businesses, you can circle that on your calendar, that’s the new deadline. So if you filed an extension to file your 2023 return and have not yet filed it, you have until May 1 of next year. The 2024 return also won’t be due to May 1 of next year.

Host 02:39
So Florida taxpayers will have an extension, even if they got an extension already for 2023, they’ll have until May of 2025, right?

Steven Klitzner 02:49
Right. Wow. And some folks, you know, independent contractors, realtors, contractors, they send in quarterly payments. They’re not W – 2 employees, and they send in quarterly tax payments during the year they make the money in April, June, September, and January.

Steven Klitzner 03:11
Well, for those who have paid their first three quarters, the next quarter being due January 15th, they have an extension until May 1st to do their quarterly tax payment for 2024, so they can actually do their return and then make up the difference when they file their return instead of making a quarterly payment in January, and in some cases have the IRS keep your money interest free until you file your return.

Host 03:41
But as far as penalties and interest, if you owe taxes already or should have estimated them for your extension, et cetera, those interest and penalty accruals will continue until May, correct?

Steven Klitzner 03:55
Yes, they will. There was no stop on those. If you owe the IRS money in the past, this isn’t, of course, retroactive. The interest and penalty is still building up.

Host 04:07
Okay. Steven Klitzner speaking with us. The floridataxsolvers.com is where you find them online.

Host 04:14
Call them locally at 305 – 682 – 1118, representing taxpayers in Monroe County and Miami -Dade as well. So we’re looking at, we’re already one -third through the fourth quarter of the year. That means the end of the year is coming.

Host 04:30
People need to start talking and thinking about preparation for end of year and various planning financially in terms of tax preparation and the like.

Steven Klitzner 04:40
Yes, and now is the time before the end of the year you might want to make some purchases.

Steven Klitzner 04:48
You may want to open up an IRA or a Roth IRA, and now is a good time to see a tax professional who deals with tax planning, a CPA, an enrolled agent. Make sure when you talk to somebody that they’re not just referred to you by a friend who says this is the person, they know all the rules.

Steven Klitzner 05:14
Make sure they’re a CPA, certified public accountant, enrolled agent, attorney, someone with license credentials that are going to give you the right advice. It costs a little more, but you’ll save a lot more when you get the right advice.

Host 05:34
Well, Steven, you mentioned calling and talking to professionals, et cetera. That kind of brings up the point we talked about before. Should the taxpayer talk to the IRS directly? Is that they can kind of fall into some pitfalls if they do that, right?

Steven Klitzner 05:49
Yeah, it’s generally not a good idea because when you talk to the IRS, you may say something that’s misinterpreted or that’s going to hurt you or may even accelerate collection. If you owe the IRS money and you call them, you may be doing like in a TV show or movie when there’s a bomb and you have to cut the red wire or the yellow wire.

Steven Klitzner 06:19
If you cut the wrong wire, instead of having 10 minutes left, you have 30 seconds. So you don’t want to do that. You want to have someone who knows what they’re doing represent you to manage it to keep the IRS from coming down on you.

Steven Klitzner 06:36
Some people say, well, I want to hear from the IRS. Be careful what you wish for. You don’t necessarily want to have them assign it to a local revenue officer because that person’s plans on resolving your case are going to be a lot different than yours.

Steven Klitzner 06:52
They’re going to require a lot more than you may want to give them.

Host 06:57
Well, and the old ad is anything you say can be used against you. That would certainly apply here.

Steven Klitzner 07:03
Oh boy, I can’t tell you how many times I’m at an audit representing a taxpayer.

Steven Klitzner 07:09
Of course, I don’t let the taxpayer talk to the IRS, but the taxpayer may already have. And I’ll say something and the revenue agent will look at me and go, no, that’s off the table. Your client already told me this, this and this.

Steven Klitzner 07:23
It’s like, oh no.

Host 07:24
Can’t undo that. Can’t be undone. Best thing to do is certainly not ignore those letters that come, even the early letters from the IRS. And once you start getting those, should you be in that situation, call the law office of Steven Klitzner, the Florida Tax Solvers at floridataxsolvers.com at 305 – 682 – 1118.

Host 07:47
And audits, they’re not really cutting back on audits for Florida taxpayers, are they? Even though they’re giving an extension of time to file and pay?

Steven Klitzner 07:55
No, I haven’t. haven’t seen anything on that. Perhaps in the Tampa area on the West Coast, they’re going to be backing off on some collection and audit matters.

Steven Klitzner 08:06
The first question they’re going to ask taxpayers, and it’s the same in the Keyses, did the hurricane affect you? If yes, they will back off. But here in Miami, I only had one revenue officer ask me that because I needed more time.

Steven Klitzner 08:26
And you know what my answer was? Yes, of course. That’s why we need more time.

Host 08:31
Well, Steven, you know, it kind of brings up another good point. You certainly understand the local intricacies and the local, let’s say, different details of the taxpayer and their situation, evidenced by the fact we’re sitting here talking about the Florida hurricanes, the state of emergency, and how that affects the state.

Host 08:50
taxpayer but there’s a lot of companies that advertise nationally that say they can solve your tax problems and possibly make it go away that kind of thing those agencies don’t certainly don’t have the expertise the knowledge or the relationships you have but they also don’t have the knowledge or first -hand you know accounts of what’s happening to the taxpayer in your area.

Steven Klitzner 09:14
Yeah, even though it’s it’s taken care of all the same around the country there are local ways of doing things we have our own ways of doing things in in the South Florida area. That’s different than around the country and without knowing who you’re dealing with then the the the local offices you’re at a bit of a disadvantage when those revenue officers who do collection in South Florida, when they see that there’s one of these national companies you know they just roll their eyes it’s like all right, I’m gonna get no cooperation not to send out all these letters that I’m gonna have to take action because no one’s gonna contact me. There are times I call a revenue officer on a new case and they’re like thank goodness you’re on this now we can get this case resolved.

Host 10:06
Well they know you you have the relationship with them and your clients get personal attention from your firm that they’re not going to get from an.

Steven Klitzner 10:15
Yeah, absolutely, I’m not I’m the person handling the case I’m not changing every time you call they assign it to somebody else, it’s me and my staff who work on it together I’m the one talking to the IRS making the calls. I’m the one talking to the taxpayer of course my staff will be talking to my clients when they need to gather information they know what they need they follow up with emails we need this this and that when it comes to making the decisions and resolving the case That’s what I do.

Steven Klitzner 10:51
I love doing it, so I don’t want to stop doing that.

Host 10:54
Well, you certainly, even though you are a local tax attorney, you have national renown. Certainly you were with the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council for years, so they actually look to you for advice.

Host 11:05
That certainly says a lot. Steven Klitzner, the law office of Steven Klitzner, tax attorney, online, floridataxsolvers.com. Contact him locally at 305 – 682 – 1118. So, Steven, anything else we should mention at this time, though, before we let you continue with your busy day?

Steven Klitzner 11:24
Well, it’s the beginning of the week, so I want to wish everybody a great week. And you, too, and hopefully the weather will keep up. No more storms for 2024.

Host 11:36
No, we already got our delays with the tax filings and tax payments, so we’re fine there.

Host 11:42
Otherwise, we don’t need any more storms. You’re absolutely right about that. So, Steven, you take care as well. Thank you so much for being here and informing our listeners, as you always do. Have a great day.

Steven Klitzner 11:51
Be well, thank you.

Host 11:52
Thank you. Steven Klitzner, Law Office of Steven Klitzner, Tax Attorney, the Florida Tax Solvers, online floridataxsolvers.com, representing taxpayers in Monroe County and Miami -Dade, 305 – 682 – 1118.

Host 12:05
That number again, 305 – 682 – 1118. It is 8:45 now. Keys Talk, 969 -1025, the talk of the keys. We return in a moment.