Leave a Legacy of Hope and Healing
Thank you for your interest in learning more about how legacy gifts, put into place now, can help you provide a secure future for your loved ones and support the Mercy Ships mission well into the future. A legacy gift is a lasting investment in Mercy Ships, advancing our mission and ensuring our ability to help those in need for years to come.
For over 40 years, the heart of Mercy Ships has focused on bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor. Our fleet of state-of-the-art hospital ships bring world-class healthcare and medical training to regions where clean water, reliable electricity, and medical personnel and supplies are limited or even nonexistent. Onboard our hospital ships, staffed by volunteer professionals from around the world, surgeries are performed that transform the lives of people who might otherwise face a lifetime of suffering. Tumors are removed, orthopedic conditions are corrected, sight is restored, cleft lips are repaired, and more!
We invite you to consider adding Mercy Ships to your will, leaving a legacy of hope and healing well into the future.
"You can't change the whole world. But you can change the whole world
for one person."
-Dr. Gary Parker, volunteer surgeon
Tuesday May 14, 2024
Washington News
IRS Announces Starting Date for Filing 2023 Returns
With funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS claims it will offer improved taxpayer service this year. IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel stated, "As our transformation efforts take hold, taxpayers will continue to see marked improvement in IRS operations in the upcoming filing season. IRS employees are working hard to make sure that new funding is used to help taxpayers by making the process of preparing and filing taxes easier."
The IRS has enhanced a number of resources for taxpayers. There will be an expansion of the callback feature. This is intended to reduce the phone wait time to speak with an IRS representative. There are several changes on IRS.gov, such as an improved "Where's My Refund?" tool.
The IRS also plans to launch the pilot of Direct File. The Direct File initial pilot is expected to be available in states that do not require payment of state income taxes. It also will be limited to simple tax situations.
A potential issue is whether Congress will make lastminute changes to the child tax credit or other provisions. Bridget Roberts is the leader of the IRS Direct File program. At a January 10 tax conference, she noted, "We are aware that it is out there. We are waiting to see." Roberts continued that the impact of Congress on the Direct File program "will depend on the scope of the changes and how sweeping those changes might be."
The IRS Direct File team believes it will be able to manage any lastminute changes. Nina Olson is a representative of the Center for Taxpayer Rights and a former National Taxpayer Advocate. She noted that there have been filing seasons that required last-minute changes. She stated, "But they get it done. And it is amazing to watch."
The Direct File project has been created in cooperation with Code for America (COA). Gabriel Zucker of COA believes the Direct File team could manage changes. The Code for America organization is also working on state tax integration for the pilot program. Zucker stated the IRS and partners have "done a lot of incredible work under a lot of pressure, very quickly."
Editor's Note: It is logical for the Direct File pilot program to focus on basic tax returns and avoid the issue of state taxes by only serving states without an income tax. Based upon your editor's three decades of experience in publishing charitable tax software, it is best to start small and then move forward. Given the scope and complexity of the U.S. tax system, a full-fledged system with state return integration is still two to five years in the future.
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