Hang Up On The IRS !!!It’s really not them.

We received a call saying the IRS is going to sue us!They said if we don’t pay up they will put a lien on our property! They said we might even end up in prison. They sounded serious, and official, like they knew who we were.

The amazing thing is that we received four calls in two days, all from different phone numbers, all saying it was the "IRS".

We just hung up! It’s a scam.

Officially, the real IRS says they have little control over these calls. The only way the Internal Revenue Service says they will contact you is via the U.S. Mail.

In fact all the IRS can do is tell you to call the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and complain to them. When we did call the FTC a number of years ago, we were given a list of requirements that made it difficult to prove. We were told even if a taxpayer mistakenly sends money to the crooks it is next to impossible to get it back.

So, the moral: Hang up on the “IRS”! If you call the real IRS, you may be given a phone number, but at least you won’t be surprised. If you are not sure, call us but we may tell you to ignore them!

ADVISORThe

4763 E Camp Lowell Dr Tucson, AZ 85712 (520) 321-1777 www.unitedfinancial.net

Rise of Identity Theft and Tax ScamsHow to avoid being a victim

Each year, tax scams become more common making proper security and privacy protocols critically important. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, approximately 1 in 18 Americans have their identities stolen each year. With such a consistent rise in identity theft and tax scams, it’s imperative that you keep your information safe and secure from criminals, not only in a work setting but also in your personal life.

The most common form of identity theft is the use of personal information to fraudulently obtain government benefits and tax refunds. There are a variety of ways identities can be stolen, such as by accessing existing financial accounts, creating new accounts with stolen credentials, through internet services and by social impersonation.

The consequences of identity theft can be devastating and can cause an array of financial losses. Scammers can gain access to accounts that access money, including bank accounts, retirement accounts, investment accounts and PayPal accounts. This can ultimately affect your credit score, which can take years of hard work to restore. When dealing with credit score damage, getting financing for anything can be virtually impossible. It can affect major purchases (home mortgage, auto loans, college tuition) and lines of credit (home improvement or furniture, clothing or jewelry purchases).

Here are some methods often used by scammers:•Scare tactics. They may threaten arrest, deportation or therevocation of your driver’s license or professional license ifyou don’t pay. Emails from scammers will often contain afake IRS document with a phone number or email addressto reply to.•Caller ID spoofs. Scammers are known to alter caller IDs tomake it appear that the IRS is calling. Scam Callers will useIRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate.They may use online resources to get your personalinformation to make the call sound official.•Fake IRS letterhead. Scam artists will copy official IRSletterhead to use in email or regular mail sent to victims.

INVESTMENTS* INSURANCE TAXES

Material discussed is meant to provide general information and it is not to be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Neither United Planners nor its financial professionals render legal or tax advice. Please consult with your accountant

or tax advisor for specific guidance. Please seek such advice from your own tax and legal counsel.

Identity Veri�cationA legitimate service from the IRSNew IRS scams continue to surface in an attempt to take your money or personal information via phone, email, post and sometimes even a knock on your door. It’s important to know that the IRS does occasionally contact taxpayers, but when they do, it’s most often by mail asking you to verify your identiÿcation. If you receive an email, letter or phone call and you’re in doubt as to whether it’s from the IRS, contact us so we can determine if the correspondence is real or simply an attempt to steal your identity.

Scholarships and Fellowship GrantsTaxable income or not?Typically, qualiÿed scholarships for the purpose of study are excluded from the student’s income such as tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment. However, any amounts you receive for room and board are not exclud-able and need to be reported as income on your tax return. You must also include in gross income any amounts received as payment for teaching, research or other services.

Expired Tax ProvisionsWill they be renewed?Just like last year, the following tax provisions are expected to expire unless changes are made:• $250 educator expense deduction (teachers who buy supplies for their classes).• Tuition and fees deduction for higher education (which helps students or their parents).• Itemized deduction for state and local general sales tax (the option to deduct state and local sales taxes instead of deducting state and local income taxes is huge for those who don’t have a state income tax).• Itemized deduction for mortgage insurance premiums (MIP).• Qualified p incipal residence indebtedness exclusion for debt discharge income (up to $2 million; usually taxpayers have to pay income taxes on forgiven debt for a home mortgage).

It’s expected that at the end of this year, many of these provisions may be extended once again. However, you may want to make increased estimated tax payments just in case.

Hiring Household EmployeesAre you subject to payroll taxes?If you have a household employee, such as a maid, babysit-ter, or gardener, you may be required to pay payroll taxes.Business people who provide their services as independent contractors are not your employees. Household workers are your employees if you can control not only the work they do, but also how and when they do it. If you pay cash wages of $1,900 or more in 2015 to any one household employee, you must withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes. You also must pay your share of Social Security and Medicare taxes

The views expressed are those of the author as of the date noted, are subject to change based on market and other various conditions, are not a solicitation to purchase or sell any security and may not re�ect the views of United Planners Financial Services. Keep in mind that current and historical facts may not be indicative of future results.

UNITED FINANCIAL CENTER

Winter 2016/2017 Newsletter

2014 Outstanding O�ce AwardUnited Financial Center Honored AgainOn May 30th, Daniel Hoe˜ erle, CFP® and Erik Ludvickson joined David Hoe˜ erle to receive the Outstanding O°c e Award from United Planners Financial Services of America. The award was presented to about three dozen o°c es of the more than 350 representatives from around the coun-try, based on branch o°c e production and quality customer service.

Daniel Hoe˜ erle CFP®, David Hoe˜ erle, and Erik Ludvickson accept the 2014 United Planners Outstanding O°c e Award at the Arizona Biltmore.

RISKALYZEHow much risk can you a�ord? Riskalyze is a free, easy-to-use service which is availableon-line at the home page of www.unitedÿnancial.net. In a few minutes, you can identify your Risk Tolerance, the ÿrst step towards building your ÿnancial plan. Combining this information with your current and future income, expenses, and investments, permits our advisors to design a plan using advanced software simulations to formulate the road-map or blue print of your ÿnancial future. The plan is then prepared by Daniel Hoe˜ erle, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, along with our ÿnancial manage-ment team, which recommends an appropriate asset allocation to implement your needs and goals.

Two Retirement Plans Can Save TaxesQLAC and 412e(3) There are two overlooked government designed retire-ment programs for your consideration. • Defer 100% of your business related income through a 412e(3) which is designed for sole business owners with one or a few employees. All of your net business income can be deferred. A 412e(3) can only be invested in an insurance company protected ÿxed annuity.• Reduce Taxes on RMDs via QLACs (Qualiÿed Longevity Annuity Contracts) which were approved in 2014. You are allowed to fund up to $125,000 in this retirement plan and delay Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) until 85 years of age, which could lower your RMDs usually starting at 70-1/2. QLACs protect your principal by using ÿxed annui-ties. Depending on the company you use, you can add a COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) to the annual income as well. No indexed or variables annuities are allowed because of the required guarantee of principal. QLACs complement Social Security by guaranteeing a lifetime income stream starting at a future date.Call us at (520) 321-1777 if you have any questions.

Health Savings AccountsTax savings are available to those who qualifyAn HSA is a custodial account set up with a qualiÿed trustee to pay or reimburse your medical expenses. An HSA does not replace health insurance, but the account holder can use the savings to pay for any out-of-pocket medical expenses. Your employer may help you set up an HSA and make payroll deposits, but you are the actual owner of the account. An HSA o�ers several tax advantages:Contributions are deductible; Earnings in the account are tax-deferred; HSA contributions and earnings are not taxed when distributions are used to pay qualiÿed medical expenses; At 65, distributions can be received penalty-free for any reason, subject to income tax; an HSA is portable even if you switch employers. Money from the account can be distributed for any qualiÿed unreimbursed medical expenses.

*Securities and Advisory Services offered through United Planners Financial Services, Member FINRA / SIPC.United Planners and United Financial Center are independent companies.

1. If you have self-only coverage in a MedicalSavings Account for 2016, the plan must havean annual deductible that is not less than$2,250, but not more than $3,350. For self-onlycoverage, the maximum out-of-pocket expenseamount remains at $4,450. The floor for theannual deductible remains at $4,450 forparticipants with family coverage; however, thedeductible cannot be more than $6,700. Forfamily coverage, the out-of-pocket expenselimit remains at $8,150 for tax year 2016.

2. For tax year 2016, the adjusted gross incomeamount used by joint filers to determine thereduction in the Lifetime Learning Credit is$111,000, up from $110,000 for tax year 2015.

3. For tax year 2016, the foreign earned incomeexclusion is $101,300, up from $100,800 for taxyear 2015.

4. Estates of decedents who die during 2016have a basic exclusion amount of $5,450,000.

PAGE ₂Keep in mind, the IRS will never:•Call you about your tax bill without first sending you a billin the mail.•Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to questionor appeal the amount that you owe.•Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. Forinstance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card orany specific type of tender.•Ask for credit or debit card numbers.•Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest youfor not paying.•Threaten you with a lawsuit.

More than anything, it’s important to remember to never give away personal information by phone or email to an untrustworthy or suspicious source. If you have any questions on how you can protect yourself from identity theft, please let us know.

IRS To Delay Certain RefundsImportant info for those waiting for a refund

Per the recently enacted PATH Act, refunds for returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (CTC) will not be released from the IRS until February 15. This change will take effect this upcoming tax season.

The IRS will start processing tax returns once the filing season begins (no change from prior years); however, returns claiming the EITC or CTC may take up to four weeks to process.

If you claim either of these credits and usually file early, plan on a slight delay in receiving your refund next year.

If you are not claiming either of these credits and are entitled to a refund, you can expect it in the normal time frame. The IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 calendar days.

If you have questions, please give us a call.

The views expressed are those of the author as of the date noted, are subject to change based on market and other various conditions, are not a solicitation to purchase or sell any security and may not reflect the views of United Planners Financial Services. Keep in mind that current and historical facts may not be indicative of future results.

Paying Your Taxes in CashIRS offers new cash payment plan

The IRS announced a new payment option for individual taxpayers who need to pay their taxes with cash. In partnership with ACI Worldwide’s OfficialPayments.com and the PayNearMe Company, individuals can now make payments at over 7,000 7-Eleven stores nationwide without needing a bank account or credit card. There is a $1,000 payment limit per day and a $3.99 fee per payment.

Because PayNearMe involves a three-step process, the IRS urges taxpayers choosing this option to start the process well ahead of the tax deadline to avoid interest and penalty charges.

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