Money Back From The IRS

This came to me from a loyal Sentinel reader. I checked the link at the IRS website and it looks good to me. I know I'll be looking for the line on my 2006 return. If you forget what the tax credit is or what to do, I'll have it posted here forever, or at least until after tax season.

Subject: Fw: SPECIAL ONE TIME TAX CREDIT ON YOUR 2006 TAX RETURN

> Please read carefully.....this will save you between $30.00 - $60.00 ON YOUR
> 2006 TAX RETURN.
> I checked this out on the IRS web site and it is true--so don't forget to
> enter it on your 2006 tax return.
>
> If you want to see the info on the IRS web site click on the link below
>
> http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=161506,00.html
>
>
> You do not have to itemize deductions to receive this $30 to $60 back-this is a
> credit rather than a deduction-good for 100% of the money back whether you file
> long or short form. Print this out and put with your 2006 taxes.
>
>
> A SPECIAL ONE TIME TAX CREDIT ON YOUR 2006 TAX RETURN
>
> When it comes time to prepare and file your 2006 tax return, make sure you do
> not overlook the federal excise tax refund credit. You claim the credit on line
> 71 of your form 1040. A similar line will be available if you file the short
> form 1040A. If you have family or friends who no longer file a tax return AND
> they have their own land phone in their home and have been paying a phone bill
> for years, make sure they know about this form 1040EZ-T.
>
> What is this all about? Well the federal excise tax has been charge to you on
> your phone bill for years. It is an old tax that was assessed on your toll
> calls based on how far the call was being made and how much time you talked on
> that call when phone companies began to offer flat fee phone service, challenges
> to the excise tax ended up in federal courts in several districts of the
> country. The challenges pointed out that flat fee/rate phone service had
> nothing to do with the distance and the length of the phone call. Therefore,
> the excise tax should/could not be assessed. The IRS has now conceded this
> argument. Phone companies have been given notice to stop assessing the federal
> excise tax as of Aug 30, 2006. You will most likely see the tax on your
> September cutoff statement, but it should NOT be on your October bill. But the
> challengers of the old law also demanded restitution.
>
> So the IRS has announced that a one time credit will be available when you and I
> file our 2006 tax return as I explained above. However, the IRS also established
> limits on how BIG a credit you can get. Here how it works.
>
> If you file your return as a single person with just you as a dependent, you
> get to claim a $30 credit on line 71 of your 1040.
> If you file with a child or a parent as your dependent, you claim $40.
> If you file your return as a married couple with no children, you claim $40.
> If you file as married with children, you claim $50 if one child, $60 if two
> children.
> In all cases, the most you get to claim is $60 -
> UNLESS you have all your phone bills starting AFTER Feb 28, 2003 through July
> 31, 2006
> (do not use any bills starting Aug 1, 2006.), then you can add up the ACTUAL TAX
> AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR BILLS AND CLAIM THAT FOR A CREDIT.
>
> Now if you have your actual phone bills and come up with an ACTUAL TAX AMOUNT,
> you cannot use line 71 on your tax return. You have to complete a special form
> number 8913 and attach it to your tax return. Individuals using the special
> from 1040EZ-T will have to attach this form 8913 also.
>
> One final point - this credit is a refundable credit. That means you get this
> money, no matter how your tax return works out. If you would end up owing the
> IRS a balance, the refund will reduce that balance you owe. If you end up
> getting a refund, the credit will be added and you get a bigger refund by that
> $30 to $60, depending on how many dependents are on your return.
>
> Feel free to pass this on or make copies for family and friends who do not have
> computers.