Note: Our spring CPA IN Perspective magazine is digital — keep an eye out for new articles in our upcoming communications.

Our team at the Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) is focused on the health and safety of our staff, along with continuing to serve the great state of Indiana and our Hoosier customers. We’re doing all we can to maintain operations and keep you informed about changes that may impact you and your clients.

In March, we launched our “Helping Hoosiers” plan, which outlines several taxpayer relief initiatives to support Hoosiers during the statewide COVID-19 health emergency. By now, you’re probably aware that we extended certain filing and payment deadlines, such as:

• Individual tax returns and payments originally due by April 15, 2020, are now due on or before July 15, 2020.
• Individual estimated payments originally due on April 15 or June 15, 2020, are now due on or before July 15, 2020.
• Corporate tax returns and payments originally due by April 15 are now due on or before July 15, 2020. Those originally due on May 15, June 15 or July 15, 2020 are now due on August 17, 2020.
• Corporate estimated payments due on April 20, May 20 or June 22, 2020, are now due on or before July 15, 2020.
• The deadline for filing a claim for refund of income tax set to expire between April 1 and July 14, 2020, is now extended to July 15, 2020.

Additional enhancements at DOR include extending Registered Retail Merchant Certificate expiration deadlines, adjusting motor carrier requirments and increasing Hardship and Offer-In-Comprise support. We’ve also launched several debt collection, audit and legal protest relief efforts aimed at easing the financial burden many Hoosiers are now facing. These include:

• Suspending the creation of most tax filing bills, warrants, liens and collection cases.
• Suspending outbound collection call activity to focus additional resources on assisting Hoosiers with payment support and other customer-care questions.
  
• Offering payment plan agreements up to 60 months and working with Hoosiers to adjust existing payment plans.
  
• Modifying desk audit record verification requirements (including Schedule C expense verification).
  
• Extending legal protest windows an additional 60 days.
  
• Allowing the use of a valid/current Federal Power of Attorney form in lieu of Indiana’s State Power of Attorney forms.

We’re pleased to report that aside from in-person services, which were temporarily halted on March 17, all tax processing systems and processes are operating smoothly. Well before Govenor Eric Holcomb’s Stay at Home order went into effect, DOR was already fast at work transitioning staff to work from home. We’ve even shifted more than 50 Customer Service Representatives to be able to answer customer calls from their homes.

On May 26, we began appointment-only, in-person customer service operations at 11 of our district offices and Motor Carrier Services, with the Indianapolis walk-in center scheduled to open in June. Safety of both our staff and customers remains our number one priority as we reopen. Along with limiting the number of customers on site through appointments, we’re also providing hand sanitizer to employees and customers, using glass or plastic partitions at all locations, requiring DOR team members to wear masks and fully sanitizing customer areas in between each appointment. Additional information about in-person appointments is available at dor.in.gov/7141.htm.

We know COVID-19 and the extended tax season will continue to have significant impacts on CPAs. As the situation remains fluid, we’re looking for new ways to respond to these challenges and keep supporting all Hoosiers the best we can. So please reach out to us if you have questions or need assistance. Our dedicated Tax Practitioner Hotline, (317) 233-4017 or (800) 462-6320, and email, taxprac@dor.in.gov, are great resources.

We look forward to continuing to work with you and serve Hoosier taxpayers during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

For the most up to date information and to learn more about our relief efforts, visit DOR's Coronavirus Information webpage.

Watch Commissioner Grennes' COVID-19 video message for INCPAS members: