2016 Tax Law Changes

A summary of the 2016 Maine tax law changes is now available on the Maine Revenue Services website at www.maine.gov/revenue (click on “2016 Legislative Changes”). View this link to see the latest changes, including Income Tax, Estate Tax, Sales Tax, and Property Tax legislation.

 

Internal Revenue Service
Update on Fraud, Identity Theft, and Phishing

The IRS recently issued a press release titled IRS, Partners Warn Tax Preparers of Data Theft Risks; Launch New Campaign to Increase Awareness. View the release at https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs-and-partners-warn-tax-preparers-of-data-theft-risks-and-launch-new-campaign-to-increase-awareness.

 

Maine Revenue Services Announces Staff Changes

Maine Revenue Services is pleased to announce the following staff changes:

Sara Lewis has been selected as the new Director of the Sales, Fuel, and Special Tax Division effective July 1, 2016.  Ms. Lewis is a graduate of the University of Maine, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.  She is also licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Maine. 

Sara has been with MRS for 24 years, starting as a Revenue Agent in the Audit Division performing audits of businesses and individuals for Maine sales, use, income and withholding taxes. She transferred to the Criminal Unit, first as a Senior Revenue Agent and then as a Tax Enforcement Officer, performing criminal and civil audit investigations. For the past 12 years, she has been working as a Deputy Director within the Sales, Fuel, and Special Tax Division.  During that time, she held audit and administrative responsibilities. 

Kari Williams and Leslie Flores have been appointed as Deputy Directors of the Compliance Division effective July 1, 2016.  

Kari Williams is a graduate of Thomas College, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Kari has been with MRS for 19 years, all her time devoted to the Compliance Division. Kari started as a Tax Examiner in the Collections Unit in 1997 working to bring businesses into tax compliance. She soon moved into a technical systems role, assisting in identifying and resolving system related issues. In 2000, Kari promoted into a supervisory role in the Collections Unit as a Senior Tax Examiner. In 2012, she became a Tax Section Manager, overseeing the Collections Unit and later adding the responsibility of overseeing the Administrative Unit.

Leslie Flores has a Bachelor’s degree from Thomas College and has worked for Maine Revenue Services for 15 years. Prior to her State service, Leslie worked in the private sector as an Assistant Controller for a beverage distributor and as a department manager for a supermarket. She started at MRS in 2001 assigned to the Tax Compliance Unit. In 2003, Leslie promoted to a Revenue Agent and then to Senior Revenue Agent in the Audit Division. She served as a Senior Tax Examiner in the Special Enforcement Unit beginning in 2007, supervising the Unit’s levy and professional license section, and for the last two years has been a Tax Section Manager overseeing the Compliance Division’s levy, litigation and the field enforcement sections.

 

Department	Telephone Numbers	FAX Numbers	Email Addresses
Taxpayer Service Center	(207) 626-8475	(207) 287-5855
Central Registration	(207) 624-5644	(207) 287-6975	taxregistration@maine.gov
Collections & Compliance	(207) 624-9595	(207) 287-6627	compliance.tax@maine.gov
Corporate Tax	(207) 624-9670	(207) 624-9694	corporate.tax@maine.gov
E-file Help Desk (1040 ONLY)	(207) 624-9730	(207) 287-6628	efile.helpdesk@maine.gov
Electronic Funds Transfer	(207) 624-5625	(207) 287-3618	efunds.transfer@maine.gov
Estate & Fiduciary Income Tax	(207) 626-8480	(207) 624-9694	estatetax@maine.gov
Fuel Tax	(207) 624-9609	(207) 287-6628	fuel.tax@maine.gov
Forms Request Line	(207) 624-7894
Individual Income Tax Assistance	(207) 626-8475	(207) 624-9694	income.tax@maine.gov
Insurance Premium Tax	(207) 624-9753	(207) 624-9694
Payment Plan/Income Tax	(207) 621-4300	(207) 621-4328	compliance.tax@maine.gov
Payment Plan/Other	(207) 624-9595	(207) 287-6627	compliance.tax@maine.gov
Practitioners’ Hotline	(207) 626-8458	(207) 624-9694
Property Tax	(207) 624-5600	(207) 287-6396	prop.tax@maine.gov
Sales Tax	(207) 624-9693	(207) 287-6628	sales.tax@maine.gov
Tax Clearance Letters	(207) 624-9628	(207) 287-6627
Office of Tax Policy	(207) 624-9789	(207) 287-3618
Taxpayer Advocate	(207) 624-9649	(207) 287-3618	taxpayer.advocate@maine.gov
Withholding Tax	(207) 626-8475	(207) 624-9694	withholding.tax@maine.gov
Tax Violations Hot Line	(207) 624-9600

This publication is designed to keep taxpayers, tax practitioners and the general public informed of developments, problems, questions and matters of general interest concerning Maine tax law, policy and procedure. The articles in this newsletter are not designed to address complex issues in detail, and they are not a substitute for Maine tax laws and/or regulations.
Suggestions for the Tax Alert? Please contact:: Maine Revenue Services PO Box 1060 Augusta, Maine 04332-1060