Volume 28, Issue 4		July 2018

 

2018 Maine Tax Practitioner Institute
2018 Maine Tax Forum
(presented by SCORE Maine)

The preliminary agenda and registration materials are available online at www.scoremaine.org/tax-practitioner-institute/ and at www.scoremaine.org/maine-tax-forum/. Covered topics this year include the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The dates and locations for this year are as follows:

Tax Practitioner Institute
October 23– Augusta Civic Center
October 25 – Brewer, Jeff’s Catering
October 30 – Portland, Italian Heritage Center, 40 Westland Avenue

Maine Tax Forum
November 7 & 8 – Augusta Civic Center

What’s the difference between these programs?

The Tax Practitioner Institute (TPI) is a one-day program focused on the practical application of federal and Maine tax rules and updates in tax law. TPI is a primer for newer practitioners and a refresher for the more experienced. 

The Maine Tax Forum is a two-day program especially beneficial to experienced professionals providing tax advice to clients and assisting with more complex tax situations. Maine professionals engaged in tax, accounting and legal client service practices that are impacted by annual changes in the federal and state tax laws, will benefit from the in-depth presentations at this event.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR EMPLOYERS

New Unemployment Insurance Tax System for Maine Employers in 2018

The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) announced in June implementation of a new unemployment insurance tax system for Maine employers in 2018, also known as Phase 2 of the ReEmployME project.  See below for a copy of the Maine Department of Labor announcement and for information regarding new employer registrations with MDOL beginning in August. 

Maine Revenue Services (MRS) provides the following information on how the new tax system will affect the filing of unemployment compensation tax returns and payments with MRS:

Please visit the MDOL BUC Employer Services homepage for updates about the new ReEmployME tax system and how it will affect your business or call an Employer Services customer representative at (207) 621-5120 or toll free at (844) 754-3508.  www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/tax.shtml

Copy of announcement released by the Maine Department of Labor in June:

New Unemployment Insurance Tax System for Maine Employers in 2018

On December 6, 2017, the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL), Bureau of Unemployment Compensation (BUC) implemented the first phase of ReEmployME, a modernized replacement system for Maine’s unemployment insurance (UI) program. The first phase focused on the UI benefits claim filing and management.

The second phase of ReEmployME, Employer Services (ES) tax functionality, will begin implementation in August with Registration for new Maine employers.  The main implementation of the new system is expected in early November 2018.  Since the late ‘90’s, Maine Revenue Services (MRS) has performed some of the UI Tax business functions for MDOL BUC.  The new UI Tax system will allow MDOL BUC to resume most of those business functions and provide an improved and modernized employer on-line experience. 

One of our primary goals for ReEmployME Phase 2 is to provide Maine businesses with relevant information that may impact their business with DOL BUC.  In the weeks to come, both MRS and MDOL will be providing links to FAQs and an on-line repository of communication statements.

Please visit the MDOL BUC Employer Services homepage for updates about the new ReEmployME tax system and how it will affect your business or call an Employer Services customer representative at (207) 621-5120 or toll free at (844) 754-3508.  http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/tax.shtml

For those Employers that use a payroll processor or tax preparer, please provide them with a copy of this statement.

The Maine Department of Labor also issued the following information regarding new employer registration for the unemployment compensation tax:  Effective August 2018, new employers who register with the MDOL for the unemployment compensation tax are required to have a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) in order to obtain a Bureau of Unemployment Compensation Employer Account Number.  Employers may apply for the FEIN online with the Internal Revenue Service at: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online.