ECW Taxes, Inc.

02/09/2026

Don't get stung this year!

11/05/2025

10/21/2025

🛑 Don’t forget financial and tax records in your emergency preparedness plan!

As National Preparedness Month wraps up, it’s the perfect time to review how ready you are — not just with supplies, but with your financial and tax documentation. Whether you're a household or a business, these steps can make recovery smoother if disaster strikes:

📁 Digitize key documents — tax returns, payroll records, insurance policies — and store them securely in the cloud or on a USB drive.

📸 Document your valuables with photos or video. It helps with insurance claims and potential tax relief. Use IRS Publication 584 or 584-B to organize your list.

🧾 Know your disaster tax relief options. If you’re in a federally declared disaster area, you may qualify for automatic filing extensions and other relief. Visit IRS.gov and check “Around the Nation” for updates.

📞 Lost tax records? Use Get Transcript on IRS.gov or call 800-908-9946. For disaster-related questions, the IRS Disaster Hotline is 866-562-5227.

💡 Tip: Review your emergency plan annually. Ready.gov has great checklists to get started.

Preparedness starts with planning. Let’s make sure your financial foundation is ready for anything.

10/08/2025

🚨 Tax Scam Alert 🚨 The IRS has issued a warning about a surge in fraudulent tax schemes spreading across social media. These posts falsely promise big refunds using credits like the Fuel Tax Credit or Sick and Family Leave Credit—even for taxpayers who don’t qualify.

Since 2022, over 32,000 penalties have been issued, totaling more than $162 million. That’s not just a number—it’s a wake-up call.

If you’ve seen posts claiming “everyone qualifies” or encouraging you to file amended returns with little documentation, pause. These schemes can lead to denied refunds, delayed processing, and a $5,000 penalty for filing a frivolous return.

✅ What to do: • Double-check any tax advice you see online • Amend incorrect returns using Form 1040-X • Respond promptly to IRS letters • Consult a reputable tax professional (I’m here if you need help!) • Report scams to [email protected] or TIGTA

Let’s keep our returns clean and our peace of mind intact. If you’re unsure about a credit or claim, reach out—I’ll help you sort fact from fiction.

08/27/2025

Big changes regarding energy credits and deductions that are under the OBBB (One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act). Don't miss out on some that are expiring at the end of this year!

FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025 — This fact sheet provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to §§ 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D of the Internal Revenue Code.

01/20/2022

Did you receive a letter from the IRS concerning your advance child tax credits or your Recovery Rebate checks? You'll need this to prepare your taxes this year.

IR-2021-255, December 22, 2021 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it will issue information letters to Advance Child Tax Credit recipients starting in December and to recipients of the third round of the Economic Impact Payments at the end of January. Using this information when p...

01/20/2022

Did you receive a letter from the IRS? You'll need it to prepare your taxes this year.

01/20/2022

Are you self-employed or own a business? You may be eligible for a deduction on your taxes for the work you do from home. Please feel free to contact me for more details.

Tax Tip 2022-10, January 19, 2022 — The home office deduction allows qualified taxpayers to deduct certain home expenses when they file taxes. To claim the home office deduction on their 2021 tax return, taxpayers generally must exclusively and regularly use part of their home or a separate struct...

11/04/2021

MOST of these are common reasons why you may owe taxes when you file your 2021 income tax return.

If you are concerned you may not have enough withheld, please feel free to contact us. Or, you can also use this helpful tool to calculate your federal tax.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

Elizabeth Wiltberger, E.A.
ECW Taxes, Inc.
(815) 388-2596
[email protected]
www.ecwtaxes.com

11/04/2021

Year 2021...it's been a tough year and most of us are happy it's almost over. Everyone's lives have been effected by...(that terrible, horrible thing we must never mention out loud) and some important financial issues may have been put to the side. So, I'm here to remind you all to double check your federal and state withholdings. You may have had to sell some stock to pay bills, or you didn't know how to properly fill out those wacky new W-4 forms and your withholdings may be way off. Even if you THINK you should be fine, it's always best to be safe than sorry.

If you don't have a tax preparer and you prefer to do your taxes yourself, here is a useful tool to help you with your federal income taxes.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

Otherwise, contact your tax preparer and they should be able to assist you. If you don't have one, but would like one, please feel free to contact me. I'd be more than happy to help!

Elizabeth C. Wiltberger, E.A.
ECW Taxes, Inc.
(815) 388-2596
[email protected]

Check your tax withholding with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator, a tool that helps ensure you have the right amount of tax withheld from your paycheck.

08/16/2021

I got mail from the IRS, is it real? What should I do? Read some great tips to help you decide what to do next.

COVID Tax Tip 2021-119, August 16, 2021