Moore's Accounting & Tax Service

11/19/2025

10/14/2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, Oct. 14, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT:
Aundreana Jones-Poole
517-930-4919

MiLEAP Announces $10M Grant to Expand Financial Aid Opportunities for Michigan High School Seniors, Boost College Access
Funds Available to Help Local Districts Adopt and Implement Universal FAFSA, Provide Extra Supports to Students and Families

LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) announced the Universal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Challenge Grant, a new initiative to support districts in adopting a local universal FAFSA policy. The $10 million grant program aims to increase FAFSA completion among Michigan high school seniors by expanding access to comprehensive supports in local schools and communities.

“Completing the FAFSA is a critical step for students seeking financial aid for college,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “Our department is committed to fostering partnerships that enable Michigan students to unlock these­ essential dollars, ensuring they have access to the financial resources needed to further their education and pave their path to prosperity.”

The Universal FAFSA Challenge Grant will be available to local school districts and public school academies that commit to incorporating FAFSA completion into their high school graduation requirements, with a simple opt out for qualifying students, including those who submit a waiver for exemption. Participating districts will be required to use their grant award to implement activities that are proven to increase FAFSA completion, ensuring students receive the supports they need through the application process.

“This grant initiative is a fantastic opportunity to help Michigan students turn their dreams of post-secondary education into reality,” said Michelle Richard, deputy director of higher education at MiLEAP. “When students fill out the FAFSA they’re not just filling out a form – they’re opening the door to vital federal and state funding opportunities, like the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the Community College Guarantee, which can significantly lower their education costs. Plus, it gives them the momentum they need to earn a college degree or skill certificate, with 90% of students who complete the FAFSA going on to enroll in college. This is their moment to shine and pursue the futures they’ve always imagined.”

Grant funds will be distributed evenly based on the number of 12th-grade students in qualifying districts. The application for the Universal FAFSA Challenge Grant will be available no later than Nov. 1, 2024, and will close on Dec. 1, 2024. Qualifying districts can expect to receive grant awards by Jan. 31, 2025.

For more information about the Universal FAFSA Challenge Grant and how to apply, visit the MiLEAP Office of Higher Education webpage here.

# # #

About MiLEAP:

Established by Governor Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from preschool to postsecondary so anyone can ‘make it in Michigan’ with a solid education and a path to a good-paying job. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.

05/28/2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2024

Contact: Ron Leix, Treasury, 517-335-2167

State Treasury Department Providing Individuals, Businesses Tax Relief due to Governor’s Emergency Declaration in Southwest Michigan
Individuals, Businesses in Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass Counties Can Request State Tax Relief
LANSING, Mich. – With Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declaring a “state of emergency” for Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties due to severe weather on May 7, the Michigan Department of Treasury is providing an opportunity for severe storm and tornado survivors to obtain tax relief.

Individual and business taxpayers who reside in the emergency area can request additional time to file state tax returns and pay state tax bills, with penalties and interest waived. These four southwest Michigan counties have been severely affected by strong winds and tornadoes, causing damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.

“Families and businesses in southwest Michigan need relief to recover from the severe storms and tornadoes,” said State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks. “Impacted individuals should not have to worry about paying a state tax bill or filing a state return – they need to focus on their recovery. If taxpayers need more time to file and pay because of the emergency, there will not be any late penalties or interest. We will get through this challenge together.”

To request relief due to this emergency, individuals unable to meet filing or payment deadlines should contact Treasury at 517-636-4486. Businesses are asked to call 517-636-6925.

In addition, affected taxpayers may write to Treasury to request emergency-related tax relief. When writing, the following must be included in the correspondence:

Name and account number of the individual or business taxpayer.
Reason for the relief request.
Taxpayer address within one emergency area or address of the tax preparer located in the emergency area.
Taxpayers should send the completed correspondence to the following address:

Michigan Department of Treasury
Attn: Emergency Tax Relief
Lansing, Michigan 48922

Some taxpayers may receive a preliminary assessment notice before a tax relief request is formally received by Treasury. Taxpayers within the emergency area who receive these notices should contact Treasury by phone to resolve.

To learn more about Michigan’s tax system, go to https://www.michigan.gov/taxes.

04/12/2023

Knox Wimberly
Admin

❗Attention Apple iPhone users❗ A new spyware named QuaDream has been discovered by Microsoft and Citizen Lab, which uses a zero-click exploit named ENDOFDAYS to infiltrate your device. The attackers have exploited a zero-day vulnerability affecting iPhones running iOS 1.4 up to 14.4.2, and they are using backdated and "invisible iCloud calendar invitations" to target high-risk individuals.
Once received, these calendar invitations are automatically added to your calendar without your knowledge, giving ENDOFDAYS a chance to run undetected by the targets. This means your device can be compromised without any interaction from you, making it all the more scary for iPhone users.
This discovery highlights how sophisticated and advanced cyberattacks have become, and it is crucial to keep your devices up-to-date and implement effective security measures to mitigate risks. As an industry, we must stay vigilant, monitor emerging threats, and remain informed about new technologies and techniques used by cybercriminals.
As a Cybersecurity Professional, I urge all iPhone users to take this threat seriously and ensure that they have the latest software updates installed and avoid opening suspicious emails or clicking on links from unknown sources. Remember, prevention is always better than cure!

08/30/2022

In case you haven’t seen. There is a scam going around where you get an email saying that you have a new recurring charge or just bought an $1100 iPhone and to call a toll free number for questions. If you call the number the person will ask to remote into your computer to “fix the erroneous charge”.

If you get an email check your accounts, don’t call. If you ever have an erroneous charge deal with it through your bank, credit union, or credit card company,

07/28/2022

IRS STATEMENT ON BALANCE DUE NOTICES (CP-14)
July 27, 2022
The IRS is aware that some payments made for 2021 tax returns have not been correctly applied to joint taxpayer accounts, and these taxpayers are receiving erroneous balance due notices (CP-14 notices) or notices showing the incorrect amount.
Who is affected: Generally, these are payments made by the spouse (second taxpayer listed) on a married filed joint return submitted through their Online Account. Some other taxpayers may also be affected outside of this group.
No immediate action or phone call needed: Taxpayers who receive a notice but paid the tax they owed in full and on time, electronically or by check, should not respond to the notice at this time. The IRS is researching the matter and will provide an update as soon as possible. Taxpayers who paid only part of the tax reported due on their 2021 joint return, should pay the remaining balance or follow instructions on the notice to enter into an installment agreement or request additional collection alternatives. Taxpayers can ensure that their payment is on their account by checking Online Account under the SSN that made the payment. Note that any assessed penalties and interest will be automatically adjusted when the payment(s) are applied correctly.
Additional information for tax professionals:
In general, when certain payments are processed, programming does not move the payment to the married filing jointly account when the payment is:
• not electronic and is made by the secondary spouse.
• electronic, is made by the secondary spouse, and posts before the joint return indictor is present to identify the primary taxpayer.
• made by the secondary spouse using the Online Account (OLA) Make a Payment functionality.
Link to IRS Announcement »

06/10/2022

IR-2022-124, June 9, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rate for the final 6 months of 2022. Taxpayers may use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and certain other purposes.

For the final 6 months of 2022, the standard mileage rate for business travel will be 62.5 cents per mile, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of the year. The new rate for deductible medical or moving expenses (available for active-duty members of the military) will be 22 cents for the remainder of 2022, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of 2022. These new rates become effective July 1, 2022. The IRS provided legal guidance on the new rates in Announcement 2022-13PDF, issued today.

In recognition of recent gasoline price increases, the IRS made this special adjustment for the final months of 2022. The IRS normally updates the mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year. For travel from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2022, taxpayers should use the rates set forth in Notice 2022-03PDF.

"The IRS is adjusting the standard mileage rates to better reflect the recent increase in fuel prices,"
said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "We are aware a number of unusual factors have come into play involving fuel costs, and we are taking this special step to help taxpayers, businesses and others who use this rate.”

While fuel costs are a significant factor in the mileage figure, other items enter into the calculation of mileage rates, such as depreciation and insurance and other fixed and variable costs.

The optional business standard mileage rate is used to compute the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business use in lieu of tracking actual costs. This rate is also used as a benchmark by the federal government and many businesses to reimburse their employees for mileage.

Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

The 14 cents per mile rate for charitable organizations remains unchanged as it is set by statute.

Midyear increases in the optional mileage rates are rare, the last time the IRS made such an increase was in 2011.

Mileage Rate Changes
Purpose Rates 1/1 through 6/30/2022 Rates 7/1 through 12/31/2022
Business 58.5 62.5
Medical/Moving 18 22
Charitable 14 14

06/08/2022

Tax Tip 2022-88: When the lemonade stand makes bank: Young entrepreneurs and taxes Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent this bulletin at 06/08/2022 10:24 AM EDT IRS Tax Tips June 8, 2022 Useful Links: IRS.gov Help For Hurricane Victims News Essentials What's Hot News Releases IRS - The Basics IRS Gui...