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Identity thieves now targeting businesses, IRS warns
The IRS recently reported good news about tax-related identity theft. Since 2015, the IRS has seen a decrease in identity theft of individuals. However, identity thieves are stepping up their scams ag... 401(k) loan taxable when payments missed
A loan from a 401(k) plan can be a valuable source of funds, especially when most other avenues for quick cash are unavailable. Aside for the admonition that retirement savings need to be kept for ret... IRS examiners given instructions on handling partnership audit elections
The IRS has provided interim guidance to its examiners on handling early "opt-in" elections for the new centralized partnership audit regime, for tax periods beginning after November 2, 2015, and befo... No “direct entry” allowed into less onerous offshore disclosure program
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed that the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA) bars a taxpayer from switching from the earlier Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) to the more favorable Str... Pre-game meals fully deductible as de minimis fringe
Rebuffing the IRS, the Tax Court has found that a professional sports team (reportedly, the Boston Bruins) could deduct the full cost of pre-game meals for away games. The Tax Court held that the meal... Not all penalties/interest may be suspended for disaster victims
IRS Chief Counsel has clarified that taxpayers affected by disasters, who had taxes due prior to the start of the postponement period granted for disaster relief, and who did not pay before that due d... Supreme Court upholds ERISA exemption for church-affiliated pension plans
The U.S. Supreme Court, in Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton, SCt., June 5, 2017, has held that a defined benefit (DB) plan maintained by a principal-purpose organization, one controlled by or... Chief Counsel limits reach of Mescalero in employment tax discovery
In what is likely not to be the end of the matter, IRS Chief Counsel has advised that the Tax Court decision on Mescalero, 148 TC —, No. 11, Dec. 60,867, earlier this year does not stand for the... Over- and underpayment interest rates remain same for third quarter 2017
Although the Federal Reserves’ gradual interest rate increases may eventually impact the interest rates that the IRS uses to bill underpayments and pay on overpayments, they have not yet reached... Tax Court finds lack of profit motive in auto racing business
An automobile racing enthusiast lacked an actual profit motive in running his business, the Tax Court has recently held. The taxpayer genuinely enjoyed racing but his pattern of losses as well as &ldq... Software engineer denied deductions for Executive MBA degree
Expenses for an MBA degree may or may not be deductible depending upon a taxpayer’s current employment situation. Take two close cases with opposite results:In Creigh, TC Summary Opinion 2017-26... President directs IRS to exercise discretion in enforcement of “Johnson amendment”
An Executive Order, issued on May 4, directs the IRS to exercise maximum discretion in its enforcement of the "Johnson amendment" concerning Code Sec. 501(c)(3) charitable/religious organizations. &nb... IRS updates FAQs on passport certification
In 2015, Congress added Code Sec. 7345 as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015 (FAST Act). Upon receiving certification of seriously delinquent tax debt from... No equitable relief from missing tax court deadline for innocent spouse review
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has found that the Tax Court properly dismissed for lack of jurisdiction an individual’s petition for review of the IRS’s denial of innocent spouse relie... Stock broker proves real estate professional status for rental losses
Winning real estate professional status –and the benefits gained from taking business deductions and losses from an “active” rather than “passive” business-- often depend... CBO reports on top tax incentives/expenditures
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report in mid-March about current tax incentives. Tax expenditures, CBPO explained, reduce the amount of revenue that is collected for any given set of s... IRS updates 401(k) hardship distributions exam materials
The IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division (TE/GE) has updated guidance used to determine whether a Code Sec. 401(k) plan hardship meets the safe-harbor standards set forth in applicable regu... Employee consent requirements for employer refund claims released
The IRS recently issued the employee consent requirements that an employer need to adhere to in order to support a claim for refund of overpaid taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FIC... New Offers in Compromise policy starts April 27
The IRS informed taxpayers and tax professionals of its updated policy with regards to the Offer in Compromise (OIC) application process. OIC applications received on or after March 27, 2017, will now... Tax refund offsets may be used toward unpaid debts
A taxpayer who incurs an unpaid debt may notice a reduction in his or her federal tax refund. The Treasury Offset Program is allowed to use all or part of a taxpayer’s federal refund to settle u... Passport certifications will begin in early 2017, IRS posts on website
The IRS has informed taxpayers via its website that the agency will begin, in early 2017, to remit certifications to the U.S. State Department for individuals who are seriously delinquent in paying th... Tax returns lacking ACA coverage status will not be rejected
The IRS has announced that it will continue to process individual returns that do not report the taxpayer’s health coverage status under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The IRS will accept return... Dentist persuades Tax Court of material participation in real estate business
The Tax Court determined, in Zarrinnegar v. Commissioner, TC Memo. 2017-34, that a dentist by profession, was a real estate professional, and therefore could deduct rental real estate losses. As such,... IRS confirms automatic six-month extension for C corporations
The IRS has confirmed that a new revision of the Instructions for Form 7004 correctly reflects that calendar year C corporations are eligible for an automatic six-month extension. Code Sec. 6081(a) pr... Future pension payouts not counted as asset in determining insolvency exclusion
The Tax Court, in Schieber v. Commissioner, TC Memo. 2017-32, found that the right to a continuing monthly payment state pension plan was not an asset in determining insolvency for purposes of exclusi... VA - 2016 Returns filed on extension addressed
The Virginia Department of Taxation has issued a tax bulletin explaining the impact of recent federal legislation and administrative action by the IRS on the Virginia corporate income tax filing exten... House and Senate lawmakers have started their August recess, leaving pending tax legislation for after Labor Day. In past years, September has been a busy month for tax legislation and this year is likely to be the same. Before leaving Capitol Hill, lawmakers took actions in several areas related to tax reform. House and Senate lawmakers have started their August recess, leaving pending tax legislation for after Labor Day. In past years, September has been a busy month for tax legislation and this year is likely to be the same. Before leaving Capitol Hill, lawmakers took actions in several areas related to tax reform. House action In the House, the Budget Committee approved along party lines a fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget resolution. The resolution calls for:
The budget resolution does not set out specific tax changes or include legislative language. Rather, according to GOP leaders in the House, the budget resolution will serve as the vehicle for tax legislation at a future date. House Budget Committee Chair Diane Black, R-Tennessee, predicted that tax reform will be "deficit neutral" and will "reduce tax rates and simplify the tax code." Budget Committee Ranking Member John Yarmuth, D-Kentucky, said that the resolution "adopts the worst extremes of the President's proposals by cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires at the expense of everyone else." Administration discussions Since May, White House and Treasury Department officials have been meeting with business leaders, representatives of business and taxpayer groups, and other stakeholders in "listening sessions" about changes to the tax code. In July, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, after meeting with representatives from the agriculture sector, predicted that tax reform "would be done this year." Mnuchin said that "tax reform is one of our most important areas of focus.” Bipartisan bills Meanwhile, some stand-along tax bills have either passed committee or have been introduced. In July, the House Ways and Means Committee approved bipartisan legislation to overhaul the IRS's forfeiture authority. The Clyde-Hirsch-Sowers RESPECT Bill (HR 1843) was sponsored by Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee Chair Peter Roskam, R-Illinois, and Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, D-New York. The RESPECT Act generally prohibits the IRS from seizing funds relating to a structuring transaction unless the property to be seized is from an illegal source. In the Senate, the Senate Finance Committee may take up a bipartisan bill to encourage retirement savings by enhancing growth of S corporations owned by employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). The Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Bill was introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, and Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas. The lawmakers explained that their bill would amend the tax code to eliminate barriers that business owners face in establishing or expanding S corporation ESOPs. Similar bipartisan legislation is pending in the House. Other pending tax bills include:
Treasury tax position The Treasury Department's top tax professional is the assistant secretary for tax policy. That position has been vacant since January 20. In July, the Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved President Trump’s nomination of David Kautter to serve as Treasury assistant secretary for tax policy. "This position is particularly important in the current environment as the administration is engaging with Congress on comprehensive tax reform," SFC Chair Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said. Ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said "it’s my hope that Mr. Kautter can help to bring Democrats and Republicans together." Kautter has worked at several major accounting firms over the past 30 years. Please contact our office if you have any questions about tax legislation. The IRS remains focused on an issue that doesn’t seem to be going away: the misclassification of workers as independent contractors rather than employees. Recently, the IRS issued still another fact sheet “reminding” employers about the importance of correctly classifying workers for purposes of federal employment taxes (FS-2017-9). Generally, employers must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay social security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to employees. They are lifted of these obligations entirely for independent contractors, with usually the only IRS-related responsibility being information reporting on amounts of $600 or more paid to a contractor. The IRS remains focused on an issue that doesn’t seem to be going away: the misclassification of workers as independent contractors rather than employees. Recently, the IRS issued still another fact sheet “reminding” employers about the importance of correctly classifying workers for purposes of federal employment taxes (FS-2017-9). Generally, employers must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay social security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to employees. They are lifted of these obligations entirely for independent contractors, with usually the only IRS-related responsibility being information reporting on amounts of $600 or more paid to a contractor. Weighing the factors Whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor depends on a number of considerations that fall into three categories: behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship between the worker and the service recipient. Within these categories, the IRS has identified 20 factors that can be used to determine whether an individual is an independent contractor or effectively an "employee." The determination of independent contractor versus employee status is based on all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the relationship. None of the identified factors is determinative. In addition, not all factors are present in all employee or independent contractor relationships. Frequently, the relationship of a worker is clear cut using these factors; but sometimes a worker can fall into a gray area. The Form SS-8 route An employer who is unsure of how to classify its workers can file a Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding. There is no fee for requesting a worker classification determination. Because worker classification has become such a “hot” audit trigger, many employers opt for the Form SS-8 route, particularly because penalties on top of back employment taxes can result from a classification misstep. Other relief After emphasizing in its latest Fact Sheet that employee misclassification as independent contractors exposes the employer to employment tax liability, the IRS also highlighted two ways to escape or ameliorate liability, even for an after-the-fact classification: “Section 530 relief” and relief under the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program. Section 530 relief: An employer that has a reasonable basis for classifying its workers as independent contractors may be entitled to special relief under section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978. "Section 530 relief" protects taxpayers who have consistently treated workers as independent contractors and have a reasonable basis for doing so. The rule covers workers who are common law employees, but it does not cover certain third-party-arranged technical service workers. A reasonable basis for classification for purposes of Section 530 relief generally includes an employer's treatment of the individual based on any of the following:
Voluntary Classification Settlement Program. Entry into the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VSCP) can provide an opportunity to reclassify workers as employees for future tax periods, with partial relief from federal employment taxes. Under the program, the employer:
Under the VCSP, an employer may reclassify some or all of their workers. Once reclassified, all workers in the same class must be treated as employees for employment tax purposes. Worker initiative The IRS also makes it clear in its latest Fact Sheet on employee misclassification that action on its part may take place not only based on an employer-based initiative; workers can also have indirect input on whether an audit will take place. “Workers who believe an employer improperly classified them as independent contractors may use Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages, to figure and report the employee’s share of uncollected social security and Medicare taxes,” the IRS Fact Sheet concludes. If you have any concerns surrounding possible worker misclassification within your business, please feel free to contact this office for a more targeted discussion. A recent Tax Court decision and pending tax reform proposals have intersected in highlighting how stock sales can be timed for maximum tax advantage. The taxpayer in the recent case (Turan, TC Memo. 2017-141) failed to convince the Tax Court that he timely made an election with his broker to use the last-in-first-out (LIFO) method to set his cost-per-share cost basis for determining capital gains and losses on his stock trades on shares of the same company. As a result, he was required to calculate the capital gain or loss on his stock trades using the firm’s first-in-first-out (FIFO) “default” method, which, in his case, yielded a significant increase in tax liability for the year. A recent Tax Court decision and pending tax reform proposals have intersected in highlighting how stock sales can be timed for maximum tax advantage. The taxpayer in the recent case (Turan, TC Memo. 2017-141) failed to convince the Tax Court that he timely made an election with his broker to use the last-in-first-out (LIFO) method to set his cost-per-share cost basis for determining capital gains and losses on his stock trades on shares of the same company. As a result, he was required to calculate the capital gain or loss on his stock trades using the firm’s first-in-first-out (FIFO) “default” method, which, in his case, yielded a significant increase in tax liability for the year. Timing stock trades to maximize the tax advantage of long- and short-term capital gains and losses has always made sense, particularly as a year-end planning technique. This year, tax reform may make such strategies considerably more lucrative. If tax rates are suddenly set lower, either retroactively for this year or, more probably, starting January 1, 2018, managing stock basis becomes more significant. As a result, investors should consider carefully whether they may be better off tax-wise to give their brokers specific instructions in certain cases not to use the default FIFO method when selling certain holdings of the same company purchased at different times. General FIFO rule If a taxpayer purchases identical shares of stock at different prices or on different dates and then sells only part of the stock, the basis and holding period of the shares sold are determined on a FIFO basis unless the specific shares sold are adequately identified. The date of acquisition for purposes of the FIFO rule is determined by reference to the holding period of the securities for capital gain or loss purposes, including any prior holding period that has been tacked on. Comment. Securities in a margin or other account with a broker are considered sold in the order in which they were purchased, not the order in which they were placed in the account. The FIFO rule is applied by allocating the earliest lots acquired to the securities sold rather than to the securities removed from the brokerage account but still owned. Alternate identification When the securities to be sold are specifically identifiable, FIFO does not apply for purposes of allocating basis. The identity of securities sold or otherwise transferred generally is determined by the certificates actually delivered to the transferee. Planning Tip: Thus, taxpayers who have records showing the cost and holding period of securities represented by separate certificates can control the amount of gain or loss realized by selecting the certificates to be transferred. A standing order or instruction to a broker is treated as adequate identification. The instructions need not be in writing. Sufficient instruction to a broker or other agent of the particular securities to be sold or transferred does not require designation by certificate number; any designation that specifically identifies the securities to be transferred is adequate. Orders to sell the highest priced shares, shares with the highest cost basis, or the shares purchased at a certain price or on a specific date have been ruled acceptable. Broker reporting A broker is required to report the customer’s basis in securities sold, classifying the gain as short or long term. Identification of the securities is made at the time of sale, transfer, delivery, or distribution. Clarifying instructions before the sale takes place, or immediately thereafter, is important since a broker is obligated to report to the IRS on Form 1099-B. Once the report is sent to the IRS, changing basis is more likely to raise a red flag with the IRS. Please contact this office if you need to discuss a strategy of tax selling that is more specific to your portfolio and Congress’s plans for tax reform. Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting is part of a larger initiative by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) known as the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. CbC reporting generally impacts large multi-national businesses. Because CbC is part of BEPS it is important to be familiar with the core concepts. Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting is part of a larger initiative by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) known as the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. CbC reporting generally impacts large multi-national businesses. Because CbC is part of BEPS it is important to be familiar with the core concepts. BEPS The BEPS project is designed to curb tax avoidance. "No single rule or provision is the root cause of base erosion," the OECD has explained. "It is the interplay among different rules that generate base erosion and profit shifting: domestic laws and rules, international standards, and the lack of data and information." As part of BEPS, the OECD recommended that jurisdictions adopt CbC reporting by multinational groups to report their business activity for each country where they operate. The U.S. has signed on. IRS regulations The IRS issued regulations last year. The "ultimate parent entity" of a multinational entity (MNE) generally must file a CbC report with the IRS. The MNE group must include at least one business entity organized in, or be a tax resident of, a jurisdiction outside the U.S., and must have revenues of $850 million or more for its preceding annual accounting period. Special form The IRS is developing a special form for CbC reporting. This is Form 8975, Country-by-Country Report. Currently, Form 8975 is in draft form. Form 8975 is to be used to report a U.S. multinational entity (MNE) group’s income, taxes paid, and other indicators of economic activity on a country-by-country basis. The reporting period covered by Form 8975 is the period of the ultimate parent’s annual applicable financial statement that ends with or within the parent’s tax year, or, if the parent does not prepare an annual applicable financial statement, the ultimate parent’s tax year. The IRS generally will make the reports available to tax authorities. However, there will be limits on disclosure. The IRS has explained that the data captured by Form 8975 will be used for "high-level assessment of transfer pricing, and other base erosion and profit shifting tax risks, and for economic and statistical analysis." Filing period Beginning on September 1, 2017, Form 8975 may be filed for a reporting period with the income tax return for the tax year of the ultimate parent of the U.S. MNE with or within which the reporting period ends. In Revenue Procedure 2017-23, the IRS allowed U.S. ultimate parents to file Form 8975 for periods beginning after January 1, 2016, and prior to the required reporting period. Other developments Recently, a group of lawmakers in Congress asked the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to look at country-by-country reporting. The lawmakers recommended that FASB "require multinational corporations to disclose their income, assets, number of employees, and taxes paid on an annual, country-by-country basis.” If you have any questions about CbC reporting, please contact our office. An eligible taxpayer can deduct qualified interest on a qualified student loan for an eligible student's qualified educational expenses at an eligible institution. The amount of the deduction is limited, and it is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds certain thresholds. An eligible taxpayer can deduct qualified interest on a qualified student loan for an eligible student's qualified educational expenses at an eligible institution. The amount of the deduction is limited, and it is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds certain thresholds. The maximum deduction allowed for educational loan interest is $2,500. This amount is not adjusted for inflation. For tax years beginning in 2017, the $2,500 maximum deduction for interest paid on qualified education loans is reduced when modified adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $65,000 ($135,000 for joint returns), and is completely eliminated when modified AGI reaches $80,000 ($165,000 for joint returns). Planning tip: Some taxpayers may choose to take out a home equity loan to pay off their student debt. Use of a home-equity loan of up to $100,000 principal is allowed for purposes other than home improvement or purchase. Interest up to that amount is fully deduction, as an itemized mortgage interest deduction. Student loan interest is an “above-the-line” deduction; the taxpayer need not itemize. Eligible student. An eligible student for purposes of eligible debt is a student enrolled in a college degree, certificate or other program, including a program of study abroad approved for credit at an institution of higher learning where the student is enrolled, and leading to a recognized educational credential at an eligible educational institution. The student must also carry at least one half of the normal full-time workload for the course of study being pursued during at least one academic period beginning during the tax year. Student loan interest is not deductible if a dependency exemption is allowed for the taxpayer on someone else's return. Thus, if parents take a dependency exemption for a student who is the only person legally obligated to pay interest on a qualified loan, neither the parents nor the student is entitled to deduct any interest paid by the student during the time he is claimed as a dependent. A student may deduct interest paid in years after the student has ceased to be a dependent. Legal obligation. The taxpayer claiming the deduction must be legally obligated to make the interest payments. Thus, a parent who had signed for the student loan and is liable personally for its payment may deduct interest paid on the loan. If a third party who is not legally obligated makes an interest payment on behalf of a taxpayer who is legally obligated, the taxpayer is treated as receiving the payment from the third party and using it to pay the interest. For instance, if an employer makes an interest payment on behalf of the employee, and the payment is included in the employee's income as compensation, the employee can deduct the payment. Similarly, if a parent pays interest on behalf of a non-dependent borrower, the borrower may deduct the interest. As an individual or business, it is your responsibility to be aware of and to meet your tax filing/reporting deadlines. This calendar summarizes important tax reporting and filing data for individuals, businesses and other taxpayers for the month of August 2017. As an individual or business, it is your responsibility to be aware of and to meet your tax filing/reporting deadlines. This calendar summarizes important tax reporting and filing data for individuals, businesses and other taxpayers for the month of August 2017. August 2 August 4 August 9 August 10 Social security, Medicare, and withheld income tax. File Form 941 for the second quarter of 2017. This due date applies only if you deposited the tax for the quarter timely, properly, and in full. August 11 August 15 August 16 August 18 August 23 August 25 August 30 September 1 A business can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred in carrying on any trade or business. The expense must be reasonable and must be helpful to the business.
A business can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred in carrying on any trade or business. The expense must be reasonable and must be helpful to the business. Gifts to a business client, customer or contact can be deductible business expenses. However, the maximum deduction for gifts to any individual is $25 per year (Code Sec. 274(b)). A gift is any item that is excluded from income under Code Sec. 102. Gifts that cost $4.00 or less, as well as promotional items, are not subject to the $25 limitation. Gifts by individuals to co-workers are normally considered nondeductible personal expenses. However, employee achievement awards ($400 limit) and qualified plan awards are not subject to the $25 limitation. Substantiation Taxpayers must be able to substantiate certain business expenses by adequate records or sufficient evidence to take them as a deduction. Substantiation is required for business gifts, as well as traveling, lodging and entertainment expenses, because they are considered more susceptible to abuse (Tax Code Sec. 274(d)). For business gifts, IRS regulations require that taxpayers substantiate the following elements of the gift: - Amount (the cost to the taxpayer); The IRS provides substantiation rules in Treasury Reg. 1.274-5T(c). The taxpayer must maintain and produce, on request, "adequate records" or "sufficient evidence" that corroborate the taxpayer's own statement. Written evidence has "considerably more probative value" than oral evidence alone. While a contemporaneous log is not required, written evidence is more effective the closer in time it relates to the expense. Support by sufficient documentary evidence is highly credible. Adequate records Adequate records include an account book, diary, log, statement of expenses or similar records, as well as documentary evidence, which in combination establish each element of the expense. However, it is not necessary to record information that duplicates information on a receipt. The record should be prepared at or near the time of the expenditure, when the taxpayer has full present knowledge of each element. A statement, such as a weekly log, submitted by an employee to his employer in the regular course of good business practice is considered an adequate record. An adequate record of business purpose generally requires a written statement of business purpose. However, the degree of substantiation will vary depending on the facts and circumstances. Sufficient evidence A taxpayer that does not have adequate records may establish an element by other sufficient evidence, such as the taxpayer's written or oral statement with specific, detailed information, and other corroborative evidence. A description of a gift shall be direct evidence, such as a detailed statement by the recipient or documentary evidence otherwise required as an adequate record. If the taxpayer loses records through circumstances beyond the taxpayer's control, the taxpayer may substantiate the deduction by reasonably reconstructing his expenditures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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