Internal Revenue Service Notice

16 Oct 2019

IRS Selects Nine New Members For The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee

The Internal Revenue Service has selected nine new members for the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC).

Established in 1998, the ETAAC is a public forum for the discussion of issues in electronic tax administration. Its aim is to prevent identity theft and refund fraud in support of paperless filing of tax and information returns. ETAAC members work closely with the Security Summit, a joint effort of the IRS, state tax administrators and the nation’s tax industry to fight identity theft and refund fraud.

Committee members include state tax officials, consumer advocates, cybersecurity and information security specialists, tax preparers, tax software developers and representatives of the payroll and financial communities.

The following individuals have been appointed to serve three-year terms on the committee beginning in September 2019:

Written by IRS | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice • TaxConnections

23 Aug 2019

New IRS Email Impersonation Scam – IRS Does Not Send Unsolicited Emails To Taxpayers Or Send Status Of Tax Refunds

The Internal Revenue Service and its Security Summit partners today warned taxpayers and tax professionals about a new IRS impersonation scam campaign spreading nationally on email. Remember: the IRS does not send unsolicited emails and never emails taxpayers about the status of refunds.

The IRS this week detected this new scam as taxpayers began notifying phishing@irs.gov about unsolicited emails from IRS imposters. The email subject line may vary, but recent examples use the phrase “Automatic Income Tax Reminder” or “Electronic Tax Return Reminder.”

The emails have links that show an IRS.gov-like website with details pretending to be about the taxpayer’s refund, electronic return or tax account. The emails contain a “temporary password” or “one-time password” to “access” the files to submit the refund. But when taxpayers try to access these, it turns out to be a malicious file.

Written by Kat Jennings | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice • TaxConnections

19 Jun 2019

Certain Taxpayers Might Get A Letter From The IRS This Year – Here Is What They Should Know

Certain taxpayers might get a letter from the IRS this year. It’s called an IRS Notice CP 2000. It gives detailed information about issues the IRS identified. The IRS sends this notice when information from a third party doesn’t match the information the taxpayer reported on their tax return. The notice also provides steps taxpayers should take to resolve those issues.

Here is some information about these notices to help taxpayers understand why they got one and what to do when it arrives:

The IRS sends a notice to the taxpayer when a tax return’s information doesn’t match data reported to the IRS by banks and other third parties. Read More

Written by IRS | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice • IRS Notice CP 2000

21 May 2019

IRS Releases Data Book For 2018 Showing Range Of Tax Data Including Audits, Collection Actions And Taxpayer Service

The Internal Revenue Service today released the 2018 IRS Data Book, a snapshot of agency activities for the fiscal year.

The 2018 IRS Data Book describes activities conducted by the IRS from Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2018, and includes information about tax returns, refunds, examinations and appeals. The annual publication is illustrated with charts showing changes in IRS enforcement activities, taxpayer assistance levels, tax-exempt activities, legal support workload and IRS budget and workforce levels when compared to fiscal year 2017 and prior years. Included this year is a section on taxpayer attitudes from a long-running opinion survey.

Written by IRS | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice • TaxConnections

17 May 2019

LB&I Announces Large Corporate Compliance Program

The Internal Revenue Service announced a key advancement in how it identifies its biggest and most complex large corporations.
On May 15, the IRS’s Large Business and International Division (LB&I) began a new application of data analytics for determining the population of its largest and most complex corporate taxpayers. This new Large Corporate Compliance (LCC) program replaces the Coordinated Industry Case (CIC) program and covers compliance oversight for LB&I’s largest corporate taxpayers. LCC is one of LB&I’s portfolio of compliance programs.

LCC employs automatic application of the large case pointing criteria to determine the LCC population. For example, pointing criteria include such items as gross assets and gross receipts. In the past, this was done on a manual, localized basis. Automated pointing allows a more objective determination of the taxpayers that should be part of the population.

Written by IRS | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice

29 Mar 2019

IRS Tax Reform Changes: Accounting Methods

Accounting Methods

Small businesses. The new tax law allows small business taxpayers with average annual gross receipts of $25 million or less in the prior three-year period to use the cash method of accounting. The law expands the number of small business taxpayers eligible to use the cash method of accounting and exempts these small businesses from certain accounting rules for inventories, cost capitalization and long-term contracts. As a result, more small business taxpayers can change to the cash method of accounting starting after Dec. 31, 2017.

S corporation to C corporation. An eligible terminated S corporation that needs to change from the overall cash method to an overall accrual method of accounting for its first year as a C corporation (due to revocation of S corporation election) must use a six-year adjustment period, per IRC Section 481(a). See Revenue Procedure 2018-44 for details.

Written by TaxConnections Admin | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice

28 Mar 2019

IRS Tax Reform Changes: Like-Kind Exchanges And Real Estate

Like-kind exchanges — when you exchange real property used for business or held as an investment solely for other business or investment property that is the same type or “like-kind” — have long been permitted under the Internal Revenue Code. Generally, if you make a like-kind exchange, you are not required to recognize a gain or loss under Internal Revenue Code Section 1031. If, as part of the exchange, you also receive other (not like-kind) property or money, you must recognize a gain to the extent of the other property and money received. You can’t recognize a loss.

Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Section 1031 now applies only to exchanges of real property and not to exchanges of personal or intangible property. An exchange of real property held primarily for sale still does not qualify as a like-kind exchange. A transition rule in the new law provides that Section 1031 applies to a qualifying exchange of personal or intangible property if the taxpayer disposed of the exchanged property on or before December 31, 2017, or received replacement property on or before that date.

Written by IRS | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice • TaxConnections

12 Mar 2019

Earned Income Tax Credit And Child Tax Credit – What Changed

Are you planning on claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Child Tax Credit (CTC) on your federal tax return this year? If yes, then you should know some things have changed since last year.

Child Tax Credit

The first thing you need to be aware of is that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the requirement for claiming the CTC. Eligible children must have a Social Security Number (SSN) that is valid for employment. If you have a newborn or other child for whom you do not have a SSN yet, you may want to visit your local Social Security office or apply online soon and get one before you have to file.

Earned Income Tax Credit

Under the EITC, eligible families with three or more qualifying children could get a maximum credit of up to $6,431. EITC for people without children could mean up to $519 added to their tax refund.

All workers who earned around $54,000 or less should learn about EITC eligibility and use the EITC Assistant to find out if they qualify before filing. The Assistant will help determine your filing status, if you have a qualifying child or children, if you qualify to receive the EITC, and estimate the amount of the credit you could get. If you don’t qualify, the Assistant explains why.

Written by TaxConnections Admin | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice

28 Jan 2019

During The IRS Shutdown: Interest Continued To Accrue For Taxpayers

The United States Tax Court’s website (www.ustaxcourt.gov) announced that the Tax Court shut down operations on Friday, December 28, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. and will remain closed until further notice. The IRS reminds taxpayers and tax professionals the Tax Court website is the best place to get information about a pending case.

There are some important points for taxpayers and tax professionals to keep in mind. These are some questions and answers to help during the current appropriations lapse.

Q: What should I do if a document I mailed or sent to the Tax Court was returned to me?

A: The Tax Court website indicates that mail sent to the court through the U.S. Postal Service or through designated private delivery services may have been returned undelivered. If a document you sent to the Tax Court was returned to you, as the Tax Court website indicates, re-mail or re-send the document to the Court with a copy of the envelope or container (with the postmark or proof of mailing date) in which it was first mailed or sent. In addition, please retain the original.

Written by IRS | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice

15 Jan 2019

IRS Rules Regarding Retirement Plans And Loans

Can A Loan Be Taken From An IRA?

Loans are not permitted from IRAs or from IRA-based plans such as SEPs, SARSEPs and SIMPLE IRA plans. Loans are only possible from qualified plans that satisfy the requirements of 401(a), from annuity plans that satisfy the requirements of 403(a) or 403(b), and from governmental plans. (IRC Section 72(p)(4); Reg. Section 1.72(p)-1, Q&A-2)

What Happens If A Loan Is Taken From An IRA?

If the owner of an IRA borrows from the IRA, the IRA is no longer an IRA, and the value of the entire IRA is included in the owner’s income. (IRC Sections 408(e)(2) and (3))

If the owner of an IRA pledges part of the IRA as collateral, the part of the IRA that is pledged is treated as distributed. (IRC Section 408(e)(4))

Under What Circumstances Can A Loan Be Taken From A Qualified Plan?

A qualified plan may, but is not required to provide for loans. If a plan provides for loans, the plan may limit the amount that can be taken as a loan. The maximum amount that the plan can permit as a loan is (1) the greater of $10,000 or 50% of your vested account balance, or (2) $50,000, whichever is less.

Written by TaxConnections Admin | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice

08 Jan 2019

IRS Confirms Tax Filing Season To Begin January 28, 2019

Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019 and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled.

“We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.

Congress directed the payment of all tax refunds through a permanent, indefinite appropriation (31 U.S.C. 1324), and the IRS has consistently been of the view that it has authority to pay refunds despite a lapse in annual appropriations. Although in 2011 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the IRS not to pay refunds during a lapse, OMB has reviewed the relevant law at Treasury’s request and concluded that IRS may pay tax refunds during a lapse.

Written by IRS | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice

28 Nov 2018

Get Ready For Taxes: Tax Reform Changes Likely To Reduce Number Of Taxpayers Who Itemize

The Internal Revenue Service advised taxpayers that the doubling of the standard deduction due to tax law changes is likely to reduce the number of taxpayers who normally itemize.

This is the sixth in a series of reminders to help taxpayers Get Ready for the upcoming tax filing season. The IRS has recently updated its Get Ready page with steps to take now for the 2019 tax filing season.

In previous years, about one out of three taxpayers itemized. The IRS expects that number to be less for tax year 2018. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed in December 2017, significantly affects deductions in several ways, impacting those taxpayers who normally itemize.

Written by TaxConnections Admin | Posted in Internal Revenue Service Notice