We Have Been Waiting For This!

The IRS has released IRS Notice 2015-13, which provides transition relief given the late retroactive renewal of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program in December 2014. Notice 2015-13 waves the 28-day deadline for submitting IRS Form 8850 (the WOTC Pre-screen Notice) for qualifying employees hired in 2014.  The extended deadline for submitting the applications for affected employees is now April 30, 2015.

From the Notice:

 

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On June 5, 2014, Senators Wyden and Hatch of the Senate Finance Committee announced three hearings for the summer on comprehensive tax reform. The topics:

June – Education incentives

July – (1) Identity theft and taxpayer privacy protection (2) Modernizing corporate taxation

They also mention:

• Simplification
• Promoting economic prosperity
• Innovative ways to fix the depleted Highway Trust Fund Read More

One of the fifty seven federal tax provisions that expired at the end of 2013 was 50% bonus depreciation. That has been a temporary provision for several years, primarily aimed at helping economic recovery. It’s also been a generous provision (it was even 100% for a few years). With 50% bonus depreciation, a business claims depreciation on new equipment in the year it is placed in service equal to 50% of the cost plus normal depreciation on the balance. If the company was also eligible for Section 179 expensing, it would first claim $500,000 and then take 50% of the balance and then normal depreciation on the balance.

Temporary tax provisions are often renewed well after they expire. These temporary provisions all “cost” money because they result in reduced tax collections. To be extended in a revenue neutral bill, Congress has to find “offsets” – other tax increases or spending cuts. Read More