The AICPA has added its voice to those calling on Congress to repeal a law that would require federal, state and local governments to withhold 3% on payments made to government contractors, and on Medicare, farm, and certain other payments. The potential impact of the withholding requirement is evident in
Business tax
2011 Automobile Depreciation Limits Released
The IRS on Tuesday issued the 2011 inflation adjustments to the depreciation limitations and lease inclusion amounts for certain automobiles under IRC § 280F (Revenue Procedure 2011-21). This year, the IRS has provided the limitation amounts for vehicles placed in service in 2011 for which bonus depreciation under IRC §
Line Items
DEFYING COURTS, IRS FINALIZES BASIS OVERSTATEMENT RULES The IRS released final regulations defining an omission from gross income for purposes of the extended six-year limitations period for assessment of tax (TD 9511). The regulations finalize without change temporary regulations (TD 9466) that the Tax Court held to be invalid last
Motor Fuel Tax Refund for Off-Road Use
Many taxpayers may be overlooking the refund or credit available under IRC § 6421 for federal excise taxes paid for motor fuels and similar state provisions. The taxes are on fuels used to power vehicles and equipment on roads and highways. Taxes paid for fuel to power vehicles and equipment
Act 2 for Business Tax Incentives
Enacted in the waning days of the 111th Congress, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (2010 Tax Relief Act, PL 111-312) was a creature of political compromise. But the act nonetheless built upon already attractive incentives that had been passed only a few months
IRS Announces Changes to Lien Process
The IRS has announced a set of new policies designed to help taxpayers pay their back taxes and avoid liens (IR-2011-20). The changes to the IRS’ lien filing practices include: Increasing the dollar threshold above which liens are generally filed. Making lien withdrawals easier after the taxes have been paid.
IRS Provides Transitional Relief for Some Stock Basis Reporting Requirements
On Tuesday, the IRS provided transitional relief from the information reporting requirements that apply to issuers of stock regarding organizational actions that affect stock basis (Notice 2011-18). IRC § 6045B, enacted by the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, PL 110-343, instituted a number of new information reporting requirements
House Committee Sends 1099 Repeal to the Floor; Senate Passes Its Own Version of Repeal
The House Ways and Means Committee approved a bill Thursday that would repeal the expanded Form 1099 reporting requirements, voting 21–15 to send the measure to the full House of Representatives. Late on Thursday, the Senate passed the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act (S 223) by a
IRS Starts Accepting Delayed Returns
The IRS on Tuesday announced that it has started accepting returns that it could not accept before because it was updating forms and reprogramming its systems (IR-2011-16). In December, the IRS informed taxpayers that because of the Dec. 17 enactment date of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job
President Proposes 3-Year AMT Patch, Partial Relief on 1099s, Crackdown on Misclassification
President Barack Obama released his proposed budget for fiscal 2012 that would make several tax credits permanent, including the research and experimentation credit, and provide three more years of AMT relief, but would repeal or limit several other tax breaks. The budget would also set aside $240 million for initiatives
IRS Revises Withholding Rules for Nonresident Alien Employees
On Wednesday, the IRS announced the 2011 procedures for withholding on wages of nonresident alien employees who work in the United States (Notice 2011-12). The new procedures apply to wages paid on or after Jan. 1, 2011. In 2010, special withholding procedures were instituted for nonresident aliens because they were
Partnership Interests Aren’t Simple Gifts for Charities
Partnership interests (including interests in limited liability entities treated as a partnership) represent a potentially valuable gift to charities and private foundations, but with greater potential complications than gifts of stock. CPAs can alert principals to the following issues. —By Dennis Walsh, CPA, (nonprofitcpa365@gmail.com) a Jamestown, N.C.-based consultant to
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NEW FORM 1099 REQUIREMENT FOR RENTAL INCOME Taxpayers receiving income from renting real estate should be aware of their new information-reporting responsibilities under IRC § 6041(h)(1), as amended by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (PL 111-240). The law requires them to report payments they make totaling $600 or
Multistate Tax Considerations for S Corporations
Many S corporations do business in multiple states and must file income or other tax returns in them. Many states have been more aggressive in going after out-of-state companies doing business in their states. Many of these businesses do not realize they have an exposure to a state’s taxes until
Some Forbearance Payments Deductible, Some Not
The Tax Court held that a corporation could deduct forbearance payments made to its shareholders in return for their promise not to exercise their stock redemption rights under the first two of several agreements. However, the court also held that payments under a subsequent agreement had to be capitalized, since
Save Time and Trouble With General Asset Accounts
Small and medium-size entrepreneurial businesses are sometimes blessed with a good idea but many similar or identical capital assets and not much time or accounting prowess to keep track of them all individually. Larger businesses may seek more efficient tax treatment for standard capital assets, such as laptop computers issued
New 1099 Rules: President’s Speech Offers Hope for Some Relief; Exceptions for Rental Income Reporting Remain Vague
For small businesses that were dreading the thought of having to produce a Form 1099 for every payee to which they paid at least $600, President Barack Obama offered the prospect of relief in his State of the Union speech Jan. 25 when he said, “We can start right now
AICPA Offers Congress 13 Suggested Cleanups for the Tax Code
Noncontroversial and straightforward tweaks to a tax code that contains more than 3.5 million words are not easy to find, but the AICPA has several such proposals that, if enacted, could eliminate a few headaches for taxpayers and CPAs alike. The AICPA’s second annual compendium of legislative proposals, distributed to
2011 Tax Filing Season Gets Under Way With Many Changes
The IRS started accepting e-filed and Free File returns on Jan. 14, marking the official start of the 2011 tax filing season. However, many taxpayers will not be able to file until some time in February while the IRS updates forms and reprograms its systems to account for legislative changes
Sale of Business Generates Ordinary Income
The Tax Court held that payments to a taxpayer from the sale of his consulting business that he reported as long-term capital gain from his goodwill should instead be taxed as ordinary income. It held that the sales agreement that allocated amounts to the taxpayer as goodwill and to his
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