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New proposed rules determine UBTI of certain exempt employee benefit organizations

The IRS on Wednesday issued proposed regulations to implement Sec. 512(a)(3)(E), which limits the amount of exempt function income that can be set aside when calculating the unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) of Sec. 501(c)(9) voluntary employee beneficiary associations (VEBA) and Sec. 501(c)(17) supplemental unemployment benefit trusts (SUBs) (REG-143874-10). This

Seven ways for small businesses to rein in health care costs

Editor’s note: On Feb. 10, the IRS delayed the penalty for employers with 50 to 99 full-time equivalent employees. Click here for details. New health care regulations in the United States have small business leaders bracing for increased costs and eager to save where they can. Although it was delayed

Trader or investor?

In two decisions in 2013, Endicott, T.C. Memo. 2013-199, and Nelson, T.C. Memo. 2013-259, the Tax Court maintained a high hurdle that taxpayers must clear to show they are in the trade or business of trading in marketable securities rather than acting as investors. Aside from dealers in securities (those

Final regs. issued on Sec. 382 ownership changes

On Oct. 22, the IRS released long-awaited final regulations on owner shifts and ownership changes under Sec. 382. The rules, contained in T.D. 9638, retain a taxpayer-friendly exception for small shareholders and provide a new anti-abuse rule. Sec. 382 limits a corporation’s use of net operating loss (NOL) carryovers and

Regs. permit midyear cuts in employer contributions to 401(k) plans

The IRS issued final regulations that permit employers to make midyear reductions or suspensions of safe-harbor matching or nonelective contributions to retirement plans in certain situations (T.D. 9641). To qualify for salary deferral, Sec. 401(k) plans must meet certain nondiscrimination rules that require non-highly compensated employees to participate in the

IRA-owned LLC’s payment to owner results in retroactive tax and penalties

The Tax Court held that compensation received by a taxpayer from a limited liability company (LLC) that was almost entirely owned by the taxpayer’s individual retirement account (IRA) resulted in several types of self-dealing prohibited transactions. Thus, the IRA owning the LLC automatically terminated as of the first day of the

Work product protection and attorney-client privilege in an IRS audit

In Veolia Environnement North America Operations Inc., a U.S. district court reviewed the scope of the work product rule and the attorney-client privilege in the context of an IRS audit. The dispute arose out of an IRS audit of a $4.5 billion deduction for worthless stock claimed by Veolia Environnement

Settlement of workers’ comp claim partially excludable

The Tax Court permitted a taxpayer to exclude 10% of her settlement from an employment suit against her former employer, because that portion of the settlement was compensation for her physical injuries and physical sickness and was a reasonable estimate of the amount. Sec. 104(a)(1) excludes from income “amounts received

Penalty calculation properly based on erroneous credits, Tax Court holds

The Tax Court held that the amount of tax shown on a return was reduced by refundable credits, but not below zero, for purposes of calculating the Sec. 6662(a) accuracy-related penalty. The court reached that conclusion even though the taxpayers were not entitled to the credits they had claimed. The

Details of new myRA retirement savings vehicle revealed

Following up on announcement made by President Barack Obama in his annual State of the Union speech on Tuesday, the White House released details of a new retirement savings account to be made available to employees through their employers. These accounts, myRAs (presumably an abbreviation for “my retirement account”), which

Proposed rules address disguised sales and partnership liabilities

On Wednesday, the IRS issued proposed regulations on disguised sales of property to or by a partnership under Sec. 707 and the treatment of partnership liabilities under Sec. 752 (REG-119305-11). The IRS says the proposed regulations are designed to address “deficiencies and technical ambiguities” in the current regulations. Disguised sales

Final version of net investment income tax form released

Just in time for the start of tax season, the IRS has released the final version of Form 8960, Net Investment Income Tax—Individuals, Estates, and Trusts, which will be used by individuals and trusts and estates to compute the new 3.8% tax and then to report the tax on Forms

Guidance issued on accounting method changes under repair regs.

The IRS on Friday issued long-awaited guidance on accounting method changes under the so-called repair regulations, which govern the treatment of expenditures incurred in acquiring, producing, or improving tangible assets (Rev. Proc. 2014-16). Several sections of the repair regulations require taxpayers to secure the IRS’s consent before changing to an

Partnership basis rules proposed

The IRS on Wednesday issued proposed regulations providing guidance on the application of Sec. 704(c)(1)(C) added by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, P.L. 108-357 (AJCA), and the amendments to the mandatory basis adjustment rules of Sec. 743 in the AJCA. The proposed regulations would also conform the regulations

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