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Comments sought on COD reporting

In Notice 2012-65, the IRS asked for public comments on whether it should amend existing Regs. Secs. 1.6050P-1(b)(2)(i)(H) and (iv), which require applicable financial entities to issue Forms 1099-C reporting cancellation of debt (COD) income when a 36-month nonpayment testing period has expired. Under Sec. 6050P and its regulations, COD

IRS won’t follow Wandry

In Action on Decision 2012-004, the IRS stated it will not acquiesce to the Tax Court’s decision in Wandry, T.C. Memo. 2012-88, in which the court accepted a taxpayer’s use of a defined value formula clause. In Wandry, decided in March 2012, the taxpayers, Joanne and Albert Wandry, executed assignments and

Grouping passive activities

One technique for converting otherwise passive activities to nonpassive is grouping them and treating them collectively as a single activity, thereby combining the participation hours and improving a taxpayer’s ability to achieve the necessary hours for material participation. Regs. Sec. 1.469-4 provides general rules and limitations for grouping activities and

Individual health care mandate rules under Sec. 5000A proposed

The IRS released proposed rules for the Sec. 5000A shared-responsibility payment—the penalty or tax imposed on individual taxpayers who do not obtain minimum essential health care coverage beginning in 2014 (the controversial “individual mandate”) (REG-148500-12). The individual mandate was upheld by the Supreme Court last summer as a permissible exercise

Changes to rules on failure to file gain recognition agreements proposed

The IRS has issued proposed regulations to update the rules that apply to U.S. taxpayers that fail to file gain recognition agreements (GRAs) when they transfer certain property to foreign corporations in nonrecognition transactions (REG-140649-11). The proposed rules would change the standards under which transferors are required to recognize gain

IRS further delays acceptance of returns claiming Form 8863 education credits

On Monday, two days before the delayed Jan. 30 start of the 2013 filing season, the IRS announced a further delay in processing returns that contain Form 8863, Education Credits, which must be filed by people claiming the American opportunity and the lifetime learning tax credits (IR-2013-10). During testing, the

Proposed regs. would govern employment tax liability of third-party agents

On Friday, the IRS released proposed regulations under Sec. 3504 (acts to be performed by agents) that would govern the liability for employment taxes when an employer designates an agent under a “service agreement” to pay its employees and to satisfy all employment tax obligations (REG-102966-10). Such agents include payroll

IRS files motion to suspend injunction in return preparer regulation case

The IRS on Wednesday filed a motion in federal court to suspend an injunction that forbids it from continuing with its registered tax return preparer program, pending appeal of the case (Motion to Suspend Injunction Pending Appeal, D.D.C. 1/23/13). The IRS also indicated that it intends to file a Notice of

Sec. 6038D reporting of specified foreign financial assets postponed for one year

The IRS on Wednesday announced that it is postponing for at least one year the requirement that domestic entities report interests in specified foreign financial assets. In Notice 2013-10, the IRS says that when it issues final regulations, they will apply no earlier than to tax years beginning after Dec.

Federal court strikes down IRS tax return preparer registration program

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia on Friday struck down the IRS’s registered tax return preparer program and enjoined it from enforcing the regulations (Loving, No. 12-385 (D.D.C. 1/18/13)). Background The IRS in 2011 began regulating all tax return preparers who prepare and file tax returns

FATCA final regulations cover all the bases

On Thursday, the IRS issued final regulations providing rules on information reporting by foreign financial institutions (FFIs) and withholding on certain payments to FFIs and other foreign entities (T.D. 9610). Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 (FATCA), enacted as part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment

IRS corrects 2013 tax tables in revenue procedure

On Tuesday, the IRS announced corrections to two of the 2013 tax tables it issued on Jan. 11 in Rev. Proc. 2013-15. The corrections, as incorporated into the revised revenue procedure, are to Tables 1 and 2 of the tax rate tables in Rev. Proc. 2013-15, Section 2.01. In Table

Simplified home-office deduction safe harbor announced

On Tuesday, the IRS released Rev. Proc. 2013-13, which gives taxpayers an optional safe-harbor method to calculate the amount of the deduction for expenses for business use of a residence during the tax year under Sec. 280A, beginning with the current tax year. Individual taxpayers who elect this method can

Tax tables, other inflation adjustments, issued for 2013

On Friday, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2013-15, which contains inflation-adjusted items for 2013, as well as the new income tax rate tables now in effect as a result of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, P.L. 112-240 (the Act). In October 2012, when the IRS issued its usual

Appeals Court reverses Claims Court, disallows LILO deductions

In an opinion that appears to close the door on lease-in, lease out (LILO) tax shelters once and for all, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision Wednesday reversing and remanding a case to the Court of Federal Claims, which had upheld the transaction (Consolidated Edison Co. of

CPAs: Fixing deficit should be government’s top economic priority

CPAs have serious concerns about the U.S. federal budget deficit. Fifty-four percent of the more than 1,700 AICPA members surveyed Dec. 4 through Dec. 24 said deficit reduction should be the top economic priority for the U.S. government. Lagging far behind fixing the deficit were other priorities: Creating jobs (23%),

Start of tax season delayed until Jan. 30; later for some taxpayers

The IRS announced on Tuesday that it plans to open the 2013 filing season and begin processing many individual income tax returns on Jan. 30 (IR-2013-2). However, not all taxpayers will be able to start filing tax returns on that date. The IRS says it will be able to begin

FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Flip out with the latest Tech Q&A

The September Technology Q&A column shows how to create dynamic to-do lists with Excel's checkboxes and also how to set up multifactor authentication texts that don't rely on phones. Flip through both items and view a video walkthrough in our digital format.