The IRS delayed the mandatory effective date of temporary regulations it issued in December 2011 governing whether tangible property expenses can be deducted or have to be capitalized (T.D. 9564). The temporary regulations originally were to apply to tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2012. In response to
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Tax
Tax cliff averted
Pulling back from the “fiscal cliff” at the 13th hour, Congress on New Year’s Day preserved most of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts and extended many other lapsed tax provisions. The new law brings a multitude of changes affecting both 2012 returns and, for the new year, tax planning,
Stopping tax identity theft: Practical advice for CPAs and clients
Tax return and other tax-related identity theft is a growing problem that CPAs can help their clients with—both in taking preventive actions and in correcting problems after an identity thief has struck. Tax return identity theft occurs when someone uses a taxpayer’s personal information, such as name and Social Security
Ninth Circuit agrees farming activity is partnership
The Ninth Circuit agreed with the Tax Court that a father-son farming and logging operation was a partnership for federal income tax purposes and that the father’s deduction of the bulk of the activity’s expenses on his individual return was not acceptable. William and Randal Holdner operated a farming activity,
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
Updated forms, procedures issued for plan sponsors in IRS’s Voluntary Correction Program
On Thursday, the IRS announced that it was issuing updated procedures and forms for sponsors of retirement plans that intended to qualify under Secs. 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408(k), or 408(p), but that have not met these requirements for a period of time. The procedures govern the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution
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
IRS provides penalty relief for farmers hit by delayed start of tax season
The IRS on Friday announced that it will provide estimated tax penalty relief for farmers and fishermen who are not able to file and pay their 2012 taxes by the March 1 deadline due to the delayed start for filing tax returns. Earlier this month, the IRS announced that it
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
Retroactive procedures implement qualified transportation fringe benefits parity for 2012
The IRS has provided procedures for employers to use to handle the retroactive application of the increased amount of the 2012 income exclusion for monthly transit benefits. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, P.L. 112-240 (the Act), retroactively reinstated parity between the benefits for parking and the benefit for
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
Features
FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
4 ways solo practitioners can stand out
Five years ago, a grieving Angel Zhen started his own CPA firm with no clients and no revenue. Today, he has 300 clients, $600,000 in revenue and 12 weeks of annual vacation. In this JofA article, he shares how he set up his firm and how you could do the same.
From The Tax Adviser
April 30, 2026
Current developments in taxation of individuals: Part 2
April 30, 2026
