Lawmakers from both parties spent much of June debating and discussing tax reform, but without giving many details of what a comprehensive tax reform package could look like before year-end. At the same time, several bipartisan tax bills have been introduced in Congress, which could see their way to passage.

Lawmakers from both parties spent much of June debating and discussing tax reform, but without giving many details of what a comprehensive tax reform package could look like before year-end. At the same time, several bipartisan tax bills have been introduced in Congress, which could see their way to passage.

Tax reform

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., predicted that tax reform would be accomplished in 2017. “Transformational tax reform can be done, and we are moving forward," Ryan said in June. We need to get this done in 2017. We cannot let this once-in-a-generation moment slip by.” Last year, House Republicans unveiled their “Better Way Blueprint,” which sets principles for tax reform, including lower individual tax rates, a reduced corporate tax rate, and a border adjustment tax, among other measures.

“Republicans have been afraid to expose their Blueprint to scrutiny,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said. “The Republican Blueprint is both the wrong way for tax policy and the wrong way to legislate tax reform,” Doggett said.

In the Senate, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee (SFC), Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, asked stakeholders for input on tax reform. Hatch requested recommendations on individual, business and international tax reform. "After years of committee hearings, public statements, working groups, and conceptual exercises, Congress is poised to make significant steps toward comprehensive tax reform," Hatch said. “As we work to achieve those goals, it is essential that Congress has the best possible advice and insight from experts and stakeholders," he added.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, is ranking member of the SFC and urged lawmakers to take a bipartisan approach to tax reform. "The only way to pass lasting, job-creating tax reform that’s more than an economic sugar-high is for it to be bipartisan," Wyden said. "Tax reform takes a lot of careful consideration to write a bipartisan tax reform bill, and I know because I’ve written two of them."

Small business

The Senate Small Business Committee explored tax reform at a hearing in June. “Tax compliance costs are 67 percent higher for small businesses," Committee Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, said. Ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said that “small businesses spend 2.5-billion hours complying with IRS rules.”

Mark Mazur, former Treasury assistant secretary for tax policy, was one of the experts who testified before the committee. Mazur said that small businesses generally have a larger per-unit cost of tax compliance than larger businesses. “One particular area that adds to the complexity of complying with the tax code is accrual accounting,” he said.

Other tax legislation

In June, the House passed HR 1551, a bipartisan bill. The legislation generally modifies the tax credit for advanced nuclear power facilities.

A number of bipartisan stand-alone tax bills have been introduced in Congress recently. They include:

• The Invent and Manufacture in America Bill, a bipartisan bill that would enhance the research tax credit. Generally, the bill would increase the value of the credit by up to 25 percent for qualified research activities.
• The Graduate Student Savings Bill, introduced by a group of Senate Democrats and Republicans. The bill would generally allow funds from a graduate student’s stipend or fellowship to be deposited into an individual retirement account (IRA).
• The Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act is another bipartisan bill. The measure generally would enhance the adoption tax credit.
• Another bipartisan proposal would treat bicycle sharing systems as mass transit facilities for purposes of qualified transportation fringe benefits.

Additionally, a group of House Democrats and Republicans wrote to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in June. The bipartisan group of lawmakers asked Mnuchin to preserve the state and local sales tax deduction in any tax reform plan.

If you have any questions about tax reform, please contact our office.

The much-anticipated regulations (REG-136118-15) implementing the new centralized partnership audit regime under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA) have finally been released. The BBA regime replaces the current TEFRA (Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982) procedures beginning for 2018 tax year audits, with an earlier "opt-in" for electing partnerships. Originally issued on January 19, 2017 but delayed by a January 20, 2017 White House regulatory freeze, these re-proposed regulations carry with them much of the same criticism leveled against them back in January, as well as several modifications. Most importantly, their reach will impact virtually all partnerships.

The much-anticipated regulations (REG-136118-15) implementing the new centralized partnership audit regime under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA) have finally been released. The BBA regime replaces the current TEFRA (Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982) procedures beginning for 2018 tax year audits, with an earlier "opt-in" for electing partnerships. Originally issued on January 19, 2017 but delayed by a January 20, 2017 White House regulatory freeze, these re-proposed regulations carry with them much of the same criticism leveled against them back in January, as well as several modifications. Most importantly, their reach will impact virtually all partnerships.

Scope

Under the proposed regulations, to which Congress left many details to be filled in, the new audit regime covers any adjustment to items of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit of a partnership and any partner’s distributive share of those adjusted items. Further, any income tax resulting from an adjustment to items under the centralized partnership audit regime is assessed and collected at the partnership level. The applicability of any penalty, addition to tax, or additional amount that relates to an adjustment to any such item or share is also determined at the partnership level.

Immediate Impact

Although perhaps streamlined and eventually destined to simplify partnership audits for the IRS, the new centralized audit regime may prove more complicated in several respects for many partnerships. Of immediate concern for most partnerships, whether benefiting or not, is how to reflect this new centralized audit regime within partnership agreements, especially when some of the procedural issues within the new regime are yet to be ironed out.

Issues for many partnerships that have either been generated or heightened by the new regulations include:

• Selecting a method of satisfying an imputed underpayment;
• Designation of a partnership representative;
• Allocating economic responsibility for an imputed underpayment among partners including situations in which partners’ interests change between a reviewed year and the adjustment year; and
• Indemnifications between partnerships and partnership representatives, as well as among current partners and those who were partners during the tax year under audit.

Election out

Starting for tax year 2018, virtually all partnerships will be subject to the new partnership audit regime …unless an “election out” option is affirmatively elected. Only an eligible partnership may elect out of the centralized partnership audit regime. A partnership is an eligible partnership if it has 100 or fewer partners during the year and, if at all times during the tax year, all partners are eligible partners. A special rule applies to partnerships that have S corporation partners.

Consistent returns

A partner’s treatment of each item of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit attributable to a partnership must be consistent with the treatment of those items on the partnership return, including treatment with respect to the amount, timing, and characterization of those items. Under the new rules, the IRS may assess and collect any underpayment of tax that results from adjusting a partner’s inconsistently reported item to conform that item with the treatment on the partnership return as if the resulting underpayment of tax were on account of a mathematical or clerical error appearing on the partner’s return. A partner may not request an abatement of that assessment.

Partnership representative

The new regulations require a partnership to designate a partnership representative, as well as provide rules describing the eligibility requirements for a partnership representative, the designation of the partnership representative, and the representative’s authority. Actions by the partnership representative bind all the partners as far as the IRS is concerned. Indemnification agreements among partners may ameliorate some, but not all, of the liability triggered by this rule.

Imputed underpayment, alternatives and "push-outs"

Generally, if a partnership adjustment results in an imputed underpayment, the partnership must pay the imputed underpayment in the adjustment year. The partnership may request modification with respect to an imputed underpayment only under the procedures described in the new rules.

In multi-tiered partnership arrangements, the new rules provide that a partnership may elect to "push out" adjustments to its reviewed year partners. If a partnership makes a valid election, the partnership is no longer liable for the imputed underpayment. Rather, the reviewed year partners of the partnership are liable for tax, penalties, additions to tax, and additional amounts plus interest, after taking into account their share of the partnership adjustments determined in the final partnership adjustment (FPA). The new regulations provide rules for making the election, the requirements for partners to file statements with the IRS and furnish statements to reviewed year partners, and the computation of tax resulting from taking adjustments into account.

Retiring, disappearing partners

Partnership agreements that reflect the new partnership audit regime must especially consider the problems that may be created by partners that have withdrawn, and partnerships that have since dissolved, between the tax year being audited and the year in which a deficiency involving that tax year is to be resolved. Collection of prior-year taxes due from a former partner, especially as time lapses, becomes more difficult as a practical matter unless specific remedies are set forth in the partnership agreement. The partnership agreement might specify that if any partner withdraws and disposes of their interest, they must keep the partnership advised of their contact information until released by the partnership in writing.

If you have any questions about how your partnership may be impacted by these new rules, please feel free to call our office.

With the release of regulations on centralized partnership audits, many taxpayers hope that it will signal the re-start of a regular flow of much-needed guidance from the Treasury Department and the IRS that has been virtually stopped dead in its tracks since January 20. Others caution that the floodgates have not been opened and that the impact of several Executive Orders in discouraging guidance will be felt well into next year. Also bearing upon the recent lack of guidance are the critical vacancies within Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy that have been taking longer than usual to fill.

With the release of regulations on centralized partnership audits, many taxpayers hope that it will signal the re-start of a regular flow of much-needed guidance from the Treasury Department and the IRS that has been virtually stopped dead in its tracks since January 20. Others caution that the floodgates have not been opened and that the impact of several Executive Orders in discouraging guidance will be felt well into next year. Also bearing upon the recent lack of guidance are the critical vacancies within Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy that have been taking longer than usual to fill.

Reports are that Treasury officials have been working behind-the-scenes in drafting a new guidance plan. The plan not only includes prospects for new guidance but also a fresh look at recent guidance that may need to be withdrawn or streamlined. A June 21 deadline set by Executive Order 13777, for Treasury, among other federal agencies, to show progress in "identifying regulations for repeal, replacement or modification," reportedly has been met but details will not be made public.

Likewise, a 60-day deadline within Executive Order 13789 also ended June 21 for Treasury to review all significant tax regulations issued since January 1, 2016. That latter report consists of an interim report to the President that identifies those regulations that (i) impose an undue financial burden on United States taxpayers; (ii) add undue complexity to the federal tax laws; or (iii) exceed the statutory authority of the Internal Revenue Service. No indication has been made regarding whether that report will be made public. A full report is due in another three months.

In the meantime, Treasury on June 12 requested public comments and recommendations for Treasury, pursuant to Executive Order 13777, on regulations "that can be eliminated, modified, or streamlined in order to reduce burdens," carrying a 45-day deadline. Based on the Executive Orders, consensus is also that the IRS’s next "Priority Guidance Plan" will carry significant amendments from the last one.

What’s on the chopping block?

In an effort to preview what recommendations and action may result from the EOs, here is a list of some of the regulations that are most likely to be amended or withdrawn, based upon feedback from a variety of stakeholders that have weighed in so far with public comments: .

Comment. Stakeholder responses have not always been negative, with the recognition that complexity is inherent in certain rules that are the result of complex legislative provisions that only Congress can change.

Debt/Equity: TD 9790. Final regulations under Code Sec. 385 address the recharacterization of debt as equity in certain situations with the purpose of minimizing erosion of the federal income tax base. These regs are at the top of many stakeholders’ lists of those rules that should be withdrawn. Complaints focus on both the scope of the regulations being too broad and the documentation and analysis requirements that begin in 2018 as being too burdensome for intercompany debt issuance.

Serial inverters: TD 9761. Final and temporary regulations under Code Sec. 7874 are designed, in particular, to prevent "serial inverters" in which a foreign entity completes a number of U.S. domestic acquisitions in a manner that circumvents the application of Code Sec. 7874. Some taxpayers complain that the rules are overly complex and present risks and burdens on taxpayers engaged in “run-of-the-mill” cross border mergers and acquisitions.

Spin-offs: REG-134016-15. These proposed regulations would tighten the requirements for corporations to spin off controlled corporations tax-free to their shareholders, along with providing new bright-line standards for triggering the device test and for satisfying the active trade or business test. These regs are criticized as being susceptible to being applied too broadly by the IRS. In addition, asset valuation rules set forth in those regs have not been drafted to reflect other legitimate concerns, according to critics.

Estate tax valuation: REG-163113-02. These regulations would change the valuation of interests in family-owned business for estate, gift and generating-skipping transfer tax purposes. Many stakeholders report that these regs under Code Sec. 2704 go too far in preventing abuse of existing rules by being too broad and preventing valuation discounts for lack of control and marketability.

Consistent basis for estates/beneficiaries: REG-127923-15. These regulations under Code Secs. 1014(f) and 6035 require consistent basis reporting between estates and the person acquiring property from the descendent by requiring basis reporting. Complaints lodged against these proposed regs include overreaching on the zero basis rule and supplemental filings that can span over many years.

Leveraged partnership/disguised sales: TDs 9787 and 9788. These regulations address disguised sales and allocation of liabilities and introduce restrictions on leveraged partnership transactions. Criticism of these regs focuses primarily on the fact the rules no longer allow a partner full basis on guaranteed debt for purposes of determining if there has been a taxable event when debt is transferred to the partnership, even when that guarantee meets the requirements of the new final rules concerning debt guarantees.

Foreign partner transfers: TD 9814, REG-127203-15. Temporary and proposed regulations under Code Sec. 721 address transfers of appreciated property by U.S. persons to partnerships with foreign partners related to the transferor. Complaints against these regs include their overly-broad reach when anti-abuse rules would suffice, their retroactive application, and their required use of the remedial method under Code Sec. 704(c).

Withholding on foreign investors: TD 9815. Effective January 1, 2018, regulations would impose withholding tax on what critics have characterized as a broad universe of transactions that have generally been viewed as non-abusive. Critics have said that these prospective dividend equivalent rules are costly for the financial industry, making U.S.-issued stocks and securities much less attractive to international investors.

Tax-exempt bonds: REG-129067-15. These proposed reliance regulations provide a new definition of a political subdivision for tax-exempt bonds. Critics say the rules impose overly broad restrictions that may limit infrastructure projects.

No. The IRS continues to treat virtual currency as property for U.S. federal tax purposes. However, last year, a government watchdog, and this year, a group of lawmakers, urged the IRS to clarify its virtual currency guidance.

No. The IRS continues to treat virtual currency as property for U.S. federal tax purposes. However, last year, a government watchdog, and this year, a group of lawmakers, urged the IRS to clarify its virtual currency guidance.

The IRS has described virtual currency as a “digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and/or a store of value.” Virtual currency is sometimes referred to as “cryptocurrency” or “digital currency.” Virtual currency does not have legal tender status in the U.S., even though many people use virtual currency. “Real” currency, such as the U.S. dollar, is defined by the Treasury Department as "the coin and paper money of the United States or of any other country designated as legal tender and circulates and is customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the country of issuance."

Virtual currency may have an equivalent value in real currency. This type of virtual currency is referred to as “convertible” virtual currency. “Bitcoin” is an example of a convertible virtual currency. Bitcoin can be digitally traded between users and can be purchased for, or exchanged into, U.S. dollars and other real or virtual currencies.

The growth in virtual currency has brought tax questions. In 2014, the IRS announced that virtual currency is treated as property for U.S. federal tax purposes.  General tax principles that apply to property transactions apply to transactions using virtual currency.  The IRS explained that:

• Wages paid to employees using virtual currency are taxable to the employee, must be reported by an employer on a Form W-2, and are subject to federal income tax withholding and payroll taxes.
• Payments using virtual currency made to independent contractors and other service providers are taxable and self-employment tax rules generally apply.  Normally, payers must issue Form 1099.
• The character of gain or loss from the sale or exchange of virtual currency depends on whether the virtual currency is a capital asset in the hands of the taxpayer.
• A payment made using virtual currency is subject to information reporting to the same extent as any other payment made in property. 

Since the IRS issued guidance in 2014, the agency has been largely quiet on the subject of virtual currency. The IRS did state, in court documents filed in a lawsuit this year, that less than 1,000 individual income tax returns in 2015 reported using a transaction using virtual currency.

Last year, a government watchdog, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), recommended that the IRS revisit virtual currency.  TITGA noted the growing use of virtual currency. “However, some virtual currencies are also popular because the identity of the parties involved is generally anonymous, leading to a greater possibility of their use in illegal transactions,” TIGTA cautioned.

In June, several lawmakers asked the IRS to describe the agency’s virtual currency strategy. The lawmakers also asked the agency what outreach and education it has done for stakeholders. In their letter, the lawmakers directed the IRS to reply to their questions. As of the date this article was prepared, the lawmakers have not released the agency’s response, if there was a reply.

If you have any questions about the federal tax treatment of virtual currency, please contact our office.

Every year, millions of post-secondary students access the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This year, the DRT is unavailable for FAFSA filers because of cybersecurity concerns. The information needed to complete the FAFSA can be found on a previously filed federal income tax return.

Every year, millions of post-secondary students access the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This year, the DRT is unavailable for FAFSA filers because of cybersecurity concerns. The information needed to complete the FAFSA can be found on a previously filed federal income tax return.

FAFSA

To apply for federal student aid, an individual must complete and submit the FAFSA. He or she will automatically be considered for federal student aid. In addition, the individual's post-secondary institution may use his or her FAFSA information to determine eligibility for nonfederal aid. The DRT provides tax data that automatically fills in information for part of the FAFSA form.

Individuals who plan to attend post-secondary schools from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 must submit the 2017-2018 FAFSA. Individuals will need tax information from 2015 to complete the 2017-2018 FAFSA.

Suspicious activity

Earlier this year, the IRS reported that cybercriminals may have tried to obtain tax information through the DRT. The agency's security filters identified fraudulent returns using information obtained from the DRT. According to the IRS, as many as 100,000 taxpayer accounts may have been compromised through the DRT by cyberthieves. In response, the IRS took the DRT offline.

Work-around

FAFSA filers can manually provide their tax return information, the IRS has instructed. Our office can help you prepare a FAFSA while the DRT is offline.

FAFSA filers can also use the IRS's online Get Transcript Tool. Individuals can obtain a Tax Return Transcript, which reflects most line items including adjusted gross income (AGI) from the original tax return filed, along with any forms and schedules. This transcript is only available for the current tax year and returns processed during the prior three years. Individuals can also obtain a Tax Account Transcript, which reflects basic data such as return type, marital status, adjusted gross income, taxable income and all payment types. This transcript is available for the current tax year and up to 10 prior years. Keep in mind that a transcript is not a photocopy of the return. A transcript can be confusing to read. Again, please contact our office for assistance.

Income-driven repayment plan

The DRT also provides tax data that automatically fills in information for the income-driven repayment (IDR) plan application for federal student loan borrowers. The DRT is online for DRT applications.

As an individual or business, it is your responsibility to be aware of and to meet your tax filing/reporting deadlines. This calendar summarizes important federal tax reporting and filing data for individuals, businesses and other taxpayers for the month of July 2017.

As an individual or business, it is your responsibility to be aware of and to meet your tax filing/reporting deadlines. This calendar summarizes important federal tax reporting and filing data for individuals, businesses and other taxpayers for the month of July 2017.

July 6
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jun 28, 29 and 30.

July 7
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 1, 2, 3 and 4.

July 10
Employees who work for tips. Employees who received $20 or more in tips during June must report them to their employer using Form 4070.

July 12
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 5, 6 and 7.

July 14
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 8, 9, 10 and 11.

July 17
Employers. For those to whom the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit employment taxes and nonpayroll withholding for payments in June.

July 19
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 12, 13 and 14.

July 21
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 15, 16, 17 and 18.

July 26
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 19, 20 and 21.

July 28
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 22, 23, 24 and 25.

July 31
Employers. Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, due for the second quarter of 2017.

Deposit FUTA owed through June if more than $500.

File Form 5500 or 5500-EZ for calendar year 2017 employee benefit plan.

August 2
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 26, 27 and 28.

August 4
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for Jul 29–Aug 1.

The IRS has responded to criticism from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the National Taxpayer Advocate, among others, that resolution of identity theft accounts takes too long by increasing its measures to flag suspicious tax returns, prevent issuance of fraudulent tax refunds, and to expedite identity theft case processing. As a result, the IRS's resolution time has experienced a moderate improvement from an average of 312 days, as TIGTA reported in September 2013, to an average of 278 days as reported in March 2015. (The 278-day average was based on a statistically valid sampling of 100 cases resolved between August 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012.) The IRS has recently stated that its resolution time dropped to 120 days for cases received in filing season 2013.

The IRS has responded to criticism from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the National Taxpayer Advocate, among others, that resolution of identity theft accounts takes too long by increasing its measures to flag suspicious tax returns, prevent issuance of fraudulent tax refunds, and to expedite identity theft case processing. As a result, the IRS's resolution time has experienced a moderate improvement from an average of 312 days, as TIGTA reported in September 2013, to an average of 278 days as reported in March 2015. (The 278-day average was based on a statistically valid sampling of 100 cases resolved between August 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012.) The IRS has recently stated that its resolution time dropped to 120 days for cases received in filing season 2013.

Even with a wait time of 120 days, taxpayers who find themselves victims of tax refund identity theft likely find the road to resolution a frustrating and time consuming process. This article seeks to explain the various pulleys and levers at play when communicating with the IRS about an identity theft case.

Initiating an ID theft case

A taxpayer may become aware that he or she is a victim of tax-related identity theft when the IRS rejects their tax return because someone has already filed a return using the taxpayer's name and/or social security number. A taxpayer may also receive correspondence directly from the IRS that informs them, prior to filing, that someone has filed a suspicious return under their information. In other cases, a taxpayer may have had his or her identity information compromised and wishes to alert the IRS as to the possibility that he or she may be targeted by an identity thief.

For all such cases, the IRS has created Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. Taxpayers who are actual or potential victims of tax-related identity theft may complete and submit the Affidavit to ensure that the IRS flags the tax account for review of any suspicious activity. Taxpayers who have been victimized are asked to provide a short explanation of the problem and how they became aware of it.

The Identity Theft Affidavit may also be submitted by taxpayers that have not yet become victims of tax-related identity theft, but who have experienced the misuse of their personal identity information to obtain credit or who have lost a purse or wallet or had one stolen, who suspect they have been targeted by a phishing or phone scam, etc. The form asks these taxpayers to briefly describe the identity theft violation, the event of concern, and to include the relevant dates.

Once the Form 14039 has been completed and submitted, the taxpayer should expect to receive a Notice CP01S from the IRS by mail. The Notice CP01S simply acknowledges that the IRS has received the taxpayer's Identity Theft Affidavit and reminds the taxpayer to continue to file all federal tax returns.

IDVerify.irs.gov

The IRS has implemented a pre-screening procedure for suspicious tax returns. Rather than halt the refund process entirely, which can prevent a refund claimed on a legitimately filed return, the IRS has provided taxpayers with the opportunity to verify their identity.

Now when the IRS receives a suspicious return, it will send a Letter 5071C or Notice CP01B to the taxpayer requesting him or her to either visit idverify.irs.gov or call the toll-free number listed on the header of the letter (1-800-830-5084) within 30 days. When the taxpayer does this, the taxpayer will encounter a series of questions asking for personal information. If the taxpayer fails to respond to the verification request or responds and answers a question incorrectly the IRS will flag the return as fraudulent and follow the prescribed procedures for resolving identity theft cases.

Resolving the case

After a tax return has been flagged with the special identity theft processing code, the IRS will assign the case to a tax assistor. TIGTA reported that the IRS assigns each case priority based first on its age and then by case type—for example, with cases nearing the statute of limitations placed first, followed by cases claiming disaster relief, and then identity theft cases. However, TIGTA has reported that cases are frequently reassigned to multiple tax assistors, and there are often long lag times where no work is accomplished toward resolution. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson also noted in her recent "Identity Theft Case Review Report" on a statistical analysis of 409 identity theft cases closed in June 2014 that a significant number of cases experience a period of inactivity averaging 78 days.

After resolution

The IRS has also created the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) project, which is meant to prevent taxpayers from being victimized by identity thieves a second time after the IRS has resolved their cases and closed them. The IP PIN is a unique six-digit code that taxpayers must entered on their tax return instead

The IRS assigns an IP PIN to a taxpayer by sending him or her a Notice CP01A. Generally this Notice is issued in December in preparation for the upcoming filing season. The taxpayer then enters it into the appropriate box of his or her federal tax return (i.e. Forms 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ or 1040 PR/SS). On paper returns, this box is located on the second page, near the signature line. When e-filing, the tax software or tax return preparer will indicate where the taxpayer should enter the IP PIN, social security number or taxpayer identification number (TIN) at time they file their tax return. The IP PIN is only good for one tax year.

Taxpayers who have been assigned an IP PIN, but who have lost or misplaced it cannot electronically file their tax returns until they have located it. Previously such taxpayers had no way to retrieve their IP PIN and had to file on paper. Beginning on January 14, 2015, however, taxpayers who had lost their IP PINs were able to retrieve them by accessing their online accounts and providing the IRS with specific personal information and answer a series of questions to verify identity.

Latest breach

The IRS announced on May 26th that 100,000 taxpayers became victims of a new identity theft scheme discovered in mid-May 2015. Identity theft criminals used stolen personal identification information to access the IRS's online "Get Transcript" application and illegally download these taxpayers' tax transcripts. The IRS is concerned that the criminals intend to use taxpayers' past-year return information to file false tax returns claiming tax items and refunds that look legitimate and that do not trigger the IRS's filters for finding suspicious returns. 

Within this latest breach of security, identity thieves had attempted to download a total of 200,000 transcripts, but had only been successful half of the time, according to an announcement by IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. Because the IRS has yet to see how many taxpayers were actually victimized, the IRS may not provide IP PINs to all of these 200,000 taxpayers. However, the 100,000 taxpayers whose tax transcripts were downloaded will receive free credit monitoring services at the IRS's expense, Koskinen stated.

Employers generally have to pay employment taxes on the wages they pay to their employees. A fine point under this rule, however, is missed by many who themselves have full time jobs and don’t think of themselves as employers: a nanny who takes care of a child is considered a household employee, and the parent or other responsible person is his or her household employer. Housekeepers, maids, babysitters, and others who work in or around the residence are employees. Repairmen and other business people who provide services as independent contractors are not employees. An individual who is under age 18 or who is a student is not an employee.

Employers generally have to pay employment taxes on the wages they pay to their employees. A fine point under this rule, however, is missed by many who themselves have full time jobs and don’t think of themselves as employers: a nanny who takes care of a child is considered a household employee, and the parent or other responsible person is his or her household employer. Housekeepers, maids, babysitters, and others who work in or around the residence are employees. Repairmen and other business people who provide services as independent contractors are not employees. An individual who is under age 18 or who is a student is not an employee.

Payments and Withholding

As a household employer, the parent must withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes if the cash wages paid to the nanny exceed the threshold amount for the year. If the amount paid is less than the threshold, the parent does not owe any Social Security or Medicare taxes. For 2017, the domestic employee coverage threshold, as adjusted for a slightly different inflation factor and subject to rounding, will be $2,000, which is the same as for 2016 after rising from $1,900 in 2015. Earnings of any domestic employee are not subject to Social Security taxes if they do not exceed that threshold for the year. If the employee earns more than $1,000 in any calendar quarter, the parent must also pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax on wages paid, up to $7,000. Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide, has more information about withholding and paying employment taxes.  

If the amount paid is more than the threshold, the parent must withhold the employee's share of Social Security and Medicare taxes unless the parent chooses to pay both the employee's and the employer's share. The taxes are 15.3 percent of cash wages, 7.65 percent each for the employee and the employer. This includes 6.2 percent for Social Security and 1.45 percent for Medicare (hospitalization insurance).

The parent is not required to withhold income tax from the nanny's wages. However, the parent and the nanny may agree to withholding income tax from the nanny's wages. The nanny must provide a filled-out Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, to the employer.

The employment taxes amounts are part of the parent's tax liability and can trigger an estimated tax penalty if not enough is paid during the year. The parent submits estimated tax payments on Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals.

Forms to File

If the parent must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, or if the parent withholds income tax, the parent must file Schedule H, Household Employment Taxes, with the parent's Form 1040. The parent may also need to file a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and furnish a copy of the form to the nanny. To complete Form W-2, the parent must obtain an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS, either by applying online or by submitting Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number.

Please do not hesitate to contact this office if you have any questions regarding your “nanny tax” responsibilities.

The IRS expects to receive more than 150 million individual income tax returns this year and issue billions of dollars in refunds. That huge pool of refunds drives scam artists and criminals to steal taxpayer identities and claim fraudulent refunds. The IRS has many protections in place to discover false returns and refund claims, but taxpayers still need to be proactive.

The IRS expects to receive more than 150 million individual income tax returns this year and issue billions of dollars in refunds. That huge pool of refunds drives scam artists and criminals to steal taxpayer identities and claim fraudulent refunds. The IRS has many protections in place to discover false returns and refund claims, but taxpayers still need to be proactive.

Tax-related identity theft

Tax-related identity theft most often occurs when a criminal uses a stolen Social Security number to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund. Often, criminals will claim bogus tax credits or deductions to generate large refunds. Fraud is particularly prevalent for the earned income tax credit, residential energy credits and others. In many cases, the victims of tax-related identity theft only discover the crime when they file their genuine return with the IRS. By this time, all the taxpayer can do is to take steps to prevent a recurrence.

Being proactive

However, there are steps taxpayers can take to reduce the likelihood of being a victim of tax-related identity theft. Personal information must be kept confidential. This includes not only an individual's Social Security number (SSN) but other identification materials, such as bank and other financial account numbers, credit and debit card numbers, and medical and insurance information. Paper documents, including old tax returns if they were filed on paper returns, should be kept in a secure location. Documents that are no longer needed should be shredded.

Online information is especially vulnerable and should be protected by using firewalls, anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches and changing passwords frequently. Identity thieves are very skilled at leveraging whatever information they can find online to create a false tax return.

Impersonators

Criminals do not only steal a taxpayer's identity from documents. Telephone tax scams soared during the 2015 filing season. Indeed, a government watchdog reported that this year was a record high for telephone tax scams. These criminals impersonate IRS officials and threaten legal action unless a taxpayer immediately pays a purported tax debt. These criminals sound convincing when they call and use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. One sure sign of a telephone tax scam is a demand for payment by prepaid debit card. The IRS never demands payment using a prepaid debit card, nor does the IRS ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

The IRS, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Federal Tax Commission (FTC) are investigating telephone tax fraud. Individuals who have received these types of calls should alert the IRS, TIGTA or the FTC, even if they have not been victimized.

Tax-related identity theft is a time consuming process for victims so the best defense is a good offense. Please contact our office if you have any questions about tax-related identity theft.

The IRS requires that taxpayers substantiate their donations to charity. Whatever the donation is, whether money or a household item or clothing, the substantiation rules must be followed. The rules are complex and frequently tripped up taxpayers who had good intentions but failed to satisfy the IRS's requirements.

The IRS requires that taxpayers substantiate their donations to charity. Whatever the donation is, whether money or a household item or clothing, the substantiation rules must be followed. The rules are complex and frequently tripped up taxpayers who had good intentions but failed to satisfy the IRS's requirements.

Substantiation

One way to understand the IRS's requirements is to break them down by monetary amount and the type of donation, money and/or household items or clothing.

• To deduct a contribution of cash, check, or other monetary gift (of less than $250), a taxpayer must maintain a bank record, payroll deduction records or a written communication from the organization containing the name of the organization, the date of the contribution and amount of the contribution.
• To claim a deduction for contributions of cash or property equaling $250 or more, the taxpayer must have a bank record, payroll deduction records or a written acknowledgment from the qualified organization showing the amount of the cash and a description of any property contributed, and whether the organization provided any goods or services in exchange for the gift.
• If the total deduction for all noncash contributions for the year is over $500, the taxpayer must file Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions, with the IRS.
• Donations valued at more than $5,000 generally require an appraisal by a qualified appraiser.

The IRS also requires that donations of clothing and household items be in good used condition or better to be deductible. Special rules apply to donations of motor vehicles, boats and aircraft.

Tax Court sheds light

In April, the U.S. Tax Court issued an instructive decision (Kunkel, TC Memo. 2015-71) on the steps taxpayers must take to deduct a contribution to a charitable organization. The taxpayers in Kunkel made a number of donations, some by cash and others of household items and clothing, but the court disallowed nearly all of the claimed deductions because the taxpayers failed to follow the rules.

In this case, the taxpayers reported $42,000 in charitable contributions, comprising $5,000 in cash and $37,000 in noncash donations. The noncash contributions were donations of books, clothing, furniture, and household items. The taxpayers told the IRS that they took the household items, clothing and books to charities in batches, which they claimed were worth less than $250 because they believed this eliminated the need to get receipts. Other times, one or more charities came to the taxpayers' residence and picked up the household items (however, the taxpayers were not home at the time of the pickup and the charities left undated doorknob hangers as receipts).

The Tax Court reminded the taxpayers that for all contributions of $250 or more, a taxpayer generally must obtain a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity. The court found it implausible that the taxpayers had made their donations in batches worth less than $250. The court calculated that this would mean they had made these donations on 97 different occasions in one year. The court also found that the doorknob hangers were inadequate substantiation of their claimed donations. The doorknob hangers not specific to taxpayer, did not describe the property contributed, and were not contemporaneous written acknowledgments, the court found.

This article is a very high level overview of the IRS's substantiation requirements for donations to charity. If you have any questions about the substantiation or other requirements for a gift you are making to a charity, please contact our office for more details.

Correctly calculating your estimated tax payments and/or withholding is even more important as the year end approaches. Accurate calculations are especially important as third and fourth quarter payments become due, and your income and expenses for the rest of the year can be more accurately projected.

Estimated tax payments

You are required to pay estimated tax if you receive income from which tax is not withheld, including income from self-employment, dividends and interest, capital gains and losses, rental income, and alimony, and your tax is expected to be $1,000 or more (after subtracting credits and withholding). Generally, individuals who do not pay at least 90 percent of their tax through withholding must estimate their income tax liability and make equal quarterly payments of the "required annual payment" liability throughout the year.

Higher-income taxpayers. For higher-income taxpayers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) shown on the preceding year's tax return exceeds $150,000 ($75,000 for married individuals filing separately), the required annual payment is the lesser of 90 percent of the tax for the current year, or 110 percent of the tax shown on the return for the preceding tax year.

Estimated tax payments are due quarterly. For most individuals, the due dates for the 2010 tax year are: April 15, June 15, and September 15 of 2010, and January 15, 2011. Failing to pay enough estimated tax on each installment date may result in a penalty for underpayment of estimated tax, even if you are due a refund. Therefore, properly calculating your payments is vital to avoid the penalties, including calculating adjustments needed in remaining quarters (including as soon as September 15, 2010 for the third quarter).

Third quarter payments are around the corner – September 15, 2010 – for the period June 1 through August 31. Fourth quarter payments will be due January 15, 2011 for the period September 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. If your total estimated payments and withholding add up to less than 90 percent of what you owe, you may face an underpayment penalty.

Withholding

With the third and fourth quarter payments becoming due, ensure you are properly withholding and paying enough in estimated tax. Look at your projected year-end tax payments as compared with your expected tax liability to determine if your estimated tax payments need some tweaking. If your payments are expected to be less than 90 percent of current-year tax, you will generally need to increase your withholding or make estimated tax payments.

You may want to file a new W-4 with your employer adjusting your withholding to withhold more from your final paychecks for the year if you are currently underwithholding. This will help avoid being subject to a penalty when you file your return.

Adjusting estimated tax payments

A change in your business's income, deductions, credits, and exemptions may also make it necessary to refigure your estimated payments for the remainder of the year. To avoid either a penalty from the IRS or overpaying the IRS interest-free, consider increasing or decreasing the amount of your remaining estimated payments.

If, during the quarter, you learn that a change in your business's anticipated income, deductions, credits, exemptions, or other adjustments will either increase or decrease your business's tax liability, and therefore affecting your required annual payment for the remainder of the year, you should adjust your remaining quarterly payments accordingly.