This article explores the competing perspectives and discusses the IRS’s interim guidance on the deductibility of business meals.
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TOPICS
Individuals
Guidance explains tax treatment of cryptocurrency airdrops and hard forks
The IRS ruled that a taxpayer does not have gross income as a result of a hard fork of a cryptocurrency if the taxpayer does not receive units of a new cryptocurrency, but does have gross income as a result of an airdrop of new cryptocurrency after a hard fork if the taxpayer receives units of the new cryptocurrency.
Final regulations permit casualty loss deductions in prior years
The IRS finalized regulations permitting taxpayers to deduct disaster losses in the prior tax year and removed the related temporary regulations that were issued in 2016.
Qualified opportunity zone regs. finalized
The IRS issued final regulations providing guidance on tax-favored investments in qualified opportunity zones (QOZs).
Year-end government spending bill contains many tax provisions
The consolidated appropriations bill passed by Congress makes many changes to retirement plan rules, repeals health care taxes, extends expired tax provisions, and provides tax relief for disaster victims.
5th Circuit invalidates health care law’s individual mandate
The Fifth Circuit held that the “individual mandate” under Sec. 5000A, which imposes a “shared responsibility payment” on taxpayers who do not obtain health insurance that provides at least minimum essential coverage, is unconstitutional now that the payment amount has been reduced to zero.
Opportunity zone managers and investors must act before year-end
The QOZ program will generally require year-end action on the part of the fund managers.
Guidance issued on payments to charitable organizations
The IRS issued additional rules on the treatment of deductions for charitable contributions in lieu of state and local taxes, an area in which it has already issued final regulations and other guidance.
Deadline for health care information statements extended
As it does every year, the IRS extended the due date to furnish certain health care information statements to individual taxpayers to March 2, 2020.
Sec. 199A update: Tax planning and issues to consider
This article discusses some specific issues to consider for tax year 2019.
Rental real estate businesses can qualify for QBI deduction
The IRS issued a revenue procedure describing the requirements taxpayers have to meet to be a rental real estate business that qualifies for the safe harbor to be treated as a trade or business in order to qualify for the Sec. 199A qualified business income deduction.
Tax advantages of QOZ investments
Sec. 1400Z-2 offers three ways for a taxpayer to benefit from investing directly or via a passthrough entity in a qualified opportunity zone.
Independent contractor or employee? Varying tests
Government agencies such as the IRS, the U.S. DOL, and the NLRB each look at their own set of factors.
Per-diem method clarified in light of TCJA changes
The IRS issued updated rules for substantiating the amount of ordinary and necessary business expenses paid or incurred while traveling away from home using the per-diem rates.
Use of standard mileage rate, other rules are updated for TCJA
The IRS updated its rules concerning the use of standard mileage rates and to reflect the current suspension of miscellaneous itemized deductions and moving expense deductions.
Hours spent working at a remote location counted for material participation purposes
The Tax Court held that a taxpayer had materially participated in his business located in Chicago, despite
residing in Florida for the majority of several tax years.
TIGTA reports large increase in alimony tax gap
Discrepancies between the amount of alimony deducted by payers and reported as income by its recipients increased by 38% in six years, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported.
The taxation of collectibles
This article discusses what assets are treated as collectibles subject to the 28% rate, the netting process for collectibles gains and losses, how gains on the sale of collectibles are taxed, and practical strategies that taxpayers can use to lessen the impact of the 28% rate.
IRS proposes changes to maximum automobile values
The IRS issued proposed rules that provide maximum automobile values for the cents-per-mile and fleet-average valuation rules used to determine the amount to include in an employee’s gross income for personal use of an employer-provided vehicle.
Deconstructing a tax law change: The case of the kiddie tax
An exercise helps students grasp the interplay of earned taxable income and net unearned income in calculating the kiddie tax as revised by the TCJA.
INDIVIDUALS
Current Developments in Taxation of Individuals: Part 1
This update surveys recent federal tax developments involving individuals, including court cases, rulings, and guidance issued during the six months ending October 2025.
