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IRS issues 2019 to 2020 per-diem rates for traveling away from home

The IRS issued its annual notice specifying the special per-diem rates, including the transportation industry meal and incidental expenses rates, the rate for the incidental-expenses-only deduction, and the rates and list of high-cost localities for purposes of the high-low substantiation method.

Safe harbor allows QBI deduction for rental real estate businesses

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.

Final regs. loosen 401(k) hardship distribution requirements

The IRS issued final regulations governing hardship distributions from Sec. 401(k) plans, eliminating the requirements that participants obtain a loan from the plan if available and that suspend participants’ ability to make contributions to the plans for six months after taking a hardship distribution.

IRS offers expatriate tax relief

The IRS announced procedures to allow certain individuals who have renounced their US citizenship to get into compliance with their U.S. tax obligations and obtain relief for back taxes.

Taxpayer can deduct settlement payment to ex-husband

The Eleventh Circuit holds a taxpayer is entitled to a deduction under Sec. 1341 for a payment made
to reimburse her ex-spouse for a portion of a settlement in an excess-compensation lawsuit.

Limiting business interest expense

Under new Sec. 163(j), business interest expense deductions are limited, and a business interest expense that is disallowed in the current year is
carried forward to the succeeding tax year.

Current developments in individual taxation

This article is a semiannual review of recent developments in individual federal taxation, covering cases, rulings, and guidance on a variety of topics.

Proposed regs. govern 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.

Alimony tax gap swells to $3.2 billion, TIGTA finds

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.

Deducting losses after an S corporation terminates

A special relief provision allows unused losses caused by a lack of basis to be deducted by an S corporation shareholder under certain conditions for one year (or more) during the S corporation’s post-termination transition period.

IRS provides clarity in second round of opportunity zone regulations

Several tax benefits can accrue to taxpayers that make investments in certain low-income communities through qualified opportunity funds. A second round of proposed regulations addresses many outstanding questions about this new vehicle for taxpayer-friendly investing in distressed communities.

2020 Form W-4 has been revised

The new draft form, which has been extensively redesigned, is intended to simplify the calculation of income tax withholding after the changes made by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.