IRS Practice & Procedure

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March 1, 2016

Phishing Scheme Requests Form W-2 and Other Confidential Employee Information

The IRS reiterated that everyone has a responsibility to confirm people’s identities before responding to such a request.

March 1, 2016

IRS Withdraws Controversial Charitable Donation Rules

The IRS withdrew proposed regulations that would have allowed charities to file information returns with the IRS and donors instead of providing contemporaneous written acknowledgments of charitable donations.

March 1, 2016

IRS Foreshadows New Energy Credit Regulations

This item describes the evolution of the ITC, information about the timing and scope of potential future regulations, and potential issues that the IRS may attempt to address in the guidance.

March 1, 2016

Tax Extenders Are Enacted

The Consolidated Appropriations Act extends an extensive list of expired tax provisions, some permanently, some for five years, and many for two years, through 2016.

March 1, 2016

Taxpayers Beware: Intricacies of Timely Filing Under Secs. 7502 and 7503

Taxpayers must follow strict procedural requirements to properly qualify under these provisions when the IRS receives a return or other document after the due date.

February 29, 2016

Rules Determine Attorneys’ Fees and Costs for Prevailing Parties in IRS Proceedings

Final regulations issued by the IRS govern the awarding of costs and attorneys’ fees to taxpayers who meet certain net worth requirements and who prevail in administrative or court proceedings against the IRS.

February 26, 2016

Still More Accounts Found Hacked in IRS “Get Transcript” Breach

A TIGTA investigation into the data breach first discovered last May brings the total number of taxpayers whose tax transcripts were potentially compromised to 724,000.

February 25, 2016

IRS LB&I Unveils New Audit Procedures

The new examination process, which will be effective May 1, 2016, includes new procedures for refund claims while an examination is underway.

February 17, 2016

2016’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams

The IRS released its annual list of the “dirty dozen” worst tax scams, starting with identity theft and winding up with frivolous tax arguments.

February 17, 2016

Final Regulations Govern Sec. 6045 Reporting of Debt Instruments by Brokers

The IRS issued final regulations on the rules for brokers to report transactions involving debt instruments and options, including original issue discount.

February 10, 2016

AICPA “Fly-In” to D.C. Seeks Path Toward a 21st Century IRS

The “fly-in” was intended to highlight dissatisfaction by practitioners and taxpayers with the IRS’s admittedly unacceptable levels of service and CPAs’ potential role in improving the IRS in that and other ways.

February 10, 2016

IRS Suffers Another Data Breach

The IRS revealed that it discovered and stopped an automated cyberattack on its e-filing personal identification number (PIN) system last month.

February 8, 2016

Additional 2016 Inflation Adjustments Released

The IRS issued inflation adjustments for the Sec. 179 expensing limits, the above-the-line deduction for eligible expenses of educators, and the deductible amount for van pool and transit expenses.

February 4, 2016

IRS Restores E-Filing Services

The IRS’s tax return e-filing system was back in operation Thursday afternoon, a day after a computer hardware failure knocked out it and other IRS system services.

February 1, 2016

IRS Made “Initial Determination”

IRS could impose penalty because the examiner had made an initial determination that the penalty applied.

February 1, 2016

Passport Revocation and Third-Party Debt Collection Provisions Enacted

Passports can be denied to any person whom the IRS certifies as having seriously delinquent tax debt.

February 1, 2016

New IRS Policy Allows Tax ID Theft Victims to See Fraudulent Returns

The IRS posted instructions for taxpayers or their CPAs to obtain copies of returns filed by thieves.

February 1, 2016

Tax Return Processes: The Intersection of Due Diligence and Quality Control

This column explores the interrelationship of ethical and practical considerations that start before client data come into the office and continue after the return is filed.

January 6, 2016

IRS IP PIN Notice Contains Wrong Tax Year for Filing

The IRS warned that identity protection personal identification number (IP PIN) notices it has recently sent to victims of identity theft refer to the wrong tax year.

January 1, 2016

Proposed and Temporary Sec. 199 Regulations Address a Wide Variety of Issues

The Treasury Department and the IRS proposed regulations that address a variety of issues and reflect guidance on statutory changes, provide clarifications of existing guidance,
and address issues generating controversy regarding IRS and taxpayers.