The IRS issued proposed regulations that would require taxpayers that obtain employer identification numbers (EINs) to update their information with the IRS.
IRS Practice & Procedure
Filing False Tax Return Leads to Deportation Charge
The Supreme Court held that filing a false tax return or aiding and abetting in the preparation of a false tax return are offenses that can subject permanent resident aliens to deportation as aliens who have been convicted of an aggravated felony.
Payroll Tax Cut Extended; New Form 941 Released
President Barack Obama signed into law the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The IRS released a revised Form 941 to reflect the extended payroll tax cut.
Penalty Relief for the Unemployed Under Expanded “Fresh Start” Initiative
The IRS announced an expanded “Fresh Start” initiative March 7 to help struggling taxpayers with a number of measures for relief.
IRS Proposes Expanding Tax Return Information It Will Disclose to HHS Under Health Care Acts
The IRS issued proposed regulations relating to how it will release certain tax return information to the Department of Health and Human Services, as required by 2010’s health care legislation.
Congressional Subcommittee Hearing Centers on Expiring Tax Provisions
Witnesses told the House Ways and Means Select Revenue Subcommittee why particular tax breaks should be extended or made permanent in a hearing on April 26.
Supreme Court Affirms That 6-Year Limitation Period Does Not Apply to Overstated Basis
The Supreme Court affirmed that the extended six-year statute of limitation, which applies when a taxpayer “omits from gross income an amount properly includible” in excess of 25% of gross income, does not apply when a taxpayer overstates its basis in property it has sold.
Federal Circuit Dismisses Refund Suit Based on All-Zero Returns
A married couple who filed tax returns listing all income and tax due as “zero” were denied refunds in a decision by a U.S. Court of Appeals.
TIGTA Recommends Improvements to IRS Cybersecurity System
TIGTA reports that the IRS’s computer security response center is performing effectively, but further improvement is needed.
Medical Center’s FICA Refund Claim Dismissed as Untimely
The First Circuit dismissed a suit for refund of FICA taxes, upholding a lower court determination that discovery requests were not warranted and that the information sought from the IRS would not have proved that the refund claim, which the IRS claimed it never received, was timely.
Overview of IRS Pre-Appeals Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods
Since the enactment of the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act in 1990, the IRS has been increasingly eager to settle disputes through alternative means such as arbitration and mediation.
Supreme Court Considers Regulatory Preference Issue
Can the IRS issue regulations with retroactive effect? That is the central administrative issue in a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
PTIN Prop. Regs. for Supervised Nonsigning and Non-1040 Preparers
The IRS issued proposed regulations regarding the availability of PTINs for supervised nonsigning preparers and for preparers of forms other than Form 1040.
The RPO, OPR, and Circular 230
A discussion of developments in two critical IRS offices, the Return Preparer Office and the Office of Professional Responsibility.
IRS and OECD Separately Address Transfer Pricing Issues
The IRS announced a reorganization of its advance pricing agreement (APA), mutual agreement, and competent authority programs into one new program.
TIGTA Calls for Improvements to IRS Volunteer Tax Prep. Program Database
TIGTA reported on its study of the IRS’s monitoring of volunteer tax preparation services.
IRS Suspends Repair/Capitalization Exams Pending Accounting Method Changes
The IRS issued a directive for field examinations on the repair vs. capitalization issue that essentially suspended current examinations so as to permit taxpayers to file accounting method changes under just-issued revenue procedures.
Prop. Regs. Would Require Taxpayers That Received EINs to Update Information
The IRS issued proposed regulations that would require taxpayers that obtain employer identification numbers (EINs) to update their information with the IRS.
IRS Expands “Fresh Start” Initiative, Provides Penalty Relief for Unemployed
The IRS announced an expanded “Fresh Start” initiative to help struggling taxpayers with a number of measures for relief.
IRS Chief Counsel: Continue Applying Valuation Misstatement Penalties
The IRS recently addressed the application of the valuation misstatement penalties contained in Secs. 6662(b)(3) and 6662(h).
employee benefits & pensions
Profits interests: The most tax-efficient equity grant to employees
By granting them a profits interest, entities taxed as partnerships can reward employees with equity. Mistakes, however, could cause challenges from taxing authorities.