Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of October 28 – November 1, 2019.

October 30, 2019: The IRS issued an Action on Decision in which it recommended nonacquiesence in a franchise transfer case Greenteam Materials Recovery Facility PN v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2017-2012, which held that certain partnerships’ contracts qualified as franchises under section 1253 and were therefore entitled to capital-gains treatment. The IRS stated that both case law and the plain language of section 1253 provide that the sale or exchange of a franchise that is not otherwise a capital asset under section 1221 is not treated as the sale or exchange of a capital asset under section 1253(a) merely because the transferor does not retain any significant power, right, or continuing interest in the franchise.

October 31, 2019: The IRS and the Department of the Treasury issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) announcing their intent to issue “more streamlined and targeted” proposed regulations regarding the treatment of certain interests in corporations as stock or indebtedness. The ANPRM indicates that the proposed regulations would substantially modify the funding rule and eliminate the per se application of the funding rule. Therefore, a debt instrument would not be treated as funding a distribution or economically similar transaction solely due to temporal proximity. The proposed regulations instead would apply the funding rule to a debt instrument only if its issuance has a sufficient factual connection to a distribution to a member of the taxpayer’s expanded group or an economically similar transaction. Thus, a debt instrument issued without such a connection to a distribution or similar transaction would not be treated as stock. The proposed regulations would apply only to tax years beginning on or after the date those rules are finalized. Public comments regarding the contemplated rules must be received by February 3, 2020.

October 31, 2019: The IRS released a Treasury Decision that removes the section 385 documentation regulations, which set forth minimum documentation requirements that ordinarily must be satisfied for certain related-party interests in a corporation to be treated as indebtedness for federal tax purposes. According to the Treasury Decision, it was “determined that the burdens imposed on taxpayers by the [documentation rules] outweigh the regulations’ intended benefits.” But Treasury and the IRS, however, continue to evaluate documentation-related issues, and may subsequently propose a substantially simplified and streamlined version with a prospective effective date.

November 1, 2019: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief Counsel Advice).

Special thanks to Robbie Alipour and Jenni Saperstein in our Chicago office for this week’s roundup.

Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of October 21 – 25, 2019.

October 21, 2019: The IRS issued a news release in which it announced the launch of its second annual International Charity Fraud Awareness Week. The IRS joined an international coalition to raise awareness and share practices to help charities and other not-for-profit organizations avoid fraud and stop financial crime. The campaign features an online hub where counter-fraud experts can share webinars, help sheets and case studies.

October 22, 2019: The IRS provided procedures to Chief Counsel attorneys for working and coordinating cases with issues involving virtual currency, including digital assets, digital currency, crypto-assets, and cryptocurrency. Issues that involve virtual currency that are not addressed by Notice 2014-21 or other public guidance, and that involve novel issues or issues likely to attract national attention are required to be coordinated with the National Office.

 October 23, 2019: The IRS released a fact sheet in which it explained that certain tax treatments and employment tax rules can apply to family members working in the family business. The fact sheet stated that if spouses carry on a business together and share in its profits and losses, they may be partners whether or not they have a formal partnership agreement. It further explained how spouses can make a qualified joint venture election if they wish to avoid partnership status.

October 24, 2019: The IRS released two issue snapshots on self-dealing of Private Foundations involving the sale or exchange of property and on self-dealing of Private Foundations involving the lending of money or another extension of credit.

October 25, 2019: The IRS issued final regulations providing guidance on new information reporting obligations under section 6050Y related to reportable policy sales of life insurance contracts and payments of reportable death benefits. No reporting is required under section 6050Y for reportable policy sales made and reportable death benefits paid after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2019. The final regulations also provide guidance on the amount of death benefits excluded from gross income under section 101 following a reportable policy sale.  The final regulations affect parties involved in certain life insurance contract transactions, including reportable policy sales, transfers of life insurance contracts to foreign persons, and payments of reportable death benefits. The final regulations are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on October 31, 2019.

October 25, 2019: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief Counsel Advice).

Special thanks to Robbie Alipour and Jenni Saperstein in our Chicago office for this week’s roundup.