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Weekly IRS Roundup August 26 – August 30, 2024

by , and | Sep 6, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of August 26, 2024 – August 30, 2024.

August 26, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-35, which includes the following:

  • Revenue Ruling 2024-16, which provides the average annual effective interest rates for new loans under the Farm Credit System and lists the states within each Farm Credit System Bank Territory. These rates are used to compute the special use value of farmland for estate tax purposes under § 2032A of the Internal Revenue Code (Code).
  • Announcement 2024-32, which revokes the Code § 501(c)(3) determination for specified organizations and stipulates that contributions made to said organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under Code § 170(b)(1)(A).
  • Proposed regulations that address issues under the dual consolidated loss rules, including the treatment of certain disregarded payments that result in losses for foreign tax purposes. These regulations clarify the interaction of dual consolidated loss rules with intercompany transactions under Code § 1503(d) and introduce rules for foreign hybrid entities.

August 26, 2024: The IRS identified new warning signs of incorrect Employee Retention Credit claims and urged businesses to review their filings to ensure eligibility and avoid mistakes. Common issues include unsupported claims of business suspension, wages paid to family members, and wages reported as payroll costs to qualify for the loan forgiveness.

August 27, 2024: The IRS concluded the “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself” summer campaign, which encouraged tax professionals to implement robust security measures to defend against identity theft and emerging data security threats. The campaign highlighted the critical need to protect sensitive information from cybercriminal exploitation.

August 27, 2024: The IRS reminded truckers that the deadline to file IRS Form 22901, Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return, and pay the heavy highway vehicle use tax for 2024 is September 3, 2024.

August 27, 2024: The IRS encouraged taxpayers to conduct a tax checkup at the end of the summer to adjust their withholding or payments and prevent unexpected tax bills next year. This initiative aims to help taxpayers align their tax payments with what they owe, especially those with gig economy jobs or other income not subject to withholding.

August 28, 2024: The IRS notified employers that they can use educational assistance programs to help employees repay their student loans through December 31, 2025.

August 28, 2024: The IRS extended the deadline to file federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments for certain individuals and businesses in the US Virgin Islands that were affected by Tropical Storm Ernesto. The new deadline is February 3, 2025. The extended deadline is available to taxpayers in any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including individuals and households that reside or have a business in any of the [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup August 19 – August 23, 2024

by , and | Sep 3, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of August 19, 2024 – August 23, 2024.

August 19, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-34, which includes the following:

  • Treasury Decision 10005, which provides the criteria for single-employer defined benefit plan sponsors to obtain approval to use plan-specific mortality tables when calculating present value for minimum funding. Effective July 31, 2024, these changes will apply to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
  • Notice 2024-61, which provides the inflation adjustment factor and phase-out amount for the enhanced oil recovery credit under § 38 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for calendar years 1991 through 2024.
  • Announcement 2024-31, which revokes the Code § 501(c)(3) determination for specified organizations and stipulates that contributions made to said organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under Code § 170(b)(1)(A).

August 19, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that summer day camp expenses may qualify for the Child and Dependent Care tax credit, which can help offset costs for working parents with children under 13. The credit may cover up to 35% of qualifying expenses, with a maximum eligible expense of $3,000 for one child and $6,000 for two or more.

August 19, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-63, which allows employers to match contributions to Code § 401(k) plans and similar retirement plans based on employees’ student loan payments. This guidance, effective for plan years beginning after December 31, 2023, includes eligibility criteria, employee certification requirements, and special nondiscrimination testing relief.

August 19, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers who requested an extension to file their federal taxes that free filing options, such as IRS Free File and MilTax (for eligible military members), are still available for filing electronically and claiming tax credits.

August 20, 2024: The IRS advised taxpayers who opted for paid tax preparers to help file their tax returns to verify the preparer’s credentials, check their history with the Better Business Bureau, and ensure they offer IRS e-file services.

August 20, 2024: The IRS highlighted the “Security Six,” a set of essential steps tax professionals can take to protect their offices, computers, and client data from cyber threats. These steps include using anti-virus software, firewalls, multifactor authentication, backup software or services, encrypted drives, and virtual private networks.

August 21, 2024: The IRS reminded school teachers that they can deduct up to $300 of unreimbursed classroom expenses for the 2024 tax year. This deduction applies to a variety of classroom items, including supplies, books, and equipment, and is available even if teachers take the standard deduction.

August 21, 2024: The IRS released Revenue Ruling 2024-18, which announces that interest rates for tax overpayments and underpayments under Code § 6621 will remain unchanged for the fourth [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup August 5 – August 9, 2024

by , and | Aug 16, 2024 | ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of August 5, 2024 – August 9, 2024.

August 5, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-32, which includes final regulations on the excise tax for certain sales by manufacturers, producers and importers of designated drugs under Internal Revenue Code § 5000D. Effective August 5, 2024, these regulations offer comprehensive guidance on the quarterly reporting and payment of the excise tax.

August 5, 2024: The IRS reminded educators working at least 900 hours in a school year that they may qualify for the Educator Expense Deduction, which allows them to deduct unreimbursed expenses for classroom supplies, technology and training from their taxes.

August 6, 2024: The IRS alerted taxpayers about the American opportunity tax credit and the lifetime learning credit, which help offset education costs for post-high school coursework. To claim these credits, taxpayers must complete IRS Form 8863 and meet specific eligibility requirements.

August 6, 2024: The IRS reminded tax professionals that they must use multifactor authentication to safeguard clients’ sensitive information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s safeguards rule. This measure, effective as of June 2023, aims to enhance account security and reduce the risk of data breaches.

August 7, 2024: The IRS released statistics on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022’s clean energy tax credits for tax year 2023, which show that taxpayers claimed significant amounts in residential clean energy and energy-efficient home improvement credits. These credits cover investments in solar electricity, solar water heating, battery storage, heat pumps, efficient air conditioners, insulation, windows and doors.

August 7, 2024: The IRS notified taxpayers that employer-offered educational assistance programs can help employees pay for college expenses, including tuition, books, supplies and student loan payments.

August 8, 2024: The IRS announced it will accelerate the processing of Employee Retention Credit claims while intensifying audits and investigations to prevent improper payments.

August 9, 2024: The IRS released an early draft of the updated IRS Form 1099-DA for brokers to use in 2025 to report digital asset transactions. This draft reflects the final regulations and related guidance for custodial broker reporting and includes transitional relief measures.

August 9, 2024: The IRS extended the deadline to file federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments for certain individuals and businesses in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia that were affected by Hurricane Debby. The new deadline is February 3, 2025. The extended deadline is available to taxpayers in any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including individuals and households that reside or have a business in all counties in South Carolina and select counties in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

August 9, 2024: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup July 29 – August 2, 2024

by , and | Aug 8, 2024 | ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of July 29, 2024 – August 2, 2024.

July 29, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-31, which includes the following:

  • Revenue Procedure 2024-27, which provides new reproduction requirements for substitute forms, including Forms W-2 and W-3, for wages paid during the 2024 calendar year. These guidelines specify how substitute forms must be prepared and used to ensure they meet IRS and Social Security Administration standards.
  • Proposed Regulations, which provide that interest on overpayments under § 6611 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) that is applied to erroneous employment tax credit refunds will be treated as an underpayment of tax. The regulations are expected to impact businesses, tax-exempt organizations and certain governmental entities that claimed refundable credits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
  • Proposed Regulations, which allow the IRS to directly accept tax payments by credit or debit card, eliminating the need for third-party payment processors.

July 29, 2024: The IRS celebrated National Whistleblower Day by recognizing the contributions of whistleblowers in support of tax compliance efforts.

July 29, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers to stay alert for scammers impersonating the IRS through fraudulent calls, emails, texts, and social media messages and reminded taxpayers that it will never initiate contact via these methods to request personal or financial information.

July 30, 2024: The IRS encouraged the use of Identity Protection PINs and IRS online accounts to safeguard against tax-related identity theft and provide an extra layer of security for taxpayers and tax professionals.

July 30, 2024: The IRS encouraged taxpayers to follow IRS-verified social media accounts and subscribe to e-news services for accurate tax information and updates and to avoid misinformation and scams.

July 31, 2024: The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2024-32, which outlines the procedures for defined benefit plans sponsors subject to funding requirements under Code § 430 to request approval for using plan-specific substitute mortality tables for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

August 1, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that their privacy is a fundamental right safeguarded by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and that all IRS actions will adhere to legal standards.

August 2, 2024: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief Counsel Advice).



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Weekly IRS Roundup July 8 – July 12, 2024

by , and | Jul 17, 2024 | ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of July 8, 2024 – July 12, 2024.

July 8, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-28, which includes, among other things:

  • Announcement 2024-28, which revokes the Internal Revenue Code (Code) 501(c)(3) determination for specified organizations and stipulates that contributions made to said organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under Code § 170(b)(1)(A).

July 9, 2024: The IRS warned tax professionals about new and evolving scams targeting business and taxpayer information where identity thieves pose as new clients, use phishing emails and employ elaborate schemes involving calls and texts.

July 10, 2024: The IRS issued general guidelines for the registration process for the Code § 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit, as outlined in Notice 2024-29. These guidelines cover the application process and how claim procedures will operate when the clean fuel producer is a disregarded entity.

July 11, 2024: The IRS announced it has collected more than $1 billion in past-due taxes from high-net-worth individuals and will continue to monitor activities involving large corporations and partnerships and aircraft use.

July 11, 2024: The IRS warned car dealers and sellers about evolving phishing and smishing scams involving fraudulent attempts to trick recipients into clicking suspicious links, providing personal information or downloading malware. Dealerships are advised to remain vigilant and avoid unsolicited messages or links in emails and texts.

July 12, 2024: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief Counsel Advice).



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Weekly IRS Roundup July 1 – July 5, 2024

by , and | Jul 11, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of July 1, 2024 – July 5, 2024.

July 1, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-27, which includes the following:

  • Notice 2024-52, which provides the applicable reference price and the credit amount used for determining the Marginal Well Production Credit under 45I of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for qualified natural gas production from qualified marginal wells for tax years beginning in calendar year 2024.
  • Announcement 2024-27, which revokes the Code § 501(c)(3) determination for specified organizations and stipulates that contributions made to said organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under Code § 170(b)(1)(A).

July 1, 2024: The IRS reminded homeowners who make energy-efficient improvements to their homes that they may qualify for home energy tax credits, such as the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Residential Clean Energy Credit, to offset the costs of making such improvements. Qualifying taxpayers should file Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits, with their tax return.

July 2, 2024: The IRS launched the Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself campaign to help tax professionals guard against tax-related identity theft. This initiative aims to raise awareness about security threats and provide guidance for maintaining strong security in a series of eight news releases coinciding with the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum, which features webinars to educate tax professionals on security-related topics.

July 2, 2024: The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2024-30, which modifies Revenue Procedure 2024-23 to provide procedures under Code § 446 for obtaining automatic consent to change accounting methods to the Allowance Charge-off Method described in proposed Treasury Regulation § 1.166-2. This method determines when a debt instrument held by a regulated financial company is conclusively presumed to be worthless for purposes of the bad debt rules under Code § 166.

July 3, 2024: The IRS reminded individuals and businesses in parts of Alaska, Maine and Rhode Island affected by disaster declarations that their 2023 federal income tax returns and tax payments are due on July 15, 2024.

July 3, 2024: The IRS warned about a new scam involving tax return preparers misrepresenting the rules for claiming clean energy credits that taxpayers cannot ultimately benefit from and leading to potential compliance actions and repayment obligations.

July 5, 2024: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief Counsel Advice).



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Weekly IRS Roundup June 17 – June 21, 2024

by , and | Jun 27, 2024 | ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of June 17, 2024 – June 21, 2024.

June 17, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-25, which includes the following:

  • Revenue Ruling 2024-12, which provides the June 2024 applicable federal rates.
  • Treasury Decision 9993, which provides final regulations on the election under Internal Revenue Code (Code) 6418 to transfer eligible energy credits, effective July 1, 2024.
  • Treasury Decision 9997, which reduces the cost of applying for or renewing a preparer tax identification number from $21 to $11.
  • Proposed Regulations, which would remove the “associated property rule” and related rules from the regulations on interest capitalization requirements for improvements to “designated property” under Code 263A(f) and clarify the definition of “improvement” in the existing regulations.

June 17, 2024: The IRS announced the establishment of a new dedicated group within the Office of Chief Counsel that will focus on developing guidance for partnerships, specifically with respect to the use of “basis shifting” transactions by related-party partnerships.

June 17, 2024: The IRS released guidance intended to target certain transactions that use the basis adjustment provisions in Code §§ 734, 743, 754 and 755 to shift basis to depreciable property through partnership transactions. This guidance includes:

  • Revenue Ruling 2024-14, which identifies three types of basis shifting transactions involving related parties that, according to the IRS, should be disallowed for lack of economic substance.
  • Notice 2024-54, which announces the IRS’s intent to propose regulations under Code §§ 732, 734, 743 and 755 that, if finalized, are intended to take effect on or after June 17, 2024. The regulations would identify several types of “covered transactions” in which basis step-ups resulting from partnership transactions would be disallowed. Unlike Revenue Ruling 2024-14, these regulations would not depend on a covered transaction lacking economic substance.
  • Proposed Regulation § 1.6011-18, which would identify certain partnership basis shifting transactions as “transactions of interest,” which generally must be disclosed to the IRS.

June 17, 2024: The IRS provided general tips for taxpayers benefiting from educational assistance programs under Code § 127 with respect to the treatment of certain educational expenses, qualified education loans and working condition fringe benefits.

June 17, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-53, which provides the 24-month average corporate bond segment rates for June 2024, yield curve and segment rates for single-employer plans and 30-year Treasury securities interest rates.

June 18, 2024: The IRS announced the release of final regulations for taxpayers who satisfy certain prevailing wage and apprenticeship (PWA) requirements regarding the construction, alteration or repair of certain clean energy facilities or properties, projects or equipment. Taxpayers who satisfy these PWA requirements are eligible for increased credit or deduction amounts for certain clean energy [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup June 10 – June 14, 2024

by , and | Jun 25, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of June 10, 2024 – June 14, 2024.

June 10, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-24, which includes the following:

  • Revenue Ruling 2024-11, which provides the interest rates under 6621 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for tax underpayments and overpayments for the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2024. The underpayment and overpayment interest rates will remain the same for the third calendar quarter of 2024.
  • Notice 2024-36, which provides the timeline for the second 2024 allocation round of the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit program under Code 48C(e) and supersedes Appendices A, B and C of Notice 2023-44.
  • Notice 2024-39, which provides the inflation adjustment factor for the carbon oxide sequestration credit under Code § 45Q for taxpayers who make an election under § 45Q(b)(3) for calendar year 2024.
  • Notice 2024-40, which updates the corporate bond weighted average interest rate for plan years beginning May 2024, the 24-month average segment rates, the funding transitional segment rates applicable for May 2024 and the minimum present value transitional rates for April 2024.
  • Notice 2024-41, which provides a new elective safe harbor for taxpayers seeking to qualify their energy projects for the 10% Domestic Content Bonus Credit. The notice also modifies Notice 2023-38 by expanding the list of Applicable Projects to include hydropower and pumped hydropower storage facilities, among other changes.
  • Proposed Regulations, which provide guidance on information reporting requirements for transactions with foreign trusts and the receipt of large foreign gifts under Code § 643(i), 679, 6039F, 6048 and 6677 (the foreign trust and gift provisions). The proposed regulations would also provide that certain loans from a foreign trust and the use of trust property are reportable events.
  • Announcement 2024-22 and Announcement 2024-23, which revoke the Code § 501(c)(3) determination for specified organizations and stipulate that contributions made to said organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under Code § 170(b)(1)(A).
  • Announcement 2024-24, which notifies taxpayers of the applicable Reference Standard 90.1 required under Code § 179D(c)(2) as part of the definition of energy efficient commercial building property, effective May 17, 2024.

June 10, 2024: The IRS highlighted options for taxpayers who missed the April filing deadline to file their 2023 federal income tax returns and reminded those taxpayers to pay the amounts owed as soon as possible to limit penalties and interest charges.

June 10, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that the second quarter estimated tax payment deadline is June 17, 2024.

June 10, 2024: The IRS advised that most individual and business taxpayers can use the Online Payment Agreement service to set up a payment plan, including an installment agreement, to pay off an [...]

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