Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of May 17, 2021 – May 21, 2021. Additionally, for continuing updates on the tax impact of COVID-19, please visit our resource page here.

May 17, 2021: The IRS issued Revenue Ruling 2021-9, providing various prescribed interest rates for federal income tax purposes for June 2021.

May 17, 2021: The IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2021-24, providing procedures for individuals who are not required to file federal income tax returns to receive advance Child Tax Credit payments and third-round Economic Impact Payments under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), as well as 2020 recovery rebate credits under earlier coronavirus-related legislation.

May 17, 2021: The IRS issued a news release, reminding taxpayers that May 17 is the filing deadline for most individual income tax returns and summarizing various e-filing and extension options.

May 17, 2021: The IRS issued a news release, announcing that the first monthly payments under the Child Tax Credit, as expanded by ARPA, will be made to eligible families on July 15, 2021.

May 18, 2021: The IRS issued Notice 2021-31 and an accompanying news release, providing guidance on the temporary premium assistance for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health insurance benefits, and the associated COBRA premium assistance credit, enacted by ARPA.

May 19, 2021: The IRS issued Notice 2021-33, providing the monthly update to certain interest rates used for pension plan funding and distribution purposes.

May 19, 2021: The IRS issued a news release, summarizing various tax benefits available to individuals experiencing homelessness, the rural poor and other underserved groups and urging employers and community groups to spread information about such benefits and assist such individuals in filing 2020 tax returns.

May 20, 2021: The IRS issued a news release, urging taxpayers who missed the recent May 17 tax-filing deadline to file their tax returns as soon as possible to obtain refunds or limit penalties and interest.

May 21, 2021: The IRS issued Notice 2021-32, providing the 2021 inflation adjustment factors and reference prices for the renewable electricity production credit, refined coal production credit and Indian coal production credit under section 45 of the Code.

May 21, 2021: The IRS issued an Action on Decision, announcing that it would not acquiesce to Machacek v. Comm’r, 906 F.3d 429 (6th Cir. 2018), which held that the economic benefits of a compensatory split-dollar life insurance arrangement may be treated as a distribution under section 301 of the Code.

May 21, 2021: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief Counsel Advice).

Special thanks to Le Chen in our Washington, DC, office for this week’s roundup.