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Weekly IRS Roundup October 28 – November 1, 2024

by Kevin Spencer, Evan Walters and Sama Kaseer | Nov 4, 2024 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of October 28, 2024 – November 1, 2024.

October 28, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-44, which includes the following:

Treasury Decision 9994, which provides guidance on § 367(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) regarding the transfer of intangibles by US persons to foreign corporations. Effective January 1, 2024, the regulations turn off the application of § 367(d) when foreign corporations repatriate the intangibles to a qualified domestic person when certain reporting requirements are satisfied.
Notice 2024-71, which provides a safe harbor under Code § 213(d), treating amounts paid for condoms as medical care expenses eligible for reimbursement under various health plans. These amounts can also be paid or reimbursed, but if reimbursed, they are not deductible.
Notice 2024-75, which expands the list of preventive care benefits that high deductible health plans can provide without a deductible or with a lower deductible, including benefits for over-the-counter oral contraceptives and condoms, regardless of whether they are purchased with a prescription. The guidance is effective for plan years that began on or after December 30, 2022.
Revenue Procedure 2024-33, which updates the guidelines and general requirements for developing, printing, and approving substitute tax forms as detailed in Revenue Procedure 2023-28 to ensure submitted forms can be accepted as substitutes for official IRS forms.
Announcement 2024-36, which revokes the determination for specified organizations under Code § 501(c)(3) and stipulates that contributions made to said organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under Code § 170(b)(1)(A).

October 28, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers to stay alert against online threats like identity theft and fraud. As National Cybersecurity Awareness Month concludes, the agency also offered tips, such as using strong passwords, enabling multifactor authentication, and avoiding phishing scams, to protect one’s personal information.

October 28, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-78, which extends the temporary relief provided in Notice 2023-11 for foreign financial institutions required to report US taxpayer identification numbers for certain preexisting accounts. This relief applies to eligible institutions under a Model 1 intergovernmental agreement for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 calendar years.

October 28, 2024: The IRS reminded employers that hiring individuals from specific groups can help reduce their tax liability through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. To claim this credit, employers must certify the eligibility of new hires by submitting IRS Form 8850 to their state workforce agency within 28 days of the employee starting work.

October 29, 2024: The IRS announced the appointment of its new associate chief counsel for the Passthroughs, Trusts, and Estates office, which will focus on partnerships, S corporations, trusts, and estates.

October 29, 2024: The IRS reminded businesses that they can qualify [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup May 13 – May 17, 2024

by Kevin Spencer, Evan Walters and Sama Kaseer | May 24, 2024 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of May 13, 2024 – May 17, 2024.

May 13, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-20, which includes proposed regulations concerning the excise tax on stock buybacks under § 4501 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). The proposed regulations are generally consistent with the guidance previously provided in Notice 2023-2. The proposed regulations also include guidance on reporting and payment of the Code § 4501 excise tax.

May 14, 2024: The IRS announced that, contrary to recent reports, there will be no changes to Native American tribes’ access to federal tax payment offsets through state arrangements.

May 14, 2024: The IRS reminded US citizens and resident aliens living abroad to file and pay their taxes.

May 14, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers not to fall for inaccurate social media advice and tax scams centered around the Fuel Tax Credit, the Sick and Family Leave Credit and household employment taxes that led taxpayers to file inflated refund claims during the 2023 tax season.

May 14, 2024: The IRS released census tract geographic identifiers that are eligible for Code § 30C using 2015 and 2020 delineations of census tract boundaries, which can be accessed at Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively.

May 15, 2024: The IRS reminded businesses to check their tax returns for signs of incorrect Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims and listed signs that an ERC claim could be incorrect.

May 15, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-42, which specifies updated static mortality tables for defined benefit pension plans under Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) provisions for valuation dates occurring during the 2025 calendar year. The notice also includes a modified unisex version of the mortality tables for determining minimum present values under ERISA for distributions with annuity starting dates that occur during stability periods beginning in the 2025 calendar year.

May 15, 2024: The IRS released Revenue Ruling 2024-12, which provides the June 2024 applicable federal rates.

May 15, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-40, which provides the 24-month average corporate bond segment rates for May 2024, the yield curve and segment rates for single-employer plans and the 30-year Treasury securities interest rates.

May 16, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-41, which modifies Section 3.04 of Notice 2023-38 by revising the contents of the “Applicable Projects” list. The notice also provides a safe harbor under which taxpayers may elect to qualify for the domestic content bonus credit. Learn more here.

May 16, 2024: The IRS extended the deadline to file federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments for certain individuals and businesses in Ohio that [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup December 18 – December 22, 2023

by Evan Walters | Dec 26, 2023 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of December 18, 2023 – December 22, 2023.

December 18, 2023: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2023-51, which includes the following:

Notice 2023-74, which delays the new $600 Form 1099-K reporting threshold requirement for third-party settlement organizations for calendar year 2023 and plans to phase in the reporting requirement in 2024, starting with a threshold of $5,000.
Revenue Procedure 2023-40, which provides guidance in specific circumstances on the adequacy of disclosure on a federal tax return for purposes of reducing the understatement of income tax accuracy-related penalty pursuant to § 6662(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) and avoiding the Code § 6694(a) tax return preparer penalty.
Proposed regulations that would amend the rules applicable to plans that include cash or deferred arrangements pursuant to § 401(k) to provide guidance with respect to long-term, part-time employees. Comments must be received by January 26, 2024. A public hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2024, at 10 am EDT.
Revenue Procedure 2023-37, which sets forth rules for Qualified Pre-approved Plans and § 403(b) Pre-approved Plans. The rules consolidate and conform prior revenue procedures with respect to the pre-approved plans.
Revenue Procedure 2023-38, which provides procedural rules for qualified manufacturers of new clean vehicles to comply with the reporting, certification and attestation requirements regarding the excluded entity restriction.
Revenue Ruling 2023-23, which publishes the base period T-bill rate for the period ending September 30, 2023, under § 995(f).
Revenue Procedure 2023-36, which updates the list of jurisdictions with which the United States has in effect a relevant information exchange agreement or an automatic exchange relationship under Treasury Regulation § 1.6049-4(b)(5) and Treasury Regulation § 1.6049-8(a).

December 18, 2023: The IRS announced the launch of the second phase of a new online self-service tool for businesses that expands the business tax account capabilities and eligible entity types. Individual partners of partnerships and individual shareholders of S Corporation businesses are also now eligible for a business tax account.

December 18, 2023: The IRS issued Revenue Ruling 2024-1, which provides tables of covered compensation under § 401(l)(5)(E) for the 2024 plan year.

December 19, 2023: The IRS announced new penalty relief for certain individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations that were not sent automated collection reminder notices during the pandemic. Notice 2024-7 and Fact Sheet 2023-28 provide additional details.

December 19, 2023: The IRS issued Notice 2024-1, which provides the percentage increase for calculating the qualifying payment amounts for items and services furnished during 2024 for purposes of § 9816 and § 9817 of the Code, section 716 and section 717 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup November 16 – November 20, 2020

by McDermott Will & Emery | Nov 23, 2020 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform

Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of November 16, 2020 – November 20, 2020. Additionally, for continuing updates on the tax impact of COVID-19, please visit our resource page here.

November 16, 2020: The IRS released Notice 2020-82 related to the due date for certain contributions to defined benefit plans.

November 16, 2020: The IRS released Revenue Ruling 2020-26 updating the applicable federal rate and various other prescribed rates for December 2020.

November 16, 2020: The IRS released Notice 2020-81 updating weighted average interest rates, yield curves, and segment rates.

November 18, 2020: The IRS released Revenue Ruling 2020-27 related to deductions for expenses paid with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

November 18, 2020: The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2020-51 providing a safe harbor for deductions for expenses paid with PPP loans when loan forgiveness is denied or the taxpayer forgoes forgiveness.

November 19, 2020: The IRS released TD 9933 containing final regulations to provide guidance regarding unrelated business taxable income of exempt organization.

November 20, 2020: The IRS released Notice 2020-83 announcing the Required Amendments List for qualified retirement plans and section 403(b) retirement plans.

November 20, 2020: The IRS released TD 9934 containing final regulations to coordinate the extraordinary disposition rule under section 245A with the disqualified basis and disqualified payment rules under section 951A.

November 20, 2020: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2020-47, dated November 23, 2020, containing the following highlights: Rev. Proc. 2020-49 (Administrative); REG-122462-20 (Employee Plans); Rev. Proc. 2020-47 (Employee Tax); Rev. Rule. 2020-25 (Income Tax); Rev. Proc. 2020-50 (Income Tax); T.D. 9919 (Income Tax); and T.D. 9931 (Temporary Regulation).

November 20, 2020: The IRS released an audit technique guide for conservation easements.

November 20, 2020: The IRS released its weekly list of written determinations (e.g., Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memorandums and Chief Counsel Advice).

Special thanks to Brian Moore in our Washington, D.C. office for this week’s roundup.

Weekly IRS Roundup January 14 – 18, 2019

by McDermott Will & Emery | Jan 22, 2019 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Uncategorized

Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of January 14 – 18, 2019.

January 15, 2019: The IRS issued final regulations implementing the transition tax under section 965 of the Code, enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

January 15, 2019: The IRS released an updated contingency plan describing its actions and activities in light of the partial federal government shutdown.

January 16, 2019: The IRS released Notice 2019-11, providing a penalty waiver, under certain conditions, for an individual taxpayer’s underpayment of withholding and estimated income tax, in light of the major changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

January 18, 2019: The IRS issued final regulations providing guidance on the deduction for qualified business income under section 199A of the Code, enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

January 18, 2019: The IRS released proposed regulations dealing with previously suspended losses and ownership interests in certain entities for purposes of calculating the deduction under section 199A of the Code, enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

January 18, 2019: The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2019-11, providing methods for calculating W-2 wages for purposes of the deduction under section 199A of the Code, enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

January 18, 2019: The IRS released Notice 2019-07, proposing a safe harbor for rental real estate enterprises for purposes of the deduction under section 199A of the Code, enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

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

IRS Issues Safe Harbors under Which the IRS Will Not Assert That a Corporation Lacks the Requisite ‘Control’ for Purposes of Section 355(a)

by Jay M. Singer | Jul 18, 2016 | IRS Guidance, Uncategorized

On July 15, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Rev. Proc. 2016-40. This revenue procedure provides safe harbors in which the IRS will not assert that a distributing corporation, D, lacks control of another corporation, C, within the meaning of Code section 355(a)(1)(A) when D acquires putative control of C through C’s issuance of stock and C subsequently engages in a transaction that actually or effectively reserves the effect of the stock issuance. In general, D can only distribute the stock of C to D shareholders in a tax-free spin-off under Code section 355 if D has control of C within the meaning of Code section 368(c) immediately before the spin-off. To satisfy the control requirement of section 368(c), D must have 80 percent of the vote and 80 percent of each nonvoting class of C stock. Historically, in situations in which D owned less than 80 percent of the stock of C, D would satisfy this requirement by having C recapitalize its stock into “high vote” and “low vote” classes of stock immediately before the spin-off. D would then distribute the “high vote” stock with more than 80 percent of the vote of all C stock to D shareholders in a tax-free spin-off under section 355. However, publicly traded corporations often dislike having multiple classes of stock with different voting rights outstanding. As a result, when C becomes an independent publicly traded corporation following the spin-off, it often seeks to recapitalize its “high vote” and “low vote” classes of stock into a single class with identical voting rights. Prior to 2013, the IRS issued a number of private letter rulings permitting C to engage in such recapitalizations following its first regularly scheduled board meeting after a spin-off without retroactively causing the spin-off to fail to be tax-free under section 355. In 2013, the IRS announced it would no longer issue such rulings while it studied the issue.

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