Posted on September 06, 2019 in Tax Audits

In July 2019, the Internal Revenue Service Large Business and International Division announced that six new campaigns are being launched to help noncompliant taxpayers avoid criminal prosecution and/or civil penalties. These campaigns are part of an effort to allow taxpayers who are currently behind on their tax obligations to become compliant with the law. Two such campaigns address obligations related to foreign financial assets and expatriates. If you have unresolved tax issues related to foreign assets or are living outside the United States, these campaigns may be of special interest to you.

The Purpose of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program

U.S. citizens or residents who make money outside the United States are still required to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service. Those who fail to report foreign assets and pay the associated taxes may be subject to civil penalties and even criminal prosecution. In 2009, the IRS created the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) as an avenue for taxpayers to avoid criminal liability and resolve outstanding tax debt related to foreign assets. This program ended in 2018. Because many former OVDP participants are still noncompliant with U.S. tax laws, the IRS has launched a number of new campaigns to address compliance issues.   

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 Posted on August 28, 2019 in Tax Audits

If you have gone through an IRS audit and received a letter advising you of its findings, chances are the agency has made determinations about which you are not happy. In some cases, the IRS may determine that you owe back taxes, plus interest and penalties. While some taxpayers may agree with the IRS’s findings and pay the assessed amount, you may believe that the findings are incorrect. In these cases, you should be sure to understand your options for asking the IRS to either reconsider or adjust the determinations.

Appealing the IRS’s Decision

Although audits are best handled by working with the IRS during the audit process, it is also possible to appeal the findings of an audit. However, it is important to keep a very good record of the audit process. This is because during an appeal, the record of the audit will be given more weight than any new information that you may wish to introduce. The auditor’s findings are part of the record, so you should make sure to have all of the supporting documentation to show why you disagree with the decision. 

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 Posted on August 23, 2019 in Taxation Law

A 401(k) is a retirement savings plan available for workers whose employers offer or have agreed to sponsor the plan. The plan allows employees to save and invest part of their earned wages or salary before taxes are deducted. Payment of taxes on these retirement savings and contributions, however, is only deferred to when the money is withdrawn from the 401(k) account. It is important to understand the restrictions and taxes that may apply if you are considering using these savings to purchase a home.

Restrictions on 401(k)s

Saving for retirement via a 401(k) plan can be very beneficial. However, it is also important to note that a 401(k) plan has many restrictions set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with which you must comply.

For example, you cannot touch your employer’s contributions immediately. Before you do so, “vesting” must take place. Vesting is the time you must work for your employer before being allowed to access your employer’s portion of contributions to your 401(k). Your own contributions vest immediately.

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 Posted on August 19, 2019 in Taxation Law

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 Posted on June 27, 2019 in Taxation Law

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) implemented many changes that have affected taxpayers, including the deductions that are allowed on federal tax returns. Tax deductions can be used to lower the amount of a person’s income that is subject to taxes, and when used correctly, they can help minimize one’s tax obligations. One area that was affected by the TCJA is the deduction for state and local taxes, which is commonly known as the SALT deduction.

New Limits on SALT Deductions

The TCJA has put a new limit in place for the SALT deduction, and it applies to all homeowners. Previously, SALT deduction limits only applied to those filing as single with a gross income of more than $150,000 or $300,000 to those filing as married filing jointly. Now, the itemized deduction is limited to $10,000 for all taxpayers. According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, this new tax deduction limit will result in $57 billion more in taxes received by the federal government.

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 Posted on June 14, 2019 in Taxation Law

The qualified business income (QBI) deduction was created by Section 199A of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and since then, the IRS has issued additional rules and guidelines on how taxpayers can take this deduction. Because it could significantly reduce a person’s tax burden, qualifying taxpayers should understand how this deduction operates and the limitations of the deduction.

Details of the QBI Deduction

A Section 199A QBI deduction can be taken by owners of pass-through entities engaged in qualified businesses. Such taxpayers can claim up to a 20 percent deduction on all qualified business income.

The regulations define a pass-through entity as partnerships or S-corporations that are directly or indirectly owned by one or more individuals, estates, or trusts. Some estates and trusts may also be considered pass-through entities that are eligible to take the deduction.

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 Posted on June 10, 2019 in Taxation Law

If you have foreign bank or financial accounts, you should be aware that there appears to be a change in the way penalties are calculated in instances of an unintentional breach of tax law. The change could mean significantly higher financial penalties for those who are not in compliance.

This change was signaled in an opinion rendered by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in the case of United States of America v. Jane Boyd. The court ruled that a breach of the filing obligations of the reports of foreign bank and financial accounts, or FBAR, could incur a penalty of up to $10,000 per foreign financial account.

Previously, under an interim guidance memorandum, after May 12, 2015, regardless of the number of accounts, the penalty for an unintentional breach was only $10,000 each year. This latest ruling means that U.S. taxpayers with more than one foreign financial account have a greater exposure, because they can incur cumulative penalties if they do not strictly comply with FBAR rules.

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 Posted on May 24, 2019 in Taxation Law

If you have to pay estimated quarterly taxes, it is critical to pay the correct amount. Underpaying can result in a penalty, and overpaying gives what is essentially an interest-free loan to the government that cannot be recouped until a return is filed.

This is especially true in light of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which substantially changed income taxes. The law altered the tax brackets and tax rates for individual or married taxpayers, made changes to the allowable deductions for business expenses, increased the standard deduction and child tax credit, took away personal exemptions, and limited or ended other deductions. Because of this, many taxpayers will need to adjust the amount of the taxes they remit each quarter via estimated tax payments. 

Who Must Pay Estimated Quarterly Taxes?

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 Posted on May 20, 2019 in Small Business Taxes

A recent U.S. Supreme Court case has prompted California legislators to change a state use tax law that affects out-of-state sellers. Under the new law, some retailers outside of California must register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and collect California use tax.

The law applies to remote sellers who have total sales of $500,000 in tangible personal property for delivery in California in the preceding or current calendar year. The law went into effect on April 1, 2019, so these sellers are required to collect and remit taxes on sales which occurred on or after this date. 

Examples of out-of-state sellers that may be affected by this change include online merchants, mail-order catalogs, or telephone salespeople. Retailers with a physical presence in California will continue to have the same registration and use tax obligations as before the new law was passed.

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 Posted on May 13, 2019 in Taxation Law

The administration of retirement accounts is notoriously technical, and mistakes by plan sponsors can occur. Furthermore, since an account holder will be maintaining and contributing to a retirement account for many years, there are often changes that must be made. Tax issues may arise when 403(b) and 401(a) retirement plans need to be corrected, and the IRS must typically be notified of any corrections. Fortunately, the IRS has several self-correction mechanisms in place that allow plan sponsors to resolve errors or mistakes on their own.

The IRS has three correction programs:

1. Self-Correction Program (SCP): Used to amend certain plan failures without communicating with the IRS or paying a user fee.
2. Voluntary Correction Program (VCP): Used to rectify failures not eligible for the SCP or get the IRS’s statement in writing that specified failures were correctly resolved.

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