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Weekly IRS Roundup April 22 – April 26, 2024

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of April 22, 2024 – April 26, 2024.

April 22, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-17, which includes the following:

  • Proposed regulations, which would facilitate the transfer of tax return information to the US Census Bureau and permit the disclosure of additional tax return information to the US Secretary of Commerce.
  • Announcement 2024-19, which provides guidance on the federal income tax treatment for amounts paid toward the purchase of energy efficient property and improvements under the US Department of Energy’s Home Energy Rebates program pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

April 22, 2024: The IRS encouraged tax professionals to register for the 2024 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum, which is coming to Chicago, Orlando, Baltimore, Dallas and San Diego this summer.

April 23, 2024: The IRS announced that it will accept applications for Low Income Taxpayer Clinic matching grants until June 12, 2024. Funding and performance of these grants will occur from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

April 23, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that it offers resources to help those who may be unable to pay their tax bill in total and that payments are still due by the April 15 deadline, even if a taxpayer requested an extension to file a tax return.

April 24, 2024: The IRS announced the formation of a new Alternative Dispute Resolution Program Management Office, which will collaborate with the IRS Business Operating Divisions to help taxpayers resolve tax disputes earlier and more efficiently.

April 24, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers to consider applying for an offer in compromise, which settles a tax debt for less than the full amount owed, if they cannot pay their full tax debt or if paying would cause financial hardship.

April 25, 2024: The IRS issued final regulations on the transfer of the eligible manufacturing investment, clean energy investment and production tax credits, including specific rules for partnerships and S corporations.

April 25, 2024: The IRS advised taxpayers that they can file an amended federal tax return if they discover a math error, missing income or another mistake.

April 25, 2024: The IRS announced that it will create new, fully electronic processes and systems, update legacy systems, and improve compliance and fraud mitigation.

April 26, 2024: The IRS announced the closure of the Direct File pilot, with several hundred thousand taxpayers across 12 states signing up for Direct File accounts and more than 140,000 taxpayers filing their federal tax returns using the new service.

April 26, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that they have the right to a fair and just tax system under the
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Weekly IRS Roundup April 1 – April 5, 2024

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

April 1, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-14, which includes the following:

  • Notice 2024-29, which provides updates on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates for February 2024 used under § 417(e)(3)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code), the 24-month average segment rates applicable for March 2024, and the 30-year Treasury rates as reflected by the application of § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv).
  • Revenue Ruling 2024-7, which provides the April 2024 applicable federal rates.
  • Proposed regulations, which provide guidance on the Section 45V production tax credit added by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) and on the election to treat qualified property that is part of a specified clean hydrogen production facility as energy property under Section 48.

April 1, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers to beware of scammers attempting to sell or offer help setting up an online account on IRS.gov. Their goal is to get personal tax and financial information that can be used to commit identity theft.

April 2, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers there is still time to file federal income tax returns electronically and request direct deposit before the April 15 deadline.

April 2, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers to beware of promotors who push improper Fuel Tax Credit claims by misleading taxpayers as it relates to fuel use and creating fictitious documents or receipts for fuel.

April 2, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that the credit for other dependents is a $500 nonrefundable credit available to those with dependents who are not eligible for the Child Tax Credit. Taxpayers can claim this credit in addition to the child and dependent care credit and the Earned Income Credit.

April 3, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers affected by the terrorist attacks in Israel that they have until October 7, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns that were originally due March 15 or April 15, make tax payments and perform other time-sensitive tax-related actions.

April 3, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers to avoid offer in compromise (OIC) “mills” that aggressively mislead by raising false expectations and exploiting vulnerable individuals with promises that tax debt can magically disappear. OIC mills are on the IRS’s “Dirty Dozen” list.

April 3, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers who adopted or started the adoption process in 2023 that they may qualify for the adoption credit.

April 4, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers about groups masquerading as charitable organizations to attract donations from unsuspecting contributors and gather sensitive personal and financial information that can be exploited for tax-related identity fraud.

April 4, 2024: The IRS
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IRS Rules (Again) That Taxpayers Are Not Entitled to Claimed Refined Coal Credits

In a highly-anticipated Technical Advice Memorandum (TAM) dated March 23, 2017 and released on July 21, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled that two taxpayers who had invested in a Limited Liability Company that owned and operated a refined coal facility (the LLC) were not entitled to refined coal production credits they had claimed because their investment in the LLC was structured “solely to facilitate the prohibited purchase of refined coal tax credits.” This analysis marks a departure from the position staked out by the IRS in a number of recent refined coal credit cases, which focused on whether taxpayers claiming refined coal credits were partners in a partnership that owned and operated a refined coal facility.

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Run for Cover—IRS Unveils Initial “Campaigns” for LB&I Audits

They’re here!  On January 31, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Large Business & International (LB&I) division released its much-anticipated announcement related to the identification and selection of campaigns.  The initial list identifies 13 compliance issues that LB&I is focused on and lists the specific practice area involved and the lead executive for each campaign.  Prior coverage of audit campaigns can be found here.

The initial list, along with descriptions of each campaign, is as follows:

Domestic Campaigns

  • Section 48C Energy Credits

This campaign is designed to ensure that only taxpayers whose advanced energy projects were approved by the Department of Energy, and who have been allocated a credit by the IRS, are claiming the credit.  Apparently, there has been confusion regarding which taxpayers are entitled to claim the credits.

  • Micro-Captive Insurance

This campaign addresses certain transactions described in Notice 2016-66 in which a taxpayer reduces aggregate taxable income using contracts treated as insurance contracts and a related company that the parties treat as a captive insurance company.  We previously blogged about Notice 2016-66 here. Captive insurance, along with basketing and inbound distribution, were three subject-matter specific campaigns announced during LB&I’s initial rollout last summer, as we discussed in our prior post on the subject.

  • Deferred Variable Annuity Reserves & Life Insurance Reserves

This campaign seeks to address uncertainties on issues important to the life insurance industry, including amounts to be taken into account in determining tax reserves for both deferred variable annuities with guaranteed minimum benefits, and life insurance contracts.

  • Distributors (MVPD’s) and TV Broadcasts

This campaign is targeted at multichannel video programming distributors and television broadcasters that may claim that groups of channels or programs are a qualified film for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) Section 199 deduction.  The description indicates that LB&I has developed a strategy to identify taxpayers impacted by the issue and that it intends to develop training, including the development of a publicly published practice unit, published guidance, and issue based exams, to aid revenue agents.  It appears that this campaign stems from various private guidance issued in 2010, 2014 and 2016 on these issues.

  • Related Party Transactions

This campaign is focused on transactions among commonly controlled entities that the IRS believes might provide a taxpayer a means to transfer fund from the corporation to related pass-through entities or shareholders.  The campaign is aimed at the mid-market segment.

  • Basket Transactions

This campaign focuses on certain financial transactions described in Notices 2015-73 and 74, which relate to so-called basket transactions.  Basketing was a topic named during LB&I’s initial campaign announcement last summer, along with captive insurance and inbound distribution.

  • Land Developers – Completed Contract Method

This campaign addresses the Service’s concern that large land developers that construct residential communities may improperly be using the completed contract method.  This campaign appears to be a [...]

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