safe harbor method of accounting Archives

Weekly IRS Roundup May 1 – May 5, 2023

by Sarah M. Raben | May 8, 2023 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of May 1, 2023 – May 5, 2023.

May 1, 2023: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2023-18, which highlights the following:

Announcement 2023-13: The Office of Professional Responsibility announced recent disciplinary sanctions involving lawyers, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, enrolled actuaries, enrolled retirement plan agents and appraisers.

Revenue Procedure 2023-15: This revenue procedure provides a safe harbor method of accounting that taxpayers may use to determine whether expenses to repair, maintain, replace or improve natural gas transmission and distribution property must be capitalized. This revenue procedure also provides procedures for obtaining automatic consent to change to the safe harbor method for linear property and non-linear property.

Notice 2023-33: This notice provides the corporate bond monthly yield curve and corresponding spot segment rates and the 24-month average segment rates for April 2023. This notice also provides guidance as to interest rates on 30-year Treasury securities and 30-year Treasury weighted average rates.

Revenue Ruling 2023-8: This revenue ruling obsoletes Revenue Ruling 58-74 relating to the deductibility of research or experimental expenditures for prior taxable years to which the expense method is applicable. There are insufficient facts in Revenue Ruling 58-74 to properly analyze whether a taxpayer’s failure to deduct certain research or experimental expenditures (when it deducted other research or experimental expenditures) constituted a method of accounting or an error.

May 1, 2023: The IRS released Tax Tip 2053-59, highlighting the Small Business Virtual Tax Workshop. This resource can help business owners learn how to navigate their federal tax responsibilities and is an easy and convenient way for both new and experienced small business owners to learn or review topics relevant to their businesses.

May 2, 2023: The IRS announced that Florida storm victims now have until August 15, 2023, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments as a result of tornados, severe storms and flooding that occurred from April 12 to April 14, 2023. Relief is available to anyone in an area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as qualifying for individual or public assistance. The current list of eligible localities is available here.

May 2, 2023: The IRS released Tax Tip 2023-60, suggesting tools and resources to help small businesses.

May 2, 2023: The IRS urged business taxpayers to begin planning now to take advantage of tax benefits and to prepare for reporting changes that take effect in 2023. This reminder comes as part of National Small Business Week, where the IRS is joining the Small Business Administration and others in both the public and private sector to celebrate the hard work, ingenuity and dedication of small businesses and their contributions to [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup February 13 – February 17, 2023

by Sarah M. Raben | Feb 21, 2023 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of February 13, 2023 – February 17, 2023.

February 13, 2023: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2023-7, which highlights the following:

Revenue Procedure 2023-9: This procedure provides new rules and conditions for implementing the optional safe harbor method of accounting for real estate developers to determine when common improvement costs may be included in the basis of individual units of real property in a real property development project held for sale to determine the gain or loss from sales of those units (the Alternative Cost Method).

February 13, 2023: The IRS announced that interest rates will remain the same for the second quarter of 2023. As of April 1, 2023, the rates will be as follows:

Overpayments: 7%
Overpayments for corporations: 6%
Corporate overpayments for portion exceeding $10,000: 4.5%
Underpayments: 7%
Large corporate underpayments: 9%

Revenue Ruling 2023-4 contains the complete explanation of the calculations.

February 13, 2023: The IRS announced a new pilot phase for the Compliance Assurance Process (CAP) program called “Bridge Plus.” CAP is a cooperative pre-filing program for large corporate taxpayers. Taxpayers will be required to provide book-to-tax reconciliations, credit utilization and other supporting documentation shortly after their audited financial statement is finalized. An IRS team will then risk-assess the documents to determine if the taxpayer is suitable for the “Bridge Plus” phase.

February 13, 2023: The US Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the IRS announced guidance to establish a program that would provide solar and wind power to certain low-income areas under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Notice 2023-17 establishes the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program and provides initial guidance for potential applicants for allocations of calendar year 2023 capacity limitation.

February 13, 2023: The IRS and the Treasury announced guidance on the Qualifying Advanced Energy Product Credit. Notice 2023-18 establishes the Section 48C(e) program to allocate $10 billion in credits ($4 billion of which may only be allocated to projects located in certain energy communities census tracts). The notice also provides initial program guidance. The goal of the program is to expand US manufacturing capacity and quality jobs for clean energy technologies (including production and recycling), reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the US industrial sector and secure domestic supply chains for critical materials (including specified critical minerals) that serve as inputs for clean energy technology production.

February 13, 2023: The IRS released Tax Tip 2023-18, reminding people that the Earned Income Tax Credit is a major tax benefit for millions of low- and moderate-income workers. Taxpayers can check their eligibility and how much they qualify for here.

February 14, 2023: The IRS released Tax Tip 2023-19, providing resources and suggestions for choosing [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup January 23 – January 27, 2023

by Sarah M. Raben | Jan 30, 2023 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of January 23, 2023 – January 27, 2023.

January 23, 2023: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2023-4, which highlights the following:

Proposed Regulation 114666-22: This proposed regulation modifies the participant election rules in Section 1.401(a)-21(d), providing an alternative to in-person witnessing of spousal consents required to be witnessed by a notary public or plan representative. The proposed regulation also clarifies that certain rules for the use of an electronic medium for participant elections also apply to spousal consents.

January 23, 2023: The IRS is requesting comments concerning Form 5227, Split-Interest Trust Information Return, which is used to report the financial activities of a split-interest trust described in Section 4947(a)(2) and determine whether the trust is treated as a private foundation and thus subject to excise taxes. Written comments should be received by March 24, 2023.

January 23, 2023: The IRS announced the beginning of the 2023 tax filing season, with a focus on improving customer service. The IRS also urged taxpayers to file their returns electronically with direct deposit to expedite refunds and avoid delays. The deadline for most people to file tax returns this year is April 18, 2023, however, storm victims in Alabama, California and Georgia have until May 15, 2023.

January 23, 2023: The IRS is requesting comments related to proceeds of bonds used for reimbursement. This regulation clarifies when the allocation of bond proceeds to reimburse expenditures previously made by an issuer of the bond is treated as an expenditure of the bond proceeds. Written comments should be received by March 24, 2023.

January 23, 2023: The IRS released Tax Tip 2023-06, which provides information about the adoption tax credit for families with adoption-related expenses. Taxpayers must complete Form 8839 to claim the credit and attach it to their tax return.

January 24, 2023: The IRS reminded taxpayers that they must answer a digital asset question and report all digital asset-related income when filing their 2022 federal income tax return. This is the same procedure as fiscal year 2021. The term “digital assets” has replaced “virtual currencies,” which was a term used in previous years. The question appears at the top of Forms 1040, Individual Income Tax Return; 1040-SR, U.S. Tax Return for Seniors; and 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.

January 24, 2023: The IRS reminded taxpayers to choose their tax preparer carefully. Taxpayers are ultimately responsible for all the information on their income tax return, regardless of who prepares it. Anyone who is paid to prepare federal tax returns must have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number.

January 24, 2023: The IRS released Tax Tip 2023-07, urging taxpayers to avoid common mistakes when filing their tax returns by carefully reviewing them. [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup May 1 – May 5, 2023

Weekly IRS Roundup February 13 – February 17, 2023

Weekly IRS Roundup January 23 – January 27, 2023

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