Today is the last day to register to attend up to 30 continuing education seminars held virtually. The 2020 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums begin Tuesday July 21 and continue through Thursday Aug. 20.

Registrations finalized after today will not have access to all 30 webinars. The registration fee also provides access to a virtual Nationwide Tax Forums exhibition hall and allows you to participate in our focus groups.

Virtual Webinar Schedule

The 2020 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums give participants access to all 30 live-streamed webinars for one price. As outlined in the schedule, webinars will take place at 11:00am and 2:00pm (Eastern Time) every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between July 21 and Aug. 20.

This virtual format will allow experts from the IRS and its association partners to continue to provide up to date changes on tax law, cybersecurity, ethics, and other topics important for the tax professional.

Visit the Virtual Expo

Attendees will also be able to visit a virtual exhibition hall, which will be open 24 hours per day from July 21-Aug. 20 to all registered attendees. Interactive show hours are scheduled before and after each of the course offerings (9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. and Noon - 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time; every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). The virtual exhibit hall will provide a great opportunity to visit with exhibitors representing dozens of commercial leaders in the industry, as well as leading national associations and several key IRS offices.

Benefits of the Virtual Expo include exclusive access to:

Focus Groups

As in prior years, the IRS invites attendees to share experiences and discuss innovative ideas with us in our focus groups. IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Research will conduct virtual focus groups on the following three topics:

For more information and to sign-up for a Focus Group, click here (pdf).

Continuing Education (CE)

Attendance at a 2020 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums webinar qualifies for continuing education (CE) credits for enrolled agents, certified public accountants, Annual Filing Season Program participants, California Tax Education Council (CTEC) participants and Certified Financial Planners (CFP). You will need to understand and comply with your licensing agency's CE requirements.

Visit the CE and CFP Certification page for more information.

Registration information

This is the thirtieth year the IRS has hosted the Nationwide Tax Forums. For more information and to register online, visit www.irstaxforum.com.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today the annual fee for 2021 that tax return preparers must pay to apply for or renew their Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN).

In final regulations issued today, the IRS set a $21 fee per PTIN application or renewal (plus a $14.95 fee payable to a contractor).

Anyone who prepares or substantially helps prepare any federal tax return or claim for refund for compensation must have a valid PTIN from the IRS. The PTIN must be used as the identifying number on returns prepared. Failure to have and use a valid PTIN may result in penalties. The IRS estimates that more than 800,000 tax return preparers will apply for or renew a PTIN this year.

The annual renewal of PTINs ensures the IRS has up-to-date identifying information about each return preparer, which is essential for timely communication of important information. The program helps protect both return preparers and taxpayers and prevent the unauthorized use of PTINs. 

The IRS is required to conduct a biennial review of the PTIN user fee. The agency determined that the full cost to administer the PTIN program going forward is $21 per application or renewal. This amount includes costs relating to PTIN misuse and maintaining the integrity of PTINs. The third-party contractor fee, $14.95, pays for several functions including processing applications, renewals and operating a call center.

PTINs expire on Dec. 31 of the year for which they are issued. PTINs generally can be renewed beginning in mid-October and are valid for the following calendar year. A tax return preparer can renew online at www.irs.gov/ptin by logging into the preparer’s PTIN account or by submitting a paper Form W-12 with the “Renewal” box checked.

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service has started sending letters to taxpayers who have experienced a delay in the processing of their Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due To COVID-19.

A taxpayer will receive letter 6312 if the IRS either rejected Form 7200 or made a change to the requested amount of advance payment due to a computation error.

The letter will explain the reason for the rejection or, if the amount is adjusted, the new payment amount will be listed on the letter.

A taxpayer will receive letter 6313 if the IRS needs written verification from a taxpayer that the address listed on their Form 7200 is the current mailing address for their business. The IRS will not process Form 7200 or change the last known address until the taxpayer provides it.

For more information on the employer credits, see Employer Tax Credits.

WASHINGTON – The IRS reminds taxpayers that one of the best ways to check on their refund is the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website and the IRS2Go app. Updated once a day, usually overnight, this useful tool gives taxpayers a projected refund issuance date as soon as it is approved.

The IRS issues nine out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days, and the fastest way to get a refund is to use IRS e-file and direct deposit. Taxpayers should also know they can have their refunds divided into up to three separate accounts.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IRS live phone assistance is extremely limited. People are encouraged to first check the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website and the IRS2Go app. Taxpayers can also review the IRS Services Guide which links to additional IRS online services.

Please note: Ordering a tax transcript will not speed delivery of tax refunds nor does the posting of a tax transcript to a taxpayer’s account determine the timing of a refund delivery. Calls to request transcripts for this purpose are unnecessary. Transcripts are available online and by mail at Get Transcript.

A few necessary items
To use the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, taxpayers will need to enter their Social Security number, tax filing status (single, married, head of household) and exact amount of the tax refund claimed on the return.

Taxpayers who file electronically can check “Where’s My Refund?” within 24 hours after they receive their e-file acceptance notification. The tool can tell taxpayers when their tax return has been received, when the refund is approved and the date the refund is to be issued.

Some refunds may take longer
While the IRS continues to process electronic and paper tax returns, issue refunds, and accept payments, there are delays in processing paper tax returns due to limited staffing. If a taxpayer filed a paper tax return, the return will be processed in the order in which it was received. Do not file a second tax return or call the IRS.

Many different factors can affect the timing of a refund. In some cases, a tax return may require additional review. It is also important to consider the time it takes for a financial institution to post the refund to an account or for a refund check to be delivered by mail.

Taxpayers who owe
The IRS encourages taxpayers who owe to do a Paycheck Check Up every year to ensure enough tax is withheld from their pay to avoid an unexpected tax bill.

WASHINGTON — Because of the burdens the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on hospitals, the Internal Revenue Service today provided additional relief to hospital organizations that must meet the Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) requirements.

Notice 2020-56 extends the deadline for conducting a CHNA and adopting an implementation strategy to meet the community health needs identified through the CHNA to Dec. 31, 2020.

Tax-exempt hospital organizations filing Forms 990 must indicate on Schedule H if they have conducted a CHNA in the current taxable year or in either of the two immediately preceding taxable years and if they have adopted an implementation strategy to meet the significant health needs identified through the most recently completed CHNA. Since these requirements may affect the hospital’s tax-exempt status and because the law imposes a $50,000 tax on a hospital organization for each hospital facility that fails to meet either or both of these requirements, the extension provided in the notice provides significant relief.

Under Notice 2020-56, the time for hospitals to comply with any CHNA requirements due to be performed on or after April 1, 2020, and before Dec. 31, 2020, is extended to Dec. 31, 2020.

Previously, the IRS issued guidance extending the due date to July 15, 2020; today’s guidance further extends that due date.

Hospitals using the relief in today’s notice that file Form 990 prior to Dec. 31, 2020, should state in the narrative of Part V.C. of Schedule H (Form 990) that they are eligible for and are relying on the relief provided in the notice, and should not be treated as failing to meet the requirements of section 501(r)(3) prior to Dec. 31, 2020.

Additional tax relief related to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on IRS.gov.

Notice 2020-56 extends the deadline for conducting a CHNA and adopting an implementation strategy to meet the community health needs identified through the CHNA to December 31, 2020.  Because of the burdens the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on hospitals, the Internal Revenue Service today provided additional relief to hospital organizations that must meet the Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) requirements.

Notice 2020-56 will be in IRB: 2020-32, dated 8/3/2020.

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department and the IRS today released a proposed redesigned partnership form for tax year 2021 (filing season 2022). The proposed form is designed to provide greater clarity for partners on how to compute their U.S. income tax liability with respect to items of international tax relevance, including claiming deductions and credits. 

The redesigned form and instructions provide guidance to partnerships on how to report international tax information to their partners in a standardized format. This proposed form would apply to a partnership required to file Form 1065 only if the partnership has items of international tax relevance (generally foreign activities or foreign partners). The proposed changes would not affect domestic partnerships with no international tax items to report.

This early release is intended to afford time for stakeholder input and engagement.  Treasury and IRS invite comments from affected stakeholders through Sept. 14, 2020. Written comments should be sent to the following email address: lbi.passthrough.international.form.changes@irs.gov with the subject line: “International Form Changes.”

The Treasury Department and the IRS will be actively engaged with stakeholders to solicit input on these proposed changes before the forms are finalized later in 2020.

Currently, partners are required to report international tax information on their tax returns on several tax forms and schedules. Partners generally obtain the information required to be reported from their partnerships, usually through narrative statements attached to K-1s. Those statements are compiled in a variety of formats and may be difficult for partners to translate onto their own returns.  The proposed changes intend to ease this burden through a standard format that offers greater clarity to both partnerships and their partners.

The standard format of the new partnership schedules is designed to better align the information that partnerships provide on the schedules with the tax forms used by partners, allowing partners to more easily prepare their tax returns and the IRS to more efficiently verify taxpayer compliance.  It is intended that all of the information to be reported on the new schedules is already necessary for the partnership to provide to partners or is available to the partnership. 

The Treasury Department and the IRS are releasing the draft new Schedule K-2 (Form 1065), Partners’ Distributive Share Items - International and Schedule K-3 (Form 1065), Partner’s – Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc. – International, both for tax year 2021 (filing season 2022), and the draft instructions, to allow partnerships and other stakeholders time to consider the proposed changes and to provide comments that can be taken into account in finalizing the schedules and instructions. 

The proposed parts included in new Schedule K-2 (Form 1065) replace portions of existing Form 1065, Schedule K, lines 16(a) through 16(r). The proposed schedule provides for international tax information to be reported in a standardized manner generally corresponding to the tax forms listed above. 

The proposed parts included in new Schedule K-3 (Form 1065) replaces portions of Schedule K-1, Part III, Boxes 16 and 20, and provides information to the partner generally in the format of the following forms that might be completed by the partner:

The Treasury Department and the IRS plan similar revisions, as applicable, to Form 1120-S (U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation) and Form 8865 (Return of U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Partnerships).  The Treasury Department and the IRS welcome comments on similar changes to be made to Forms 1120-S and 8865 for the 2021 tax year.

WASHINGTON − The Internal Revenue Service today reminded business taxpayers that their 2019 tax returns and tax payments, as well as their first two 2020 estimated tax payments, are due on Wednesday, July 15.

The July 15 due date generally applies to any tax return or tax payment deadline that was postponed due to COVID-19. In April, the IRS said that this postponement applied to all taxpayers that had a filing or payment deadline falling on or after April 1, 2020, and before July 15, 2020. No late-filing penalty, late-payment penalty or interest will be due for payments prior to July 15.

Corporations, trusts and estates, as well as individuals and other non-corporate tax filers qualify for the extra time. A complete list of qualifying filing and payment deadlines are available at IRS.gov/Coronavirus.

Businesses that need a tax-filing extension beyond the July 15 deadline can get one by filing Form 7004. An extension to file is not an extension to pay. To avoid interest charges and any possible late-payment penalties, be sure to estimate any tax liability and pay it by the July 15 deadline. Individuals who file Form 1040, including sole proprietors, farmers and landlords, can get an extension by filing Form 4868.

The fastest and easiest way to meet the July 15 deadline is to file returns and pay any taxes due electronically. For more information on e-file and e-payment options, visit IRS.gov/efile.

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today reminds taxpayers that they have until the postponed due date of July 15, 2020, to file an extension for their 2019 federal tax return. The extension gives taxpayers until Oct. 15 to file, but taxes owed are due by July 15.

The July 15 due date generally applies to all taxpayers who have an income tax filing or payment deadline falling on or after April 1, 2020, and before July 15, 2020. Taxpayers and tax professionals should continue to use electronic options. The IRS encourages taxpayers to file electronically. Doing so, whether through e-file or IRS Free File, reduces tax return errors, as the tax software does the calculations, flags common errors and prompts taxpayers for missing information. Free File Fillable Forms means there is a free option for everyone.
 
Here’s how to get an extension of time to file
Individual taxpayers who need additional time to file beyond the July 15 deadline can request a filing extension to Oct. 15 in one of two ways:

Businesses that need additional time to file income tax returns must file Form 7004, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns.

IRS.gov assistance
Taxpayers may find answers to many of their questions using the Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA), a tax law resource that works using a series of questions and responses. IRS.gov has answers for Frequently Asked Questions. The IRS website has tax information in: Spanish (Español); Chinese (中文); Korean (한국어); Russian (Pусский); Vietnamese (Tyng Việt); and Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen). Go to IRS.gov/payments for electronic payment options.

WASHINGTON — On July 9, the U.S. Tax Court struck down four more abusive syndicated conservation easement transactions. The Internal Revenue Service calls on any taxpayer involved in syndicated conservation easement transactions who receives a settlement offer from the agency to accept it soon.

These time-limited settlement offers, announced June 25, are only being made to certain taxpayers with pending docketed Tax Court cases involving this type of abusive transaction.

These and other recent Tax Court decisions support the abusive nature of the underlying syndicated conservation easement deduction. The four most recent U.S. Tax Court decisions disallowed conservation easement deductions totaling nearly $21 million.

“The IRS will continue to actively identify, audit and litigate these syndicated conservation easement deals as part of its vigorous and relentless effort to combat abusive transactions,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “These abusive transactions undermine the public's trust in private land conservation and defraud the government of revenue. We strongly recommend that participants seek the advice of competent, independent advisors. Ending these abusive schemes remains a top priority for the IRS."

The IRS recognizes the important role of legitimate conservation easement deductions in incentivizing land preservation for future generations. However, abusive syndicated conservation easement transactions have been of concern to the IRS for several years.

The IRS is aware that some promoters of these abusive transactions have downplayed the significance of the string of recent court decisions holding in the government’s favor, arguing that their cases are somehow different or that those decisions might be reversed on appeal. These promoters ignore common sense and argue that the real dispute is about value, neglecting to explain how the reporting of short-term appreciation, often exceeding many multiples of reality, could possibly withstand judicial scrutiny.

“Taxpayers should ignore this nonsense, take an objective look at their cases, and cut their losses,” said IRS Chief Counsel Mike Desmond. “Abusive transactions, like settlement offers, do not get better with time, and this is a good opportunity to get out.”  

In listed syndicated conservation easement structures, promoters syndicate ownership interests in real property through partnerships, using promotional materials to suggest that prospective investors may be entitled to a share of a conservation easement contribution deduction that equals or exceeds two and one-half times the investment amount. The promoters obtain an appraisal that greatly inflates the value of the conservation easement based on a fictional and unrealistic highest and best use of the property before it was encumbered with the easement.

After the investors invest in the partnership, the partnership donates a conservation easement to a land trust. Investors in the partnership then claim a deduction based on an inflated value. The investors typically claim charitable contribution deductions that grossly multiply their actual investment in the transaction and defy common sense.

For more details, see IR-2020-130.