WASHINGTON — With a surge of tax returns expected the two weeks following the Feb. 17 Presidents Day holiday, the Internal Revenue Service is offering taxpayers several tips and various time-saving resources to get them the help they need quickly and easily.

To help avoid this period of high telephone demand, the IRS encourages taxpayers and tax preparers to use online resources available at IRS.gov. And when it comes time to file, taxpayers are encouraged to file electronically and choose direct deposit for faster refunds. Filing electronically reduces tax return errors as the tax software does the calculations, flags common errors and prompts taxpayers for missing information.

Here are a few featured tips to avoid the rush.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is holding a free webinar designed to help gig workers, employers, contractors and other businesses understand their tax reporting responsibilities.

This free 60-minute webinar will take place on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. It is open to gig workers, businesses, tax professionals and anyone else interested in the tax rules that affect the gig economy. Tax pros can earn one continuing education credit.

Topics to be covered include:

The webinar will feature a live question and answer session and will be closed captioned for viewers who are deaf or hearing impaired. Anyone interested in attending can register online.

For more information on the gig economy, visit Understanding the Gig Economy and the Gig Economy Tax Center on IRS.gov.

Archived versions of past IRS webinars are available at www.irsvideos.gov.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service today issued proposed regulations updating the federal income tax withholding rules to reflect changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and other legislation. 

In general, the proposed regulations, available now in the Federal Register, are designed to accommodate the redesigned Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, to be used starting in 2020, and the related tables and computational procedures in Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods. The proposed regulations and related guidance do not require employees to furnish a new Form W-4 solely because of the redesign of the Form W-4. 

Employees who have a Form W-4 on file with their employer from years prior to 2020 generally will continue to have their withholding determined based on that form.

To assist with computation of income tax withholding, the redesigned Form W-4 no longer uses an employee’s marital status and withholding allowances, which were tied to the value of the personal exemption. Due to TCJA changes, employees can no longer claim personal exemptions. Instead, income tax withholding using the redesigned Form W-4 will generally be based on the employee’s expected filing status and standard deduction for the year.

The Form W-4 is also redesigned to make it easier for employees with more than one job at the same time or married employees who file jointly with their working spouses to withhold the proper amount of tax.

In addition, employees can choose to have itemized deductions, the child tax credit, and other tax benefits reflected in their withholding for the year. As in the past, employees can choose to have an employer withhold a flat-dollar extra amount each pay period to cover, for example, income they receive from other sources that is not subject to withholding. Under the proposed regulations, employees now also have the option to request that employers withhold additional tax by reporting income from other sources not subject to withholding on the Form W-4.

The proposed regulations permit employees to use the new IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to help them accurately fill out Form W-4. As in the past, taxpayers may use the worksheets in the instructions to Form W-4 and in Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, to assist them in filling out this form correctly.

The proposed regulations also address a variety of other income tax withholding issues. For example, the proposed regulations provide flexibility in how employees who fail to furnish Forms W-4 should be treated. Starting in 2020, employers must treat new employees who fail to furnish a properly completed Form W-4 as single and withhold using the standard deduction and no other adjustments. Before 2020, employers in this situation were required to withhold as if the employee was single and claiming zero allowances.

In addition, the proposed regulations provide rules on when employees must furnish a new Form W-4 for changed circumstances, update the regulations for the lock-in letter program, and eliminate the combined income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) tax withholding tables.

Treasury and IRS welcome public comment on these proposed regulations. See the proposed regulations for details.

Updates on TCJA implementation can be found on the Tax Reform page of IRS.gov.

Revenue Ruling 2020-05 modifies Rev. Rul. 2009-13 and Rev. Rul. 2009-14 to reflect  § 1016(a)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, which was added by section 13521 of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  Under §1016(a)(1)(B), the adjusted basis of an insurance contract is not reduced by the cost of insurance.  Section 1016(a)(1)(B) reversed the position in Rev. Rul. 2009-13 and Rev. Rul. 2009-14 that the basis of an insurance contract is reduced by the cost of insurance.

Revenue Ruling 2020-05 will be in IRB:  2020-9, dated 2/24/2020.

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today launched Identity Theft Central, designed to improve online access to information on identity theft and data security protection for taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses. 

Located on IRS.gov, Identity Theft Central is available 24/7 at irs.gov/identitytheft. It is a resource on how to report identity theft, how taxpayers can protect themselves against phishing, online scams and more. 

Improving awareness and outreach are hallmarks of initiatives to combat identity theft coordinated by the IRS, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax industry, all working in partnership under the Security Summit banner. 

Since 2015, the Security Summit partners have made substantial progress in the fight against tax-related identity theft. But thieves are still constantly looking for ways to steal the identities of individuals, tax professionals and businesses in order to file fraudulent tax returns for refunds. 

The partnership has taken a number of steps to help educate and improve protections for taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses. As part of this effort, the IRS has redesigned the information into a new, streamlined page − Identity Theft Central − to help people get information they need on ID theft, scams and schemes. 

From this special page, people can get specific information including:

The page also features videos on key topics that can be used by taxpayers or partner groups. The new page includes a video message from IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, warning signs for phishing email scams – a common tactic used for identity theft – and steps for people to protect their computer and phone. 

Tax professionals and others may want to bookmark Identity Theft Central and check their specific guidance periodically for updates. 

This is part of an ongoing effort by the IRS to share identity theft-related information with the public. The IRS continues to look for ways to raise awareness and improve education and products related to identity theft for taxpayers and the tax professional community.

WASHINGTON − The Internal Revenue Service announced today the overwhelming acceptance of a time-limited settlement offer made to certain taxpayers under audit who participated in abusive micro-captive insurance transactions.

Nearly 80% of taxpayers who received offer letters elected to accept the settlement terms. In addition, the IRS is establishing 12 new examination teams that are expected to open audits related to thousands of taxpayers in coming months.

“The overwhelming acceptance rate of the private settlement offer is a reflection of the success of the government’s work to stop this abuse,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Taxpayers who elected to accept the IRS’ terms have done the right thing by coming into compliance with their federal tax obligations and putting this behind them. Putting an end to abusive schemes is a high priority for the IRS.”

Abusive micro-captives have been a threat to tax administration and a concern to the IRS for several years. The transaction has appeared on the IRS “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams since 2014. In 2016, the Department of the Treasury and IRS issued Notice 2016-66, which identified certain micro-captive transactions as having the potential for tax avoidance and evasion. 

The settlement offer followed three U.S. Tax Court decisions confirming that certain micro-captive arrangements are not eligible for federal tax benefits. The terms of the settlement required substantial concession of the income tax benefits claimed by the taxpayer together with appropriate penalties.

The IRS will continue to vigorously pursue those involved in these and other similar abusive transactions going forward. Enforcement activity in this area is being significantly increased. To that end, the IRS is deploying additional resources, which includes standing up 12 new examination teams comprised of employees from the IRS Large Business and International and Small Business/Self-Employed divisions that will be working to address these abusive transactions and open additional exams. These teams will use all available enforcement tools, including summonses, to obtain necessary information.
 
Examinations impacting micro-captive insurance transactions of several thousand taxpayers will be opened by these teams in the coming months. Potential civil outcomes can include full disallowance of claimed captive insurance deductions, inclusion of income by the captive entity and imposition of all applicable penalties.
 
The IRS reminds taxpayers and advisors that disclosure of participation in micro-captive insurance transactions is required with the IRS Office of Tax Shelter Analysis under Notice 2016-66. Failure to properly disclose can result in significant civil penalties. Taxpayers involved in these abusive transactions should immediately consult with independent, competent tax advisors on the proper treatment for past and future tax years to consider best available options.

WASHINGTON – As part of an ongoing effort to improve service for the tax-exempt community, the Internal Revenue Service has revised Form 1023 to allow electronic filing for the first time starting later this month.

To help charities apply for Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, the IRS has revised Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and its instructions.

“Filing electronically reduces errors, and we believe this will help provide a smoother application process for those seeking tax exemption,” said Tammy Ripperda, Commissioner of the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities division. “As we’ve seen with the 1023-EZ, we believe this change will help with application processing time and help with our wider efforts to improve our work with the tax-exempt community.”

The IRS expects the electronic Form 1023 benefits to mirror those realized when Form 1023-EZ went online in 2014. IRS statistics show the 1023-EZ improved application processing time for both the Form 1023 and 1023-EZ while maintaining similar approval and rejection rates between the two forms.

Beginning Jan. 31, 2020, applications for recognition of exemption on Form 1023 must be submitted electronically online at www.pay.gov. The IRS will provide a 90-day grace period during which it will continue to accept paper versions of Form 1023 (Rev. 12-2017).

The required user fee for Form 1023 will remain $600 for 2020. Applicants must pay the fee through www.pay.gov when submitting the form. Payment can be made directly from a bank account or by credit or debit card.

Updates about Form 1023 can be obtained by subscribing to Exempt Organizations Update, a free e-Newsletter from the IRS Exempt Organizations’ office. EO Update provides information on tax policy, services and information that’s important to tax-exempt organizations including:

Additional information on how to apply for IRS recognition of tax-exempt status is available:

Revenue Procedure 2020-08 makes specific modifications to Rev. Proc. 2020-5 to allow for the new electronic submission process of the Form 1023 Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It also provides a 90-day transition relief period, during which paper Form 1023 applications will be accepted. This revenue procedure also modifies language related to the submission of written requests of Canadian charities to be listed on the Tax Exempt Organizations Search database or for a determination on private foundation status.

Revenue Procedure 2020-08 will be in IRB:  2020-08, dated 2/18/2020.

WASHINGTON ― The Internal Revenue Service wants seniors to know about the availability of a new tax form, Form 1040-SR, featuring larger print and a standard deduction chart with a goal of making it easier for older Americans to read and use.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 required the IRS to create a tax form for seniors. Taxpayers age 65 or older now have the option to use Form 1040-SR, U.S. Tax Return for Seniors. Form 1040-SR, when printed, features larger font and better readability.

Taxpayers who electronically file Form 1040-SR may notice the change when they print their return. More than 90% of taxpayers now use tax software to prepare and file their tax return.

Taxpayers born before Jan. 2, 1955, have the option to file Form 1040-SR whether they are working, not working or retired. The form allows income reporting from other sources common to seniors such as investment income, Social Security and distributions from qualified retirement plans, annuities or similar deferred-payment arrangements.

Seniors can use Form 1040-SR to file their 2019 federal income tax return, which is due April 15, 2020. All lines and checkboxes on Form 1040-SR mirror the Form 1040, and both forms use all the same attached schedules and forms. The revised 2019 Instructions cover both Forms 1040 and 1040-SR.

Eligible taxpayers can use Form 1040-SR whether they plan to itemize or take the standard deduction. Taxpayers who itemize deductions can file Form 1040-SR and attach Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, when filing a paper return. For those taking the standard deduction, Form 1040-SR includes a chart listing the standard deduction amounts, making it easier to calculate. It also ensures seniors are aware of the increased standard deduction for taxpayers age 65 and older.

Married people filing a joint return can use the Form 1040-SR regardless of whether one or both spouses are age 65 or older or retired. 

Both the 1040 and the 1040-SR use the same “building block” approach introduced last year that can be supplemented with additional Schedules 1, 2 and 3 as needed. Many taxpayers with basic tax situations can file Form 1040 or 1040-SR with no additional schedules.

Revenue Ruling 2020-04 clarifies the manner to properly compute the income limits applicable to the low-income housing credit under § 42 of the Internal Revenue Code.  The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 added a new minimum set-aside test, the average income test (§ 42(g)(1)(C)), to the existing minimum set-aside tests available to owners of a low-income housing project.  This revenue ruling addresses the additional income limits available in the average income test.

Revenue Ruling 2020-04 will be in IRB:  2020-8, dated February 18, 2020.