Revenue Ruling 2021-18 provides various prescribed rates for federal income tax purposes including the applicable federal interest rates, the adjusted applicable federal interest rates, the adjusted federal long-term rate, and the adjusted federal long-term tax-exempt rate. These rates are determined as prescribed by § 1274.

It will appear in IRB 2020-40 dated Oct. 4, 2021.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department announced today that millions of American families are now receiving their advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of September.

This third batch of advance monthly payments, totaling about $15 billion, is reaching about 35 million families today across the country. The majority of payments will be issued by direct deposit. Under the American Rescue Plan, most eligible families received payments dated July 15 and Aug. 13, along with today’s Sept. 15 payment. Future payments are scheduled for Oct. 15, Nov. 15 and Dec. 15. For these families, each payment is up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each child ages 6 through 17.

Here are further details on these payments:

Still time to sign up; additional details

It’s not too late for families who haven’t filed a 2020 income tax return—including those who are not normally required to file because their incomes are too low—to sign up for advance CTC payments. Most low-income families can get these monthly payments.

The IRS urges families who normally aren’t required to file a tax return to explore the tools available on IRS.gov. These tools can help determine their eligibility or help them file a simplified tax return to sign up for these payments, as well as to be considered automatically for the third round of Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 per person and to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit covering any of the first two rounds of Economic Impact Payments they may have missed.

The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information and use available online tools and toolkits to help non-filers, low-income families and other underserved groups sign up to receive these benefits.

Families can stop payments anytime, even after payments begin. They can do that by using the unenroll feature in the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. Eligible families who make this choice will still receive the rest of their Child Tax Credit as a lump sum when they file their 2021 federal income tax return next year. To stop all payments starting in October and for the rest of 2021, they must unenroll by 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 4, 2021.

For married couples, each spouse must unenroll separately. If they each choose to unenroll, they will receive no monthly payments. If only one spouse unenrolls, they will still receive monthly payments, but they will be half the normal amount.

The unenroll feature can also be helpful to any family that no longer qualifies for the CTC or believes they will not qualify when they file their 2021 return in 2022. This could happen if, for example, someone else, such as an ex-spouse or another family member, qualifies to claim their child or children as dependents in 2021.

At the same time, IRS also reminded eligible families who are not getting these payments, especially those who receive little or no income, that the IRS Non-filer Sign-up Tool remains available to use until Oct. 15.

Links to these tools, a step-by-step guide to using the Non-filer Sign-up Tool, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful resources are available on the IRS’s special advance CTC 2021 page.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service, in response to the continued shortages of undyed diesel fuel caused by Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas, will extend the penalty relief provided in IR-2021-176 when dyed diesel fuel is sold or used on the highway.

In IR-2021-176, released Sept. 1, 2021, the IRS announced that due to the impact of Hurricane Ida it would not impose a penalty when dyed diesel fuel is sold for use or used on the highway for the following parishes in the state of Louisiana:  Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana. That relief has been extended and is effective as of Aug. 29, 2021, and will remain in effect through Sept. 30, 2021.

In addition, due to the impact of Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas, the IRS is also providing penalty relief to the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Rapides, St. Landry, Vermilion, and Vernon. This additional relief is effective as of Aug. 29, 2021 and will remain in effect through Sept. 30, 2021.

This penalty relief is available to any person that sells or uses dyed fuel for highway use. In the case of the operator of the vehicle in which the dyed fuel is used, the relief is available only if the operator or the person selling the fuel pays the tax of 24.4 cents per gallon that is normally applied to diesel fuel for highway use. The IRS will not impose penalties for failure to make semimonthly deposits of this tax. IRS Publication 510, Excise Taxes, has information on the proper method for reporting and paying the tax.

Ordinarily, dyed diesel fuel is not taxed, because it is sold for uses exempt from excise tax, such as to farmers for farming purposes, for home heating use and to local governments for buses.

Also, this waiver does not apply to the Internal Revenue Code penalty for using adulterated fuels that do not comply with applicable EPA regulations. Consequently, diesel fuel with sulfur content higher than 15 parts-per-million may not be used in highway vehicles.

The IRS is closely monitoring the situation and will provide additional relief as needed.

WASHINGTON — During National Small Business Week, the Internal Revenue Service reminds business owners that it’s critical to correctly determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors.

An employee is generally considered to be anyone who performs services, if the business can control what will be done and how it will be done. What matters is that the business has the right to control the details of how the worker’s services are performed. Independent contractors are normally people in an independent trade, business or profession in which they offer their services to the public. Doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, accountants, contractors, subcontractors, public stenographers or auctioneers are generally independent contractors.

Independent contractor vs. employee
Whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee depends on the relationship between the worker and the business. Generally, there are three categories to examine:

Misclassified worker 
Misclassifying workers as independent contractors adversely affects employees because the employer’s share of taxes is not paid, and the employee’s share is not withheld. If a business misclassified an employee without a reasonable basis, it could be held liable for employment taxes for that worker. Generally, an employer must withhold and pay income taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes, as well as unemployment taxes. Workers who believe they have been improperly classified as independent contractors can use IRS Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages (.pdf) to figure and report their share of uncollected Social Security and Medicare taxes due on their compensation.

Voluntary Classification Settlement Program
The Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VCSP) is an optional program that provides taxpayers with an opportunity to reclassify their workers as employees for future tax periods for employment tax purposes with partial relief from federal employment taxes for eligible taxpayers that agree to prospectively treat their workers (or a class or group of workers) as employees. Taxpayers must meet certain eligibility requirements, apply by filing Form 8952, Application for Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, and enter into a closing agreement with the IRS.

Who is self-employed?
Generally, someone is self-employed if any of the following apply to them.

Self-employed individuals generally are required to file an annual tax return and pay estimated tax quarterly. They generally must pay self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare tax) as well as income tax. Self-employed taxpayers may be able to claim the home office deduction if they use part of a home for business. 

What about the gig economy?
The gig economy − also called sharing economy or access economy−is activity where people earn income providing on-demand work, services or goods. Gig economy income must be reported on a tax return, even if the income is: from part-time, temporary or side work; not reported on a Form 1099-K, 1099-MISC, W-2 or other income statement; or paid in any form, including cash, property, goods or virtual currency.

Help spread the word - Advance Child Tax Credit
The IRS  encourages employers to help get the word out about the advanced payments of the Child Tax Credit during Small Business Week. Employers have direct access to many  who may receive this credit. More information on the Advanced Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov. The website has tools employers can use to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share. 

For more information and help
The Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center has information for those who are in an independent trade, business or profession in which they offer their services to the general public.
 
Small Business Taxes: The Virtual Workshop is composed of nine interactive lessons designed to help new small business owners learn their tax rights and responsibilities.

The IRS Video Portal contains video and audio presentations on topics of interest to small businesses, individuals and tax professionals.

WASHINGTON –The Internal Revenue Service will close its paper return processing center in Fresno, California, permanently at the end of September this year. Originally announced in 2016, this closure is part of a larger, ongoing efficiency strategy as most taxpayers now file electronically.

The number of individual returns taxpayers filed electronically has grown from 90 million in 2008 to over 145 million in 2020, which is more than 90% of all returns filed. The IRS expects this trend to continue for both individual and non-individual returns.

Where to send returns

Taxpayers located in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Ohio and Washington state who previously filed their federal tax returns with Fresno should now mail their returns to the Ogden, Utah, processing center.

The Ogden address for filing paper individual returns is:

Department of Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Ogden, UT 84201-0002

Fresno operations

The IRS will maintain a presence in Fresno with many other operations still working at full capacity. This planned consolidation, however, allows IRS to streamline operations and make better use of existing space.

When this consolidation was announced in September 2016, there were approximately 3,000 employees employed at the paper processing center in Fresno. Since that time, the IRS has taken steps to provide training and find continued employment opportunities for many of the impacted employees. Others have chosen to retire or separate from the IRS.

The agency also maintains a Fresno submission processing consolidation update page on IRS.gov.

IRS.gov assistance 24/7

The IRS reminds taxpayers that help is available 24/7 on IRS.gov. The IRS website offers a variety of online tools to help taxpayers answer common tax questions. For example, taxpayers can search the Interactive Tax Assistant, Tax Topics and Frequently Asked Questions to get answers to common questions.

The IRS is continuing to expand ways to communicate to taxpayers who prefer to get information in other languages. The IRS has posted translated tax resources in 20 other languages on IRS.gov. For more information, see We Speak Your Language.

Today, the IRS published the latest executive column “A Closer Look,” which features Commissioner Charles Rettig, discussing how the IRS had to pause and modify operations during the pandemic. He also provides a glimpse of what the IRS is doing to help struggling taxpayers and to get caught up during this unprecedented time. “We have done the best we could under the circumstances, and we will continue to do our best as we face the current challenges,” said Rettig. Read more here.

“A Closer Look” is a column from IRS executives that covers a variety of timely issues of interest to taxpayers and the tax community. It also provides a detailed look at key issues affecting everything from IRS operations and employees to issues involving taxpayers and tax professionals.

Check here for prior posts and new updates.

WASHINGTON – With many businesses facing a tight job market, the Internal Revenue Service reminds employers to check out a valuable tax credit available to them for hiring long-term unemployment recipients and other groups of workers facing significant barriers to employment.

During National Small Business Week, the IRS is highlighting tax benefits and resources designed to help new and existing small businesses. For any business now hiring, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) may help.

Legislation enacted in December extended the WOTC through the end of 2025. This long-standing tax benefit encourages employers to hire workers certified as members of any of ten targeted groups facing barriers to employment. With millions of Americans out of work at one time or another since the pandemic began, the IRS noted that one of these targeted groups is long-term unemployment recipients who have been unemployed for at least 27 consecutive weeks and have received state or federal unemployment benefits during part or all of that time.

The other groups include certain veterans and recipients of various kinds of public assistance, among others. Specifically, the 10 groups are:

To qualify for the credit, an employer must first request certification by submitting IRS Form 8850, Pre-screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit, to their state workforce agency (SWA). Do not submit this form to the IRS.

Normally, Form 8850 must be submitted to the SWA within 28 days after the eligible worker begins work. But under a special relief provision, a Nov. 8, 2021, submission deadline applies to two groups of new hires—qualified summer youth employees living in Empowerment Zones and designated community residents living in Empowerment Zones.

To qualify for the Nov. 8 submission deadline, eligible employees must start work on or after Jan. 1, 2021, and before Oct. 9, 2021. Other requirements and further details can be found in Notice 2021-43 and the instructions (.pdf) to Form 8850.

Eligible businesses claim the WOTC on their federal income tax return. It is generally based on wages paid to eligible workers during the first year of employment.

The credit is first figured on Form 5884, Work Opportunity Credit, and then is claimed on Form 3800, General Business Credit.

Though the credit is not available to tax-exempt organizations for most groups of new hires, a special rule allows them to claim the WOTC for hiring qualified veterans. These organizations claim the credit against payroll taxes on Form 5884-C, Work Opportunity Credit for Qualified Tax Exempt Organizations.

For more information about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, visit IRS.gov/WOTC.

Help spread the word-advance Child Tax Credit

The IRS encourages employers to help get the word out about the advanced payments of the Child Tax Credit during Small Business Week. Employers have direct access to many who may receive this credit. More information on the Advanced Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov. The website has tools employers can use to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share.

WASHINGTON — Victims of Hurricane Ida in parts of Pennsylvania now have until Jan. 3, 2022, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. The IRS has also provided relief to Ida victims in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and New York.

The IRS is offering relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as qualifying for individual or public assistance. Currently, this includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York counties, but taxpayers in Ida-impacted localities in other parts of Pennsylvania, subsequently designated by FEMA, will automatically receive the same filing and payment relief. The current list of eligible localities is available on the disaster relief page on IRS.gov.

“During this difficult time, the IRS stands ready to help victims of Hurricane Ida,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “We want people affected by this devastating hurricane focused on their safety and recovery for themselves and their families. To provide assistance now and in the weeks ahead, we have a variety of different types of relief available to help people and businesses affected by this disaster.”

The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on Aug. 31, 2021. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Jan. 3, 2022, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period. This means individuals who had a valid extension to file their 2020 return due to run out on Oct. 15, 2021, will now have until Jan. 3, 2022, to file. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments related to these 2020 returns were due on May 17, 2021, those payments are not eligible for this relief.

The Jan. 3, 2022 deadline also applies to quarterly estimated income tax payments due on Sept. 15, 2021, and the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Nov. 1, 2021. It also applies to tax-exempt organizations, operating on a calendar-year basis, that had a valid extension due to run out on Nov. 15, 2021. Businesses with an original or extended due date also have the additional time including, among others, calendar-year partnerships and S corporations whose 2020 extensions run out on Sept. 15, 2021 and calendar-year corporations whose 2020 extensions run out on Oct. 15, 2021.

In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Aug. 31 and before Sept. 15, will be abated as long as the deposits are made by Sept. 15, 2021.

The IRS disaster relief page has details on other returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time.

The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.

In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at 866-562-5227. This also includes workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization.

Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this instance, the 2021 return normally filed next year), or the return for the prior year (2020). Be sure to write the FEMA declaration number – DR-4618 for Pennsylvania  − on any return claiming a loss. See Publication 547 for details.

The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the damage caused by Hurricane Ida and is based on local damage assessments by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit disasterassistance.gov.

Revenue Procedure 2021-41 provides the domestic asset/liability percentages and domestic investment yields needed by foreign life insurance companies and foreign property and liability insurance companies to compute their minimum effectively connected net investment income under section 842(b) of the Internal Revenue Code for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2019.

Revenue Procedure 2021-41 will appear in IRB 2021-39, dated Sept. 27, 2021.

WASHINGTON — During National Small Business Week, the Internal Revenue Service wants small business owners to know that information and resources to help them understand and meet their tax obligations are available free at IRS.gov.

Small businesses play a pivotal role in our nation’s economy. The IRS has a variety of resources available to help employers meet their tax responsibilities as well as help their employees.

IRS online resources can also help employers with things like how to determine if workers should be classified as employees or independent contractors, when employment taxes are due and what forms they need to file.

Employer Identification Number

An Employer Identification Number , also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number is a must-have for a business. Applying for an EIN can be done online for free using an interview style application offered by the IRS. Five Things to Know about the EIN is a video that helps explain why it is critical the IRS has accurate and current information related to EINs or business accounts. 

Employment taxes
It's important a small business understand employment taxes such as federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare taxes as well as Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax. Employers must regularly report wages, tips and other compensation paid to an employee by filing the required form(s) to the IRS.

Most employers use Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return to report federal income tax withheld and both the employer and employee Social Security and Medicare taxes. The smallest employers (those whose annual liability for Social Security, Medicare and withheld federal income taxes is $1,000 or less) file Form 944, Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return, and agricultural employers file Form 943, Employer's Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employees. Only the employer pays FUTA tax; it is not withheld from the employee's wages. Employers report their FUTA taxes by filing Form 940, Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return.

If businesses compensate non-employees for services, or pay rent, commissions, the fees of attorneys and other professionals, or make certain other payments, businesses must obtain the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) of the payee before making the payment. If businesses don’t have the payee’s TIN at the time payment is made, businesses must withhold 24% from the payment as backup withholding. A payer is liable for backup withholding even if the tax is not deducted from the payment. Payers may use Form W-9 to request the payee’s TIN. Payers use Form 945, Annual Return of Withheld Income Tax, to report backup withholding.

There are two deposit schedules for employment taxes withheld and the employer’s match − monthly and semi-weekly. Before the beginning of each calendar year, employers must determine which of the two deposit schedules they’re required to use. To determine the businesses’ payment schedule, review Publication 15 for Forms 941, 944 and 945, or Publication 51 for Form 943. Deposits for FUTA Tax (Form 940) are required for the quarter within which the tax due exceeds $500. The tax must be deposited by the end of the month following the end of the quarter.  Small business taxpayers must use electronic funds transfer (EFTPS) to make all federal tax deposits. See the Employment Tax Due Dates page for information on when deposits are due.

Estimated tax payments
Taxes are pay-as-you-go. This means taxpayers need to pay most of their tax during the year, as they receive income, rather than paying at the end of the year.

Small business owners, sole proprietors, partners and S corporation shareholders who don’t have tax withheld from their earnings need to make estimated tax payments, usually quarterly. Anyone who pays too little tax (.pdf) or does not pay on-time, may owe a penalty.

Hiring others to prepare payroll
To meet payroll and employment tax responsibilities, many businesses hire a payroll and payroll tax company. Most of these businesses provide quality service, however, sometimes a payroll service provider doesn't submit their client's payroll taxes and closes abruptly. The client remains legally responsible for paying the taxes due even if they sent funds for deposits or payments to the payroll service provider. The IRS urges employers to choose carefully when selecting a payroll provider. The IRS also encourages employers to enroll in the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). It's free and when deposits are made under their EIN, it lets them monitor that their payroll service provider is making their tax deposits.

Small businesses can share the word with employees about Child Tax Credit
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, new legislation was enacted to aid not only struggling business owners, but also individuals. Employers have direct access to people who may be eligible for advance Child Tax Credit payments. As part of its ongoing effort to help eligible people access advance Child Tax Credit payments and the increased Child Tax Credit for the 2021 tax year; IRS will be encouraging employers to help spread the word during National Small Business Week 2021.

Materials for employers and others who can help are available on the IRS website at 2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments: Resources and Guidance. This is part of a larger effort underway at the IRS to reach people eligible for the payments and other credits. Individuals can check their eligibility for the advance payments by using the Advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant.

More information
Online IRS resources available to small businesses to learn their employer tax responsibilities include: