Current Federal Tax Developments

Keeping CPAs Up to Date on Tax Matters

A site devoted to articles on current developments in federal taxes geared toward CPAs in tax practice.

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2018-02-19 Treasury at the Bar

February 17, 2018 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of February 19, 2018 - Treasury at the Bar. Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and Kaplan Professional Education.

This week we look at the following items:

  • A method that went unchallenged in two prior audits did not fare well at all in third IRS exam
  • Treasury officials speak on timing of TCJA guidance, Section 199A reasonable compensation and fiduciary income tax issues at ABA Tax Section meeting
  • Treasury Secretary Mnuchin testifies that IRS will issue guidance to shut down S corporation carried interest structure inspired by TCJA
  • Odd result is nevertheless the proper result appellate court informs taxpayer
  • IRS to release W4 online calculator this week

The audio of this week's broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

Articles discussing this week's developments can be found in the PDF below:

2018-02-18 Current Federal Tax Developments

February 17, 2018 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2018-02-12 Changing the Rules During Tax Season

February 10, 2018 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of February 12, 2018 - Change the Rules During Tax Season. Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and Kaplan Professional Education.

This week we look at the following items:

  • The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 includes extenders and other items
  • IRS updates priority guidance for TCJA items, adding 18 TCJA projects
  • Special relief granted to those with pyrrhotite damage, allowing losses to be claimed on 2017 returns
  • Qualified plan and IRA 2018 inflation adjusted figures will not have to change due to TCJA
  • A journal entry did not create a shareholder debt, leading to a denial of multi-million dollar loss
  • Engineer is potentially liable for penalties if positions on cost segregation study are not justified

The audio version of this week's program can be streamed or downloaded below:

A PDF containing articles on the items discussed can be downloaded via the link below:

2018-02-12 Changing the Rules During Tax Season

February 10, 2018 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2018-02-05 Questions and Some Answers on TCJA

February 03, 2018 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of February 5, 2018 - Questions and Some Answers on TCJA Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and Kaplan Professional Education.

This week we look at the following items:

  • The AICPA sends a letter to Treasury regarding areas needing immediate guidance on TCJA - and the list is long
  • IRS issues interim Form W-4 guidance until they can update the forms for TCJA
  • A new proposed regulation added to the Centralized Partnership Audit Regime (CPAR) guidance
  • IRS updates its maybe again annual disclosure Revenue Procedure, but doesn’t really change anything

An audio only version of this week's program can be streamed or downloaded below.

A PDF with articles on each of the update topics can be downloaded below:

  • 2016-02-05 Current Federal Tax Developments
February 03, 2018 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2018-01-29 Government Gets Talkative

January 27, 2018 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of January 22, 2018 - Government Gets Talkative Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and Kaplan Professional Education.

This week we look at the following items:

  • IRS to recompute 2018 inflation adjustment items
  • Priority of guidance discussed by IRS and Treasury
  • JCT counsel discussses impact of TCJA provisions on meals and entertainment and working condition fringe benefits
  • New Form 1024-A to be used by §501(c)(4) organizations seeking determination letter
  • Leaving return under doormat for ex-spouse to sign and mail not reasonable cause for late filing

An audio version of this week's program can be streamed or downloaded below:

Articles related to this week's program can be downloaded below:

2018-01-29 Current Federal Tax Developments

January 27, 2018 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2018-01-22 IRS in Shutdown Mode

January 21, 2018 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of January 22, 2018 - IRS in Shutdown Mode  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following items:

  • IRS publishes plan for dealing with government shutdown during tax season
  • 2017 Roth conversions can be recharacterized through October 15
  • Tenth Circuit limits trust’s deduction for property donation to basis in property
  • IRS begins sharing information with State Department for those with seriously delinquent tax debts

A PDF with this week's articles can be downloaded below:

2018-01-22 Current Federal Tax Developments

January 21, 2018 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2018-01-15 A Sequel 26 Years Later

January 13, 2018 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of January 15, 2018 - A Sequel 26 Years Later Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following items:

  • Supreme Court to take on South Dakota’s challenge to the 1992 Quill decision on nexus for sales taxes
  • FASB will allow private companies and not-for-profits to apply SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 to deal with TCJA deferred taxes
  • Joint Committee on Taxation publishes its annual list of expired and expiring tax provisions, now updated for TCJA’s individual items
  • IRS finds a fuel reward programs where it agrees that a taxpayer can take accrued but unredeemed amounts as a current deduction
  • IRS publishes early percentage withholding tables for wages under TCJA

An audio version of this week's broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

Articles on the topics discussed this week can be downloaded in the PDF below:

2018-01-15 Current Federal Tax Developments

January 13, 2018 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2018-01-08 The Calm After the Storm

January 06, 2018 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of January 8, 2018 - The Calm After the Storm  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following items:

  • IRS to accept efiled returns beginning January 29
  • Employer retirement account being paid to surviving spouse cannot be transferred to beneficiary of surviving spouse at spouse’s death
  • Rollover of after-tax funds from 401(k) into traditional IRA creates basis
  • Innocent spouse relief granted despite fact that husband should have known about the income
  • Additional 6 year statute on unreported income from specified foreign assets does not apply until those assets were subject to information reporting

An audio only version of this week's session can be downloaded or streamed below:

The 2 hour webinar referenced in the session can be signed up for below.  Check with your state society of CPAs to see if they are participating in this session and have a discount code and/or a sign-up option on their website:

Understanding the Effect of the New Tax Law (Live Webinar - Not a Rebroadcast)

January 06, 2018 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2018-01-02 The Year of TCJA and CPAR

December 31, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of January 2, 2018 - The Year of TCJA and CPAR.  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we discuss the following items:

  • SEC issues bulletin on handling deferred taxes related to TCJA
  • IRS requires use of Secure Access accounts to access e-Services
  • IRS issues news release on deducting prepaid real estate taxes
  • Safe harbor created for residential casualty losses just as personal casualty losses generally go away
  • In other not long to be useful guidance, the IRS holds that a group of films licensed together can qualify as Section 199 property
  • No deduction is allowed for tuition discount until student meets attendance requirement
  • IRS announces will continue to use same format W-4s for TCJA withholding
  • CPAR opt-out final regulations are issued
  • IRS extends date for providing Forms 1095-B and C for 2017

An audio version of this week's broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

A PDF with articles on this week's developments can be downloaded from here:

2018-01-02 Current Federal Tax Developments

December 31, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-12-26 The Year in Review

December 23, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of December 26, 2017 - The Year in Review.  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we review the biggest items we looked at this year

  • Tax Court rules on use of “reasonable compensation” guaranteed payments
  • Automatic late portability election made available by the IRS
  • Surgeon’s case is useful for two separate issues
  • CPAR regime proposed rules issued
  • Congress ends the year with major legislation

An audio only version of this week's broadcast can be downloaded or streamed below.

A copy of this week's slides can be downloaded below:

2017-12-26 Current Federal Tax Developments

December 23, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-12-18 Tax Cut and Jobs Act Conference Bill - Business Provisions (Part 2)

December 17, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by your state society of CPAs and the Loscalzo Insitute, a Kaplan Company.

The second part of our analysis of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, looking at what Congress labeled the business provisions. We'll look at the corporate tax rate reduction, the new bonus depreciation at 100%, expanded 179, the limits on deducting interest expense and more.

The audio version of this broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

Below are the slides from this portion of the presentation

2017-12-18 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Business Provisions

The Conference Bill and Report.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Conference Bill and Report

December 17, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
3 Comments

2017-12-18 Tax Cut and Jobs Act Conferernce Bill - Individual Tax (Part 1)

December 17, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments are brought to you by your state society of CPAs and Kaplan, Inc.

This is the first of two presentations on the conference bill that appears likely to be passed into law in the coming week. This program looks at the individual items in the bill. The next broadcast looks at the business items.

A copy of the slides for this week to be used as a reference can be downloaded below:

2017-12-18 Conference Bill - Individual Items

The full conference bill and report can be downloaded below.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Conference Bill and Report

December 17, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-12-11 - Let the Conference Begin

December 09, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of December 11, 2017 - Let the Conference Begin.  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following developments:

  • Conference committees appointed and Joint Committee on Taxation issues report on differences

  • IRS memo clarifies the tax treatment of a disgorgement payment following U.S. Supreme Court decision

  • Qualified plan required amendment (RA) list published for 2017

  • No loss allowed on sale to former spouse

  • IRS found not to have conducted a second examination of the taxpayers’s books and records

An audio only version of this week's broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

The articles describing this week's update can be downloaded as a PDF from the link below:

2017-12-11 Current Federal Tax Developments

December 09, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-12-04 On to the Conference

December 03, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of December 4, 2017 - On to the Conference.  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following developments:

  • Senate passes their version of HR1, setting up moving to a conference committee
  • IRS gets access to information from bitcoin exchange
  • The Tax Court uses English law to determine if a payment was alimony for federal tax purposes
  • A safe harbor casualty loss rule is adopted for damage to concrete foundations caused by pyrrohite
  • A taxpayer is denied a deduction for legal fees to recover overpaid alimony
  • More relief for partnerships due to change in filing dates for 2016 returns
  • The Tax Court updates its views on how to evaulate Stamps.com postmarks under timely filing rules

The audio version of this broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

A PDF with this week's articles on the developments can be downloaded below:

2017-12-04 Current Federal Tax Developments

December 03, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-11-27 S Corporation Problems

November 25, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of November 23, 2017 - S Corporation Difficulties. Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following developments:

  • HR1 moves to the Senate floor this week
  • Taxpayer does not have COD income when relieved of requirement to pay back overpayments on pension
  • Qualified plan relief provisions extended to victims of California wildfires
  • Court does not accept attempt to use FLP discount to create income tax loss from liquidation of S corporation formed to hold FLP interest
  • No basis to shareholders in debt to S corporation other S corporation shareholders controlled
  • IRS issues FAQ on QSEHRAs

The audio version of this week's broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

The articles for this week can be downloaded below:

2017-11-27 Current Federal Tax Developments

November 25, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-11-20 One Down, One to Go

November 18, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Another week as Congress continues down the path towards comprehensive tax reform. This week we look at the changes the Senate made to its bill, as well as the passage by the House of their version of the bill. We also discuss what comes next in this process.

The audio version of this week's broadcast can be streamed and/or downloaded below.

The PDF below has the description of the two bills as they stood when this was recorded on November 18, 2017.

2017-11-20 Current Federal Tax Developments

November 18, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-11-13 Tax Reform Continues

November 11, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

This week we look at the current developments on the tax reform front, including the two amendment sets adopted by the Ways and Means Committee and the Joint Committee's explanation of the bill the Senate Finance Committee will hold hearings on beginning Monday.

The audio only version of this program can be streamed or downloaded below.

This week's session is related to the following items this week related to the Tax Reform and Jobs Act.

  • JCT Description of the Senate version of the Tax Reform and Jobs Act
  • First Amendment - House Version Tax Reform and Jobs Act
  • Second Amendment - House Version Tax Reform and Jobs Act
November 11, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-11-06 Tax Reform Begins

November 05, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the Loscalzo Institute and your state society of CPAs. This week we look at HR1, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The audio version of this week's broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below.

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A PDF with a description of the provisions can be downloaded below:

2017-11-06 Current Federal Tax Developments

November 05, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-10-30 Kick Off for Tax Reform

October 28, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

This week we look at the following developments:

  • House adopts Senate budget resolution beginning tax reform process
  • A taxpayer’s amount of claimed theft loss found excessive by Tax Court
  • An expert’s testimony did not substitute for records of cost of goods sold
  • IRS summons to state agency found to be proper
  • IRS memo discusses indirect loan issues for church 403(b) plan

An audio only version of this week's podcast can be streamed or downloaded below:

A PDF of articles for this week's broadcast can be downloaded below:

2017-10-30 Current Federal Tax Developments

October 28, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-10-23 Indexing Time of the Year

October 21, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of October 23, 2017 - Indexing Time of the Year.  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following developments:

  • IRS releases inflation adjusted tax factors for 2018
  • LB&I Division issues guidance on unit of property and major component issues for the mining industry
  • IRS announced retirement plan numbers for 2018
  • IRS announces nonacquiesence in S corporation/real estate professional decision
  • Anti-Kerr regulations officially withdrawn by the IRS
  • 2017 Returns without health care information will not be accepted for efiling
  • A court decision that appears to arrive at approximately the right place, but for all the wrong reasons

The audio only version of this week's broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below.

Articles for the developments discussed in this week's podcast can be found in the PDF you can download below.

2017-10-23 Current Federal Tax Developments

October 21, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment

2017-10-16 Housing Allowance Returns to Court

October 14, 2017 by Ed Zollars, CPA

Current Federal Tax Developments for the week of October 16, 2017 - Housing Allowance Returns to Court.  Current Federal Tax Developments is brought to you by the state CPA societies and the Loscalzo Institute, a Kaplan Company.

This week we look at the following developments:

  • Filing date relief issued by IRS for victims of Northern California wildfires
  • Challenge to minister’s housing allowance exclusion returns to court
  • Tax Court will assert strict subordination requirement for mortgages on conservation easements outside First Circuit
  • Signature no longer required for §754 election
  • Retroactive loss of tax-exempt status going back a decade proves very costly in terms of interest on unpaid tax
  • IRS email discusses potential impact on due date disaster relief and date for assessment of tax

An audio only version of this broadcast can be streamed or downloaded below.

A PDF with articles related to this week's developments can be downloaded below.

2017-10-16 Current Federal Tax Developments

October 14, 2017 /Ed Zollars, CPA
Comment
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