Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Correspondence Examinations (Audio, Transcript)

Tax Practitioner Video and Audio Presentations

 

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Audit Techniques Guides (Video, Transcript)

Campus Compliance Services – A Dialogue with Practitioners (Video)

Canceled Debt (Tax Consequences) (Audio, Transcript)

Correspondence Examinations

Economic Stimulus Package: Section 179 Depreciation (Video, Transcript)

Economic Stimulus Package: 50% Special Depreciation (Video, Transcript)

Form 2290 Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (Video, Transcript)

IRS Collection Process: What are your options?
  • Part 1 of 3 - ARRA: COBRA Premium Assistance (Audio,Transcript)
  • Part 2 of 3 -  Partial Payment Installment Agreements and Form 1099-OID Original Issue Discount Scheme (Audio,Transcript)
  • Part 3 of 3 - Offers in Compromise (Audio,Transcript)
IRS Disaster Relief Program
IRS Submission Processing Pipeline (Video, Transcript)
Navigating the IRS (Video, Transcript)
Online Fraud and Identity Theft (Audio, Transcript)
Outsourcing Payroll Duties (Video, Transcript)

Proper Worker Classification (Audio, Transcript)

Protecting Federal Tax Information: A Message From The IRS (Video, Transcript)

Return Preparer Penalties under IRC 6694, a three-part audio series with resources.

Small Business Federal Regulatory Fairness Act (SBREFA) (Video, Transcript)

Tax Calendar (2009) (Video, Transcript)

See the Small Business Video and Audio Presentations page for more.

 
 
 
 
 
James R. Kinsey
 
Sr Stakeholder Liaison Specialist
Communication, Liaison & Disclosure
SB/SE Division
Work 408-817-6842
Fax 408-817-4601
 
 
 

Friday, October 23, 2009

IRS News and Information Oct 23, 2009

Practitioner e-mail group:
 
Here is the latest IRS news and information. Please share with your members and colleagues.   

Select the blue links to see the full article.  


 Newsroom                                                                          October 23, 2009

 

New Form Aids Processing of Mortgage Applications, Makes Ordering Tax Transcripts Simpler

IR-2009-96, Oct. 21, 2009 — The Internal Revenue Service today issued a new form that will make it simpler for people, especially homeowners trying to modify or refinance their mortgages, to order copies of their tax return transcripts.

 

IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman addressed the National Association of Corporate Directors Governance Conference

IR-2009-95, Oct. 19, 2009 — Prepared Remarks of IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman before the 2009 NACD Corporate Governance Conference in Washington, DC.

 

New Video Series Helps Exempt Organizations Understand Redesigned Form 990 Requirements

IR-2009-92, Oct. 14, 2009 — The Internal Revenue Service has launched a new case study and video program to help exempt organizations and their tax preparers better understand the newly revised Form 990 series which must be filed for the 2008 tax year.

 

New IRS Retirement Plan Navigator Aims to Help Small Businesses

IR-2009-91, Oct. 13, 2009 — The Internal Revenue Service has created a new Web-based tool to help small business owners determine which tax-favored pension plan best suits their needs and how to keep their plans in compliance.

 

SSA W-2 News, Issue 2009-04, October 14, 2009

Business Services Online Not Available from October 31 until November 2, 2009 

 

 http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=213862,00.html?portlet=6  -- Reminder of phishing and identiy theft


 

Technical Guidance

 

IRS Announces Pension Plan Limitations for 2010

The Internal Revenue Service today announced cost of living adjustments applicable to dollar limitations for pension plans and other items for Tax Year 2010

 

Revenue Procedure 2009-50

Sets forth the cost-of-living adjustments to certain items for 2010 as required under various provisions of the Code.

 

If You Have Losses, Know Your Disclosure Requirements

The IRS is reminding taxpayers to use Form 8886 to disclose information for each reportable transaction in which they participated. Generally, Form 8886 must be attached to the tax return for each tax year in which there was participation in a reportable transaction.


 

Events

 

Free IRS Webinar – e-File improves tax professionals’ business

 

National Phone Forums (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=158856,00.html)

 

Internal Revenue Service Webinar

·         The Business Case for e-file: A Panel Discussion with Tax Professionals, Tuesday, October 27, 2009

 

NSCPA Southwest Tax Conference, December 8~9, 2009

·         The Southwest Tax Conference includes individual, small business, large to mid-size companies, regulations, and multi-state items. Hear from tax experts, earn up to 16 hours of CPE all in Las Vegas, NV December 8-9 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  This Conference is the perfect opportunity for you to get the federal tax updates you need on issues that impact you and your clients. For more information visit the NSCPA's website. 


 

I hope you find this information useful.  If you would like additional information, you can subscribe to an IRS e-Subscription by going to the Subscription page on IRS.gov.

 

If you would like to discontinue receiving my local Stakeholder Liaison e-mails, please e-mail me at  James.R.Kinsey@irs.gov and request removal of your name.

 

James R. Kinsey
 
Sr Stakeholder Liaison Specialist
Communication, Liaison & Disclosure
SB/SE Division
Work 408-817-6842
Fax 408-817-4601

Friday, October 9, 2009

IRS News Events from Stakeholder Liaison - 9 October 2009.doc

Practitioner e-mail group:
 

Please share with your members and colleagues.  Select the blue links to see the full article


 

Newsroom                                                                            October 9, 2009

 

Oct. 17 is Last Day for Businesses to Request Tax Credit Certification for Some New Hires

IR-2009-89, Oct. 8, 2009 ― Businesses planning to claim the recently-expanded work opportunity tax credit for eligible unemployed veterans and disconnected youth hired before mid-September now have until Oct. 17 to request the certification required for these workers, according to the IRS.

 

Special Sales Tax Deduction for Car Purchases Available through End of 2009

IR-2009-88, Oct. 7, 2009 — With 2010 models arriving in dealer showrooms, the IRS reminds taxpayers that purchasing a new car, light truck, motor home or motorcycle could qualify them for a special deduction for the state and local sales and excise taxes on their 2009 tax returns.

 

Taxpayers Have Until Oct. 15 to File Extended 2008 Tax Returns; Offshore Voluntary Disclosures Also Due

IR-2009-87, Oct. 1, 2009 — The Oct. 15 deadline is approaching for taxpayers who requested a six-month extension to file their 2008 tax returns.

 

RIf You Have Losses, Know Your Disclosure Requirements

The IRS is reminding taxpayers to use Form 8886 to disclose information for each reportable transaction in which they participated. Generally, Form 8886 must be attached to the tax return for each tax year in which there was participation in a reportable transaction.

 

New Questions and Answers Added to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Form 1120 Schedule M-3

Two new questions and answers have been added to explain the purpose of Schedule M-3 Part I lines 12a-12d (new in 2008) listing certain financial accounting total asset and total liability amounts.

 

Pre-order 2010 IRS Tax Calendar

You can pre-order Pub 1518, 2010 IRS Tax Calendar for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed, on IRS.gov.

 


Columbus Day Weekend Power Outage  

 

Will impact the Modernized e-File system during the following hours of operation: From 5:00 am – 8:00 am, Eastern on Monday, October 12, 2009.  During this period, the MeF system will not be available to accept e-filed transmissions. The outage impacts the Assurance Testing System and production environments.

Please note: the routine Sunday maintenance window is still scheduled from 1:00 am – 7:00 am, Eastern on Sunday, October 11, 2009. 

 

EMS Annual Columbus Day Power Outage at Martinsburg

The Electronic Management System located at  Martinsburg,  West Virginia will not be available from  

Sunday, October 11, 2009, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time through Tuesday, October 13, 2009, at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

This will affect individual, business, and state returns processed on the EMS located in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Due to the Columbus Day holiday, drains will not occur on Monday for either site (Martinsburg or Memphis). Normal processing will resume Tuesday morning at 5:00 a.m.

We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

 

SSA W-2 News, Issue 2009-03, October 7, 2009

Business Services Online Not Available on Columbus Day


 

Technical Guidance

 

REG - 108045-08 and TD-9466 provide guidance regarding the definition of omission of gross income.

 

Revenue Procedure 2009-47 provides rules for employees who are reimbursed for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses, or meals and incidental expenses only, while traveling away from home, to substantiate the expenses by per diem allowance in lieu of actual expenses.  The revenue procedure also provides an optional method for employees and self-employed individuals who are not reimbursed to use in computing the deductible costs they pay or incur for business meal and incidental expenses, or for incidental expenses only if they pay or incur no meal expenses, while traveling away from home.  Use of a method described in this revenue procedure is not mandatory, and a taxpayer may use actual allowable expenses if the taxpayer maintains adequate records or other sufficient evidence for proper substantiation.

 

REG-160871-04 contains proposed regulations relating to the exception to the general three-year period of limitations on assessment under section 6501(c)(10) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for listed transactions that a taxpayer failed to disclose as required under section 6011.  These regulations will affect taxpayers who fail to disclose listed transactions in accordance with section 6011.


 

Headliners

 

Headliner Volume 275 October 5, 2009, Notice CP 207/207L Problem Corrected for Third Quarter Processing

 

Headliner Volume 276 October 8, 2009, IRS Spotlights Tax Information for Individuals with Disabilities and Tax Benefits for Small Businesses Who Accommodate and Hire Them


 

Events

 

National Phone Forums (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=158856,00.html)

§         First Time Homebuyer Credit To Repay or Not to Repay? – October 21, 2009

 

Two phone forums now online

Audio reenactments of the national phone forums, IRS Collection Process and Online Fraud and Identity Theft are now on IRS.gov.


 

I hope you find this information useful.  If you would like additional information, you can subscribe to an IRS e-Subscription by going to the Subscription page on IRS.gov.

 

If you would like to discontinue receiving my local Stakeholder Liaison e-mails, please e-mail me at James.R.Kinsey@irs.gov  and request removal of your name.

 

 
James R. Kinsey
 
Sr Stakeholder Liaison Specialist
Communication, Liaison & Disclosure
SB/SE Division
Work 408-817-6842
Fax 408-817-4601