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IR-2013-88: Fast Track Settlement Program Now Available Nationwide; Time-Saving Option Helps Small Businesses Under Audit

November 6, 2013 1:11 pm / Leave a comment

IR-2013-88, Nov. 6, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the nationwide rollout of a streamlined program designed to enable small businesses under audit to more quickly settle their differences with the IRS.

The Fast Track Settlement (FTS) program is designed to help small businesses and self-employed individuals who are under examination by the Small Business/Self Employed (SB/SE) Division of the IRS. Modeled on a similar program long available to large and mid-size businesses (those with more than $10 million in assets), FTS uses alternative dispute resolution techniques to help taxpayers save time and avoid a formal administrative appeal or lengthy litigation. As a result, audit issues can usually be resolved within 60 days, rather than months or years. Plus, taxpayers choosing this option lose none of their rights because they still have the right to appeal even if the FTS process is unsuccessful.

Jointly administered by SB/SE and the IRS Appeals office, FTS is designed to expedite case resolution. Under FTS, taxpayers under examination with issues in dispute work directly with IRS representatives from SB/SE’s Examination Division and Appeals to resolve those issues, with the Appeals representative typically serving as mediator.

The taxpayer or the IRS examination representative may initiate Fast Track for eligible cases, usually before a 30-day letter is issued. The goal is to complete cases within 60 days of acceptance of the application in Appeals.

SB/SE originally launched FTS as a pilot program in September 2006. For more information on taking advantage of the Fast Track Settlement program, please view the short FTS video. Additional background is available on IRS.gov on the Alternative Dispute Resolution webpage and in IRSAnnouncement 2011-05.

IR-2013-54: IRS Reminds Those with Foreign Assets of U.S. Tax Obligations

May 23, 2013 7:23 am / Leave a comment

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including those with dual citizenship who have lived or worked abroad during all or part of 2012, that they may have a U.S. tax liability and a filing requirement in 2013.

The filing deadline is Monday, June 17, 2013, for U.S. citizens and resident aliens living overseas, or serving in the military outside the U.S. on the regular due date of their tax return. Eligible taxpayers get two additional days because the normal June 15 extended due date falls on Saturday this year. To use this automatic two-month extension, taxpayers must attach a statement to their return explaining which of these two situations applies. See U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad for additional information additional information on extensions of time to file.

Nonresident aliens who received income from U.S. sources in 2012 also must determine whether they have a U.S. tax obligation. The filing deadline for nonresident aliens can be April 15 or June 17 depending on sources of income. See Taxation of Nonresident Aliens on IRS.gov.

Federal law requires U.S. citizens and resident aliens to report any worldwide income, including income from foreign trusts and foreign bank and securities accounts. In most cases, affected taxpayers need to fill out and attach Schedule B to their tax return. Certain taxpayers may also have to fill out and attach to their return Form 8938, Statement of Foreign Financial Assets.

Part III of Schedule B asks about the existence of foreign accounts, such as bank and securities accounts, and usually requires U.S. citizens to report the country in which each account is located.

Generally, U.S. citizens, resident aliens and certain nonresident aliens must report specified foreign financial assets on Form 8938 if the aggregate value of those assets exceeds certain thresholds.Instructions for Form 8938 explain the thresholds for reporting, what constitutes a specified foreign financial asset, how to determine the total value of relevant assets, what assets are exempted and what information must be provided.

Separately, taxpayers with foreign accounts whose aggregate value exceeded $10,000 at any time during 2012 must file Treasury Department Form TD F 90-22.1. This is not a tax form and is due to the Treasury Department by June 30, 2013. For details, see Publication 4261, Do You Have a Foreign Financial Account? Though this form can be filed on paper, Treasury encourages taxpayers to file it electronically.

Taxpayers abroad can now use IRS Free File to prepare and electronically file their returns for free. This means both U.S. citizens and resident aliens living abroad with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of $57,000 or less can use brand-name software to prepare their returns and then e-file them for free.

Taxpayers with an AGI greater than $57,000 who don’t qualify for Free File can still choose the accuracy, speed and convenience of electronic filing. Check out the e-file link on IRS.gov for details on using the Free File Fillable Forms or e-file by purchasing commercial software.

A limited number of companies provide software that can accommodate foreign addresses. To determine which will work best, get help choosing a software provider. Both e-file and Free File are available until Oct. 15, 2013, for anyone filing a 2012 return.

Any U.S. taxpayer here or abroad with tax questions can use the online IRS Tax Map to get answers. An International Tax Topic Index page was added recently. The IRS Tax Map assembles or groups IRS forms, publications and web pages by subject and provides users with a single entry point to find tax information.

Foreign Filing Requirements – Forms 8938 and TD F 90-22.1 Handy Chart

May 30, 2012 7:00 am / 2 Comments on Foreign Filing Requirements – Forms 8938 and TD F 90-22.1 Handy Chart

Stacie Kitts, CPA Tax Partner Katherman Kitts & Co. LLP

May is almost over and June represents another big filing deadline for persons who have foreign bank accounts and investments. So here is your reminder. Your FBAR Form TD F 90-22.1 Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts is due at the IRS office – not mailed by – but received in their office by June 30. Don’t forget, the penalty for not filing this form is scary.

Also, if you are doing it yourself or hired a person who is not familiar with foreign reporting requirements, you might want to familiarize yourself with the chart below – prepared by our friendly IRS for your viewing pleasure.

The new Form 8938 Statement of Specified Foreign Assets is due with your tax return but not later than the extended due date should you decide for some crazy reason that you don’t want to file your tax return by the due date. Don’t blow this off either, as the penalty for not filing is just as scary as the FBAR.

Comparison of Form 8938 and FBAR Requirements

The new Form 8938 filing requirement does not replace or otherwise affect a taxpayer’s obligation to file Form TD F 90-22.1 (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts). Individuals must file each form for which they meet the relevant reporting threshold.

	Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets	Form TD F 90-22.1, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
Who Must File?	Specified individuals, which include U.S citizens, resident aliens, and certain non-resident aliens that have an interest in specified foreign financial assets and meet the reporting threshold	U.S. persons, which include U.S. citizens, resident aliens, trusts, estates, and domestic entities that have an interest in foreign financial accounts and meet the reporting threshold
Does the United States include U.S. territories?	No	Yes, resident aliens of U.S territories and U.S. territory entities are subject to FBAR reporting
Reporting Threshold (Total Value of Assets)	$50,000 on the last day of the tax year or $75,000 at any time during the tax year (higher threshold amounts apply to married individuals filing jointly and individuals living abroad) ** I added more details below – you’re welcome	$10,000 at any time during the calendar year
When do you have an interest in an account or asset?	If any income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, gross proceeds, or distributions from holding or disposing of the account or asset are or would be required to be reported, included, or otherwise reflected on your income tax return	Financial interest: you are the owner of record or holder of legal title; the owner of record or holder of legal title is your agent or representative; you have a sufficient interest in the entity that is the owner of record or holder of legal title.Signature authority: you have authority to control the disposition of the assets in the account by direct communication with the financial institution maintaining the account.See instructions for further details.
What is Reported?	Maximum value of specified foreign financial assets, which include financial accounts with foreign financial institutions and certain other foreign non-account investment assets	Maximum value of financial accounts maintained by a financial institution physically located in a foreign country
How are maximum account or asset values determined and reported?	Fair market value in U.S. dollars in accord with the Form 8938 instructions for each account and asset reportedConvert to U.S. dollars using the end of the taxable year exchange rate and report in U.S. dollars.	Use periodic account statements to determine the maximum value in the currency of the account.Convert to U.S. dollars using the end of the calendar year exchange rate and report in U.S. dollars.
When Due?	By due date, including extension, if any, for income tax return	Received by June 30 (no extensions of time granted)
Where to File?	File with income tax return pursuant to instructions for filing the return	Mail to:Department of the Treasury Post Office Box 32621 Detroit, MI 48232-0621For express mail to: IRS Enterprise Computing Center ATTN: CTR Operations Mailroom, 4th Floor 985 Michigan Avenue Detroit, MI 48226 Certain individuals may file electronically at BSA E-Filing System
Penalties	Up to $10,000 for failure to disclose and an additional $10,000 for each 30 days of non-filing after IRS notice of a failure to disclose, for a potential maximum penalty of $60,000; criminal penalties may also apply	If non-willful, up to $10,000; if willful, up to the greater of $100,000 or 50 percent of account balances; criminal penalties may also apply
Types of Foreign Assets and Whether They are Reportable
Financial (deposit and custodial) accounts held at foreign financial institutions	Yes	Yes
Financial account held at a foreign branch of a U.S. financial institution	No	Yes
Financial account held at a U.S. branch of a foreign financial institution	No	No
Foreign financial account for which you have signature authority	No, unless you otherwise have an interest in the account as described above	Yes, subject to exceptions
Foreign stock or securities held in a financial account at a foreign financial institution	The account itself is subject to reporting, but the contents of the account do not have to be separately reported	The account itself is subject to reporting, but the contents of the account do not have to be separately reported
Foreign stock or securities not held in a financial account	Yes	No
Foreign partnership interests	Yes	No
Indirect interests in foreign financial assets through an entity	No	Yes, if sufficient ownership or beneficial interest (i.e., a greater than 50 percent interest) in the entity. See instructions for further detail.
Foreign mutual funds	Yes	Yes
Domestic mutual fund investing in foreign stocks and securities	No	No
Foreign accounts and foreign non-account investment assets held by foreign or domestic grantor trust for which you are the grantor	Yes, as to both foreign accounts and foreign non-account investment assets	Yes, as to foreign accounts
Foreign-issued life insurance or annuity contract with a cash-value	Yes	Yes
Foreign hedge funds and foreign private equity funds	Yes	No
Foreign real estate held directly	No	No
Foreign real estate held through a foreign entity	No, but the foreign entity itself is a specified foreign financial asset and its maximum value includes the value of the real estate	No
Foreign currency held directly	No	No
Precious Metals held directly	No	No
Personal property, held directly, such as art, antiques, jewelry, cars and other collectibles	No	No
‘Social Security’- type program benefits provided by a foreign government	No	No

**Unmarried taxpayer living in the United States. If you are not married and not living abroad, you satisfy the reporting threshold only if the total value of your specified foreign financial assets is more than $50,000 on the last day of the tax year or more than $75,000 at any time during the tax year.

Married taxpayers filing a joint income tax return and living in the United States. If you are married and you and your spouse file a joint income tax return and do not live abroad, you satisfy the reporting threshold only if the total value of your specified foreign financial assets is more than $100,000 on the last day of the tax year or more than $150,000 at any time during the tax year.

Married taxpayers filing separate income tax returns and living in the United States. If you are married, file a separate income tax return from your spouse, and do not live abroad, you satisfy the reporting threshold only if the total value of your specified foreign financial assets is more than $50,000 on the last day of the tax year or more than $75,000 at any time during the tax year.

Taxpayers living abroad. If your tax home is in a foreign country and you meet one of the presence abroad tests described next, you satisfy the reporting threshold if you are not filing a joint return and the total value of your specified foreign financial assets is more than $200,000 on the last day of the tax year or more than $300,000 at any time during the tax year. If you are married and file a joint income tax return, you satisfy the reporting threshold only if the total value of all specified foreign financial assets you or your spouse owns is more than $400,000 on the last day of the tax year or more than $600,000 at any time during the tax year.

More On IRS Form 8938 vs. FBAR (forbes.com)
Is Closing Foreign Bank Accounts An Alternative To Disclosure? (forbes.com)
Last week at my other blog: Foreign account reporting; E-file fears grow (dontmesswithtaxes.typepad.com)
Relinquishing U.S. Citizenship (forbes.com)

Have You Been a Bad Bad Taxpayer? No Worries California is Willing to Give You a Break

August 3, 2011 8:28 pm / 1 Comment on Have You Been a Bad Bad Taxpayer? No Worries California is Willing to Give You a Break

Even if you have been a bad taxpayer, California is willing to give you a break.

Voluntary Compliance Initiative 2 (VCI 2) is an opportunity for taxpayers who underreported their California income tax liabilities, through the use of abusive tax avoidance transactions (ATAT) or offshore financial arrangements (OFA), to amend their returns for 2010 and prior tax years and obtain a waiver of most penalties.

Filing period: August 1, 2011 to October 31, 2011

Applicable tax years: 2010 and prior

Eligibility

You are eligible to participate in VCI 2 if you (or one of your related entities):

Filed a tax return that underreported your income or tax liability through the use of an ATAT or OFA.

You are eligible even if you:

Are currently under FTB examination for an ATAT or OFA.
Are currently under administrative protest or appeal for an ATAT or OFA.
Participated in the IRS’s Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative.

Participation

You must take the following steps to participate:

File a completed Participation Agreement form with us between August 1, 2011 and October 31, 2011.
Attach the form to your amended return to report all income from all sources, without regard to the ATAT and including all income from the OFA.
Pay all tax and interest by October 31, 2011. See payment options for more information.

Benefits

Participation in VCI 2 will allow you to avoid:

The cost of litigation.
Certain penalties and the associated interest.
Criminal prosecution.

Penalties

You can avoid the following penalties under VCI 2:

Noneconomic Substance Transaction Understatement Penalty
Accuracy Related Penalty
Interest Based Penalty
Fraud Penalty

If you are eligible but do not participate, you will be subject to the full range of penalties and interest, and may be subject to criminal prosecution.

The Large Corporate Understatement Penalty (LCUP) and the Amnesty Penalty cannot be waived under this initiative.

Tax Stuff to Know When Your Son or Daughter Takes a Summer Job

August 3, 2011 7:37 pm / Leave a comment

Here are six things the IRS wants students to be aware of when they start a summer job.

1. When you first start a new job you must fill out a Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. This form is used by employers to determine the amount of tax that will be withheld from your paycheck. If you have multiple summer jobs, make sure all your employers are withholding an adequate amount of taxes to cover your total income tax liability. To make sure your withholding is correct, use the Withholding Calculator on www.irs.gov.

2. Whether you are working as a waiter or a camp counselor, you may receive tips as part of your summer income. All tips you receive are taxable income and are therefore subject to federal income tax.

3. Many students do odd jobs over the summer to make extra cash. Earnings you receive from self-employment – including jobs like baby-sitting and lawn mowing – are subject to income tax.

4. If you have net earnings of $400 or more from self-employment, you will also have to pay self-employment tax. This tax pays for your benefits under the Social Security system. Social Security and Medicare benefits are available to individuals who are self-employed the same as they are to wage earners who have Social Security tax and Medicare tax withheld from their wages. The self-employment tax is figured on Form 1040, Schedule SE.

5. Food and lodging allowances paid to ROTC students participating in advanced training are not taxable. However, active duty pay – such as pay received during summer advanced camp – is taxable.

6. Special rules apply to services you perform as a newspaper carrier or distributor. You are a direct seller and treated as self-employed for federal tax purposes if you meet the following conditions:

You are in the business of delivering newspapers.
All your pay for these services directly relates to sales rather than to the number of hours worked.
You perform the delivery services under a written contract which states that you will not be treated as an employee for federal tax purposes.

Links:

IRS Withholding Calculator
Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate

Happily Trudging Along Enjoying My New Adventure – Katherman Kitts & Co. LLP

October 30, 2010 9:36 am / 3 Comments on Happily Trudging Along Enjoying My New Adventure – Katherman Kitts & Co. LLP

Image via Wikipedia

By Stacie Clifford Kitts, CPA

From my vantage point on the soft old sofa, I marvel at my husband’s large Italian family as they come together for mom and pops’ 80^th birthday party. The cousins, now grown hug, kiss, and laugh about the passage of time and their numerous adventures. My brother in-law snores softly in mama Kitts’ comfy recliner, and from the kitchen, a boisterous aunt tells stories of family members long since past while mama sets out endless supplies of goodies and encourages everyone to eat-eat-eat.

And me, I’m peering at this comforting scene over the top of my laptop as I answer emails and work on a tax return. Such is my life. But I am content, happily trudging along enjoying my own adventure. Because today readers, I want to introduce you to Katherman Kitts & Co. LLP, my new firm.

Oh loyal readers, I have been anxiously awaiting this exciting announcement like a little kid anticipating Christmas morning.

Every day I run through my “how to open your own firm” checklist, you know the one I created the second my adventure started, (Accountants love checklists) and as I tick-off each completed item I feel satisfied – as accountants do.

My website, for which I am very proud, is still a work in progress. But I encourage you to take a peek. Here you will find more captivating information about Katherman Kitts including the services we provide, our experience, and a little bit about our clients.

Oh well I do anticipate that I will be commenting on my new adventure from time to time so if you’re interested stay tuned.

Stacie's Tax Tips and Other Stuff

Tag Archives: Katherman Kitts & Co. LLP

IR-2013-88: Fast Track Settlement Program Now Available Nationwide; Time-Saving Option Helps Small Businesses Under Audit

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IR-2013-54: IRS Reminds Those with Foreign Assets of U.S. Tax Obligations

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Foreign Filing Requirements – Forms 8938 and TD F 90-22.1 Handy Chart

Comparison of Form 8938 and FBAR Requirements

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Have You Been a Bad Bad Taxpayer? No Worries California is Willing to Give You a Break

Eligibility

Participation

Benefits

Penalties

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Tax Stuff to Know When Your Son or Daughter Takes a Summer Job

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Happily Trudging Along Enjoying My New Adventure – Katherman Kitts & Co. LLP

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