US Taxes

US Malta Tax Treaty

August 13, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

USA & Malta sign new income tax treaty

[U.S. Treasury Press Release, 8/8/08]:

The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that a new income tax treaty between the United States and Malta was signed on Aug. 8, 2008 . The treaty will have withholding tax ramifications for U.S. citizens working in Malta and citizens of Malta working in the United States. The treaty has 29 articles. Article 2 states that the treaty applies to federal income taxes under the Internal Revenue Code, but excludes Social Security and unemployment taxes. Article 14 covers income from employment. Generally, income earned by a U.S. or Malta resident is exempt from income tax in the other treaty country if the resident was not in that country for more than 183 days of the taxable year.

Social Security Increase

August 5, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Presidential candidates discuss merits of increasing the Social Security tax:

Mike Habib, EA

With less than three months until the 2008 presidential election, both candidates have expressed their views about a possible Social Security tax increase. The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) imposes two taxes on employers, employees, and self-employed workers — one for Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI; commonly known as the Social Security tax), and the other for Hospital Insurance (HI; commonly known as the Medicare tax).

Cell Phone Deductibility

July 9, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

IRS discusses easing of cell phone recordkeeping requirements [Information Letter 2008-0012]:

The IRS has issued an information letter in response to a question regarding the noted difficultly that states and localities are having drafting cell phone policies that comply with IRS recordkeeping requirements.

Under IRC §162(a), individuals may take deductions for all ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in carrying on a trade or business. The expenses are considered tax-free working condition fringe benefits, not subject to FITW, FICA, and FUTA, if they are incurred by an employee on behalf of an employer. Cell phones are currently included in the definition of “listed property,” as defined in IRC §280F(d)(4).

Expenses related to listed property may not be deducted under IRC §274(d), unless the employee substantiates by adequate records, or by sufficient evidence corroborating the employee’s own statement: (1) the amount of the expenses; (2) the time and place of the expenses; (3) the business purpose of the expenses; and (4) the business relationship to the employee of the persons involved in the expenses. In addition, employees must document their personal use of the property, and the employer must include such use in the employee’s income.

Unemployment Benefits Extended

July 2, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

New bill extends unemployment benefits for 13 weeks

The President has signed into law H.R. 2642, “The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008.”

Title IV of the bill authorizes an extension of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Individuals may be eligible for 13 weeks of extended benefits if they: (1) are fully or partially unemployed after July 5, 2008, (2) have exhausted their benefits in their regular UI claim, and (3) are ineligible to file a new claim.

The extension will be available to workers in all states, and can be used on top of the 26 weeks of benefits that typically are available. The maximum benefit is equal to the lesser of: (a) 50% of the maximum benefit that individuals received on their regular UI claim, or (b) 13 times the weekly benefit amount on their regular claim.

Business Economic Stimulus

June 26, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Business Provisions of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008

Mike Habib, EA

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 contains two provisions that provide tax benefits for businesses. The first provision increases the limit up to which a business can expense property purchased and placed in service during its 2008 tax year. The second provision provides an additional 50 percent special depreciation allowance for property acquired and placed in service during calendar year 2008.

Unlike the economic stimulus payments that millions of individuals have already received, the tax benefits for businesses are not automatic; businesses must act to take advantage of the new provisions by purchasing qualifying property.

Specialized tax breaks for the farming industry

June 4, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Tax provisions directly affecting farmers in the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008

The recently enacted “Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008” (the 2008 Farm Act) contains a package of tax changes including specialized tax breaks for the farming industry (along with a crackdown on farm losses) and new and modified credits related to the production of certain fuels, among other things. Here’s a summary of the key tax provisions in the 2008 Farm Act that directly affect farmers:

Conservation reserve payments made after 2007 are not subject to self-employment tax if received by an individual who is getting Social Security retirement or disability payments.
The favorable tax treatment of capital gain property donated for qualified conservation is extended for two years (through 2009).
A new deduction is allowed for endangered species recovery expenses incurred after 2008.
A new tax credit is created for the development of cellulosic biofuels, which are biofuels produced from agricultural waste, wood chips, switch grass and other non-food feedstocks. This credit, available for fuel produced after 2008 and through 2012, is a nonrefundable income tax credit for each gallon of qualified cellulosic fuel production of the producer for the tax year. The amount of the credit per gallon is $1.01, except for cellulosic biofuel that is alcohol. For cellulosic biofuel that is alcohol, the $1.01 credit amount is reduced by (1) the credit amount applicable for such alcohol under the alcohol mixture credit in effect at the time cellulosic biofuel is produced, and (2) in the case of cellulosic biofuel that is ethanol, the credit amount for small ethanol producers as in effect at the time the cellulosic biofuel fuel is produced.
The 51¢ per-gallon incentive for ethanol is reduced to 45¢ per gallon for calendar year 2009 and thereafter. This reduction is subject to an exception geared to ethanol production.
A new tax credit is created for agricultural chemicals security. The new law provides retailers of agricultural products and chemicals and manufacturers, formulators, or distributors of certain pesticides a business tax credit for 30% of costs for the protection of such chemicals or pesticides. Such protection costs include employee security training and background checks, installation of security equipment, and computer network safeguards. The credit has a $2 million annual limit and a per facility limitation of $100,000 (reduced by credits received for the five prior tax years). This credit is effective for expenses paid or incurred after May 22, 2008, and before Jan. 1, 2013.
Qualifying mutual ditch, reservoir, or irrigation company stock may be eligible for Code Sec. 1031 treatment. This provision is effective for exchanges after May 22, 2008.
Temporary assistance to victims of the 2007 Kansas tornado disaster is provided, including increased ability to deduct personal losses, increased business expense deductions, and help for affected businesses that continued to pay their employees after the disaster struck.
The amount of farming losses (other than those losses arising because of fire, storm losses, etc.) that a taxpayer may use to reduce other non-farming business income is limited for certain taxpayers. For tax years beginning after 2009, the farming loss of a non-C corporation taxpayer for any tax year in which any applicable subsidies are received will be limited to the greater of (1) $300,000 ($150,000 in the case of a married person filing a separate return), or (2) the taxpayer’s total net farm income for the prior five tax years. Applicable subsidies are (a) any direct or counter-cyclical payments under title I of the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008 (or any payment elected in lieu of any such payment), or (b) any Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) loan. Total net farm income is an aggregation of all income and loss from farming businesses for the prior five tax years.
For tax years beginning after 2007, the farm optional method and nonfarm optional method for computing net earnings from self-employment are modified so that electing taxpayers may pay more in optional self-employment taxes and thus become eligible for Social Security benefits.
The CCC is required to always provide IRS and the farmer with information returns showing the amount of market gain the farmer realizes when he or she repays a CCC market assistance loan.

Limitation on farming losses in the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008

The recently enacted “Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008” (the 2008 Farm Act) contains a package of tax incentives to promote conservation investment in farm country. Those incentives are paid for, in part, by a new limitation on farming losses for certain taxpayers. In essence, the new law limits agricultural losses that can be claimed to the greater of $300,000 ($150,000 for a married person filing separately) or the net farm income for the previous five years if the taxpayer receives any 2008 Farm Act commodity payments or Commodity Credit Corporation loans. Here is a closer look at this new limitation.

Except for passive activity rules in Code Sec. 469, the amount of farming losses that a taxpayer may claim is not limited under pre-2008 Farm Act law. The new provision, which is effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2009, alters that situation by limiting the amount of farming losses that a taxpayer, other than a C corporation, may use to offset non-farm business income. The limitation amount is the greater of $300,000 ($150,000 in the case of a married person filing a separate return) or the total net farm income the taxpayer has received over the last five years. For example, assume a taxpayer has $300,000 of net farm income and $700,000 of non-farm income in 2010, and $1 million of net farm income in each tax year 2011 to 2014. In 2015, he incurs a $7 million farming loss. Under the new provision, his farming loss in 2015 is limited to the greater of (1) $300,000 or (2) $4.3 million (total net farm income for the prior five tax years). The $4.3 million of the farming loss allowed in 2015 may be carried back to the prior five tax years.

Losses that are limited in a particular year may be carried forward to subsequent years.
For partnerships and S corporations, the limit is applied at the partner or shareholder level. Farming losses arising by reason of fire, storm, or other casualty, or by reason of disease or drought, are disregarded for purposes of calculating the new limitation.

Tax Provisions in the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008

June 4, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Overview of the tax changes in the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008

The recently enacted “Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008” (the 2008 Farm Act) contains a package of tax changes including specialized tax breaks for the farming industry (along with a crackdown on farm losses) and new and modified credits related to the production of certain fuels, among other things. Here’s a summary of the key tax provisions in the 2008 Farm Act:

Conservation reserve payments made after 2007 are not subject to self-employment tax if received by an individual who is getting Social Security retirement or disability payments.
The favorable tax treatment of capital gain property donated for qualified conservation is extended for two years (through 2009).
A new deduction is allowed for endangered species recovery expenses incurred after 2008.
There is a one-year cut in the tax rate for a corporation’s qualified timber gain. For tax years ending after May 22, 2008 and beginning on or before May 22, 2009, a 15% alternative tax applies on the portion of a corporation’s taxable income that consists of qualified timber gain (or, if less, the net capital gain) for a tax year. In addition the rules for REITs (real estate investment trusts) holding timber property are liberalized temporarily.
A new tax credit is created for the development of cellulosic biofuels, which are biofuels produced from agricultural waste, wood chips, switch grass and other non-food feedstocks. This credit, available for fuel produced after 2008 and through 2012, is a nonrefundable income tax credit for each gallon of qualified cellulosic fuel production of the producer for the tax year. The amount of the credit per gallon is $1.01, except for cellulosic biofuel that is alcohol. For cellulosic biofuel that is alcohol, the $1.01 credit amount is reduced by (1) the credit amount applicable for such alcohol under the alcohol mixture credit in effect at the time cellulosic biofuel is produced, and (2) in the case of cellulosic biofuel that is ethanol, the credit amount for small ethanol producers as in effect at the time the cellulosic biofuel fuel is produced.
The 51¢ per-gallon incentive for ethanol is reduced to 45¢ per gallon for calendar year 2009 and thereafter. This reduction is subject to an exception geared to ethanol production.
A new tax credit is created for agricultural chemicals security. The new law provides retailers of agricultural products and chemicals and manufacturers, formulators, or distributors of certain pesticides a business tax credit for 30% of costs for the protection of such chemicals or pesticides. Such protection costs include employee security training and background checks, installation of security equipment, and computer network safeguards. The credit has a $2 million annual limit and a per facility limitation of $100,000 (reduced by credits received for the five prior tax years). This credit is effective for expenses paid or incurred after May 22, 2008, and before Jan. 1, 2013.
Qualifying mutual ditch, reservoir, or irrigation company stock may be eligible for Code Sec. 1031 treatment. This provision is effective for exchanges after May 22, 2008.
For property placed in service after 2008 and before 2014, all racehorses are classified as three-year property for depreciation purposes, regardless of their age.
Temporary assistance to victims of the 2007 Kansas tornado disaster is provided, including increased ability to deduct personal losses, increased business expense deductions, and help for affected businesses that continued to pay their employees after the disaster struck.
The amount of farming losses (other than those arising because of fire, storm losses, etc.) that a taxpayer may use to reduce other non-farming business income is limited for certain taxpayers. For tax years beginning after 2009, the farming loss of a non-C corporation taxpayer for any tax year in which any applicable subsidies are received will be limited to the greater of (1) $300,000 ($150,000 in the case of a married person filing a separate return), or (2) the taxpayer’s total net farm income for the prior five tax years. Applicable subsidies are (a) any direct or counter-cyclical payments under title I of the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest, and Horticulture Act of 2008 (or any payment elected in lieu of any such payment), or (b) any Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) loan. Total net farm income is an aggregation of all income and loss from farming businesses for the prior five tax years.
For tax years beginning after 2007, the farm optional method and nonfarm optional method for computing net earnings from self-employment are modified so that electing taxpayers may pay more in optional self-employment taxes and thus become eligible for Social Security benefits.
The CCC is required to always provide IRS and the farmer with information returns showing the amount of market gain the farmer realizes when he or she repays a CCC market assistance loan.
For large corporations (those with assets of at least $1 billion), estimated tax payments due in July, August, and September of 2012 are increased by 7.75% of the payment otherwise due, and the next required payment is reduced accordingly.

Please keep in mind that this is only a summary of the tax changes in the new law. If you would like to discuss any of these provisions in greater detail, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Military Personnel Tax Benefits

June 4, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Pension plan benefits for military personnel in the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008

The recently enacted “Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008” (the 2008 Heroes Act) provides several important pension plan benefits for military personnel. Specifically, the Act makes the following pension plan liberalizations for members of the military and their families:

Modifies the law which provides certain retirement plan protections for reservists who are called to active duty and who are able to return to their civilian employers after serving our country. The new law requires tax-qualified retirement plans to provide that if a participant dies while performing qualified military service, his or her survivors would be entitled to any additional benefits (other than benefit accruals relating to the period of qualified military service) that would have been provided had the participant resumed employment and then terminated employment on account of death. Similar rules apply to 403(b) annuities and 457(b) plans. Additionally, the new law provides that retirement plans can permit individuals who leave for qualified military service and cannot be reemployed on account of death or disability to be treated as if they had been rehired as of the day before death or disability and then had terminated employment on the date of death or disability. These changes apply to deaths or disabilities occurring after 2006.
Makes permanent the expiring Internal Revenue Code provision that permits active duty reservists to make penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans.
Permits a military death gratuity or amount received under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program to be rolled over to a Roth IRA or Coverdell education savings account, notwithstanding the contribution limits that otherwise apply.

Other military tax benefits in the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008

The recently enacted “Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008” (the 2008 Heroes Act) contains a wide-ranging package of tax cuts for military personnel and veterans. While many of the military tax benefits are pension plan-related, several important changes are not. Specifically, the 2008 Heroes Act makes the following nonpension-related liberalizations for members of the military and their families:

Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008

June 4, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Overview of tax changes in the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008

The recently enacted “Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008” (the 2008 Heroes Act) provides targeted tax relief for military members and their families, fully offset with tightened expatriation rules, a new rule requiring U.S. companies working under federal government contract to treat overseas employees as subject to employment taxes, and a higher failure to file penalty. Here’s a summary of the tax provisions in the Act:

New relief provisions. The 2008 Heroes Act makes the following liberalizations for members of the military and their families:

Clarifies that those in the active military who file a joint tax return are eligible for the stimulus rebate payment under the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 even if one spouse does not have a Social Security number.
Makes permanent the ability to include combat pay as earned income for purposes of the earned income tax credit (EITC) (under pre-2008 Heroes Act law, this benefit was only available for tax years ending before 2008).
Makes permanent an exception that permits qualified mortgage bonds to be issued to finance mortgages for qualified veterans who served in the active military without regard to the first-time homebuyer requirement (under pre-2008 Heroes Act law, this exception only applied for bonds issued before 2008).
Modifies the law which provides certain retirement plan protections for reservists who are called to active duty and who are able to return to their civilian employers after serving our country. The new law requires tax-qualified retirement plans to provide that if a participant dies while performing qualified military service, his or her survivors would be entitled to any additional benefits (other than benefit accruals relating to the period of qualified military service) that would have been provided had the participant resumed employment and then terminated employment on account of death. Similar rules apply to 403(b) annuities and 457(b) plans. Additionally, the new law provides that retirement plans can permit individuals who leave for qualified military service and cannot be reemployed on account of death or disability to be treated as if they had been rehired as of the day before death or disability and then had terminated employment on the date of death or disability. These changes apply to deaths or disabilities occurring after 2006.
Includes differential wages paid by an employer to an employee who becomes active duty military in the calculation of wages for retirement plan and IRA purposes, effective for years beginning after 2008. Differential pay is also made subject to federal income tax withholding, effective for amounts paid after 2008.
Extends the limitations period for filing tax refund credit claims arising from Department of Veterans Affairs disability determinations.
Makes permanent the expiring Internal Revenue Code provision that permits active duty reservists to make penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans.
Permits a military death gratuity or amount received under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program to be rolled over to a Roth IRA or Coverdell education savings account, notwithstanding the contribution limits that otherwise apply.
Entitles Peace Corps volunteers and certain employees to a similar tolling of the homesale exclusion ownership and use period that already applies to members of the uniformed services, Foreign Service, and intelligence community. The Act also makes permanent the special homesale exclusion rules for certain employees of the intelligence community and repeals the requirement that those employees move overseas in order to qualify for special treatment.
Provides small employers with a 20% tax credit for differential wage payments made to employees who are on active military duty.
Provides an exclusion for state or local payments of bonuses to active or former military personnel or their dependents on account of such military personnel’s service in a combat zone.
Allows members of the reserves who are called to active duty to withdraw unused amounts held in a health flexible spending account (health FSA).
Retroactively clarifies that certain property tax rebates and other benefits made with respect to volunteer firefighters, and excluded from gross income under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, are not subject to Social Security tax or unemployment tax.

Revenue raising provisions. To offset the cost of the new tax breaks (and the cost of various SSI liberalizations for the military), the Act:

Triangular Reorganizations Tax Resolution

June 4, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Temporary regs curb abuses in triangular reorganizations involving foreign corporations

T.D. 9400, 05/23/2008, Reg. § 1.367(a)-3T, Reg. § 1.367(b)-14T, Preamble to Prop Reg 05/23/2008

IRS has issued temporary (along with final and proposed regs) under Code Sec. 367(b) to curb abusive triangular reorganizations involving foreign corporationssometimes referred to as “Killer B” transactions. The temporary regs implement the rules in Notice 2006-85 and Notice 2007-48, and their text serves as the text of the proposed regs.

Statutory background. A U.S. person’s transfer of appreciated property (including stock) to a foreign corporation in connection with Code Sec. 332, Code Sec. 351, Code Sec. 354, Code Sec. 356, or Code Sec. 361 exchanges, generally is treated under Code Sec. 367(a)(1) as a taxable transaction, unless an exception applies. Code Sec. 367(b) provides that a foreign corporation is considered to be a corporation for purposes of these exchange provisions, except to the extent provided in regs issued to prevent tax avoidance.

No gain or loss is recognized to a corporation on the receipt of money or other property in exchange for stock of that corporation. (Code Sec. 1032) In the case of a forward triangular merger, a triangular C reorganization, or a triangular B reorganization, a parent’s stock provided by it to its subsidiaryunder a reorganization plan is treated as a disposition by the parent of shares of its own stock. (Reg. § 1.1032-2(b)) However, if the subsidiary did not receive the parent’s stock from the parent under a reorganization plan, it must recognize gain or loss on the exchange of its parent stock for the target’s stock or assets. (Reg. § 1.1032-2(c)) The subsidiary does not recognize gain or loss on the parent’s stock that it exchanges for the target’s stock in a reverse triangular merger. (Code Sec. 361)

A corporation’s distribution of property to its shareholder with respect to its stock is included in the shareholder’s gross income to the extent the distribution is a dividend under Code Sec. 316 (which defines a dividend as a distribution out of a corporation’s current and accumulated earnings and profits). (Code Sec. 301(c)(1)) To the extent the distribution is not a dividend, the shareholder reduces basis in the distributing corporation’s stock, and any amount of the distribution in excess of the shareholder’s basis is treated as gain from the sale or exchange of the corporation’s stock. (Code Sec. 301(c)(2), Code Sec. 301(c))