Tax Relief Blog

Final Regulations Governing Installment Agreements

November 25, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

IRS Issues Final Regulations Governing Installment Agreements

The IRS has issued final regulations relating to the payment of tax liabilities through installment agreements. The regulations reflect changes to the law made by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights II (P.L. 104-168), the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-206) and the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-357). The final regulations generally adopt proposed regulations issued in March 2007 (NPRM REG-100841-97), with revisions to two provisions made in response to comments received by the IRS. The regulations are effective November 25, 2009.

The final regulations adopt without change procedures set forth in the proposed regulations regarding submission and consideration by the IRS of proposed installment agreements, and acceptance, form and terms of installment agreements. The regulations provide that a proposed installment agreement must be submitted according to the procedures prescribed by the IRS, and becomes pending when it is accepted for processing. An installment agreement request is not accepted until the IRS notifies the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s representative of the acceptance.

SBA Tax Relief

November 20, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Treasury / SBA Highlight Role of Tax Cuts During Small Business Financing Forum

US Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner presided over the Small Business Financing Forum presented by the Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration (SBA) on November 18 in Washington, D.C. While the program was aimed at exploring financing issues, recent tax cuts were highlighted as a potential method by which the government could help small businesses increase their cash flow during the current tough economic environment.

Economic Stimulus Effort

Military Spouses Relief

November 16, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

President Signs Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

Source: Journal of Accountancy

President Barack Obama signed into law the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (PL 111-97), which will ensure that the spouses of military personnel who move because their spouse is posted for military duty will be treated as not having changed residency for tax purposes.

Relief for sponsors of statutory hybrid plans

November 12, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Effective Date of Regulations Under § 411(b)(5)(B)(i); Relief Under § 411(d)(6); and Notice to Pension Plan Participants

Announcement 2009-82

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are announcing relief for sponsors of statutory hybrid plans that must amend the interest crediting rate in those plans. Plan sponsors may rely on this announcement pending publication of the anticipated additional guidance described below. Treasury and the Service expect to issue in the near future final regulations and proposed regulations relating to statutory hybrid plans. The regulations will include rules interpreting the requirement in § 411(b)(5)(B)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code that such plans not have an interest crediting rate in excess of a market rate of return. The rules in the regulations specifying permissible market rates of return are not expected to go into effect before the first plan year that begins on or after January 1, 2011.

Essential year end tax planning

November 12, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Essential year end tax planning

Year-end tax planning could be especially productive this year because timely action can nail down a host of tax breaks that won’t be around next year unless Congress acts to extend them. These include, for individuals: the option to deduct state and local sales and use taxes instead of state income taxes; the standard or itemized deduction for state sales tax and excise tax on the purchase of motor vehicles; the above-the-line deduction for qualified higher education expenses; tax-free distributions by those age 70 1/2 or older from IRAs for charitable purposes; and the $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit (expires for purchases after Nov. 30, 2009). For businesses, tax breaks that are available through the end of this year but won’t be around next year unless Congress acts include: 50% bonus first year depreciation for most new machinery, equipment and software; an extraordinarily high $250,000 expensing limitation; the research tax credit; the five-year writeoff for most farm equipment; and the 15-year writeoff for qualified leasehold improvements, qualified restaurant buildings and improvements and qualified retail improvements. Finally, without Congressional “extender” legislation (which has come at the eleventh hour for several years), alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption amounts for individuals are scheduled to drop drastically next year, and most nonrefundable personal credits won’t be available to offset the AMT.

High-income-earners have other factors to keep in mind when mapping out year-end plans. Many observers expect top tax rates on ordinary income to increase after 2010, making long-term deferral of income less appealing. Long-term capital gains rates could go up as well, so it may pay for some to take large profits this year instead of a few years down the road. On the other hand, the solid good news high-income-earners have to look forward to next year is that there no longer will be an income based reduction of most itemized deductions, nor will there be a phaseout of personal exemptions. Additionally, traditional IRA to Roth IRA conversions will be allowed regardless of a taxpayer’s income.

Roth IRA Rollover

November 11, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Roth IRA Rollovers

Mike Habib, EA

I am writing to tell you of an interesting new rollover opportunity that’s coming up in a few months. After 2009, you will be able to roll over amounts in qualified employer sponsored retirement plan accounts, such as 401(k)s and profit sharing plans, and regular IRAs, into Roth IRAs, regardless of your adjusted gross income (AGI). Currently, individuals with more than $100,000 of adjusted gross income as specially modified are barred from making such rollovers.

Extended homebuyer tax credit

November 11, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Extended and liberalized homebuyer tax credit rules

Mike Habib, EA

On November 6, the President signed into law H.R. 3548, the ”Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009.” The new law extends and generally liberalizes the tax credit for first-time homebuyers, making it a much more flexible tax-saving tool. It also includes some crackdowns designed to prevent abuse of the credit. These important changes could it make it easier for you or someone in your family to buy a home. And because the changes generally aid buyers and aim to improve residential real estate markets nationwide, they also could make it easier for you or someone in your family to sell a home. This Client Letter fills you in on the details you need to know about the first-time homebuyer credit.

IRS Back Taxes

November 6, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

IRS Back Taxes

Mike Habib, EA

You incur IRS back taxes when you haven’t been filing your income tax returns religiously every year. Tax season can be a stressful time and there are a lot of people who tend to overlook the deadlines so they find themselves having to rush to make it in time. For those who are not so lucky, they have to incur penalties because of late filings. Things could get uglier once the government finds that you’re years behind in your income tax filing. You don’t want to have to pay IRS back taxes but in case you find yourself in this rut, understand that you do have options to get you out of this mess.

Tax Debt Relief

November 5, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Tax Debt Relief

Mike Habib, EA

877-788-2937

Year-end tax planning letter

October 29, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Year-end tax planning letter

Mike Habib, EA

As year-end approaches, taxpayers generally are faced with a number of choices that can save taxes this year, next year or both years. Employees too are faced with these choices. However, employees have some special considerations to take into account that retirees and other nonworking individuals don’t face. To help our clients who are employees take advantage of these special tax saving opportunities, we have put together a list of items to consider.