Tax Court finds regs imposing time limit on request for relief from joint and several liability invalid Lantz, (2009) 132 TC No. 8

Mike Habib, EA Tax Relief & IRS Tax Help

The Tax Court has concluded that Reg. § 1.6015-5(b)(1), which provides that a spouse must request relief under Code Sec. 6015(f) no later than two years from the first collection activity against the spouse, is invalid.

Recession Offers the Best Opportunity to Obtain Tax Relief

American taxpayers are afforded the best IRS tax help in this financial crisis.

Pasadena, CA –(PR.com) — The current financial crisis is the best time to get IRS tax help. Just recently, the IRS has announced that it will adopt a more humane approach to taxpayers who are currently faced with issues such as increasing medical bills, heavy dependence on the assistance of Social Security or even recent job loss. According to the Internal Revenue Service, these are the criteria that can make taxpayers eligible for certain tax breaks. The IRS is also willing to make certain adjustments for those who have problems with unfiled tax returns or unpaid back taxes.

IRS posts Q&As on the Making Work Pay Credit

Making Work Pay Credit: Questions and Answers, IRS Web Site

IRS has posted a number of questions and answers (Q&As) on the Making Work Pay Credit (MWPC) on its web site. They are grouped into four categories: general issues, Form W-4, new withholding tables, and economic recovery payments. The most widely applicable information from each of the four categories is summarized below.

G-20 includes accounting reform in proposed overhaul of market regulation

Mike Habib, EA Tax Relief & Tax Problem Resolution

Summary: The heads of the leading 20 world economies called on accounting standard-setters to revise fair value guidance and adopt a single, global set of global accounting rules. The leaders also agreed to regulate hedge funds, increase oversight of credit rating agencies, set up systemic risk regulators, and tighten the limits on executive pay.

Roundup of recent employment tax related cases of interest

Mike Habib, EA Tax Relief & Tax Problem Resolution

Federal courts have recently issued rulings on: (1) whether medical residents may qualify for the student FICA exception, (2) whether an employee’s embezzlement was reasonable cause for failing to remit withholding taxes, and (3) whether the sole owner of a limited liability company (LLC) may be held liable for the LLC’s unpaid employment taxes.

Former Vice President of Finance Pleads Guilty to Grand Theft, False State Income Tax Returns

A Chatsworth man pleaded guilty to one felony count of grand theft and one felony count of filing a false state income tax return.

James I. Ha, 35, was employed as the vice president of finance for a local marketing company. According to court documents, Ha abused his position of trust by embezzling more than $350,000 from 2001 – 2004. In addition, Ha also failed to claim this money on his state income tax returns for the same years. All income is taxable including income from illegal sources. Ha used the embezzled funds for personal expenses.

Adverse conditions may allow certain U.S. citizens to claim foreign earned income and housing cost exclusions [Rev Proc 2009-22]:

Individuals who were forced to leave certain foreign countries in 2008 because of adverse conditions may still qualify as bona fide residents of that country for purposes of the IRC §911 foreign income tax exclusion. Under IRC §911(a), qualified individuals may exclude foreign earned income and housing expenses from their gross income for tax purposes.

To qualify for the exclusion, an individual must prove that he has lived in a foreign country for at least 330 full days during any period of 12 consecutive months. However, if instances of war, civil unrest, or other adverse conditions force an individual to leave a country before the 330-day requirement is met, that individual can still qualify for the exclusion if he can prove that he would have otherwise stayed in the country.

Subsidiary’s employment tax liability cannot be collected from the parent corporation [Chief Counsel Advice 200913052]:

The IRS Office of Chief Council has expressed its opinion in a new Chief Council Advice (CCA) that the employment tax liability of a subsidiary corporation in a consolidated group cannot be collected from the parent corporation.

A “subsidiary” is defined under Reg. § 1.1502-1(c) as a corporation that is a member of a consolidated group, but is not the common parent of the group. In a consolidated group, (1) the parent corporation must directly own at least 80% of the total voting power and 80% of the total value of the stock in at least one other “includible” corporation in the group, and (2) one or more of the other includible corporations in the group must directly own at least 80% of the stock (by vote or value) in each of the remaining includible corporations.

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