etrent17/irs-articles huggingface dataset:
IR-2019-21, February 25, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that interest rates will remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning April 1, 2019, as they were in the first quarter of 2019. The rates will be: 
6 percent for overpayments [5 percent in the case of a corporation];
3.5 percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000;
6 percent for underpayments; and
8 percent for large corporate underpayments. 
Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate are the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. 
Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus 0.5 percent.
The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal short-term rate determined during January 2019 to take effect Feb. 1, 2019, based on daily compounding.
Revenue Ruling 2019-05PDF announcing the rates of interest will appear in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2019-11, dated March 11, 2019.
IR-2019-20, February 21, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today urged businesses required to file reports of large cash transactions to take advantage of the speed and convenience of filing these reports electronically.
Although businesses have the option of filing Form 8300, Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000, on paper, many have already found that e-filing is a faster, more convenient and cost-effective way to meet the reporting deadline. The form is due 15 days after a transaction and there’s no charge for the e-file option.
Electronically filing Form 8300 is a secure way for businesses to send sensitive information to the IRS. Although many cash transactions are legitimate, information reported on this form can help stop those who evade taxes, profit from the drug trade and engage in terrorist financing and other criminal activities. The government can often trace money from these illegal activities through the payments reported on this and other cash reporting forms.
Businesses that file Form 8300 electronically get free, automatic acknowledgment of receipt when they file. In addition, electronic filing is more accurate, reducing the need for follow-up correspondence with the IRS.
To file Form 8300 electronically, a business must  set up an account with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s BSA E-Filing System. For more information, interested businesses can call the BSA E-Filing Help Desk at 866-346-9478 or email them at BSAEFilingHelp@fincen.gov. The help desk is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.
 
For more information about the reporting requirement, see FS-2019-1, available on IRS.gov. Among other things, the fact sheet includes reporting scenarios for specific businesses, such as automobile dealerships, taxi companies, landlords, colleges and universities, homebuilders and bail-bonding agents. It also lists other resources on IRS.gov related to reporting cash transactions of more than $10,000.
IR-2019-19, February 19, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds farmers and fishermen who chose to forgo making quarterly estimated tax payments that they must file their 2018 Form 1040 along with a payment for all taxes owed by Friday, March 1, 2019.
This special rule normally applies to taxpayers whose farming or fishing income was at least two-thirds of their total gross income in either the current or the preceding tax year. Farmers and fishermen choosing not to file by March 1 should have made an estimated tax payment by Jan. 15 to avoid a penalty.
IRS Direct Pay is safe, free
IRS Direct Pay is a secure and easy way to quickly pay the tax amount due or make quarterly estimated tax payments directly from checking or savings accounts without any fees or pre-registration. It can be used to pay taxes for Forms 1040, estimated taxes or other associated forms.
IRS Direct Pay is available seven days a week and can be scheduled up to 30 days in advance. Millions of taxpayers have safely used it to make payments for the past five years.
When a taxpayer uses IRS Direct Pay, they receive instant confirmation after they submit their payment. The tool cannot be used to pay the federal highway use tax, payroll taxes or other business taxes. Taxpayers who wish to pay their federal business taxes electronically should enroll in the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or visit IRS.gov/payments to check out other payment options.
Related Items
Tax Topic 416, Farming and Fishing Income
Publication 5034PDF, Need to Make a Tax Payment? (English and Spanish)
IR-2019-14, February 13, 2019
WASHINGTON –The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued guidancePDF today that provides a safe harbor method for determining depreciation deductions for passenger automobiles that qualify for the 100-percent additional first year depreciation deduction and that are subject to the depreciation limitations for passenger automobiles.
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the additional first year depreciation deduction applies to qualified property, including passenger automobiles, acquired and placed in service after September 27, 2017, and before January 1, 2027. 
In general, the section 179 and depreciation deductions for passenger automobiles are subject to dollar limitations for the year the taxpayer places the passenger automobile in service and for each succeeding year.  For a passenger automobile that qualifies for the 100-percent additional first year depreciation deduction, TCJA increased the first-year limitation amount by $8,000.  If the depreciable basis of a passenger automobile for which the 100-percent additional first year depreciation deduction is allowable exceeds the first-year limitationPDF, the excess amount is deductible in the first taxable year after the end of the recovery period.
The guidance provides a safe harbor method of accounting for passenger automobiles. The safe harbor allows depreciation deductions for the excess amount during the recovery period subject to the depreciation limitations applicable to passenger automobiles.  To apply the safe-harbor method, the taxpayer must use the applicable depreciation table in Appendix A of IRS Publication 946.  The safe harbor method does not apply to a passenger automobile placed in service by the taxpayer after 2022, or to a passenger automobile for which the taxpayer elected out of the 100-percent additional first year depreciation deduction or elected under section 179 to expense all or a portion of the cost of the passenger automobile. 
Taxpayers adopt the safe harbor method of accounting by applying it to deduct depreciation of a passenger automobile on their return for the first taxable year following the placed-in-service year.
For more information on the additional first year depreciation deduction, see TCJA, Depreciation. For information about other TCJA provisions, visit IRS.gov/taxreform.
IR-2019-09, February 7, 2019
WASHINGTON – Today, towards the end of the second full week of the 2019 tax filing season, the Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers to avoid unethical tax return preparers, known as ghost preparers.
By law, anyone who is paid to prepare or assist in preparing federal tax returns must have a valid 2019 Preparer Tax Identification Number, or PTIN. Paid preparers must sign the return and include their PTIN.
But ‘ghost’ preparers do not sign the return. Instead, they print the return and tell the taxpayer to sign and mail it to the IRS. Or, for e-filed returns, they prepare but refuse to digitally sign it as the paid preparer.
According to the IRS, similar to other tax preparation schemes, dishonest and unscrupulous ghost tax return preparers look to make a fast buck by promising a big refund or charging fees based on a percentage of the refund. These scammers hurt honest taxpayers who are simply trying to do the right thing and file a legitimate tax return.
Ghost tax return preparers may also:
Require payment in cash only and not provide a receipt.
Invent income to erroneously qualify their clients for tax credits or claim fake deductions to boost their refunds.
Direct refunds into their own bank account rather than the taxpayer’s account.
The IRS urges taxpayers to review their tax return carefully before signing and ask questions if something is not clear. And for any direct deposit refund, taxpayers should make sure both the routing and bank account number on the completed tax return are correct.
The IRS offers tips to help taxpayers choose a tax return preparer wisely. The Choosing a Tax Professional page has information about tax preparer credentials and qualifications. The IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications can help identify many preparers by type of credential or qualification.
Taxpayers can report abusive tax preparers to the IRS. Use Form 14157, Complaint: Tax Return PreparerPDF. If a taxpayer suspects a tax preparer filed or changed their tax return without their consent, they should file Form 14157-A, Tax Return Preparer Fraud or Misconduct AffidavitPDF.
IR-2019-59, March 29, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today clarified the tax treatment of state and local tax refunds arising from any year in which the new limit on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction is in effect.
In Revenue Ruling 2019-11PDF, posted today on IRS.gov, the IRS provided four examples illustrating how the long-standing tax benefit rule interacts with the new SALT limit to determine the portion of any state or local tax refund that must be included on the taxpayer’s federal income tax return. Today’s announcement does not affect state tax refunds received in 2018 for tax returns currently being filed.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), enacted in December 2017, limited the itemized deduction for state and local taxes to $5,000 for a married person filing a separate return and $10,000 for all other tax filers. The limit applies to tax years 2018 to 2025.
As in the past, state and local tax refunds are not subject to tax if a taxpayer chose the standard deduction for the year in which the tax was paid. But if a taxpayer itemized deductions for that year on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, part or all of the refund may be subject to tax, to the extent the taxpayer received a tax benefit from the deduction.
Taxpayers who are impacted by the SALT limit—those taxpayers who itemize deductions and who paid state and local taxes in excess of the SALT limit—may not be required to include the entire state or local tax refund in income in the following year. A key part of that calculation is determining the amount the taxpayer would have deducted had the taxpayer only paid the actual state and local tax liability—that is, no refund and no balance due.
In one example described in the ruling, a single taxpayer itemizes and claims deductions totaling $15,000 on the taxpayer’s 2018 federal income tax return. A total of $12,000 in state and local taxes is listed on the return, including state and local income taxes of $7,000. Because of the limit, however, the taxpayer’s SALT deduction is only $10,000. In 2019, the taxpayer receives a $750 refund of state income taxes paid in 2018, meaning the taxpayer’s actual 2018 state income tax liability was $6,250 ($7,000 paid minus $750 refund). Accordingly, the taxpayer’s 2018 SALT deduction would still have been $10,000, even if it had been figured based on the actual $6,250 state and local income tax liability for 2018. The taxpayer did not receive a tax benefit on the taxpayer’s 2018 federal income tax return from the taxpayer’s overpayment of state income tax in 2018. Thus, the taxpayer is not required to include the taxpayer’s 2019 state income tax refund on the taxpayer’s 2019 return.
See the ruling for details on all four examples.
Today’s ruling has no impact on state or local tax refunds received in 2018 and reportable on 2018 returns taxpayers are filing this season. For information, including worksheets for reporting these refunds, see the 2018 instructions for Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, and Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income. 
For information about other TCJA provisions, visit IRS.gov/taxreform.
IR-2019-58, March 27, 2019
WASHINGTON — As part of its ongoing security review, the Internal Revenue Service announced today that starting May 13 only individuals with tax identification numbers may request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) as the “responsible party” on the application.
An EIN is a nine-digit tax identification number assigned to sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, estates, trusts, employee retirement plans and other entities for tax filing and reporting purposes.
The change will prohibit entities from using their own EINs to obtain additional EINs. The requirement will apply to both the paper Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification NumberPDF, and online EIN application.
Individuals named as responsible party must have either a Social Security number (SSN) or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). By making the announcement weeks in advance, entities and their representatives will have time to identify the proper responsible official and comply with the new policy.
The Form SS-4 InstructionsPDF provide a detailed explanation of who should be the responsible party for various types of entities. Generally, the responsible party is the person who ultimately owns or controls the entity or who exercises ultimate effective control over the entity. In cases where more than one person meets that definition, the entity may decide which individual should be the responsible party.
Only governmental entities (federal, state, local and tribal) are exempt from the responsible party requirement as well as the military, including state national guards.
There is no change for tax professionals who may act as third-party designees for entities and complete the paper or online applications on behalf of clients.
The new requirement will provide greater security to the EIN process by requiring an individual to be the responsible party and improve transparency. If there are changes to the responsible party, the entity can change the responsible official designation by completing Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party. A Form 8822-B must be filed within 60 days of a change.
IR-2019-57, March 26, 2019
WASHINGTON — The IRS announced today that General Motors, LLC has sold more than 200,000 vehicles eligible for the plug-in electric drive motor vehicle credit during the fourth quarter of 2018. This triggers a phase out of the tax credit available for purchasers of new General Motors plug-in electric vehicles beginning April 1, 2019. 
Qualifying vehicles by the manufacturer are eligible for a $7,500 credit if acquired before April 1, 2019.  Beginning April 1, 2019, the credit will be $3,750 for General Motors’ eligible vehicles. On October 1, 2019, the credit will be reduced to $1,875 for the next two quarters. After March 31, 2020, no credit will be available.
The plug-in electric drive motor vehicle credit was enacted in the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 and subsequently modified in later law.  It provides a credit for eligible passenger vehicles and light trucks.  By law, five quarters after reaching the sales threshold, the credit ends for the manufacturer.  General Motors vehicles are eligible for some portion of a credit until April 1, 2020.
Notice 2019-22PDF details the phase-out.  More information on plug-in electric drive motor vehicle credit can be found on IRS.gov. The amounts of the credit for a specific vehicle can also be found at IRS.gov.
IR-2019-54, March 22, 2019
WASHINGTON –The Internal Revenue Service today issued proposed regulations on the new information reporting requirements for certain life insurance contracts under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
As enacted, the new reporting requirements under Internal Revenue Code 6050Y apply to reportable policy sales and payments of reportable death benefits occurring after Dec. 31, 2017. Consistent with guidance issued last April, the proposed regulations contain transitional guidance delaying any reporting until final regulations are issued. The proposed regulations provide taxpayers additional time to satisfy any reporting obligations for sales or payments made prior to publication of final regulations. 
Among other things, these reporting requirements are designed to help persons who sell life insurance contracts properly report any gain from that sale.
Every person who acquires a life insurance contract, or any interest in a life insurance contract, in a reportable policy sale during the taxable year must file a return with the IRS. The acquirer must also furnish written statements to each payment recipient and the issuer named in the return. The issuer, upon receiving such a statement, must file a return with the IRS and must also furnish a written statement to the seller. The IRS has released Form and Instructions for 1099-LS and Form and Instructions for Form 1099-SB, which provide specific instructions on these reporting requirements. 
The proposed regulations also provide guidance on new reporting requirements applicable to each person who makes a payment of reportable death benefits (reportable on Form 1099-R) and how to calculate the amount of death benefits excluded from gross income.  
For information about other TCJA provisions, visit the Tax Reform page.
IR-2019-52, March 21, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service will provide a free online, web-based information session in two languages on Thursday, March 28, 2019, to help people understand how to do a ‘Paycheck Checkup.’
Doing a Paycheck Checkup means checking tax withholding using the IRS Withholding Calculator and making any necessary adjustments to avoid having too little or too much tax withheld from paychecks.
The webinar is part of a continuing effort by the IRS to share information with taxpayers and partners to help people review their tax withholding, especially if they have already filed and noticed a significant change to their tax refund or amount owed brought about by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enacted in 2017. The TCJA lowered tax rates, increased standard deductions, suspended personal exemptions, increased the Child Tax Credit and limited or discontinued deductions.
Sooner is better
The IRS urges all taxpayers to do a “Paycheck Checkup” now so that if a withholding adjustment is needed, there is more time for withholding to happen evenly during the rest of the year. Waiting means there are less pay periods to withhold the necessary federal tax – so the change in withholding from each remaining paycheck will be more.
Reviewing withholding is especially important if people did a Paycheck Checkup in 2018 and adjusted their withholding during the middle or late in the year. Another review early this  year can help make sure they’re having the right amount withheld for the rest of 2019.
The Withholding Calculator is an accurate, simple way for most taxpayers to determine their correct withholding amount. The tool allows taxpayers to enter their expected 2019 income, deductions, adjustments and credits – including the Child Tax Credit.
Webinar helps diagnose who needs a ‘Paycheck Checkup’
The two 60-minute webinars, one in English and one in Spanish, include a special Q&A session. The sessions cover the basics of using the online IRS Withholding Calculator and detail the different situations that may require taxpayers to adjust their withholding, including those who:
Had a large tax refund or tax bill for 2018 when they filed their tax return this year.
Adjusted their tax withholding in the middle or later part of 2018.
Had a major life change this year.
Are a two-income family.
Have two or more jobs at the same time or only work part of the year.
Claim credits like the Child Tax Credit.
Have dependents age 17 or older.
Itemized deductions in the past.
Have high income or a complex tax return.
Have a large tax refund or tax bill for 2018.
Register to attend either language version of this webinar on March 28; the Spanish webinar starts at 11 a.m. Eastern, and the English webinar begins at 2 p.m. Eastern. It is recommended attendees log in 10 minutes prior to the start time. Closed captioning will be available. Find previous archived webinars on www.irsvideos.gov.
IR-2019-50, March 20, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the results of a national two-week enforcement and education campaign to combat refund crimes and identity theft that resulted in numerous legal actions against suspected criminals and businesses committing these crimes.
"Identity theft is a pervasive crime and stopping it remains a top priority of the IRS," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "The IRS, with the help of our Security Summit partners, continues to make progress in this area, but we need to continue our significant efforts to protect taxpayers and assist those who have been a victim of identity theft. We are fighting this problem with enhanced systems, smarter technology and the efforts of our dedicated workforce, including Criminal Investigation. We will retain our relentless, vigorous pursuit of those who prey upon others in this arena."
Working with the Department of Justice Tax Division and U.S. Attorneys around the nation, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) made 11 arrests, indicted 15 individuals and saw five other individuals or businesses sentenced who perpetrated some type of refund fraud or identity theft scheme.
“Millions of taxpayers put their trust in tax professionals to prepare accurate and lawful returns.
Unfortunately, a few bad apples take advantage of that trust for their own greed and profit," said Don Fort, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation. "CI's special agents are highly skilled at unraveling fraudulent schemes. With our partners in other agencies and the private sector, we are dismantling these crooked enterprises and enforcing our tax laws.”
More broadly via the Security Summit initiative, the IRS has joined with representatives of the state tax agencies, software industry, tax industry, tax preparation firms, payroll and tax financial product processors to combat identity theft refund fraud to protect the nation's taxpayers. The joint public-private sector effort has helped make inroads identity theft since its formation in 2015, helping reduce a number of key indicators of identity theft at the IRS.
For more on identity theft and CI visit IRS.gov.
IR-2019-48, March 19, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced it will accept applications for a partial-year Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) matching grant from qualified organizations. Applications will be accepted in certain identified geographic areas, listed below. Qualified organizations that receive grants will represent low-income taxpayers and individuals who speak English as a second language on certain tax matters, educating them about their rights and responsibilities.
Geographic underserved areas in need of LITC services:
Hawaii
Montana
North Dakota
Puerto Rico
West Virginia
Wyoming
The application period will run from March 18, 2019, to April 18, 2019. Grants will cover the last five months of the 2019 grant year, from Aug. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019. Organizations currently receiving grants are not eligible.
Grant funds may be awarded for start-up expenditures incurred during the grant year. An organization awarded a partial-year grant will be expected to submit a separate application for full-year funding for the 2020 grant year during the 2020 grant application period, which is expected to open on May 1, 2019.
The LITC Program is a federal grant program administered by the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate at the IRS, led by the National Taxpayer Advocate, Nina E. Olson. The LITC Program awards matching grants of up to $100,000 per year to qualifying organizations to develop, expand or continue low income taxpayer clinics. The LITC Program funds organizations to represent low-income taxpayers who have a tax controversy with the IRS and to educate ESL taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities as U.S. taxpayers. An LITC must provide services for free or for no more than a nominal fee.
Although LITCs receive partial funding from the IRS, LITCs, their employees and their volunteers operate independently from the IRS. Examples of qualifying organizations include:
Clinical programs at accredited law, business or accounting schools whose students represent low income taxpayers in tax disputes with the IRS.
Organizations exempt from tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(a) whose employees and volunteers represent low income taxpayers in tax disputes with the IRS or refer those taxpayers to qualified representatives.
Applications must be submitted electronically at www.grants.gov by April 18, 2019. The funding number is TREAS-GRANTS-052019-002.
Copies of IRS Publication 3319, 2019 Grant Application Package and GuidelinesPDF, can be downloaded from IRS.gov or ordered by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Questions about the LITC Program or grant application process can be addressed to the LITC Program Office at 202-317-4700 (not a toll-free call) or by email at LITCProgramOffice@irs.gov.
More information about LITCs and the work they do to represent, educate and advocate on behalf of low-income and ESL taxpayers is available in IRS Publication 5066, LITC Program ReportPDF.
IR-2019-40, March 13, 2019
WASHINGTON — More people are using the improved IRS Free File option to prepare and electronically file their returns for free, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
As of March 8, about 1.4 million taxpayers had already used Free File to file their 2018 return, a 5 percent increase over last year at this time. Now in its 17th year, more than 55 million returns have been filed this way since the program began.
Available only through IRS.gov and the IRS2Go mobile app, a dozen private-sector partners offer brand-name software designed to help taxpayers successfully navigate the new tax reform landscape and file their federal returns quickly, accurately and at no charge. Some Free File providers also offer free state return assistance.
Brand-name software is available to anyone whose 2018 adjusted gross income is $66,000 or less. Seven out of 10 taxpayers qualify. This means that most people will qualify for a Free File offer from at least one Free File partner. Many will qualify for multiple offers. Workers, families with children, first-time filers, seniors and members of the military who meet the income requirement are eligible.
This year’s edition of Free File offers taxpayers some important new features:
People can now easily return to the IRS Free File page from a partner page if they don’t qualify for that partner’s offer. This gives people an easy way to explore offers from other Free File partners.
Returning taxpayers’ first option must be Free File. This means that if a taxpayer returns to a Free File member’s website this year, after using the free program last year, the first option after logging into their account will be the Free File option
Follow-up emails to taxpayers who used Free File last year will welcome them back to the Free File service. This serves as a great reminder to past users and is also designed to boost participation in the Free File program.
For any interested taxpayer, the speed and convenience of Free File is just one click away.  To get started, simply go to IRS.gov and look for File Your Taxes for Free. Use the “Lookup” tool to enter information such as age, income and state residency. The tool will match the user with the available software products.
Those who choose not to use this tool can still use IRS Free File to review all the offers made by each of the 12 partners. Once a product is selected, the user will be redirected to the partner’s Free File web page.
Those whose incomes are more than $66,000 can choose Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms.
Free File will be available through the mid-October extension deadline. This means that taxpayers who get tax-filing extensions can still use Free File to file their returns. In addition, anyone, regardless of income, can use Free File to request a tax-filing extension. That means there’s no reason for anyone to use a paper form to get more time.
IR-2019-27, March 5, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations under section 250 PDFof the Internal Revenue Code, which offers domestic corporations deductions for foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) and global intangible low-taxed income. Section 250, as well as section 951A dealing with global intangible low-taxed income, was added by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
These proposed regulations provide guidance on both the computation of the deductions available under section 250 and determination of FDII. In addition, the proposed regulations provide rules for the computation of FDII in the consolidated return context. Proposed guidance on the computation of global intangible low-taxed income was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 10, 2018.
New reporting rules requiring the filing of Form 8993, Section 250 Deduction for Foreign-Derived Intangible Income and Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income, are also described in the proposed regulations.
Treasury and IRS welcome public comments on these proposed regulations. For details on submitting comments, see the proposed regulations.
Updates on the implementation of the TCJA can be found on the Tax Reform page of IRS.gov.
IR-2019-82, April 30, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service’s Chief Counsel today announced the appointment of Monte A. Jackel to the position of special counsel to the Chief Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel.
Jackel has extensive experience in both private practice as well as prior government service. Most recently, he was a Senior Tax Counsel with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he focused on partnerships, international and corporate tax issues. Jackel previously served as a Special Counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel, Passthroughs and Special Industries, and earlier as the Deputy Associate Chief Counsel (Domestic-Technical).
Jackel also served as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Tax Policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury. He received his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, and his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Jackel received his bachelor’s degree from Queens College, City University of New York.
“With his extensive background in the taxation of partnerships, including cross-border partnership transactions, Monte will be a great addition to the Office of Chief Counsel. We are pleased that we are able to attract someone with his expertise and experience,” said Michael Desmond, IRS Chief Counsel.
IR-2019-79, April 25, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service’s Chief Counsel today announced the appointment of Peter Blessing to the position of Associate Chief Counsel, International, Office of Chief Counsel.
Blessing has many years of experience in private practice and has focused primarily on international tax law. “We are very fortunate to attract an individual of his caliber and expertise,” said Michael Desmond, IRS Chief Counsel.
The Associate Chief Counsel, International, is responsible for coordinating and directing all activities of the international organizational component of the Office of Chief Counsel. That organization provides legal advisory services on all international and foreign tax matters, including all matters relating to the activities of non-U.S. persons or entities within the United States and the activities of U.S. or U.S.-related persons or entities outside the United States. These services support uniform interpretation, application and enforcement of all international provisions of the United States revenue laws, all bilateral and multilateral tax treaties and agreements to which the United States is a party, and all foreign revenue laws that pertain to or affect tax matters in the United States. 
Blessing most recently served as a Managing Director for Washington National Tax (WNT) and International Tax units of KPMG LLP. He was a partner for over 25 years with Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he had a sophisticated tax practice with an emphasis on financial institutions and international tax matters. For a number of years, he managed the International Tax Department and grew a European tax practice for the firm. 
Blessing received his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and his Master in Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.
“Peter Blessing will be bringing a deep and wide-ranging technical expertise and strong leadership qualities and will be a great addition to the Office of Chief Counsel,” Desmond said.
IR-2019-78, April 25, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is seeking qualified applicants for nomination to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC).
The ETAAC provides an organized public forum for discussion of issues in electronic tax administration, such as prevention of identity theft and refund fraud. ETAAC supports the overriding goal that paperless filing is the preferred and most convenient method of filing tax and information returns. ETAAC members work closely with the Security Summit, a joint effort of the IRS, state tax administrators and the tax industry to fight electronic fraud.
The IRS is looking for up to 10 qualified individuals who will serve three-year terms beginning in September 2019. Applicants should have experience in such areas as state tax administration, cybersecurity and information security, tax software development, tax preparation, payroll and tax financial product processing, systems management and improvement and implementation of customer service initiatives. The IRS also encourages representatives from consumer groups with an interest in tax issues to apply. Applications will be accepted through May 29, 2019.
Nominations of qualified individuals may be made by letter and received from organizations or the individuals themselves. Applicants should complete the ETAAC applicationPDF and include a short statement of interest and a resume. In addition, they should describe and document their qualifications, past and current affiliations and dealings with cybersecurity and electronic tax administration. Applicants must complete and submit a tax check waiver form and are also subject to an IRS practitioner background check and an FBI criminal background check. More information is available on IRS.gov.
ETAAC is a Federal Advisory Committee established by the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.
Questions about the ETAAC and the application process can be emailed to publicliaison@irs.gov.
IR-2019-76, April 17, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the schedule of this summer’s Nationwide Tax Forums, held in five cities across the country.
The IRS encourages tax professionals to earn up to 19 continuing education credits at the forums this summer. Each forum offers 43 seminars and workshops presented by experts from the IRS and association partners on cybersecurity, changes to the tax law, ethics and other topics.
2019 registration fees, dates and locations
Tax professionals who pre-register by June 15, 2019, qualify for an early bird rate of $235 per person. The standard rate, starting June 16, is $255. Attendees who register less than two weeks before a Forum or register on-site pay $370.
 
Location
Forum Dates
Standard Registration Deadline
National Harbor, Md (near Washington, DC)
July 9 – 11 
June 25
Chicago
July 23 – 25
July 9
New Orleans
Aug. 6 – 8 
July 23
Orlando, Fla.
 Aug. 13 - 15
July 30
San Diego
Sept. 17 – 19
Sept. 3
 
Discounts for national association members
Members of the associations listed below qualify for a discount of $10 off the Early Bird Rate, but only if they register by June 15. Participating association members should contact their association directly for more information:
American Bar Association (ABA)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA)
National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP)
National Society of Accountants (NSA)
National Society of Tax Professionals (NSTP)
Case Resolution Program
The Nationwide Tax Forums offer tax professionals with unresolved client cases the opportunity to meet face to face with IRS representatives in the IRS Case Resolution Program. In 2018 case resolution staff worked on 872 cases with a resolution rate of 99 percent. A Forum attendee must bring a valid power of attorney for any case he or she wishes to resolve. Tax businesses are permitted one client case per Forum. 
Exhibit hall
The Forums also feature a two-day expo with tax and financial businesses offering products, services and expertise designed with the tax professional in mind. The exhibit hall includes an IRS Booth where attendees can learn about various programs and interact with IRS staff.
Registration information
This is the 29th year the IRS has hosted the Nationwide Tax Forums. For more information and to register online, visit www.irstaxforum.com.
View presentations from past forums
IRS PowerPoint Presentations from 2018 Tax Forums
IRS PowerPoint Presentations from 2017 Tax Forums
IR-2019-75, April 17, 2019
WASHINGTON –The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidancePDF providing additional details about investment in qualified opportunity zones. 
The proposed regulations allow the deferral of all or part of a gain that is invested into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QO Fund) that would otherwise be includible in income. The gain is deferred until the investment is sold or exchanged or Dec. 31, 2026, whichever is earlier. If the investment is held for at least 10 years, investors may be able to permanently exclude gain from the sale or exchange of an investment in a QO Fund.
Qualified opportunity zone business property is tangible property used in a trade or business of the QO Fund if the property was purchased after Dec. 31, 2017. The guidance permits tangible property acquired after Dec. 31, 2017, under a market rate lease to qualify as “qualified opportunity zone business property” if during substantially all of the holding period of the property, substantially all of the use of the property was in a qualified opportunity zone. 
A key part of the newly released guidance clarifies the ”substantially all” requirements for the holding period and use of the tangible business property:
For use of the property, at least 70 percent of the property must be used in a qualified opportunity zone.
For the holding period of the property, tangible property must be qualified opportunity zone business property for at least 90 percent of the QO Fund’s or qualified opportunity zone business’s holding period.
The partnership or corporation must be a qualified opportunity zone business for at least 90 percent of the QO Fund’s holding period.
The guidance notes there are situations where deferred gains may become taxable if an investor transfers their interest in a QO Fund. For example, if the transfer is done by gift the deferred gain may become taxable. However, inheritance by a surviving spouse is not a taxable transfer, nor is a transfer, upon death, of an ownership interest in a QO Fund to an estate or a revocable trust that becomes irrevocable upon death.
The guidancePDF is posted on IRS.gov. These regulations relate to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the tax reform legislation enacted in December 2017.
For information about other TCJA provisions, visit IRS.gov/taxreform.
IR-2019-70, April 11, 2019
WASHINGTON –The Internal Revenue Service issued guidance today that provides a safe harbor allowing professional sports teams to treat certain player and staff-member contracts and draft picks as having a zero value for determining gain or loss to be recognized on the trade of a player or staff-member contract or a draft pick.
Historically it has been difficult for professional sports teams to assign a monetary value to contracts or draft picks due to the fluctuating nature of the performance of players and staff members, and market conditions.  This guidance allows professional sports teams to avoid having to value their player contracts, staff-member contracts, and draft picks to determine the amount of any gain or loss to be recognized.  A team using the safe harbor recognizes gain only if cash is received in the trade.
The IRS announced the guidance in Revenue Procedure 2019-18PDF, posted today on IRS.gov.
IR-2019-61, April 2, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is offering a free webinar focusing on the importance of filing a return on time, even if the tax due cannot be paid.
Though primarily designed for tax professionals, many people who prepare their own returns may find this webinar helpful. The webinar, “Filing is the Thing to Do, Even if You Have a Balance Due,” is set for Thursday, April 4, 2019, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. The hour-long webinar will include a Q&A session.
For taxpayers who need more time to prepare their taxes, the IRS will provide information on how to apply for an extension of time to file during this session. Remember that an extension of time to file a return is not an extension of time to pay taxes owed.
Tips on how to avoid a large tax bill when filing next year’s tax return will also be discussed. Taxpayers can do a “Paycheck Checkup” now using the IRS Withholding Calculator, which will ask taxpayers to estimate their 2019 income, the number of children they will claim for the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit and other items.
Payment options
An explanation of payment options will be provided too, including a discussion of the options outlined on the “Pay” tab on IRS.gov. Taxpayers can pay with their bank accounts for free or choose an approved payment processor to pay by credit or debit card for a fee. They can also use checks or money orders made out to “U.S. Treasury.”
Most tax software products give taxpayers various payment options, including the option to withdraw the funds from a bank account. As an alternative, taxpayers also may use IRS Direct Pay on IRS.gov to make an electronic payment from their bank account to the U.S. Treasury.
Some taxpayers also visit an IRS office to make in-person monthly or quarterly tax payments. But there are online options available to them as well. Those payments can be made online by using IRS Direct Pay or through the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System.
Closed captioning will be offered for this hour-long session. All participants who qualify will receive a certificate of completion for continuing education purposes. Tax professionals must pre-register to attend the session to obtain a continuing education credit.
IR-2019-98, May 31, 2019
WASHINGTON – Today the Internal Revenue Service issued a draft of the 2020 Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance CertificatePDF, that will make accurate withholding easier for employees starting next year.
The revised form implements changes made following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which made major revisions affecting taxpayer withholding. The redesigned Form W-4 no longer uses the concept of withholding allowances, which was previously tied to the amount of the personal exemption. Due to changes in the law, personal exemptions are currently not a central feature of the tax code.
“The new draft Form W-4 reflects important feedback from the payroll community and others in the tax community,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “The primary goals of the new design are to provide simplicity, accuracy and privacy for employees while minimizing burden for employers and payroll processors.”
The IRS and Treasury collected extensive feedback over the past year while working closely with the payroll and tax community to develop a redesign that best serves taxpayers.
The IRS expects to release a near-final draft of the 2020 Form W-4 in mid-to-late July to give employers and payroll processors the tools they need to update systems before the final version of the form is released in November. To make additional improvements to this initial draft for 2020, the IRS is now accepting comments for 30 days.  To facilitate review of this form, IRS is also releasing FAQs about the new design.
The IRS anticipates the related instructions for employers will be released in the next few weeks for comment as well.
The IRS reminds taxpayers that this draft Form W-4 is not for current use, but is a draft of the form to be used starting in 2020. Employees who have submitted a Form W-4 in any year before 2020 will not be required to submit a new form merely because of the redesign. Employers can continue to compute withholding based on the information from the employee’s most recently submitted Form W-4.
For 2019, taxpayers should continue using the current Form W-4PDF. The IRS also continues to encourage people to do a Paycheck Checkup as soon as possible to see if they are withholding the right amount of tax from their paychecks, particularly if they had too much or too little tax withheld when they filed their 2018 taxes earlier this year. People with major life changes, such as a marriage or a new child, should also check their withholding.
The IRS cannot respond individually to those who submit comments, but the agency does appreciate the feedback and will consider all comments received.
IR-2019-95, May 16, 2019
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced a key advancement in how it identifies its biggest and most complex large corporations.
On May 15, the IRS's Large Business and International Division (LB&I) began a new application of data analytics for determining the population of its largest and most complex corporate taxpayers. This new Large Corporate Compliance (LCC) program replaces the Coordinated Industry Case (CIC) program and covers compliance oversight for LB&I’s largest corporate taxpayers. LCC is one of LB&I’s portfolio of compliance programs. 
LCC employs automatic application of the large case pointing criteria to determine the LCC population. For example, pointing criteria include such items as gross assets and gross receipts.  In the past, this was done on a manual, localized basis. Automated pointing allows a more objective determination of the taxpayers that should be part of the population.
After the population is determined, data analytics is used to identify the returns that pose the highest compliance risk. The LCC program further improves LB&I's ability to efficiently focus its resources on noncompliance.
LCC works in tandem with LB&I agents and examiners who apply their experience and expertise in undertaking compliance actions and determining compliance treatment streams of the biggest and most-complex corporate taxpayers. Each enhances the other.
The program includes continuous improvement using an agile model principle to continually monitor and improve based on feedback from stakeholders including field teams, practice networks, and data scientists.
IR-2019-94, May 16, 2019
WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service is now accepting applications for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) grant program.
Interested applicants can find the TCE application package on Grants.gov. All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by Friday, May 31. An electronic version of the grant application package, Publication 1101, Application Package and Guidelines for Managing a TCE ProgramPDF, can be found on IRS.gov.
The TCE program was established in 1978 to provide tax counseling and return preparation to people who are 60 or older. Volunteers who provide free federal income tax help to seniors nationwide receive free training and technical assistance. The grant funds provided by the IRS are used by organizations to reimburse volunteers for transportation, meals and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in providing tax counseling assistance at locations convenient to taxpayers. 
Visit the Tax Counseling for the Elderly and the Applying for a TCE Grant pages on IRS.gov for more details.