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	<title>McLaughlin &#38; Quinn Attorneys at Law &#187; business tax</title>
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	<description>McLaughlin &#38; Quinn, LLC is the leading law firm in Providence, RI and Boston, MA in the areas of tax planning, estate planning and elder law, IRS and State tax resolution, bankruptcy, financial workout, and asset protection.</description>
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		<title>New law keeps payroll tax cut in place through February of 2012</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/27/new-law-keeps-payroll-tax-cut-in-place-through-february-of-2012/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/27/new-law-keeps-payroll-tax-cut-in-place-through-february-of-2012/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:02:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Federal Insurance Contributions Act]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=1032</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On December 23, Congress passed H.R. 3765, the “Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011” (the TTCA). The bill was signed into law by President Obama shortly thereafter. The tax provisions of the TTCA consist of a two-month temporary extension of the payroll tax cut that&#8217;s in place for 2011, plus a parallel extension [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On December 23, Congress passed H.R. 3765, the “Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011” (the TTCA). The bill was signed into law by President Obama shortly thereafter. The tax provisions of the TTCA consist of a two-month temporary extension of the payroll tax cut that&#8217;s in place for 2011, plus a parallel extension of a lower Self Employment Contributions Act (SECA) tax rate on self-employment income.<a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Wages.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1035" title="Wages" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Wages.jpg" alt="" width="197" height="242" /></a></p>
<p><em>Overview.</em> 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).</p>
<p>Before passage of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the 2010 Tax Relief Act, P.L. 111-312), the FICA tax rate for employees and employers was 7.65% each—6.2% for OASDI and 1.45% for HI. Under the SECA tax, self-employment income of self-employed taxpayers was subject to a tax of 15.3%—12.4% for OASDI and 2.9% for HI. There is a maximum amount of compensation subject to the OASDI tax (the wage base), but no maximum for HI. (The wage base is $106,800 for 2011 and $110,100 for 2012.) Similar rules apply under the Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA).</p>
<p>Under pre-2010 Tax Relief Act law, for computing the income tax of an individual, Code Sec. 164(f) allowed an above-the-line deduction equal to 50% of the amount of the SECA tax imposed on the individual&#8217;s self-employment income for the tax year.</p>
<p>Under Code Sec. 1402(a)(12), a taxpayer is allowed a deduction in computing net earnings from self-employment equal to: (1) net earnings from self-employment as determined before taking the Code Sec. 1402(a)(12) deduction into account, multiplied by (2) one-half the sum of the OASDI tax rate and the HI tax rate. This deduction is allowed in computing net earnings from self-employment in lieu of the Code Sec. 164(f) above-the-line deduction of one-half of the self-employment tax. Thus, the Code Sec. 164(f) deduction can&#8217;t be taken in computing self-employment tax liability. The Code Sec. 1402(a)(12) deduction is designed to put the self-employed in the same position as employees in that they don&#8217;t have to pay self-employment tax on about half of the amount of the tax itself.</p>
<p><em>Temporary tax cut for 2011. </em>For remuneration received during 2011, the 2010 Tax Relief Act reduced the employee OASDI tax rate under the FICA tax by two percentage points to 4.2%. Similarly, for self-employment income for tax years beginning in 2011, the Act reduced the OASDI tax rate under the SECA tax by two percentage points to 10.4% percent. As a result, for 2011, employees pay only 4.2% Social Security tax on wages up to $106,800 and self-employed individuals pay only 10.4% Social Security self-employment taxes on self-employment income up to $106,800.</p>
<p>The 2010 Tax Relief Act provided rules for coordination with deductions for employment taxes, as follows.</p>
<p>The Code Sec. 164(f) income tax deduction allowed for tax years beginning in 2011 is computed at the rate of 59.6% of the OASDI tax paid, plus one half of the HI tax paid.</p>
<p>A new percentage (59.6%) replaces the rate of one half (50%) allowed under pre-2010 Tax Relief Act law for this portion of the deduction. The new percentage is necessary to continue to allow the self-employed taxpayer to deduct the full amount of the employer portion of SECA taxes. The employer OASDI tax rate remains at 6.2%, while the employee portion falls to 4.2%. Thus, the employer share of total OASDI taxes is 6.2 divided by 10.4, or 59.6% of the OASDI portion of SECA taxes.</p>
<p>However, the two-percentage-point reduction is not taken into account in determining the Code Sec. 1402 SECA tax deduction allowed for determining the amount of the net earnings from self-employment for the tax year.</p>
<p><strong>New law.</strong> Under the TTCA, the reduced employee OASDI tax rate of 4.2% under the FICA tax, and the equivalent employee portion of the RRTA tax, is extended to apply to covered wages paid in the first two months of 2012. (Sec. 601(c) of the 2010 Tax Relief Act (P.L. 111-312), as amended by TTCA Sec. 101)</p>
<p>The TTCA also provides for a recapture of any benefit a taxpayer may have received from the reduction in the OASDI tax rate, and the equivalent employee portion of the RRTA tax, for remuneration received during the first two months of 2012 in excess of $18,350 (i.e., two-twelfths of the 2012 wage base of $110,100). (Sec. 601(g) of the 2010 Tax Relief Act (P.L. 111-312), as amended by TTCA Sec. 101) The recapture is accomplished by a tax equal to 2% of the amount of wages (and railroad compensation) received during the first two months of 2012 that exceed $18,350.</p>
<p><strong>M&amp;Q observation: </strong>A highlight of the TTCA issued by the House Ways &amp; Means Committee on December 22, indicates that the recapture provision would apply only if the temporary payroll tax cut ends on Feb. 29, 2012. A House-Senate Conference will convene soon to consider extending the temporary payroll tax cut for the remainder of 2012.</p>
<p>For tax years beginning in 2012, the TTCA provides that the OASDI rate for a self-employed individual remains at 10.4%, for self-employment income of up to $18,350 (reduced by wages subject to the lower OASDI rate for 2012). (Sec. 601(f) of the 2010 Tax Relief Act <a>(P.L. 111-312</a>), as amended by TTCA Sec. 101) Related rules for 2011 concerning coordination of a self-employed individual&#8217;s deductions in determining net earnings from self-employment and income tax also apply for 2012, except that the income tax deduction allowed for the OASDI portion of SECA tax paid for tax years beginning in 2012 is computed at the rate of 59.6% of the OASDI tax paid on self-employment income of up to $18,350. For self-employment income in excess of this amount, the deduction is equal to half of the OASDI portion of the SECA tax paid. The Joint Committee on Taxation explanation of the TTCA says that the 59.6% used for the first $18,350 of self-employment income is necessary to continue to allow the self-employed taxpayer to deduct the full amount of the employer portion of SECA taxes. The employer OASDI tax rate remains at 6.2%, while the employee portion falls to a 4.2% rate for the first $18,350 of self-employment income. Thus, the employer share of total OASDI taxes is 6.2% divided by 10.4, or 59.6% of the OASDI portion of SECA taxes, for the first $18,350 of self-employment income.</p>
<p><em>Effective date.</em> The above TTCA changes are effective for remuneration received during the months of January and February in 2012 and for self-employment income for tax years beginning in 2012. (TTCA Sec. 101(c)).</p>
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		<title>Top 10 Tax Developments of 2011</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/22/top-10-tax-developments-of-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/22/top-10-tax-developments-of-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:29:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asset Protection Planning]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=1026</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As 2011 draws to a close, many tax developments will likely continue to make headlines and influence tax planning in 2012. In the usual tradition, we present a &#8220;Top 10 &#8221; list of tax developments that may prove useful to practitioners as 2012 begins. 1. Fate of Bush-era tax cuts unresolved 2011 ended without any [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/top-ten-list.png"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1028" title="Top 10 Tax Developments of 2011" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/top-ten-list-197x300.png" alt="" width="158" height="233" /></a>As 2011 draws to a close, many tax developments will likely continue to make headlines and influence tax planning in 2012. In the usual tradition, we present a &#8220;Top 10 &#8221; list of tax developments that may prove useful to practitioners as 2012 begins.</p>
<h2>1. Fate of Bush-era tax cuts unresolved</h2>
<p>2011 ended without any resolution of the fate of the Bush-era tax cuts. The <em>Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 (2010 Tax Relief Act)</em> extended the Bush-era tax cuts through 2012. President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, reportedly came close to an agreement in August 2011 to extend some of the Bush-era tax cuts as part of a comprehensive deficit reduction package. When their agreement fell apart, many Washington observers predicted the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction would address the Bush-era tax cuts in a deficit reduction package. The Deficit Reduction Committee announced in November that it failed to reach an agreement and disbanded.</p>
<p>Comment</p>
<p>The fate of the Bush-era tax cuts may ultimately be decided by the lame-duck Congress, which will meet after the November 2012 elections. The outcome of the presidential election and which party controls the House and Senate will undoubtedly influence whatever decision lawmakers take over the Bush-era tax cuts.</p>
<h2>2. Rollback of tax legislation</h2>
<p>Congress repealed three tax laws in 2011: expanded business information reporting, real property expense reporting and three percent government withholding.</p>
<p><strong><em>Business information reporting.</em></strong> The <em>Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)</em> required businesses, charities and government entities to file information returns (Forms 1099) for all payments of $600 or more in a calendar year to a single vendor, other than a tax-exempt vendor. The <em>PPACA</em> also repealed the long-standing reporting exception for payments made to corporations. The <em>PPACA’s</em> expansion of business information reporting proved universally unpopular. Congress passed the <em>Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection Act</em> in April 2011. The <em>Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection Act</em> repeals the expanded business information reporting provisions in the <em>PPACA</em> as if they have never been enacted.</p>
<p><strong><em>Rental property expense reporting.</em></strong> The <em>Small Business Jobs Act of 2010</em> required landlords to file a Form 1099 to report certain rental property expense payments of $600 or more. The <em>Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection Act</em> also repealed rental expense reporting as if it had never been enacted.</p>
<p><strong><em>Government withholding. </em></strong>The <em>Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2007</em> imposed three percent withholding on payments for goods or services to contractors made by federal, state and local governments. In November 2011, President Obama signed the <em>3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act,</em> which repeals three percent government withholding as if it had never been enacted.</p>
<h2>3. Foreign accounts</h2>
<p>The Treasury Department and the IRS continued to focus on foreign account reporting in 2011. Three developments were interconnected: implementation of the <em>Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA),</em> FBAR filings and the 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI).</p>
<p><strong><em>FATCA.</em></strong> The IRS continued to implement the <em>Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)</em> in 2011. <em>FATCA</em> generally requires certain U.S. taxpayers holding specified foreign financial assets to report information about these assets on a new form to be attached to the taxpayer’s return. Additionally, foreign financial institutions must report certain information about accounts held by U.S. taxpayers. In July 2011, the IRS announced it intended to provide for a phased implementation of the <em>FATCA</em> requirements for foreign financial institutions. In December 2011, the IRS issued guidance about new Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets.</p>
<p><strong><em>FBAR.</em></strong> The Treasury Department issued final rules on Form TD-F 90-22.1, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) in February 2011. The final rules retain and clarify the requirement to report signature or other authority over a foreign financial account. The final rules also reserved the treatment of investment companies other than mutual funds or similar pooled funds. In related news, the Treasury Department announced that taxpayers may electronically file the FBAR; previously, electronic filing was not an option for the FBAR.</p>
<p><strong><em>OVDI.</em></strong> The IRS launched a campaign in 2011 to encourage taxpayers to voluntarily disclose unreported offshore accounts. The 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) rewarded taxpayers who came forward voluntarily with a reduced penalty framework (although not as generous as a similar program in 2009). The 2011 OVDI closed on September 9, 2011. In December, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman reported that the agency has received more than 33,000 voluntary disclosures since 2009.</p>
<h2>4. IRS help for distressed taxpayers</h2>
<p>The IRS announced in February 2011 a series of measures intended to help good-faith taxpayers who cannot meet their tax obligations. The IRS &#8220;Fresh Start&#8221; initiative generally allows lien withdrawals for taxpayers entering into direct debit installment agreements (and for taxpayers who convert from a regular installment agreement to a direct debit agreement). The IRS also announced it would make streamlined installment agreements available to more small businesses. Qualified small businesses with $25,000 or less in unpaid taxes can participate in the streamlined installment agreement program.</p>
<p>Comment</p>
<p>According to Commissioner Douglas Shulman and other top agency officials, IRS personnel have been instructed to be more flexible in helping distressed taxpayers.</p>
<h2>5. Worker classification</h2>
<p>The IRS launched a new program in September 2011 to enable employers to voluntarily reclassify their workers for federal employment tax purposes and take advantage of a reduced penalty framework. The Voluntary Classification System Program (VCSP) is open to employers currently treating their workers as independent contractors or other nonemployees and who want to prospectively treat the workers as employees. The employer must not be under audit and satisfy other requirements. The IRS has not announced an end-date to the VCSP.</p>
<h2>6. Basis overstatement regs</h2>
<p>The Supreme Court agreed in September 2011 to resolve a split among the federal courts of appeal over IRS regs (TD 9515) that impose a six-year limitations period on assessments due to overstated basis <em>(Home Concrete &amp; Supply, LLC, 2011-1 ustc ¶50,207).</em> The government asked the Supreme Court to decide, among other questions, whether an understatement of gross income attributable to an overstatement of basis in sold property is an omission from income that can trigger the six-year assessment period.</p>
<p>Comment</p>
<p>In March 2011, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the basis overstatement regs under Chevron-deference <em>(Grapevine Imports, Ltd., 2011-1 ustc ¶50,264).</em></p>
<h2>7. Mid-year mileage rate increase</h2>
<p>For the third time in six years, the IRS announced a mid-year adjustment to the business standard mileage rate because of rising gasoline prices. The business standard mileage rate increased from 51 cents-per-mile to 55.5 cents-per-mile for the second half of 2011. The medical/moving standard mileage rate increased from 19 cents-per-mile to 23.5 cents-per-mile for the second half of 2011. Congress did not make a mid-year adjustment to the charitable standard mileage rate, which remained at 14 cents-per-mile for the second half of 2011.</p>
<p>Comment</p>
<p>For 2012, the business standard mileage rate is 55.5 cents-per-mile and the medical/moving standard mileage rate is 23 cents-per-mile. The statutorily-determined charitable standard mileage rate remains at 14 cents-per-mile for 2012.</p>
<h2>8. Return preparer oversight</h2>
<p>The IRS moved forward with its return preparer oversight initiative in 2011, defining the new designation &#8220;registered tax return preparer&#8221; and launching the registered tax return preparer competency examination. In June, the IRS issued final Circular 230 regulations, which clarified professional standards for certified public accountants (CPAs), enrolled agents (EAs) and registered tax return preparers. The IRS also fine-tuned its online preparer tax identification number (PTIN) registration system. Additionally, the IRS announced it would revisit its proposal to fingerprint certain PTIN applicants; a proposal which many tax professionals criticized as duplicative of their own employee background checks and too costly.</p>
<h2>9. Mandatory e-file for preparers</h2>
<p>Beginning January 1, 2011, specified tax return preparers who reasonably expected to file 100 or more covered returns in calendar year 2011 were required to file those returns electronically. The e-filing requirement was put in place by Congress in 2009. The IRS phased-in the requirement over two years (2011 and 2012). For calendar year 2012 (and subsequent years), the threshold for mandatory e-filing by specified tax return preparers is 11 or more covered returns. Firms must compute the number of covered returns in the aggregate that they reasonably expect to file as a firm. If the number is 11 or more in calendar year 2012 and subsequent years, all members of the firm must electronically file covered returns.</p>
<h2>10. Updated PAL rules</h2>
<p>The IRS issued proposed regs in November 2011 updating the definition of an interest in a limited partnership as a limited partner for purposes of the Code Sec. 469 passive activity loss (PAL) rules. Under the proposed regs, an interest in a limited liability company is treated as a limited partnership interest for the PAL rules.</p>
<p>Comment</p>
<p>The proposed regs reflect the evolution of the rules for limited partners since passage of the <em>Uniform Limited Partnership Act of 1916.</em></p>
<h2>Honorable mention</h2>
<ul>
<li>Congress bans tax strategy patents;</li>
<li>IRS helps organizations regain tax-exempt status after automatic revocation;</li>
<li>IRS responds to Hurricane Irene and many other natural disasters in 2011;</li>
<li>FUTA surtax expires mid-year;</li>
<li>Congress expands Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for veterans;</li>
<li>Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments on <em>PPACA;</em></li>
<li>IRS issues final regs on Code Sec. 6707A penalty.</li>
</ul>
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		<title>Rhode Island—Personal Income Tax: Figures for Tax Year 2012 Provided</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/20/rhode-island%e2%80%94personal-income-tax-figures-for-tax-year-2012-provided/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:45:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asset Protection Planning]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=1022</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Rhode Island Division of Taxation has provided personal income taxpayers with the standard deduction and personal and dependency exemption amounts as well as the tax rate schedule for tax year 2012. State law requires annual adjustments for inflation. The standard deduction amounts are as follows: $7,800 for single or married filing separate filing status, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Rhode-Island-Flag.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1023" title="Rhode Island Flag" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Rhode-Island-Flag.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="119" /></a>The Rhode Island Division of Taxation has provided personal income taxpayers with the standard deduction and personal and dependency exemption amounts as well as the tax rate schedule for tax year 2012. State law requires annual adjustments for inflation. The standard deduction amounts are as follows: $7,800 for single or married filing separate filing status, $15,600 for married filing joint, and $11,700 for head of household. The personal and dependency exemption amount is $3,650, and the phaseout range for exemptions is $181,900 to $202,700. The tax rate schedule is 3.75% for $0 to $57,150 in income; 4.75% for $57,150 to $129,900; and 5.99% for $129,900 and above.</p>
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		<title>Massachusetts—Personal Income Tax: Part B Income Tax Rate Reduced</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/19/massachusetts%e2%80%94personal-income-tax-part-b-income-tax-rate-reduced/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:45:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[mclaughlin & quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moore McLaughlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Part B personal income tax rate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=1014</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has announced that for tax years after 2011 the Part B personal income tax rate will be reduced to 5.25% (previously 5.3%). The tax rate for Part B income is subject to reduction by 0.05% if the inflation-adjusted growth in baseline taxes in the fiscal year ending June 30 of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Massachsuetts-Department-of-Revenue.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1016" title="Massachsuetts Department of Revenue" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Massachsuetts-Department-of-Revenue.jpg" alt="" width="94" height="93" /></a>The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has announced that for tax years after 2011 the Part B personal income tax rate will be reduced to 5.25% (previously 5.3%). The tax rate for Part B income is subject to reduction by 0.05% if the inflation-adjusted growth in baseline taxes in the fiscal year ending June 30 of the previous year exceeds 2.5% and the inflation-adjusted growth in baseline taxes for each consecutive three-month period reported by the Commissioner of Revenue between August and December of the previous year is greater than zero. There is a minimum rate of 5%.</p>
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		<title>Congress passes bill repealing expanded 1099 information reporting requirements</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/04/06/congress-passes-bill-repealing-expanded-1099-information-reporting-requirements/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/04/06/congress-passes-bill-repealing-expanded-1099-information-reporting-requirements/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:34:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asset Protection Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS and state tax collections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax Current Events and News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asset protection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Capital gains tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Form 1099]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[income tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internal revenue code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internal Revenue Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moore McLaughlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Providence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rhode Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Jobs Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Jobs Act of 2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas P. Quinn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=820</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On April 5, the Senate by a vote of 87-12 approved H.R. 4, the “Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011.” The measure, which retroactively repeals expanded Form 1099 information reporting rules added by recent legislation, was passed by the House on March 3 by a vote of 314-112. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/smile.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-821" title="Smile" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/smile-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>On April 5, the Senate by a vote of 87-12 approved H.R. 4, the “Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011.” The measure, which retroactively repeals expanded Form 1099 information reporting rules added by recent legislation, was passed by the House on March 3 by a vote of 314-112. Thus, H.R. 4 (the Act) is cleared for the President&#8217;s expected signature.</p>
<p>Here are highlights of the tax changes in the Act.</p>
<p><em>Original information reporting rules.</em> Before amendment by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-240) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, P.L. 111-148), Code Sec. 6041 generally required payments totaling at least $600 in a single calendar year to a single recipient to be reported to IRS. Reporting on Form 1099 was required only when the payor was considered to be engaged in a trade or business and has made the payment in connection with that trade or business. The type of payment that most commonly triggered the reporting requirement was payment for services.</p>
<p>There were a number of exemptions from Code Sec. 6041 &#8216;s reporting requirements under prior law, notably including payments to corporations (which were exempt under Reg. § 1.6041-3(p)(1)).</p>
<p><em>Pre-Act law—changes made by 2010 legislation.</em> Beginning in 2012, Sec. 9006 of PPACA added payments of amounts in consideration for any type of property and gross proceeds—i.e., it added payments for goods or other property—to the list of payments subject to information reporting.</p>
<p>Sec. 9006 of PPACA further provided that, beginning in 2012, payments to non-tax-exempt corporations—which had previously been exempt from the reporting requirement—would be subject to information reporting.</p>
<p>Additionally, for payments made after 2010, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 provided that, subject to limited exceptions, a person receiving rental income from real estate would be treated as engaged in the trade or business of renting property for information reporting purposes. In particular, rental income recipients making payments of $600 or more to a service provider (for example, a painter or plumber) in the course of earning rental income would have to provide an information return to the service provider and IRS.</p>
<p><em>New law.</em> For payments made after December 31, 2011, the Act repeals the provisions in Sec. 9006 that impose a reporting requirement for payments to corporations and payments for goods or other property. (Code Sec. 6041(a), Code Sec. 6041(i), and Code Sec. 6041(j), as amended by Act Sec. 2) And for payments made after December 31, 2010, the Act also repeals application of the information reporting requirements to recipients of rental income from real estate who are not otherwise considered to be engaged in the trade or business of renting property. (Code Sec. 6041(h), as repealed by Act Sec. 3)</p>
<p>In other words, under the Act, the information reporting rules effectively revert to the way they read before enactment of PPACA and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.</p>
<p><em>Revenue offset.</em> The Act provides an offset for the lost revenue from repealing the new information reporting provisions, estimated at $21.9 billion. It increases the amount of “excess advance payments” of the premium assistance credit (enacted as part of the 2010 health care reform legislation to help lower-income individuals acquire affordable health insurance coverage) that a taxpayer must repay under Code Sec. 36B(f)(2) for tax years ending after December 31, 2013. The credit is available for a taxpayer who does not receive health insurance through his employer (or his spouse&#8217;s employer) and whose income falls between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty line (FPL), based on the most recently filed tax return.</p>
<p>Under pre-Act law, if the taxpayer&#8217;s income increases such that the credit exceeds that to which his current income level actually entitles him to, but his income is still under 500% of FPL, he had to repay some credit amounts. The limit on amounts he had to repay were capped and ranged from $600 to $3,500.</p>
<p><em>New law.</em> Under the Act, for tax years ending after December 31, 2013, the repayment caps are increased for taxpayers with household income of at least 200% but less than 400% of FPL, and full repayment is required for taxpayers whose incomes exceed 400% of FPL. (Code Sec. 36B(f)(2)(B)(i), as amended by Act Sec. 4)</p>
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		<title>Ways and Means OKs two competing bills to repeal new 1099 requirements</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/02/21/ways-and-means-oks-two-competing-bills-to-repeal-new-1099-requirements/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2011/02/21/ways-and-means-oks-two-competing-bills-to-repeal-new-1099-requirements/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:11:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asset Protection Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS and state tax collections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax Current Events and News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1099]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Capital gains tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayment Act of 2011]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Form 1099]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[income tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internal revenue code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internal Revenue Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS Form 1099]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mclaughlin & quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moore McLaughlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Providence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rhode Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Jobs Act of 2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas P. Quinn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=782</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On February 17, the House Ways and Means Committee by a vote of 21-15 approved. H.R. 705, the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayment Act of 2011. Upon passage of H.R. 705, the text of a competing bill (H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011), which was [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1099.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-783" title="Form 1099" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1099-300x190.jpg" alt="" width="178" height="104" /></a>On February 17, the House Ways and Means Committee by a vote of 21-15 approved. H.R. 705, the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayment Act of 2011. Upon passage of H.R. 705, the text of a competing bill (H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011), which was approved by voice vote earlier in the day, was incorporated into H.R. 705. There were no other amendments adopted to H.R.705.</p>
<p>Both bills seek to modify or repeal the new requirements imposed by Sec. 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which provides that payments for goods and payments made to corporations (that are not tax-exempt) will be subject to information reporting beginning in 2012. H.R. 705 also seeks to repeal Code Sec. 6041(h), which was added by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 and which treats recipients of rental income from real estate as engaged in the trade or business of renting property for information reporting purposes beginning in 2011. However, H.R. 705 provides an offset for the estimated $21.9 billion cost of repeal, whereas H.R. 4 does not.</p>
<p>Also on February 17, the Senate by a vote of 92-2 invoked cloture (i.e. voted to cut off debate) on S. 223, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, which includes a provision to repeal the Sec. 9006 reporting requirements.  Unless time is yielded back, there remains 30 hours of debate on the bill before a vote on final passage of the measure.</p>
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		<title>Overview of Two-Year EGTRRA/JGTRRA/ARRA Sunset Relief</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/19/overview-of-two-year-egtrrajgtrraarra-sunset-relief/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/19/overview-of-two-year-egtrrajgtrraarra-sunset-relief/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:09:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1031 Exchanges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asset Protection Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Estate Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS and state tax collections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax Current Events and News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asset protection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Capital gains tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[income tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internal revenue code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internal Revenue Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moore McLaughlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Providence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rhode Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas P. Quinn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=758</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Under pre-Act law, the provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, other than those made permanent or extended by subsequent legislation, were set to sunset and no longer apply to tax or limitation years beginning after 2010.  Beginning in 2011, the EGTRRA sunset would have wiped out a host of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Under pre-Act law, the provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, other than those made permanent or extended by subsequent legislation, were set to sunset and no longer apply to tax or limitation years beginning after 2010.  Beginning in 2011, the EGTRRA sunset would have wiped out a host of favorable tax rules, such as: favorable income tax rate structure for individuals; marriage penalty relief; and liberal education-related deduction rules. Similarly, under Sec. 303 of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, the favorable tax treatment of long-term capital gain and qualified dividends would have ended after 2010.</p>
<p>The alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption amounts were “temporarily” increased for four years by EGTRRA, and then “temporarily” increased again by a succession of tax laws. The ability of individuals to use most nonrefundable personal credits to offset AMT also is “temporary,” and has been extended over the years by a series of new laws. Under pre-Act law, after 2010, the AMT exemption amounts were to have plummeted to their pre-EGTRRA level, and individuals would not have been able to use most nonrefundable personal credits to offset AMT.</p>
<p>Finally, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 temporarily boosted the credit incentives for higher education (i.e., created the American Opportunity Tax Credit, or AOTC), and liberalized the rules for the refundable child tax credit and the earned income tax credit (EITC). Under pre-Act law, these ARRA incentives would have ended on December 31, 2010.</p>
<p><strong>New law.</strong> Under 2010 Tax Relief Act Secs. 101 through 103, the Sec. 901 EGTRRA sunset, the Sec. 303 JGTRRA sunset, and the ARRA sunsets relating to the AOTC, child tax credit, and EITC are extended for two years (one year in case of the adoption rules).</p>
<p>Caution:  Unless Congress acts, all of the favorable rules will revert after 2012 to their pre-EGTRRA, pre-EGTRRA, and pre-ARRA rules. For example, the tax rates for individuals in 2013 will be 15%, 28%, 31%, 36%, and 39.6%.</p>
<p>Stay tuned for more posts about this new tax law.</p>
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		<title>2011 Tax Law Signed</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/19/2011-tax-law-signed/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/19/2011-tax-law-signed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1031 Exchanges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asset Protection Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bankruptcy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elderlaw/Law For Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Estate Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial workout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS and state tax collections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-directed IRAs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax Current Events and News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1031 exchange real estate investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alternative minimum tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AMT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[and Job Creation Act of 2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asset protection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Capital gains tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[collection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elderlaw]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[income tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internal revenue code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mclaughlin & quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moore McLaughlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Providence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rhode Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seniors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Security payroll tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax relief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas P. Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=752</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At about 3:50 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.” This new law is a sweeping tax package that includes, among many other items, an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for two years, estate tax relief, a two-year “patch” [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Obama-signing-tax-cuts.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-753" title="Obama signing tax cuts" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Obama-signing-tax-cuts.jpg" alt="" width="258" height="195" /></a>At about 3:50 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law the “<strong>Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010</strong>.” This new law is a sweeping tax package that includes, among many other items, an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for two years, estate tax relief, a two-year “patch” of the alternative minimum tax (AMT), a two-percentage-point cut in employee-paid payroll taxes and in self-employment tax for 2011, new incentives to invest in machinery and equipment, and a host of retroactively resuscitated and extended tax breaks for individuals and businesses. Here&#8217;s a look at the key elements of the package:</p>
<ul>
<li>The current income tax rates will be retained for two years (2011 and 2012), with a top rate of 35% on ordinary income and 15% on qualified dividends and long-term capital gains.</li>
<li>Employees and self-employed workers will receive a reduction of two percentage points in Social Security payroll tax in 2011, bringing the rate down from 6.2% to 4.2% for employees, and from 12.4% to 10.4% for the self-employed.</li>
<li>A two-year AMT “patch” for 2010 and 2011 will keep the AMT exemption near current levels and allow personal credits to offset AMT. Without the patch, an estimated 21 million additional taxpayers would have owed AMT for 2010.</li>
<li>Key tax credits for working families that were enacted or expanded in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will be retained. Specifically, the new law extends the $1,000 child tax credit and maintains its expanded refundability for two years, extends rules expanding the earned income credit for larger families and married couples, and extends the higher education tax credit (the American Opportunity tax credit) and its partial refundability for two years.</li>
<li>Businesses can write off 100% of their equipment and machinery purchases, effective for property placed in service after September 8, 2010 and through December 31, 2011. For property placed in service in 2012, the new law provides for 50% additional first-year depreciation.</li>
<li>Many of the “traditional” tax extenders are extended for two years, retroactively to 2010 and through the end of 2011. Among many others, the extended provisions include the election to take an itemized deduction for state and local general sales taxes in lieu of the itemized deduction for state and local income taxes; the $250 above-the-line deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; and the research credit.</li>
<li>After a one-year hiatus, the estate tax will be reinstated for 2011 and 2012, with a top rate of 35%. The exemption amount will be $5 million per individual in 2011 and will be indexed to inflation in following years. Estates of people who died in 2010 can choose to follow either 2010&#8242;s or 2011&#8242;s rules.</li>
<li>Omitted from the new law: Repeal of a controversial expansion of Form 1099 reporting requirements.</li>
<li>Also not included: Extension of the Build America Bonds program, which permits state and localities to issue federally-subsidized municipal bonds.</li>
</ul>
<p>Watch for upcoming posts containing more detail on this new law.  In the meantime, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.</p>
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		<title>Year-end planning: How increased withholding may avoid estimated tax penalty for some taxpayers</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/11/05/year-end-planning-how-increased-withholding-may-avoid-estimated-tax-penalty-for-some-taxpayers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/11/05/year-end-planning-how-increased-withholding-may-avoid-estimated-tax-penalty-for-some-taxpayers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asset Protection Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS and state tax collections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax Current Events and News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010 estimated taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asset protection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Capital gains tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[estimated tax payments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[estimated taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first time homebuyer credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[income tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internal revenue code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internal Revenue Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mclaughlin & quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moore McLaughlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Providence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rhode Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas P. Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year-end planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year-end tax planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/?p=737</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some individuals with substantial income in addition to salaries may find that the amount of tax withheld from their salaries is not enough to cover their required estimated tax payments. This may be the result of miscalculation, or forgotten surprises pleasant and unpleasant. A pleasant forgotten surprise might be a windfall on the sale of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/December.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-738" title="December" src="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/December.jpg" alt="" width="153" height="160" /></a>Some individuals with substantial income in addition to salaries may find that the amount of tax withheld from their salaries is not enough to cover their required estimated tax payments. This may be the result of miscalculation, or forgotten surprises pleasant and unpleasant. A pleasant forgotten surprise might be a windfall on the sale of a capital asset earlier this year. An unpleasant one might be the realization by a taxpayer who claimed a first time homebuyer credit in 2008 that he must begin repaying the credit in 25 installments, beginning with the 2010 tax year.  Increased withholding, as well as a couple of creative workarounds, can stave off an estimated tax penalty.</p>
<p><strong><em>Background.</em></strong> An individual subject to the estimated tax must pay, on each of four installment dates (April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15 of the following year for a calendar-year taxpayer), 25% of his “required annual payment” for the current year. The required annual payment generally is the lesser of 100% of the tax shown on the taxpayer&#8217;s return for the preceding year or 90% of his tax for the current year. However, in figuring 2010 estimated taxes, taxpayers whose 2009 AGI was over $150,000 have to pay the lesser of 110% of the tax shown on the 2009 return or 90% of their 2010 tax liability.</p>
<p>The applicable test is applied separately to each installment. Thus, a taxpayer may be penalized for the underpayment of estimated taxes for any installment for which his estimated tax payments plus taxes withheld from his salary don&#8217;t total at least 25% of his required annual payment.</p>
<p>An individual who has underpaid an estimated tax installment can&#8217;t avoid the penalty by increasing his estimated tax payment for a later period (although payment in a later period will reduce the period for which the penalty applies).</p>
<p><strong><em>Increased withholding is one possible solution.</em></strong> Income tax withheld by an employer from an employee&#8217;s wages or salary is treated as paid in equal amounts on each of the four installment due dates unless the individual establishes the dates on which the amounts were actually withheld. Thus, if an employee asks his employer to withhold sufficient additional amounts for the rest of the year, the penalty can be retroactively eliminated. This is because the heavy year-end withholding will be treated as paid equally over the four installment due dates.</p>
<p><strong>Illustration:</strong> Jennifer expects her 2010 tax liability to be $15,000. Her 2009 return showed a liability of $14,000. Her withholding for 2010 will total only $10,500 and she has made no estimated tax payments. If she makes an additional estimated tax payment of $3,000 on January 15, 2011, she will avoid any underpayment penalty for the last installment ($10,500 plus $3,000 equals $13,500, which is 90% of $15,000) but she may still be penalized for underpaying the first three installments. But if Jennifer instead has her employer withhold an additional $3,000 before the end of 2010, her total withholding ($13,500) will be treated as estimated tax payments of $3,375 on each of the installment due dates. Since $3,375 is 25% of $13,500 (90% of $15,000), the underpayment penalty would be completely avoided for all four installments.</p>
<p><strong><em>Other amounts may also be treated as retroactive payments of estimated tax.</em></strong> The same rules described above in regard to amounts withheld from wages and salaries also apply to overpayments of Social Security taxes and to income taxes withheld from:</p>
<ul>
<li>supplemental unemployment compensation benefits, sick pay, pensions, annuities and other deferred income (e.g., 20% withholding on certain “eligible rollover distributions” from qualified retirement plans and other deferred income arrangements).</li>
<li>interest and dividends subject to backup withholding.</li>
<li>gambling winnings.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recommendation:</strong> Another possible option for a taxpayer who has underpaid estimated tax is to take an eligible rollover distribution from a qualified plan before the end of 2010. Income tax will be withheld from the distribution and will be applied toward the taxes owed for 2010. The taxpayer can then timely roll over the gross amount of the distribution, as increased by the amount of withheld tax, to a traditional IRA. No part of the distribution will be includible in income for 2010, but the withheld tax will be applied pro rata over the full tax year to reduce previous underpayments of estimated tax.</p>
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		<title>McLaughlin &amp; Quinn Partners Release New Whitepaper &#8211; 9 Secrets to Success When You Owe the IRS</title>
		<link>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/10/26/mclaughlin-quinn-partners-release-new-whitepaper-9-secrets-to-success-when-you-owe-the-irs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/index.php/2010/10/26/mclaughlin-quinn-partners-release-new-whitepaper-9-secrets-to-success-when-you-owe-the-irs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Moore McLaughlin</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[Thomas P. Quinn]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Tax relief comes in many forms, whether it means eliminating penalties, settling your debt, or ensuring that the IRS does not seize your bank accounts or garnish your wages. If you owe money on your taxes, your plan for resolving this debt should include addressing all possible angles: Protection from IRS actions, determining ways to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/9secrets-callout.gif"></a>Tax relief comes in many forms, whether it means <strong>eliminating penalties, settling your debt, or ensuring that the IRS does not seize your bank accounts or garnish your wages</strong>. If you owe money on your taxes, your plan for resolving this debt should include addressing all possible angles: Protection from IRS actions, determining ways to reduce the amount owed, and putting a plan into place that will permanently make worrying about taxes a thing of the past. <a href="http://mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/9secrets-callout1.gif"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-727" title="9 Secrets To Success When You Owe The IRS" src="http://mclaughlinquinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/9secrets-callout1.gif" alt="" width="197" height="288" /></a></p>
<p>McLaughlin &amp; Quinn, LLC has published &#8220;9 Secrets to Success When You Owe the IRS&#8221;  This list has been developed by the attorneys at McLaughlin &amp; Quinn, LLC over the course of dozens of years in private practice and dozens more working for the IRS. Avoiding these landmines will significantly increase the odds of getting one’s tax life in order and moving on. Failure to know these secrets, and use them to your advantage can turn a potentially minor problem into a federal case.</p>
<p><strong>This is the most straight-forward guide you will find anywhere on resolving taxes.</strong> In it you will learn:</p>
<ul>
<li>9 Different Ways to Keep the IRS from Taking Action Against You</li>
<li>How not to be afraid of the IRS</li>
<li>How to avoid common mistakes</li>
<li>Simple steps to keep you out of trouble</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Downloading this guide is absolutely free.</em></p>
<p>Click <a title="9 Secrets to Success When You Owe the IRS" href="http://www.mclaughlinquinn.com/whitepaper-registration">here</a> to download this Free guide.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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