Prior to tax reform, companies were afforded special treatment for certain compensation in excess of the $1 million limit so long as the compensation was based on performance goals certified by the company’s compensation committee. Tax reform eliminated that exception so that companies cannot deduct this excess compensation even if it is performance based–therefore, there is no tangible benefit to having a compensation committee certify that those goals were met in many cases. Despite this, in order to qualify under tax reform’s grandfathering provisions, performance-based compensation must continue to satisfy all of the standards that existed prior to the reform, so many companies may wish to continue their certification practice if they otherwise qualify for grandfathering treatment. For more information on the post-reform rules governing the deduction for executive compensation and the grandfathering rules, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

As we near the end of the 2018 tax season, many clients may have been disappointed by the amount of their refunds or even unexpectedly owed taxes because of the changes brought about by the 2017 tax reform legislation. Many of these surprises were caused by the new withholding tables developed by the IRS because the personal exemption was suspended from 2018-2025. Because of this, taxpayers should be advised to check their withholding now even though it may seem early in order to make any adjustments necessary to avoid unpleasant tax surprises next year. Taxpayers are entitled to have their employers withhold more or less depending upon their personal preferences, and the IRS website provides a calculator designed to help taxpayers anticipate how their withholding choices will impact their refund next year. For more information on the federal tax rules that apply this year post-reform, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

The IRS released last minute penalty relief for certain taxpayers whose tax withholding or estimated tax payments were insufficient in 2018. Usually, a penalty will apply if the taxpayer did not pay at least 90 percent of his or her tax liability for the year. For the 2018 tax year only, the IRS lowered the threshold to 80 percent to account for the significant changes made to the tax code late in 2017. Under previous guidance released in January, the relief was to apply for taxpayers who paid at least 85 percent of their total tax liability. This relief applies both to taxpayers who paid through employer withholding and those who paid quarterly estimated payments (or any combination). If the taxpayer qualifies for this relief but has already filed a return, the taxpayer can request a refund using Form 843, which must be filed in paper format. For more information on the underpayment penalty, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More