The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

Clients today are wondering whether there are any smart moves that can be made to take advantage of the current market downturn.  Depending on the client’s situation, there are many reasons why a client might want to consider a Roth conversion in today’s market.  Also, we have details on the proposed SECURE Act 2.0’s new rules for part-time employees in 401(k) plans and the most recent IRS extension of the waiver of the so-called “physical presence requirement” for retirement-related actions requiring spousal consent.  Read on for more.

Considering Roth Conversions in a Down Stock Market.  The primary reason to consider moving traditional IRA funds into a Roth IRA in a market downturn involves tax savings when compared to strong market conditions. When a client converts to a Roth, taxes are due on the value of the amount converted (at current ordinary income tax rates) in the year of conversion.  If the value of the client’s IRA has declined (which is what most clients are seeing right now), the client can convert the IRA assets at that lower value—generating a correspondingly lower tax liability.  If and when the market rebounds, the gain on the converted Roth assets will be tax-free to the client.Under current law, conversions may be even more attractive to certain clients because income tax rates were reduced by the 2017 tax reform legislation.  Those lower tax rates are temporary and set to expire after 2025.  In fact, many clients might have been considering a Roth conversion in order to take advantage of the lower rates anyway.  For more information on Roth conversions, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

SECURE Act 2.0 Accelerates Timeline for Part-Time Employee Eligibility for 401(k)s.  Under prior law, employers were permitted to exclude workers who performed fewer than 1,000 hours of service per year from participation in the employer-sponsored 401(k) (this rule still stands, as modified by the SECURE Act’s additional eligibility requirement).     Under the SECURE Act, employees who perform at least 500 hours of service for at least three consecutive years (and are at least 21 years old) also must be allowed to participate in the employer-sponsored 401(k).  In a surprise move, a proposed version of the SECURE Act 2.0 would accelerate the timeline, so that employers would be required to start allowing part-time employees to participate after only two years with at least 500 hours of service for the employer.  For more information on the eligibility and participation requirements for 401(k) plans, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read More  

IRS Extends Relief from Physical Presence Requirement for Spousal Consents until December 31, 2022.  Notice 2022-27 extends the physical presence waiver for certain retirement elections through December 31, 2022.  This relief waives the requirement that certain retirement plan elections must generally be witnessed in person by either a plan representative or notary public.  The relief was initially granted in response to the COVID-19 lockdown.  Typically, elections that require consent of a participant’s spouse must be witnessed in the “physical presence” of an authorized witness.  The relief allowed this “witnessing” to be accomplished via a live audiovisual medium.  The IRS has also requested comments on whether this option should be made permanent even as the nation begins to return to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic.  For more information on situations where the physical presence requirements apply, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

This week, we answer some common questions about Roth retirement accounts–and also discuss a pending Second Circuit case that is expected to address issues surrounding the relatively rare question of whether the government can garnish a client’s 401(k) under existing anti-alienation rules.  Finally, we have a summary of how the Treasury Department’s Greenbook proposals impact cryptocurrency traders starting in 2023.  Read on for more.

Can the Government Garnish a 401(k) to Pay Restitution?  The Second Circuit is currently considering whether the bankruptcy protection afforded to 401(k) assets extends to cases involving restitution awarded in criminal cases.  In United States v. Greebel, a $10 million restitution award was granted to the defendant’s victims in a criminal case.  The government sought to garnish the defendant’s 401(k) to cover the judgment.  Under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, the district court found that the retirement accounts at issue did not fall within an exception that allows all property of the defendant to be accessed to cover restitution in a criminal case (and that the generally applicable 25% cap does not apply under the CCPA).  The defendant appealed, arguing that he does not currently have access to the funds in the accounts under the terms of the plans.  However, another issue that may be resolved is whether retirement accounts can be garnished by the private victim (not the government) to cover restitution in a civil case.  This is an issue that could arise if the government did not enforce the restitution order and the victim was left to pursue action in civil court.  It also opens the issue of whether the accounts could be accessed to pay restitution awarded in a civil case.  For more information on the anti-alienation rules, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read more

Treasury Greenbook Offers Insight into Biden Administration’s Crypto Plan.  The Treasury Department’s General Explanations of the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2023 Revenue Proposals (known as the “greenbook”) offers insight into some of the administration’s plans for cryptocurrency regulation.  The proposals include plans to expand the Section 1058 nonrecognition treatment for loans of securities to loans of actively traded digital assets with similar terms starting in 2023.  The plan would also allow dealers and traders in actively traded digital assets to use the mark-to-market method for reporting gain or loss.  On the other hand, certain FATCA and foreign asset reporting would also be expanded to include cryptocurrency.  Accounts that hold assets maintained by foreign digital asset exchanges or service providers would be subject to reporting.  The thresholds for foreign asset reporting would be based on the aggregate value of the digital assets and any foreign assets that are covered by existing foreign asset reporting rules.  For more information on the tax treatment of bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more  

Unpacking the Difference Between a Roth 401(k) and Roth IRAs.  While Roth IRAs have been a standard retirement investment option for years, millions of Americans have only recently gained access to Roth 401(k) savings options through their employers.  Those clients may be wondering whether there’s any difference between their employer-sponsored Roth plan and a standard Roth IRA.  The answer is, of course, yes.  Roth 401(k)s allow an employee to stash away up to $20,500 in after-tax dollars in 2022 ($27,000 for clients aged 50 and older).  Roth IRAs, however, are limited to $6,000 ($7,000 with catch-up contributions).  Roth 401(k)s aren’t subject to any income restrictions, so even high earning clients can contribute directly.  On the other hand, Roth 401(k)s are subject to required minimum distribution rules once the client reaches age 72–although the client does have the option of rolling the funds into a Roth IRA, which aren’t subject to any lifetime RMD rules.  For more information on Roth accounts, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read more

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

This week, we’d like to draw retirement plan sponsors’ attention to the importance of self-audits in light of the significant increase in IRS funding under the Inflation Reduction Act–and provide some insight on how student borrowers can prepare for Biden’s loan forgiveness program. Also this week, we have some clarity on the often-confusing topic of how various types of Roth dollars are treated for tax and penalty purposes.  Read on for more.

Have Your Clients Checked Their Retirement Plans for Compliance? Self-compliance checks for retirement plan sponsors have become even more important now that the Inflation Reduction Act has earmarked an extra $80 billion in IRS funding dollars. Many failures can be corrected under the EPCRS before the IRS gets involved in a more extensive audit. Qualified plan sponsors should ensure that they have adopted all amendments required under recent legislation, including the SECURE Act and 2020 CAREs Act. Sponsors should also ensure that their plans are being properly operated in accordance with these new amendments and rules (so, if the plan adopted expanded loan provisions, the plan should check to ensure that it’s being operated in accordance with those amendments–noting that the deadlines for some amendments has been delayed). Plans should also ensure that all elective deferrals are being deposited on time and that all documents are filed on time (including Forms 5500). They should also check to ensure their plans are being operated in accordance with the RMD rules. For more information on the qualification requirements for retirement plans, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

How Can Clients Prepare Today for Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan? The Department of Education announced that an application to apply for student loan forgiveness under President Biden’s new plan is active. To prepare, clients should first check their student loans to see if they have received a Pell grant (which can increase the amount of forgiveness and the client’s online account at studentaid.gov should have information about Pell grant receipt). They should also check their tax returns to see if they qualify for forgiveness in the first place. Only taxpayers with income below the $125,000/$250,000 thresholds will qualify. Taxpayers can qualify if their income was below the limit in 2020 or 2021. The relevant number is the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income for the year. All student borrowers should evaluate whether they qualify for repayment assistance or an income-based repayment plan, as Biden has also announced that the extension of the student loan repayment pause through year-end will be the final extension. For more information on the tax treatment of student loans, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More 

Do Your Clients Understand the Roth Distribution Ordering Rules? Roth accounts provide a valuable option to give clients a stream of tax-free income during retirement. When a client takes a Roth distribution, the distribution is first made up of direct contributions. Once contributions are depleted, amounts that have been converted from a traditional account are withdrawn. Once those funds are depleted, the amounts withdrawn are treated as earnings. These rules are important, because converted Roth funds are only penalty-free after five years have passed or if the owner has reached age 59 1/2. Earnings are only tax and penalty-free if the owner is both 59 1/2 and if five years have passed. Contributions, on the other hand, are withdrawable tax and penalty-free regardless of how much time has passed. For more information on Roth IRAs, visit Tax Facts Online. Read Moree 

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

The CPI-W data for 2022 led to the very large Social Security COLA increase for 2023 – the highest in 40 years. This week, we have guidance that can help clients understand how these increases might impact their overall tax liability. We also have a discussion of a surprise EARN Act provision on retirement catch-up contributions–and a summary of the IRS’ new updated guidance on claiming the work opportunity tax credit. Read on for more.

Social Security COLA is Highest in 40 Years. Based on CPI-W data, the COLA is 8.7% for 2023. That means the average benefit for 70 million Americans increases by $144.10. This 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits).

Unfortunately, the increase in the value of a taxpayer’s Social Security check has adverse tax consequences because it increases the taxpayer’s income above the thresholds for determining whether the benefits are taxable. Under current law, when an individual earns over $25,000 per year ($32,000 for a married individual), one-half of his or her Social Security benefit plus any earned income will be taxable. Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $160,200 from $147,000. For more information on the tax treatment of Social Security benefits, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

Senate’s EARN Act Contains New Twist for Catch-Up Contribution Changes. Recent retirement-related legislation has proposed changing the rules governing catch-up contributions so that taxpayers aged 50 and older would be permitted to contribute an extra $10,000 per year if they have reached age 62, 63 or 64 (currently, qualifying taxpayers can make catch-up contributions of $6,500 per year to 401(k)s and $1,000 per year to IRAs). SIMPLE plan participants would receive an additional $5,000 catch-up option. The additional catch-up, however, would be made on an after-tax basis (so it would be treated as a Roth contribution and could be withdrawn tax-free in the future). The EARN Act contains a new twist which would allow taxpayers with income under $100,000 to treat catch-up contributions as either pre-tax or after-tax contributions. The changes would apply in tax years beginning after 2023. While the EARN Act must now be reconciled with the House version, it now seems possible that taxpayers may have an additional option when it comes to retirement savings. For more information on the rules governing catch-up contributions, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More 

IRS Updates Information on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). The IRS has updated its guidance on the WOTC, which is a tax credit that is available to employers who hire certain categories of workers. Employers are required to comply with certain pre-screening and certification procedures to claim the credit. The pre-screen pre-screening requirement is satisfied when the employer and the job applicant complete Form 8850, Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit, on or before the day a job offer is made. After pre-screening is complete, the employer must request certification by submitting Form 8850 to the appropriate state workforce agency no later than 28 days after the employee begins work. Qualifying employees include food stamp (SNAP) recipients, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, long-term family assistance recipients and qualified long-term unemployment recipients, among other groups. In today’s labor market, the WOTC may be more valuable than ever. For more information about this and other business-related tax credits, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More 

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

This week, we have a reminder for taxpayers who have yet to make use of their employer-sponsored benefits for the 2022 tax year. The IRS has also provided some clarification on which international tax returns qualify for penalty relief under Notice 2022-36–and reminds taxpayers that Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that were improperly forgiven should be included in taxable income. We repeat some of the information that we provided our subscribers below.

IRS Clarifies Who Qualifies for Late Penalty Relief. The IRS has provided penalty relief for certain international return penalties and certain information return penalties for the 2019 and 2020 tax years if those returns are filed before September 30, 2022. While Notice 2022-36 was not clear as to which taxpayers qualify for relief, the IRS has revised its Internal Revenue Manual to provide clarification. The IRM provides that only the following returns are eligible for this penalty relief: (1) Form 5471, Information Return of U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations, (2) Form 5472, Information Return of a 25% Foreign-Owned U.S. Corporation or a Foreign Corporation Engaged in a U.S. Trade or Business, (3) Form 3520, Annual Return to Report Transactions With Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts and (4) Form 3520-A, Annual Information Return of Foreign Trust With a U.S. Owner. For more information on the international filing requirements and potential penalties, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More  

IRS Reminds Taxpayers: Paycheck Protection Program Loans May Be Taxable.  The IRS has issued a reminder for taxpayers with paycheck protection (PPP) loans that have been improperly forgiven, whether because of omissions or misrepresentations.  Those loans must be included in income and are taxable.  The IRS also encourages taxpayers with inappropriately received forgiveness of their PPP loans to take action in order to come into compliance.  For example, some taxpayers may be able to file amended returns that include forgiven loan proceed amounts in income.  After the fact, the IRS discovered that some recipients who received loan forgiveness did not meet at least one condition for eligibility. Therefore, these loan recipients received forgiveness of their PPP loan through misrepresentation or omission (either because they did not qualify to receive a PPP loan or misused the loan proceeds). For more information on the PPP loan program and rules governing forgiveness, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More 

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

In the past two years, cryptocurrency reporting questions on Forms 1040 have created much confusion for taxpayers who haven’t been sure whether their crypto transactions must be reported. The most recent draft 1040 for 2022 provides some clarity for taxpayers. We also have a summary of recent IRS snapshot guidance on retirement plan investments in third-party loans. Below we repeat some of our reports and analysis that we provided our subscribers.

IRS Releases Snapshot With Guidance on Third-Party Loans and Qualified Plans.  The IRS issued a snapshot addressing certain audit and compliance issues about qualified plan investments in third-party loans.  Qualified retirement plans are not explicitly prohibited from investing in third-party loans.  The IRS snapshot reminds taxpayers that the plan may not lend money to disqualified persons or make loans that benefit those disqualified persons.  Further, plan assets may only be used for the exclusive benefit of participants and beneficiaries.  Auditors will examine investments in third-party loans to confirm that the primary purpose of a loan is to benefit participants.  Defined contribution plans are also required to value plan assets at least once per year to determine their fair market value.  Auditors are instructed to carefully review Forms 5500 for asset loan values that don’t vary much from year to year–which may indicate that loan payments have not been made or that their fair value isn’t properly being determined and reported.  Overvaluing a loan can also cause a defined benefit plan to overstate their funded status, which can lead to failures to satisfy minimum funding requirements.  For more information on the prohibited transaction rules, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read More

February 23, 2023 is the Last Day to Correct Excess 2021 IRA Contributions for Hurricane Ida Impacted Taxpayers.  Taxpayers who make contributions that exceed the annual IRA contribution limit are subject to a penalty tax of 6% of the excess for each year the excess contribution remains in the account.  Taxpayers who inadvertently made excess contributions to their IRAs have until the tax filing deadline (including extensions) to correct the excess distribution.  For 2021, that meant taxpayers must take action to remove the excess contributions from their accounts by October 17, 2022.  The IRS has announced that taxpayers who were impacted by Hurricane Ian will have an extension so that they have until February 15, 2023 to file 2022 individual and business returns.  For more information on the rules governing excess IRA distributions, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read More

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

The IRS announced in October that taxpayers who were impacted by the federally-declared disaster Hurricane Ian would be offered extended filing and payment deadlines.  The IRS has also expanded the CARES Act extensions to cover additional plan amendments and offered relief for victims of Hurricane Ian. We repeat some of the information that we provided our subscribers below.

IRS Provides Relief for Victims of Hurricane Ian. The IRS has provided relief for victims of Hurricane Ian by extending many different tax filing and payment deadlines that fall after September 23, 2022. Victims will have until until February 15, 2023, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. The extension applies to the six-month relief applies to individuals who had a valid extension for filing their 2021 taxes, but not to their payment obligation (tax payments for the 2021 tax year were due by the regulation April deadline). The February 15, 2023, deadline does apply to the quarterly estimated tax payments, normally due on January 17, 2023 and to the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on October 31, 2022, and January 31, 2023. Taxpayers in a federally declared disaster area also have the option of claiming disaster-related casualty losses on their federal tax return for either the year in which the event occurred or the prior year (which could offer relief earlier). Taxpayers claiming the disaster loss on their return should put the “FL Hurricane Ian” in bold letters at the top of the form and  include the FEMA disaster declaration number, DR-4673-FL- on all returns.  For more information on claiming the casualty loss deduction, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more

IRS Releases Additional CARES Act Extensions. The IRS recently granted extensions for plans to make amendments required (or made optional) under the SECURE Act and the CARES Act. As a follow up to Notice 2022-33, the IRS released Notice 2022-45 to extend amendment deadlines for the rest of the CARES Act provisions. Non-governmental qualified plans, 403(b) plans and IRAS will now have until December 31, 2025 to amend plans to adopt provisions related to coronavirus-related distributions and loans (i.e., increased loan limits and suspension of repayment obligations).  Governmental qualified plans and 403(b) plans have until 90 days after the close of the third regular legislative session (that begins after December 31, 2023) where authority to amend the plan lies.  Anti-cutback relief is also extended for CARES Act amendments before the deadline as long as the plan is operated as though the amendment applied retroactively to the original effective date.  For more information on the relief provided under the CARES Act, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more 

IRS Clarifies SECURE Act RMD Penalty Application for 2021 and 2022. The IRS’s SECURE Act regulations created confusion for taxpayers who inherited retirement accounts post-SECURE Act and were required to empty the account under the new 10-year rule. Under the proposed regulations, the IRS decided that if the account was inherited from someone who was already taking RMDs, the beneficiary was required to take an annual RMD during years one-nine after the account owner’s death. Many taxpayers expected the IRS to decide otherwise, so failed to take RMDs for 2021 and 2022. Under the Notice 2022-53, the IRS offered relief and said that the otherwise applicable 50% penalty for missed RMDs would not apply to those beneficiaries for 2021 and 2022. The relief applies only to beneficiaries who inherited accounts and were subject to the 10-year rule in 2021 and 2022. For more information on the post-SECURE Act rules on inherited retirement accounts, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more 

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. programs (e.g. international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management) are accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers. Over 850 enrolled, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

We have a few significant updates for 2023 this week. To keep up with rising costs, the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, will rise by a historic 8.7% for 2023–and the earnings base will rise along with it. Additionally, the IRS has finalized regulations that would fix the so-called ACA “family glitch” to help more taxpayers qualify for the premium tax credit starting in 2023. On the other hand, many valuable benefits for health FSAs have now expired, so taxpayers must revert to the old rules going into 2023.

A note about our branding: You may have noticed that Tax Facts is no longer using the National Underwriter brand and is now using the ThinkAdvisor brand. At ALM Global, LLC, we are working to align our expansive tax and finance portfolio to make pertinent coverage more accessible. We have joined Tax Facts with ThinkAdvisor, a global information, data, intelligence and content division with reporters and editors all over the world. Although we have a new look, all of the valuable Tax Facts content is still here for you.

Social Security Administration Announces Record High COLA Adjustments for 2023. The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that the 2023 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 8.7%–which is the largest COLA increase that has been seen for decades (by contrast, the 2022 Social Security COLA was 5.9%). Working taxpayers will also have to pay Social Security taxes on a higher percentage of their income for 2023. The Social Security wage base–the amount of wages subject to Social Security taxes–is set to increase from $147,000 to $160,200 in 2023 (meaning that wages in excess of $160,200 will be exempt from Social Security taxes). Social Security and SSI recipients should expect to receive information about their new benefit amount by mail beginning in early December. For more information on how Social Security taxes apply, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

IRS Finalizes Rule to Fix the ACA “Family Glitch.” The IRS has finalized proposed regulations that are designed to change the ACA rules governing premium tax credit eligibility. The final regulations provide that the affordability of employer-sponsored coverage for the employee’s family would be based on the amount the employee would be required to pay to cover both the employee and eligible family members, rather than the individual employee alone. Typically, employees are only eligible for a premium tax credit if their employer fails to provide “affordable” health coverage. “Affordability” is based on whether the employee contributions for self-only coverage exceeds a percentage of the employee’s household income (as indexed for inflation). Under the prior rules, if self-only coverage was affordable for the employee, coverage was also deemed affordable for a spouse and dependents (so that the spouse and dependents would not qualify for the premium tax credit). Under the new rule, family members are disqualified only if the cost of family coverage is less than the annual threshold. “Family coverage” means any employer plan that covers related individuals other than the employee (including self-plus-one plans). The regulations also create a separate minimum value rule for family members, so that they do not lose premium tax credit eligibility if the employer plan does not provide minimum value to the family members (regardless of cost). The regulations are effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. For more information on the premium tax credit, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

Reminder: Covid-Related Health FSA Provisions Expire in 2023. Although the COVID-19 public health emergency has now been extended through January 13, 2023, many COVID-related tax benefits have not been extended past 2022. As taxpayers plan to enter 2023, it’s important to remember that most of the relief related to health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) has expired. That means taxpayers will once again be subject to the “use it or lose it” rule and limited to a $570 carryover into 2023 (if the plan allows it). Many plans also were amended to eliminate the requirement that the participant participate in the FSA in the following year to take advantage of the carryover provisions. Generally, the applicable rules going into 2023 with respect to grace periods and carryovers from health FSAs will depend on the terms of the plan document as it existed prior to COVID-19. For more information on the expanded health FSA rules that applied during the pandemic and the standard rules governing FSAs, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. of international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management is accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers with at least five years of industry experience. Even though our graduate program has grown to over 800 enrollment, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. Learn more about how we educate and position the industry’s leaders: https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

The DOL has recently announced yet another change to the worker classification standard that will apply in determining whether a worker is properly classified as an employee or independent contractor. That shift could have a wide-ranging impact on employers who have increased their reliance on independent contractors following the “great resignation.” In other news, clients should be reminded to check their withholding to account for any changes–and new guidance shows that increased IRS funding is likely to impact non-U.S. citizens and residents. Read on for more.

A note about our branding: You may have noticed that Tax Facts is no longer using the National Underwriter brand and is now using the ThinkAdvisor brand. At ALM Global, LLC, we are working to align our expansive tax and finance portfolio to make pertinent coverage more accessible. We have joined Tax Facts with ThinkAdvisor, a global information, data, intelligence and content division with reporters and editors all over the world. Although we have a new look, all of the valuable Tax Facts content is still here for you.

DOL Publishes New Rule on Worker Classification. The Biden Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed a new standard for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The “new” rule would restore the multi-factor, totality-of-the-circumstances approach to determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Those factors would once again be evaluated without assigning any particular weight to any specific factor. The focus in determining independent contractor status under this rule focuses on the economic realities of the work relationship, including investment, opportunity for profit or risk of loss and whether the work is integral to the employer’s business. The proposed rule also rescinds the 2021 standard that was developed under the Trump administration entirely. For more information on how workers are classified for employment law purposes, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

IRS Reminder: Adjust Tax Withholding Now to Avoid Penalties During the 2022 Tax Filing Season. The IRS has released a reminder for taxpayers to check their withholding for 2022. Making adjustments now can prevent taxpayers from learning they have a larger than expected balance due during the April tax filing season. Clients should be reminded that they may need to adjust their withholding based on major life events, like marriage, divorce, a home purchase or the birth of a new child. The IRS website offers a tax withholding estimator that can help taxpayers determine whether they are having too much or too little withheld from their paychecks. Items that may impact a taxpayer’s taxes for 2022 include COVID-19 tax relief (including relief related to health insurance plans), disaster provisions designed to help taxpayers recover from wildfires, hurricanes and other unexpected events and a taxpayer’s moving into the gig economy during the so-called “great resignation.” For more information on estimated tax payments, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

IRS Expected to Direct Increase Funding to Increase Compliance Among Non-U.S. Citizens. As most advisors now know, Congress will be allocating nearly $80 billion in additional funding to the IRS over the next ten years. One big questions that most have had is where the IRS intends to use those funds to increase enforcement efforts. At a recent American Bar Association Tax Section conference, one IRS official noted that a chunk of those funds will be used to increase tax compliance among non-U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who live and work in the United States. For advisors whose client rosters include non-U.S. citizens, now is the time to focus on compliance efforts. That may include participating in voluntary disclosure program. Advisors should also consider discussing the potential immigration consequences that falling out of compliance with U.S. tax obligations may create. For more information on the tax treatment of non-citizens, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 and 2023 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.

The Texas A&M Master and LL.M. of international tax, transfer pricing, wealth management, or risk management is accepting applications from financial professionals and from lawyers with at least five years of industry experience. Even though our graduate program has grown to over 800 enrollment, the enrollment for a course’s section is kept to between 20 and a maximum of 30 so that each student receives meaningful feedback throughout the course from the full-time academic faculty and renowned professional case study leaders, and each other via teamwork and peer review. Learn more about how we educate and position the industry’s leaders: https://law.tamu.edu/distance-education

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

The end of 2022 is approaching at a rapid pace. Clients who are considering various planning strategies should be advised to act now to ensure that there will be enough time to execute the strategy before year-end. That includes for Roth conversions. The IRS has also issued warnings about schemes promising artificially high employee tax credit refunds–and is reminding service providers to look for new Forms 1099-Ks if their sales exceed $600 in 2022. Read on for more details..

Reminder: Taxpayers Considering Roth Conversions Should Act Now. As a reminder, the deadline for converting traditional IRA funds into a Roth is December 31, 2022 (not, as many people believe, the tax filing deadline in April 2023). Taxpayers who execute conversions in 2022 will pay taxes on the conversion at their 2022 rates, which are relatively low and could rise in the future. However, taxpayers should also consider the impact of a conversion on their Medicare premiums, Social Security benefits and other deductions and credits that phase out based on income. Taxpayers should also be reminded that, under the 2017 tax reforms, the right to recharacterize (or reverse) the conversion no longer exists–so once the client executes the Roth conversion, they’re stuck with that conversion even if it looks like a mistake in hindsight. For more information on the considerations that are important in evaluating whether a Roth conversion is a smart move, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more

IRS Warns Businesses About Schemes Promising Inflated ERC Returns. The IRS is warning business owners about scams perpetrated by third parties claiming that employers are eligible for large employment tax refunds generated by improperly claiming or overstating the employee retention credit (ERC). According to the IRS, these third parties typically charge a large fee or may require a percentage of the tax refund generated by the amended return.  While it’s possible that some business owners do legitimately qualify for a refund, many do not. Similarly, the business owner must remember that if the business files an amended return, they must also reduce the wage deductions they took on their tax return based on the amount of the ERC that is claimed on the amended return. In most cases, the third party offers to prepare an amended return that either improperly determines that the business is eligible for the ERC or overstates the amount of the credit available. Business owners should closely examine the qualification requirements and their individual circumstances before filing an amended return to claim the ERC. Employers must either satisfy the governmental order test or the gross receipts test to claim the credit. For more information on the ERC, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more

IRS Reminder for Service Providers: Watch for 1099-Ks for Sales over $600 in early 2023. The IRS has released a reminder for service providers and others with over $600 in sales during the 2022 tax year. Those taxpayers may receive Forms 1099-K early in 2023 for the first time if their 2022 sales exceed the $600 mark. The IRS also reminds taxpayers that there is actually no change to the tax treatment of this income. The only change is to the reporting rules for Form 1099-K. As always, all income remains taxable, including from part-time work, side jobs or the sale of goods. Taxpayers must report all income on their tax return unless it is excluded by law even if they don’t receive a Form 1099-K or any other tax documents. The new reporting is designed to help taxpayers keep track of their income. The IRS suggests that taxpayers with side jobs may wish to consider making estimated tax payments throughout the year to cover their tax liability. For more information on the types of income that are taxable, visit Tax Facts Online. Read more

Look in your Tax Facts Online app for our continuing analysis of 2022 legislative and regulatory updates, weekly intelligence, and the impact on planning for a client’s wealth preservation and growth.

Texas A&M, operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY2022) and capital budget of $1.9 billion, is #1 for U.S. public universities, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space! The law school, ranked in the 1st tier of law schools and is ranked in the top 10 for the employment of its graduating law students among U.S. law schools.

• Ranked in top 20 public universities by Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (2020)
• #2 endowment for U.S. public universities, #8 overall
• #1 of U.S. public universities for a superior education at an affordable cost
• #1 for most CEOs employed by Fortune 500
• top 10 for the employment of its law graduates
• Rank #11 by Money Best Colleges Report, 2021 and #5 in U.S. among public universities (Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, PayScale.com, Money/College Measures calculations)
• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20
• The School of Law enrollment is 850 Master/LL.M. students with a maximum of 30 per course section. The university enrollment is 70,000 degree seekers.