Archive for the ‘IRS’ Category

Bozo Tax Tip #4: The $0.68 Solution

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

With Tax Day fast approaching it’s time to examine yet another Bozo method of courting disaster. And it doesn’t, on the surface, seem to be a Bozo method. After all, this organization has the motto, Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night can stay these messengers about their duty.

Well, that’s not really the Postal Service’s motto. It’s just the inscription on the General Post Office in New York (at 8th Avenue and 33rd Street).

So assume you have a lengthy, difficult return. You’ve paid a professional good money to get it done. You go to the Post Office, put proper postage on it, dump it in the slot (on or before April 15th), and you’ve just committed a Bozo act.

If you use the Postal Service to mail your tax returns, spend the extra money for certified mail. For $4.40 you can purchase certified mail. Yes, you will have to stand in a line (or you can use the automated machines in many post offices), but you now have a receipt that verifies that you have mailed your return.

About fourteen years ago one of my clients saved $2.42 (I think that was the cost of a certified mail piece then) and sent his return in with a $0.37 stamp. It never made it. He ended up paying nearly $1,000 in penalties and interest…but he did save $2.42.

Don’t be a Bozo. E-File (and you don’t have to worry at all about the Post Office), or spend the $4.40! And you can go all out and spend $3.65 and get a return receipt, too (though you can now track certified mail online). For another $2.32 you can get the postal service to e-mail the confirmation that the IRS got the return (for the OCD in the crowd). There’s a reason every client letter notes, “using certified mail, return receipt requested.”

Bozo Tax Tip #5: Procrastinate!

Monday, April 8th, 2024

Today is April 8th. The tax deadline is just seven days away.

What happens if you wake up and it’s April 15, 2024, and you can’t file your tax? File an extension. Download Form 4868, make an estimate of what you owe, pay that, and mail the voucher and check to the address noted for your state. Use certified mail, return receipt, of course. And don’t forget your state income tax. Some states have automatic extensions (California does), some don’t, while others have deadlines that don’t match the federal tax deadline (Hawaii state taxes are due on April 20th, for example). Automatic extensions are of time to file, not pay, so download the extension form and mail off a payment to your state, too. If you mail your extension, make sure you mail it certified mail, return receipt requested. (You can do that from most Automated Postal Centers, too.)

By the way, I strongly suggest you electronically file the extension. The IRS will happily take your extension electronically; many (but not all) states will, too.

But what do you do if you wait until May 18th? Well, get your paperwork together so you can file as quickly as possible and avoid even more penalties. Penalties escalate, so unless you want 25% penalties, get everything ready and see your tax professional next week. He’ll have time for you, and you can leisurely complete your return and only pay one week of interest, one month of the Failure to Pay penalty (0.5% of the tax due), and one month of the Failure to File Penalty (5% of the tax due).

There is a silver lining in all of this. If you are owed a refund and haven’t filed, you will likely receive interest from the IRS. Yes, interest works both ways: The IRS must pay interest on late-filed returns owed refunds. Just one note about that: The interest is taxable.

NOTE: If you reside in a federally declared disaster zone, you have an automatic extension of time to file and pay. If you reside in Maine or Massachusetts, your tax deadline is Wednesday, April 17th.

Bozo Tax Tip #8: No Tax Form, No Income!

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024

Two years ago I was speaking with a new client:

“Russ, I just found out that I don’t get a tax form for the income I earn. That means I don’t have to report it, right?”

This individual is filing his first tax returns. He just graduated college, and is self-employed. He (thankfully) did keep good books and records, but no one sent him a 1099-NEC (several businesses should have) so his uncle told him he didn’t have to report anything.

Yes, the US has a ‘voluntary’ tax reporting system, but here voluntary doesn’t mean you can skip income without paperwork. A better word than voluntary is “self-reporting.” We self-report our income, and the fact that tax paperwork isn’t sent for everything is one of the causes of the tax gap. As I explained to my client, all income is taxable unless Congress exempts it. Congress didn’t exempt his self-employment income (indeed, it’s over $100,000). I asked him if he might want to buy a home in the next two years (which I already knew he did want to do). I asked him how he was going to qualify for a mortgage without tax returns filed showing income.

I explained to him that his uncle was correct in that many individuals do receive income ‘under the table’ and don’t report it. I also explained to him that not filing a tax return when you have income is a crime, and you can go to ClubFed for it. It’s a lot easier to file and pay your taxes and sleep peacefully at night then to do the opposite. My client agreed, and his return was filed.

Of course, for those who want to live on the edge you can: Ignore income that doesn’t come with tax paperwork. You may want to remember that if you’re ever audited the IRS might just do a bank account analysis and wonder where those deposits are coming from.

Bozo Tax Tip #10: Email Your Social Security Number or EIN!

Monday, April 1st, 2024

It’s time for our annual rundown of Bozo Tax Tips, strategies that you really, really, really shouldn’t try. But somewhere, somehow, someone will try these. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

This is a repeat for the eleventh year in a row, but it’s one that bears repeating. Unfortunately, the problem of identity theft has burgeoned, and while the IRS’s response has improved, that’s just an improvement from awful to mediocre.

I have some clients who are incredibly smart. They make me look stupid (and I’m not). Yet a few of these otherwise intelligent individuals persist in Bozo behavior: They consistently send me their tax documents by email.

Seriously, use common sense! Would you post your social security number on a billboard? That’s what you’re doing when you email your social security number.

We use a web portal for secure loading and unloading of documents and secure communications to our clients. As I tell my clients, email is fast but it’s not secure. It’s fine to email your tax professional things that are not confidential. That said, social security numbers and most income information is quite confidential. Don’t send those through email unless you want to be an identity theft victim or want others to know how much money you make!

If I send an email to my brother, it might go in a straight line to him. It also might go via Anaheim, Azusa, and Cucamonga. At any one of these stops it could be intercepted and looked at by someone else. Would you post your social security number on a billboard in your community? If you wouldn’t, and I assume none of you would, why would you ever email anything with your social security number?

A friend told me, “Well, I’m not emailing my social, I’m just attaching my W-2 to the email.” An attachment is just as likely to be read as an email. Just say no to emailing your social security number.

The same issue holds for a business’s Employer Identification Number (EIN).  These should be treated like your individual social security number: send them using only a secure method.

If you’re not Internet savvy, hand the documents to your tax professional or use the postal service, FedEx, or UPS to deliver the documents, or fax the documents. (If you fax, make sure your tax professional has a secure fax machine.) If you like using the Internet to submit your tax documents, make sure your tax professional offers you a secure means to do so. It might be called a web portal, a file transfer service, or perhaps something else. The name isn’t as important as the concept.

Unfortunately, the IRS’s ability to handle identity theft is, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate, poor. So don’t add to the problem—communicate in a secure fashion to your tax professional.

San Diego County Gets Extension Until June 17th

Wednesday, February 28th, 2024

Heavy rains and flooding in San Diego caused the area to be declared a federal disaster zone.  The IRS extended all tax deadlines in San Diego County from January 21, 2024 onward until June 17, 2024.  This includes individual, business, and employment tax returns.  California’s Franchise Tax Board granted the same relief for state taxes.

And there’s a blizzard warning for the Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and nearby areas from 10am PST tomorrow through 10am PST Sunday.  I’m expecting other areas in California to join San Diego County as federal disaster areas in the coming days.  Be safe!

A Reminder for Charities and Officers in Charities

Thursday, February 15th, 2024

I live in a swing district in a swing state.  One of the things we dread is election mail.  The primary for state offices is in June, and already we’re receiving flyers.  I’m sure the robocalls are soon to come (the robo-texts have already begun). The television and radio ads have begun (there was an advertisement during the Super Bowl for a candidate). November 6th can’t come soon enough.

I happened to need to link to a blog post I wrote four years ago, and I noticed the previous post dealt with charities and the election.  Charities are defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Tax Code.  It’s seems quite timely to remind everyone that one of the things charities cannot do is endorse a candidate.

So what does this cover? It includes the obvious (making political contributions, endorsing candidates, or speaking in favor or against a candidate) and some less obvious items (leasing space to a political campaign and using the organization’s mailing or email list for a campaign). There’s no de minimis rule, so if your 501(c)(3) gives $1 to the Trump or Biden campaigns, you could lose your 501(c)(3) status.

There’s a corollary that I want to emphasize: Officers (and employees) of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations must be very careful about their public statements for (or against) any candidate or cause. I am officer of and on the Board of Directors of a 501(c)(3) charity.  Let’s say I am for Assemblyman Smith in her candidacy for Nevada State Senate. I publicly endorse her. Of course, I, as an individual, can endorse whomever I wish. But I’m also an officer of a 501(c)(3). In my endorsement, did I note that this was my endorsement, and that nothing I’m saying is attributable to that charity? Am I careful doing that in all social media?

From a practical sense, it’s unlikely the IRS would go after a charity or a public foundation (which are 501(c)(3) charities). But they can, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re an officer of a 501(c)(3) organization, it’s an excellent idea to make sure all officers and employees are aware of the rules.

A Retroactive Tax Bill: What Can Go Wrong?

Thursday, February 1st, 2024

Last night, the House of Representatives passed tax legislation that would increase the Child Tax Credit for 2023, allow businesses to expense research and development expenses, tax relief for wildfires and the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and some other provisions.  This legislation is now in the hands of the Senate, and it’s possible it won’t go anywhere (or it could pass tomorrow).  Issues that could derail the bill in the Senate include the SALT cap (the limit of $10,000 deduction on federal tax returns for state taxes paid), election year politics, and the fact that little has come out of the Senate.  And if it gets amended in the Senate, back to the House it goes.

Let’s assume it passes; that would require the IRS to reprogram its computers.  The IRS uses the best of 1959 technology, so this would take a month or so.  Do we file tax returns for individuals (and businesses) impacted by this?  If this passes, impacted individuals (and businesses) who file now might need to amend their returns.  The IRS isn’t expedient in processing amended returns, so that’s not a great option.

Unfortunately, there is no best option.  Each impacted taxpayer is going to have to decide whether or not to file now or extend.  If we get an indication from the Senate whether this bill will pass or not, we may be able to make better decisions. Even though I reside in the capital of gambling and odds, I can’t provide you a quote of the chance this bill passes as written and gets signed into law.

I was hoping for a nice, simple straightforward Tax Season.  Unfortunately, Congress had different ideas.

IRS Announces Simple Notice Initiative; Boy, Is It Needed

Wednesday, January 24th, 2024

Clients of ours received an IRS CP2000 alleging they owed additional tax.  The clients called us, and we reviewed their return; it turns out that the items the IRS thought weren’t included on their return were included (so we believe no tax is owed). We sent a response in early December.

Last week our clients received a response (we were supposed to have been copied, but we weren’t):

Our clients were perplexed by the response. Frankly, the following paragraph would perplex anyone:

Before we can resolve this matter, we need information from , and we haven’t received it yet. You should receive our complete response within   days. We don’t need any further information from you right now.

Most likely, this paragraph wasn’t supposed to be included (and only the previous paragraph noting that we’d receive another response within 90 days should have been included).  If you think this is a one-off, it’s not; a second client (who responded to an IRS notice on her own) received the identical response.

About an hour after the phone call I received an email from the IRS noting, “IRS launches Simple Notice Initiative resdesign effort.”  That’s needed, along with someone proofreading notices and responses before sending them.  The IRS is promising to redesign “up to 200 notices that make up about 90% of total notice volume sent to individual taxpayers.”  We shall see.

IRS Officially Announces Delay in Reporting Cryptocurrency Transactions on Form 8300

Tuesday, January 16th, 2024

The IRS officially announced today that businesses do not have to report the receipt of digital assets on Form 8300 until the Treasury and the IRS issue regulations implementing the new law.  The IRS officially announced this in Announcement 2024-4.  Per the announcement:

The Treasury Department and the IRS intend to implement section 80603(b)(3) of the Infrastructure Act by publishing regulations specifically addressing the application of section 6050I to digital assets and by providing forms and instructions for reporting that address the inclusion of digital assets. Accordingly, until the Treasury Department and the IRS publish regulations under section 6050I to implement section 80603(b)(3) of the Infrastructure Act, persons engaged in a trade or business who, in the course of that trade or business, receive digital assets or digital assets and other cash in one transaction (or two or more related transactions) will not be required to include those digital assets when determining whether cash received has a value in excess of the $10,000 reporting threshold for purposes of determining if reporting is required under section 6050I with respect to those transactions.  Persons engaged in a trade or business who, in the course of that trade or business, receive cash (other than digital assets) in excess of $10,000 in one transaction (or two or more related transactions) must continue to file an information return under section 6050I with respect to that cash received.

The news release notes that proposed regulations will be issued; a comment period is required by law and a public hearing might be held.  As usual, we await further guidance.

Form 8300, Cryptocurrency, and Gambling: An Update

Monday, January 8th, 2024

Last August I wrote a post noting that as of January 1, 2024 cryptocurrency is considered to be cash for Form 8300 reporting requirements.  Here’s what I wrote last August:

A Twitter/X post from John Reed Stark reminded me about an issue that may soon impact you if you are a professional gambler playing on one of the current US-facing sites such as Ignition or America’s Card Room (ACR).  FINCEN (the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) Form 8300 requires anyone in business–this includes individuals (sole proprietors), partnerships, LLCs, and corporations–to report cash transactions of more than $10,000.  This law isn’t new, and like almost anything related to money laundering/FINCEN there are draconian penalties for not complying.  What is new is that cryptocurrency is considered “cash” for this purpose under Section 6050I of the Infrastructure Act (which passed in November 2021).  This section of the law takes effect on January 1, 2024.

Form 8300 requires you to inform FINCEN (or the IRS if you’re not subject to electronic filing rules) within 15 days of any transaction of more than $10,000:

“Who must file. Each person engaged in a trade or business who, in the course of that trade or business, receives more than $10,000 in cash in one transaction or in two or more related transactions, must file Form 8300. Any transactions conducted between a payer (or its agent) and the recipient in a 24-hour period are related transactions. Transactions are considered related even if they occur over a period of more than 24 hours if the recipient knows, or has reason to know, that each transaction is one of a series of connected transactions.”

I am receiving a steady stream of questions regarding this, so here’s a primer.

  1. There are two elements needed to have to report cryptocurrency you receive.  You need to (a) be in a trade or business and (b) receive more than $10,000 in cash (or cryptocurrency) in one or more related transactions.  If both elements aren’t there, no reporting is required.
  2. If you are an American professional gambler, you are covered by this rule.
  3. The rule covers only receiving cryptocurrency, not sending cryptocurrency.
  4. It only covers receiving cryptocurrency as part of a trade or business.  Let’s say you purchase $20,000 of cryptocurrency for investing; this generally wouldn’t be covered by the reporting requirements of Form 8300.
  5. Reporting is not required if the transaction occurs entirely outside of the United States.

So let’s look at a couple typical examples.

  1. You are a professional gambler residing in the United States.  You cash out from an online gambling site based in Costa Rica and receive $10,500: $5,000 as a bank transfer and $5,500 of cryptocurrency.  The transaction must be reported on Form 8300.
  2. You are a professional gambler.  You are “staked” (backed) by June.  She sends you a personal check for $20,000 to stake you.  Personal checks are specifically exempt from Form 8300 filing requirements.  “Cash does not include…[p]ersonal checks drawn on the account of the writer, a cashier’s check, bank draft, traveler’s check or money order with a face value of more than $10,000.”  (Similarly, wire transfers are not reportable on Form 8300.)

From the instructions of Form 8300 it is absolutely doable to report a cashout from an online gambling site such as America’s Cardroom.  You do not need to include a taxpayer identification number for a non-US business: “You are not required to provide the TIN of a…foreign organization that…[d]oes not have an office or place of business, or a fiscal or paying agent, in the United States.”  You may need to put a comment on Form 8300 (at the bottom of page 2) to note this. You likely also need to comment that the “cash” received was (say) Bitcoin.

Of course, we’re dealing with the federal government so there are issues.  While Form 8300 was revised as of  December 31st, the revision doesn’t include a place for cryptocurrency.  While it’s possible to report a business sending cash, the reporting always asks for the individual who sent it.  Well, that won’t be doable for most cryptocurrency transactions–again, a comment will be needed.

I suspect this will be a mess as FinCEN hasn’t thought this through; indeed, I think they’re just superficially aware of this issue and are really concentrating on BOI reporting.   In any case, I’ll see what comes of yet another government mandate.