AT Think

In the blogs: Why, oh why?

Buy-ins are changing; faxing the IRS; Barbie and sales tax; and other highlights from our favorite tax bloggers.

Why, oh why?

  • The Tax Times (https://www.thetaxtimes.com): The Tax Court has dismissed a taxpayer's petition because it was e-filed late. Eleven seconds late.
  • The Rosenberg Associates (https://rosenbergassoc.com/blog/): Is it time to dump the decades-long practice of new-partner buy-ins? Consider: In the most recent Rosenberg MAP Survey, the average buy-in was only about $200,000 and most firms today also allow the buy-in to be paid over years interest-free, often by withholding from bonuses.
  • EideBailly (https://www.eidebailly.com/taxblog): Remember the fax machine? Remember the funny noise? Apparently the IRS does, at least for some late-filed international forms and documents.
  • National Taxpayer Advocate (https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/taxnews-information/blogs-nta/): Why an IRS Tax Pro Account is suddenly worth another look.
  • Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (https://itep.org/category/blog/): A year on, what did the IRA accomplish? A fair amount.
  • Tax Foundation (https://taxfoundation.org/blog): With the Sept. 1 tripwire looming, "Inconsistent Tax Treatment of Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Creates Confusion."
  • Procedurally Taxing (https://procedurallytaxing.com): In Optimal Wireless v. IRS, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Anti Injunction Act bars a taxpayer's suit relating to a pre-enforcement challenge to a provision of the Affordable Care Act. The opinion reveals a deep circuit split, one that might lead to the Supreme Court again exploring a key procedural issue involving the AIA and the ACA.
  • Taxable Talk (http://www.taxabletalk.com/): FinCEN Form 8300 requires anyone in business — including sole proprietors, partnerships, LLCs, corporations and professional gamblers — to report cash transactions of more than $10,000. This law isn't new. What is new: Is crypto considered "cash" under the Infrastructure Act, the relevant section of which kicks in next Jan. 1?
  • TaxMama (http://taxmama.com): There weren't many objections from the public when Congress clawed back $20 billion from the IRS. "What taxpayers don't really understand is — these funds are/were being used to make our lives easier."
  • Tax Vox (https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox): Why should anyone pay someone else to prepare a tax return?

Foreign affairs

  • Virginia – US Tax Talk (https://us-tax.org/about-this-us-tax-blog/): Post-Bittner, the IRS looks to get crabbier about non-willful FBAR penalties.
  • National Association of Tax Professionals (https://blog.natptax.com/): This week's "You Make the Call" looks at Rafael, a U.S. citizen who owns more than 10% of a foreign corporation and who must report information regarding his foreign ownership annually. He failed to file a Form 5471 for tax years 2019 and 2020 due to the pandemic — apparently a willful and intentional disregard. Without review, the IRS assessed a penalty of $10,000 for each annual accounting period. Rafael received IRS notices for tax years 2019 and 2020 and still did not file a 5471 for more than 90 days after the date of the notice; he was assessed continuation penalties of $10,000 for each month or partial month that the failure continued after the 90 days. The continuation penalty is capped at $50,000, his total penalty for the failure to file at $60,000 per year. What remedy does Rafael have after the recent Farhy v. Commissioner, challenging the IRS right to automatically assess such penalties?
  • Global Taxes (https://www.globaltaxes.com/blog.php): The IRS faces a legal challenge for a penalty collection for failing to file an information return for a foreign trust. Did the IRS fail to comply with requirements for written supervisory penalty approval?

Safety in numbers

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