The IRS Large Business and International division (LB&I) is rolling out a series of campaigns focused on specific compliance issues. The division analyzed extensive data as well as suggestions from IRS compliance employees and the tax community to improve large business compliance activities.
The Basket Transactions campaign addresses structured financial transactions described in Notices 2015-73 and 74, in which a taxpayer attempts to defer and treat ordinary income and short-term capital gain as long-term capital gain. The taxpayer treats the option or other derivative as open until a barrier event occurs, and, therefore, does not recognize or report current period gains. The gains are deferred until the contract terminates, at which time the overall net gain is reported as a Long Term Capital Gain. LB&I will be trained to conduct issue-based examinations and will educate material advisors and practitioners on these transactions.
For more information on this and other IRS LB&I compliance campaigns, click here: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/large-business-and-international-launches-compliance-campaigns
