Most taxpayers with a reporting requirement for their interests in specified foreign financial assets must file their first IRS Form 8938 with their 2011 income tax return. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), enacted in 2010, requires certain U.S....
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IRS Offers Expanded Installment Agreements and New Penalty Relief
It seems that the Internal Revenue Service is starting to take note of the sluggish economy and its effect on taxpayers. Today, the IRS announced a major expansion of its "Fresh Start" initiative aimed at helping struggling taxpayers, by making Installment Agreements...
IRS Holding $1 Billion in Unclaimed Refunds.
On February 23rd, the Internal Revenue Service said it is holding more than $1 billion in unclaimed refunds for U.S. taxpayers who didn't file federal income tax returns for the 2008 tax year. Generally, in cases where a tax return was not filed, the law provides...
“Arab Spring” Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
The IRS has determined that some taxpayers who lived in the countries that experienced an "Arab Spring" should be allowed to exclude some of their foreign earned income. Generally, U.S. citizens or resident aliens living and working abroad are taxed on their worldwide...
Updated Rules Issued for IRS Communications with Appeals Office
Today, in Revenue Procedure 2012-18, the Internal Revenue Service updated its rules dictating how the Office of Appeals is allowed to communicate with other IRS sections or divisions, when a taxpayer or the their representative is not present.Since the issuance of...
IRS Issues Guidance on Tool Plans
In some industries, employees are required to bring their own tools to work as a condition of employment. Auto repair shops are a prime example. Employers of such businesses often partake in an "accountable plan" that is designed to allow the employer to compensate...
New tax requirements proposed for inherited IRAs
Many California residents have or will inherit an individual retirement account. Currently, the law allows the holder of an IRA to receive taxable distributions over the course of his or her anticipated lifetime. However, that may change if a law proposed in the U.S....
Why is California’s ReadyReturn not so popular?
California already has a free ReadyReturn option for taxpayers. The option involves the government's use of tax information from the previous year's return and combining it with information from the individual's W-2 form to prepare that person's taxes. The tax return...
Californians facing uncertainty regarding 2012 tax law
Individuals and businesses in California can likely look forward to continued uncertainty with regard to taxes. Congress has continued to postpone any in-depth discussion of tax law and will likely do so until after the presidential and state elections in November. As...
California Supreme court denies review of Apple tax ruling
Recently, the California Supreme Court ruled that Apple Inc. would receive a $920,000 state tax refund. However, after the favorable decision, Apple went further by asking the court to overrule an appellate judgment from September. That ruling required the state...
