Internal Revenue Service March 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document contains final regulations relating to the deduction limitation for certain employee remuneration in excess of $1,000,000 under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). These regulations affect publicly held corporations.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requests applications of individuals to be considered for selection as members of the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC). Nominations should describe and document the proposed member's qualification for ETAAC membership, including the applicant's knowledge of regulations and the applicant's past or current affiliations and dealings with the particular tax segment or segments of the community that the applicant wishes to represent on the council. Applications will be accepted for current vacancies from qualified individuals and from professional and public interest groups that wish to have representation on ETAAC. Submittal of an application and resume is required. The ETAAC provides an organized public forum for discussion of electronic tax administration issues in support of the overriding goal that paperless filing should be the preferred and most convenient method of filing tax and information returns. ETAAC members convey the public's perception of IRS electronic tax administration activities, offer constructive observations about current or proposed policies, programs, and procedures, and suggest improvements. The IRS seeks a diverse group of individuals to represent various groups including: (1) Tax practitioners and preparers, (2) tax software developers, (3) large and small business, (4) employers and payroll service providers, (5) individual taxpayers, (6) financial industry (payers, payment options and best practices), (7) system integrators or technology providers, (8) digital or online service providers, (9) academic (marketing, sales or technical perspectives), (10) trusts and estates, (11) tax exempt organizations, and (12) state and local governments. This is a volunteer position and members will serve a three-year term on the ETAAC to allow for a rotation in membership which ensures that different perspectives are represented. Travel expenses within government guidelines will be reimbursed. Potential candidates must pass an IRS tax compliance check and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background investigation.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning applicable conventions under the accelerated cost recovery system.

This document contains final regulations that amend the regulations regarding excepted benefits under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Public Health Service Act to specify requirements for limited wraparound coverage to qualify as an excepted benefit. Excepted benefits are generally exempt from the requirements that were added to those laws by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Affordable Care Act.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 4419, Application for Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE).

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning guidance regarding the treatment of certain contingent payment debt instructions with one or more payments that are denominated in, or determined by reference to, a nonfunctional currency.

In the Federal Register notice that was originally published on March 9, 2015, (80 FR 12549) the application period is incorrect. The application period should be from March 9, 2015, through April 20, 2015. Notice of Open Season for Recruitment of IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) Members.

In the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register, the IRS is issuing temporary regulations relating to information reporting by brokers for transactions involving debt instruments and options, including the reporting of original issue discount (OID) and acquisition premium on tax-exempt obligations, the treatment of certain holder elections for reporting a taxpayer's adjusted basis in a debt instrument, and transfer reporting for section 1256 options and debt instruments. The text of those regulations also serves as the text of these proposed regulations.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 56, Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship.

This document contains corrections to final regulations (TD 9708) that were published in the Federal Register on December 31, 2014 (79 FR 78954). The final regulations provide guidance regarding the requirements for charitable hospital organizations added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Taxpayer Communications Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

Notice of Open Season for Recruitment of IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) Members.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Taxpayer Assistance Center Improvements Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

This document contains proposed amendments to the consolidated return regulations. These proposed regulations would revise the rules for reporting certain items of income and deduction that are reportable on the day a corporation joins or leaves a consolidated group. The proposed regulations would affect such corporations and the consolidated groups that they join or leave.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

This document contains proposed regulations that provide the method to be used to adjust the applicable Federal rates (AFRs) under section 1288 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) (adjusted AFRs) for tax-exempt obligations and the method to be used to determine the long- term tax-exempt rate and the adjusted Federal long-term rate under section 382. For tax-exempt obligations, the proposed regulations affect the determination of original issue discount under section 1273 and of total unstated interest under section 483. In addition, the proposed regulations affect the determination of the limitations under sections 382 and 383 on the use of certain operating loss carryforwards, tax credits, and other attributes of corporations following ownership changes. This document also contains a request for comments and provides notice of a public hearing on these proposed regulations.