NSA constantly monitors developments at the Internal Revenue Service and serves as your eyes and ears inside the IRS. Through regular meetings with IRS officials, NSA works to influence IRS practice, procedure and operations to promote the interests of practitioners and your clients. You can play a major role this work by keeping NSA apprised of problems you experience in dealing with the IRS.
News From the IRS
IRS Releases new Form 8939, Allocation of Increase in Basis for Property Acquired From a Decedent October 2011
IRS Releases final Circular 230 regulations governing practice before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Click here to read the IRS Document
Rules for continuing education providers in the final Circular 230 regulations
1. No pre-approval of each course as originally proposed
In response to comments, the Treasury Department and the IRS chose not to finalize the rules in proposed §10.9 regarding pre-approval of individual continuing education programs. Because the Treasury Department and the IRS are not finalizing the rules in proposed §10.9 with respect to pre-approval of individual continuing education programs, §10.9 of these final regulations adopts rules similar to the rules in former §10.6(g) applicable to qualified sponsors. Under §10.9 of the final regulations, continuing education providers must be qualified and must obtain a qualified continuing education provider number to be eligible to offer qualified continuing education.
2. Each course must have its own program number
Under the final regulations, continuing education providers are required to obtain a continuing education program number for each qualified continuing education program offered.
3. IRS will recognize CPE providers already recognized by other organizations
The Treasury Department and the IRS agree with the commentators that there is merit in recognizing continuing education providers that have been approved previously by professional organizations with standards comparable to Circular 230. Accordingly, §10.9 of these regulations includes as qualified continuing education providers those providers that are recognized and approved as providers of continuing education on subject matters within §10.6(f) of these regulations by a qualifying organization that has minimum education standards comparable to those set forth in Circular 230. The IRS intends to identify in forms, instructions, or other appropriate guidance the professional organizations whose approval will allow a continuing education provider to be qualified within §10.9.
IRS Invites Practitioners to Participate in Focus Groups at the Nationwide Tax Forums
This year, the Small Business/Self-Employed business operating unit is sponsoring three focus group discussions which are concentrating on topics that affect small business and self employed taxpayers. They are asking for your candid feedback to improve IRS practices, policies and procedures essential to this taxpayer group.
The IRS scheduled the focus groups so that they will not interfere with one time presentations. A focus group is a round table discussion with peers, led by a moderator. Practitioner input and feedback on our programs and services is essential to the IRS.
If you are planning to attend the Forums this year, and are interested in participating in a focus group, please e-mail Marc Zine at Marc.Zine@irs.gov. A member of the tax forum team will then contact you with more information about how to pre-register to participate in an SB/SE focus group for one of the following topics:
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Online With the IRS: Social Media That Works For You
This focus group will determine the types of social media that practitioners want and the topics/issues to provide to the practitioners via social media.
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Federal Tax Lien Suggestion Box
This focus group will solicit feedback from practitioners about perceived taxpayer behavior; effective methods to collect outstanding tax liabilities; and ways to improve the tax lien program.
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Correspondence Audit: How are we doing now?
This focus group will gather tax practitioner's opinions on the improvements made to the correspondence examination program
IRS Reinstates EA Renewals With Lower Fees
The IRS released Announcement 2011-29, which reinstates the renewal period for enrolled agents whose tax identification numbers end in 4, 5, or 6. Click here to download Announcement 2011-29.
IRS News & Fact Sheets
Click on the links below:
This Month's IRS News Releases and Fact Sheets IRS News Release and Fact Sheet Archive
IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Resource Website
If you attend a local IRS/Practitioner liaison meeting, please take a few minutes and fill out an ASO-IRS Liaison Meeting Report and send it to the NSA national office. By completing this form, you can alert NSA to developments in the field and help elevate important issues to the national level.
IRS announces beginning 1/1/11, many tax return preparers who prepare returns for individuals, trusts and estates will be required to file electronically December 2
The IRS detailed how, starting Jan. 1, 2011, paid tax return preparers can comply with a new law that requires paid tax return preparers who meet the definition of “specified tax return preparer” under the new law to electronically file (e-file) federal income tax returns that they prepare and file for individuals, trusts and estates. The e-file requirement will be phased in over two years.
Starting Jan. 1, 2011, paid preparers who prepare income tax returns for individuals, trusts and estates, such as Forms 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, and Forms 1041, and who reasonably expect to file 100 or more of these income tax returns in 2011 are specified tax return preparers required to file these returns electronically.
The IRS will issue guidance to tax return preparers regarding a request for waiver of of the e-filing requirement due to hardship. Information on format and content for these requests will appear later this month. NSA will keep you informed as this becomes available.
IRS Chief Counsel Telephone Directory
The IRS has issued an updated telephone directory of Office of Chief Counsel attorneys. The directory lists attorneys responsible for Internal Revenue Code section number and by subject matterThe IRS has issued an updated telephone directory of Office of Chief Counsel attorneys.