Season's Greetings from the Beverly & Bucker Team!
We hope that everyone meets this season with good health. We are looking forward to what we hope will be a return to normal and are excited for the minimal changes this tax season. Our staff would like to thank our wonderful clients who have displayed empathy and kindness over the past few years while we navigated the pandemic and all of the complications that came with it. There are a few changes this year, but overall, this tax season will be significantly easier than in years past. And if additional changes are made in the coming months, we will update this Newsletter as needed.
A return to a normal tax season means no more Stimulus Forms! Thank goodness, there are no Stimulus or Advanced Child Tax Credit Forms for Tax Year 2022. Our staff greatly appreciated your patience over the past two years as we handled the inconvenience of the additional letters and we are excited to leave these forms in the past.
Aside from a few small changes to account for inflation, such as an increase in the standard deduction and a slight credit increase, the changes this year are minimal. These variations will have very little affect on returns, however, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office by phone or email.
One of the biggest shakeups this year is the new 1099-K filing requirement. For our clients who received $600 or more through cash-sharing apps like Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal, you will receive a Form 1099-K by mail or through the app. If you receive this form, please include it with your tax documents as we will not be able to complete your return without it. If you believe you received $600 or more through a cash-sharing app but did not receive a Form 1099-K, please contact the company. Please be prepared to explain where the funds came from and what they were used for to determine how the amount should be applied on the Tax Return.
For our Virginia clients who are over the age of 55 and receive military retirement, starting this tax season, you may be able to claim a subtraction for certain military benefits of up to $10,000. This means that qualifying recipients may receive up to $10,000 of military retirement pay tax-free. Qualifying benefits include military retirement income received for service in the US Armed Forces or paid to the surviving spouse of a veteran under the Survivor Benefit Plan program. If you have questions concerning this change, please contact our office or consult the Virginia Department of Taxation website.
Now that we've covered any changes in tax code, here's what you can expect in our office. As we continue to prioritize the safety of our staff and clients, we encourage anyone who does not require a face-to-face appointment to use our Drop Off option. Many of our clients used this method for the first time during the pandemic and found that it was easier and much faster than waiting for an available appointment time. The Tax Return will be prepared in your absence and our staff will contact you when it has been completed. If you are dropping off your Tax Return but would still like to discuss your concerns with a Tax Preparer, a Phone Appointment option is now available! To schedule a Phone Appointment, please contact our office or select the Phone Appointment option on our website when scheduling. Due to IRS guidelines, we are not able to use online phone call platforms such as Zoom, FaceTime, Google Chats, or Signal. These third-party calling platforms do not provide the level of security required for discussing sensitive personal information. For clients who are able to Drop Off Tax Documents, we would like to make sure you are aware of our variety of Drop Off methods.
Drop Offs:
As always, Tax Documents can be mailed to our office, dropped off with our staff during our office hours, or dropped off after hours via the mail slot beside our front door. We also have a contact-free, digital option available. If you would like to virtually submit your documents, please contact our office via phone or email to request a link to our secure, Document Sharing Portal. Upon request, a link will be sent to you via email. This link will be randomly generated and, for your security, should not be shared. Once you have received the link, you will be able to upload your documents to our Secure Portal, at which point our staff will be notified and will be able to view your documents to prepare your Tax Return. Please do not email sensitive documents to our office or submit them via Facebook. These are not secure options to submit sensitive information. If you have any questions concerning our Digital Drop Off method or any of our other methods for receiving documents, please let us know. When mailing documents, we request that you mail copies, not original documents. Original documents that are lost in the mail are difficult to replace so, if possible, please only mail copies.
No matter how you Drop Off this year, please include your Name, Phone Number, Address, and a list of any changes in family structure such as Marriage, sale of a property, or changes in the number of Dependents. If you have questions concerning what documents to include when dropping off, our staff will be more than happy to assist.
Appointments:
For our clients who necessitate a face-to-face appointment, please schedule either through our website or by phone. We ask that if you or someone in your household is experiencing Covid-related symptoms to please wear a mask during your appointment. Our front desk staff will have extras available. If you or someone in your household has tested positive for Covid-19 or RSV within four days of your appointment, please contact our office to reschedule.
Client Organizers:
Client Organizers are available! These are helpful tools that list what documents we will require to prepare your Tax Return. Client Organizers are based off of the information you provided to our office for the prior Tax Year, so they will not include any information that has changed since we last saw you. With Client Organizers, we will include an additional checklist that outlines any changes in Tax Code for the upcoming year. If you are new to our office this year, Welcome! We have blank Client Organizers available for you in our office and on our website in "Info Center." While they will not have a list of documents that you have used for prior Tax Returns, they will have a summation of documents you may need to bring in depending on your needs. If you have any questions or would like to request a Client Organizer, please contact our office.
I would like to, once again, thank our amazing clients. Our team is excited to assist with the approaching tax season and we're looking forward to seeing everyone. We hope everyone has a great New Year and we look forward to working together in 2023!
Ryan Beverly E.A.
Beverly & Bucker Inc.
The Internal Revenue Service is still working on the details of how it is going to help taxpayers that may have fallen for deceptive marketing that led them to improperly receive employee retention tax credits.
The Internal Revenue Service is still working on the details of how it is going to help taxpayers that may have fallen for deceptive marketing that led them to improperly receive employee retention tax credits.
Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Daniel Werfel said that the agency is still working to figure out the process of how to help those who have already received their ERC "and now realize they believe they received it inappropriately," including how to come forward preemptively before the IRS takes collection action against them, as well as "on settlement terms for paying back in a way we hope works out for those companies economically."
He also noted the agency is working on updating its procedures "for how we review credits, how we communicate with stakeholders to make sure there’s exact clarity, and we’re even stronger in our outreach in terms of what are the issues that we see companies in thinking they’re eligible when they are not." Werfel made his comments November 14, 2023, at the AICPA & CIMA National Tax & Sophisticated Tax Conference.
The IRS already has issued procedures on how taxpayers can withdraw claims for the employee retention credit if the claim has not been processed, as well as placed a moratorium on processing claims until at least the end of year.
Werfel also used his speech to reiterate previously highlighted improvements in customer service and compliance and enforcement following the supplemental funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.
National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins also acknowledged the improvement in the wake of the issues that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The good news is the IRS is in a much better place than it was over the last three years," Collins said during the conference. "The not-so-good news is we still have a long way to go."
In particular, she targeted the continued filing of paper returns as a key contributor to delays in processing returns and other correspondence. The IRS has been working to improve the abilities to filing tax returns and other correspondence electronically as a means of speeding up the processing, and she noted that what has been accomplished thus far "is a good thing."
However, she noted that another challenge is that even if they are electronically filed, they are still manually processed and more work needs to be done to improve the technology to help get them electronically processed.
By Gregory Twachtman, Washington News Editor
The IRS has announced that calendar year 2023 would continue to be regarded as a transition period for enforcement and administration of the de minimis exception for reporting by third party settlement organizations (TPSO) under Code Sec. 6050W(e).
The IRS has announced that calendar year 2023 would continue to be regarded as a transition period for enforcement and administration of the de minimis exception for reporting by third party settlement organizations (TPSO) under Code Sec. 6050W(e). The IRS has also planned for a threshold of $5,000 for tax year 2024 to phase in implementation. Previously, in Notice 2023-10, the IRS announced that 2022 would be regarded as a transition period for the same issue. Specifically, the transition period focuses on the implementation of the amendment to Code Sec. 6050W(e) by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2) that lowered the de minimis exception for TPSOs to $600.
Background
Code Sec. 6050W requires a TPSO to file an information return (Form 1099-K) each calendar year to report the annual gross amount of reportable payment transactions to the IRS and provide a copy of the return to the participating payee. A de minimis exception to this reporting requirement is provided in Code Sec. 6050W(e). Prior to the amendment by the American Rescue Plan Act, a TPSO was exempt from the reporting requirement if the gross amount that would otherwise be reported did not exceed $20,000 and the number of such transactions with that participating payee did not exceed 200. Section 9674(a) of the American Rescue Plan Act amended the de minimis exception to require a TPSO to file an information return if the gross amount of total reportable payment transactions exceeds $600, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2021.
Transition Period
Notice 2023-74 extends the transition period issued under Notice 2023-10 to the 2023 calendar tax year. Under the transition period, a TPSO would not be required to file Form 1099-K to report payments in settlement of third-party network transactions unless the gross amount of aggregate payments to be reported exceeds $20,000 and the number of such transactions with that participating payee exceeds 200. Further, a TPSO exempt from reporting due to the transition period would not be subject to penalties under Code Secs. 6721 or 6722 for the failure to file or furnish Form 1099-K.
The transition period is limited to the amendments made by the American Rescue Plan Act to Code Sec. 6050W(e) and does not apply to other requirements under Code Sec. 6050W. In addition, the transition period does not apply to backup withholdings under Code Sec. 3406(a). TPSOs that have performed backup withholding for a payee during calendar year 2023 must file a Form 945 and a Form 1099-K with the IRS provide copies to the participating payee if total reportable payments to the payee exceeded $600.
The IRS has released the annual inflation adjustments for 2024 for the income tax rate tables, plus more than 60 other tax provisions. The IRS makes these cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) each year to reflect inflation.
The IRS has released the annual inflation adjustments for 2024 for the income tax rate tables, plus more than 60 other tax provisions. The IRS makes these cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) each year to reflect inflation.
2024 Income Tax Brackets
For 2024, the highest income tax bracket of 37 percent applies when taxable income hits:
- $731,200 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $609,350 for single individuals and heads of households,
- $365,600 for married individuals filing separately, and
- $15,200 for estates and trusts.
2024Â Standard Deduction
The standard deduction for 2024 is:
- $29,200 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $21,900 for heads of households, and
- $14,600 for single individuals and married individuals filing separately.
The standard deduction for a dependent is limited to the greater of:
- $1,300 or
- the sum of $450, plus the dependent’s earned income.
Individuals who are blind or at least 65 years old get an additional standard deduction of:
- $1,550 for married taxpayers and surviving spouses, or
- $1,950 for other taxpayers.
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Exemption for 2024
The AMT exemption for 2024 is:
- $133,300 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $85,700 for single individuals and heads of households,
- $66,650 for married individuals filing separately, and
- $29,900 for estates and trusts.
The exemption amounts phase out in 2024 when AMTI exceeds:
- $1,218,700 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $609,350 for single individuals, heads of households, and married individuals filing separately, and
- $99,700 for estates and trusts.
Expensing Code Sec. 179 Property in 2024
For tax years beginning in 2024, taxpayers can expense up to $1,220,000 in section 179 property. However, this dollar limit is reduced when the cost of section 179 property placed in service during the year exceeds $3,050,000.
Estate and Gift Tax Adjustments for 2024
The following inflation adjustments apply to federal estate and gift taxes in 2024:
- the gift tax exclusion is $18,000 per donee, or $185,000 for gifts to spouses who are not U.S. citizens;
- the federal estate tax exclusion is $13,610,000; and
- the maximum reduction for real property under the special valuation method is $1,390,000.
2024 Inflation Adjustments for Other Tax Items
The maximum foreign earned income exclusion amount in 2024 is $126,500.
The IRS also provided inflation-adjusted amounts for the:
- adoption credit,
- earned income credit,
- excludable interest on U.S. savings bonds used for education,
- various penalties, and
- many other provisions.
Effective Date of 2024 Adjustments
These inflation adjustments generally apply to tax years beginning in 2024, so they affect most returns that will be filed in 2025. However, some specified figures apply to transactions or events in calendar year 2024.
The 2024 cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that affect pension plan dollar limitations and other retirement-related provisions have been released by the IRS. In general, many of the pension plan limitations will change for 2023 because the increase in the cost-of-living index due to inflation met the statutory thresholds that trigger their adjustment. However, other limitations will remain unchanged.
The 2024 cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that affect pension plan dollar limitations and other retirement-related provisions have been released by the IRS. In general, many of the pension plan limitations will change for 2023 because the increase in the cost-of-living index due to inflation met the statutory thresholds that trigger their adjustment. However, other limitations will remain unchanged.
The SECURE 2.0 Act (P.L. 117-328) made some retirement-related amounts adjustable for inflation beginning in 2024. These amounts, as adjusted for 2024, include:
- The catch up contribution amount for IRA owners who are 50 or older remains $1,000.
- The amount of qualified charitable distributions from IRAs that are not includible in gross income is increased from $100,000 to $105,000.
- The limit on one-time qualified charitable distributions made directly to a split-interest entity is increased from $50,000 to $53,000.
- The dollar limit on premiums paid for a qualifying longevity annuity contract (QLAC) remains $200,000
Highlights of Changes for 2024
The contribution limit has increased from $22,500 to $23,000 for employees who take part in:
- -401(k),
- -403(b),
- -most 457 plans, and
- -the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan
The annual limit on contributions to an IRA increased from $6,500 to $7,000.
The catch-up contribution limit for individuals aged 50 and over is subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment beginning in 2024 but remains $1,000.
The income ranges increased for determining eligibility to make deductible contributions to:
- -IRAs,
- -Roth IRAs, and
- -to claim the Saver's Credit.
Phase-Out Ranges
Taxpayers can deduct contributions to a traditional IRA if they meet certain conditions. The deduction phases out if the taxpayer or their spouse takes part in a retirement plan at work. The phase out depends on the taxpayer's filing status and income.
- -For single taxpayers covered by a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is $77,000 to $87,000, up from between $73,000 and $83,000.
- -For joint filers, when the spouse making the contribution takes part in a workplace retirement plan, the phase-out range is $123,000 to $143,000, up from between $116,000 and $136,000.
- -For an IRA contributor, who is not covered by a workplace retirement plan but their spouse is, the phase out is between $230,000 and $240,000, up from between $218,000 and $228,000.
- -For a married individual covered by a workplace plan filing a separate return, the phase-out range remains between $0 and $10,000.
- The phase-out ranges for Roth IRA contributions are:
- -$146,000 and $161,000, for singles and heads of household,
- -$230,000 and $240,000, for joint filers, and
- -$0 to $10,000 for married separate filers.
Finally, the income limit for the Saver' Credit is:
- -76,500 for joint filers,
- -$57,375 for heads of household, and
- -$38,250 for singles and married separate filers.
The IRS reminded taxpayers who may be entitled to claim Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) to file a tax return to claim their credit before the April-May, 2024 deadlines. It has been estimated that certain individuals are still eligible to claim RRC for years 2020 and 2021. The deadlines to file a return and claim the 2020 and 2021 credits are May 17, 2024, and April 15, 2025, respectively. Additionally, the IRS reminded that taxpayers must first file a tax return to make their RRC claims irrespective of income slab and source of income.
The IRS reminded taxpayers who may be entitled to claim Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) to file a tax return to claim their credit before the April-May, 2024 deadlines. It has been estimated that certain individuals are still eligible to claim RRC for years 2020 and 2021. The deadlines to file a return and claim the 2020 and 2021 credits are May 17, 2024, and April 15, 2025, respectively. Additionally, the IRS reminded that taxpayers must first file a tax return to make their RRC claims irrespective of income slab and source of income.
The Recovery Rebate Credit, is a refundable credit for those who missed out on one or more Economic Impact Payments such as stimulus payments which were issued in 2020 and 2021. The persons eligible to claim the 2020 and 2021 RRC must:
- have been a U.S citizen or U.S resident alien in the respective year;
- not have been a dependent of another taxpayer for the respective year;
- have a social security number issued before the due date of the tax return which is valid for employment in the U.S;
- for 2021 RRC- have a valid social security number as above or claim a dependent who has a Social Security number issued by the due date of the tax return, or claim a dependent with an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number.
For qualified taxpayers who require one-on-one tax preparation help, they can avail the same through the Free tax return preparation assistance available on the IRS website. The IRS urges people to look into possible benefits available to them under the tax law. People can make use of their IRS Online Account also to keep track of payments due to them.
The Internal Revenue Service is looking to improve its customer service metrics as well as improve its technology offerings in the coming tax filing season.
The Internal Revenue Service is looking to improve its customer service metrics as well as improve its technology offerings in the coming tax filing season.
Building on the supplemental funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has already seen improvements to its phone service and is now looking to improve on it.
"Massive investments in customer service mean taxpayers will get the information and support they deserve,"Â Department of the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said November 7, 2023, during an event at IRS headquarters.
For the 2024 tax filing season, the IRS is committed to maintaining the 85 percent level of service it achieved in the 2023 filing season on the agency’s main taxpayer help line. It also is targeting a hold time of five minutes or less while offering 95 percent call back availability when projected wait times are expected to exceed 15 minutes.
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, speaking at the event, also highlighted a trust target.
"This past filingseason, 84 percent of taxpayers who interacted with our phone assisters stated that this interaction increased their trust in the IRS," Werfel said. "That’s up from 70 percent two years ago. In the coming filingseason, we want to continue to again [the Office of Management and Budget’s] trust goal of 75 percent."
Yellen also highlighted how the "Where’s My Refund?" tool will be improved for the coming season, including incorporating "conversational voice-bot technology to help taxpayers get answers more quickly, and it will provide clearer and more detailed information so taxpayers can address barriers to processing their returns and receive their refunds quickly."
She also said that Taxpayer Assistance Centers increase the hours of face-to-face assistance provided by more than 8,000 hours compared to what was provided in the 2023 filing season.
Yellen also stated that the IRS has met a technology goal and in the 2024 filing season, taxpayers will be able to "digitally upload all correspondence and responses to notices instead of mailing them. … The impact will be significant and far reaching. Taxpayers will save time and effort. The IRS will reduce errors and storage costs and will speed up processing time for the system as a whole."
Additionally, there will be 20 more forms that taxpayers can electronically file in the 2024 filing season.
Yellen and Werfel also reiterated recent announcements on compliance and enforcement efforts and committed to continuing to ensure everyone is paying their fair share of taxes owed.
By Gregory Twachtman, Washington News Editor
The Internal Revenue Service announced the launch of the first phase of rolling out business taxpayer accounts, as well as enable taxpayers to respond to notices online.
The Internal Revenue Service announced the launch of the first phase of rolling out business taxpayer accounts, as well as enable taxpayers to respond to notices online.
In an October 20, 2023, statement, the agency announced that the first phase will allow "unincorporated sole proprietors who have an active Employer Identification Number to set up a business tax account, where they can view their business profits and manage authorized users."
The IRS noted that the business tax accounts will expand to allow taxpayers "to view letters or notices, request transcripts, add third parties for power of attorney or tax information authorizations, schedule or cancel tax payments, and store bank account information."
The business tax accounts were enabled by the agency’s receiving of supplemental funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Another technology improvement announced allowing taxpayers to respond online to notices, something that previously required responses via mail.
"During the filing season 2023, taxpayers were able to respond to 10 of the most common notices for credits like the Earned Income and Health Insurance Tax Credits online, saving them time and money," the agency reported, adding that as of September 29, 2023, it has received more than 32,000 responses to notices via the online tool.
Additionally, the IRS will now accept electronic submissions for three forms via a mobile device-friendly forms. Those forms include:
- Form 15109, Request for Tax Deferment;
- Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit; and
- Form 14242, Reporting Abusive Tax Promotions and/or Preparers
The next form expected to have a mobile-friendly option later this fall is Form 13909, Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint, and at least 20 more of the most-used tax forms will have mobile device availability in early 2024, the IRS stated.
"An estimated 15 percent of Americans rely solely on mobile phones for their internet access – they do not have broadband at home – so it is important to make forms available in mobile-friendly formats," the agency sad.
For tax professionals, their online accounts also received enhancements, including helping practitioners manage their active client authorizations on file with the Centralized Authorization File database as well as the ability to view their client’s tax information, including balance due.
By Gregory Twachtman, Washington News Editor
