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IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures | IRS Tax Lawyer

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This is the concluding article in our series of articles on the topic of the IRS Written Advice Defense. In prior articles, we have outlined the general legal test of the IRS Written Advice Defense and described each of the three prongs of this test. In this article, I would like to discuss the IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures – i.e. the actual administrative process for requesting abatement of penalties based on this defense.

This article is for educational purposes only and I strongly encourage you to retain the services of an experienced tax attorney before engaging in the IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures.

IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures: Form 843

The centerpiece of the IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures is Form 843. Taxpayers who are entitled to an abatement of penalties pursuant to 26 U.S.C. §6404(f) should complete and file Form 843. At the top of Form 843, taxpayers should write: “Abatement of penalty or addition to tax pursuant to section 6404(f).” Furthermore, taxpayers should state on Form 843 whether the penalty or addition to tax has been paid.

IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures: Documents to Be Submitted with Form 843

The taxpayers must submit copies of the following documents together with their Form 843 (note that these documents are directly related to the three-prong legal test for the IRS Written Advice Defense):

1. A copy of the taxpayer’s written request for the IRS advice (with a statement of adequate and accurate facts);

2. A copy of the erroneous written advice provided by the IRS to the taxpayer and relied upon by the taxpayer; and

3. A copy of a report (if any) of tax adjustments (the report should identify the penalty or addition to tax and the item for which the erroneous IRS written advice was requested).

In addition to these required documents, I recommend that most of Form 843 abatement requests be accompanied by a detailed description of facts, the erroneous IRS written advice, the taxpayer’s reliance on this advice and how this reliance led to the imposition of a penalty.

IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures: Time Limitations for Filing Form 843

The IRS regulations also address the issue when Form 843 should be submitted in order to be considered a timely request for abatement. The regulations specified that any abatement of a penalty or addition to tax pursuant to 26 U.S.C. §6404(f) will be permitted only if the request for such an abatement “is submitted within the period allowed for collection of such penalty or addition to tax, or, if the penalty or addition to tax has been paid, the period allowed for claiming a credit or refund of such penalty or addition to tax.” Treas. Reg. §301.6404-3(e).

IRS Written Advice Abatement Procedures: Where to File Form 843

The mailing address of Form 843 depends on whether the incorrect IRS advice is related to an item on a federal tax return. If the advice is related to an item on the taxpayer’s tax return, then Form 843 should be submitted to the IRS center where the tax return was originally filed. On the other hand, if the erroneous IRS advice is not concerning any item of the taxpayer’s federal tax return, then the taxpayer should submit Form 843 to the IRS Center where the taxpayer’s return was filed for the taxable year in which the taxpayer relied on the erroneous advice.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Professional Help With Respect to Abatement or Reduction of IRS Penalties

If the IRS imposed a penalty with respect to your prior noncompliance with US international tax returns, such as FBAR, Forms 926, 3520, 5471, 5472, 8621, 8865, 8938, et cetera, contact Sherayzen Law Office to explore your IRS penalty reduction options. Sherayzen Law Office is an international tax law firm that has helped US taxpayers around the world to deal with these penalties. We can help You!

Contact Us Today to Schedule Your Confidential Consultation!

Tax-Exempt Organizations Must File Form 990 by May 17, 2010

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Under the Pension Protection Act of 2006, most tax-exempt organizations, with the exception of churches and church-related organizations, must file Form 990 with the IRS effective the beginning of year 2007. Any tax-exempt organization that fails to file the relevant version of the form for three consecutive years automatically loses its federal tax-exempt status.

All Form 990-series returns are due on the 15th day of the fifth month after an organization’s fiscal year ends. Many organizations use the calendar year as their fiscal year, which makes May 15 the deadline for those tax-exempt organizations. This year, however, since May 15 falls on a Saturday, the deadline is actually on May 17, 2010. Absent a request for extension, there is no grace period from filing by the original due date.

Small tax-exempt organizations with annual receipts of $25,000 or less can file an electronic notice Form 990-N. Other tax-exempt organizations with annual receipts above $25,000 must file a Form 990 or 990-EZ, depending on their annual receipts. Private foundations must file Form 990-PF.

Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act: Two New Tax Benefits for Employers

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On March 18, 2010, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (“HIRE”) was enacted into law. The Act offers timely benefits to the employers who hire unemployed workers.

HIRE Benefits

Under the HIRE, qualified employers who hire unemployed workers may qualify for two main tax benefits.

First, under the HIRE, Employers who hire unemployed workers between February 3, 2010 and January 1, 2011 may qualify for a 6.2% payroll tax incentive, in effect exempting them from their share of Social Security taxes on wages paid to these workers after the date of enactment. This reduced tax withholding will have no effect on the employee’s future Social Security benefits, and employers will still have to withhold the employee’s share of Social Security taxes, as well as income taxes. Moreover, both employers and employees will still have to pay their share of Medicare taxes.

Second, employers may claim an additional general business tax credit of up to $1,000 per each worker retained.

Notice, new workers filling existing positions may also qualify but only if the workers they are replacing left voluntarily or for cause. Family members and other relatives do not qualify.

Types of Employers Qualified to Claim HIRE Benefits

Businesses, agricultural employers, tax-exempt organizations and public colleges/universities all qualify to claim the payroll tax benefit for eligible newly-hired employees. Household employers cannot claim this new tax benefit.

When to Claim HIRE Benefits

Employers may claim the payroll tax benefit on the federal employment tax return they file, usually quarterly, with the IRS. Eligible employers will be able to claim the new tax incentive on their revised employment tax form for the second quarter of 2010.

The additional business tax credit should be claimed on the employers’ 2011 income tax returns.

Additional Requirements

Under the HIRE, in order to benefit from the new law, employers must get a statement from each eligible new hire certifying that he or she was unemployed during the 60 days before beginning work or, alternatively, worked fewer than a total of 40 hours for someone else during the 60-day period.