BHBM Tax Law Alert 9/20/2019
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Thank you for subscribing to our firm’s Tax Law Alert. If you have any questions pertaining to this information, please contact Jeannette Waring and Jack Casanova at (504) 569-2900.
FIRM EVENTS
BHBM 36th Annual Seminar for CPAs
We will be hosting our 36th Annual Seminar for Certified Public Accountants on the following dates. Register online today!
Mandeville
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
8am-8:30am (check-in/breakfast); 8:30am-12pm (program)
Beau Chene *New Location*
602 N. Beau Chene Drive
Mandeville, LA 70471
Metairie
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
12:30pm-5pm (check-in/program); 5pm-7pm (reception)
Sheraton Metairie
Four Galleria Boulevard
Metairie, LA 70001
FEDERAL UPDATE
IRS Offers Time-Limited Settlements for Certain Micro-Captives
In the recently issued
IR 2019-157, the IRS announced that it is mailing a time-limited settlement offer to certain taxpayers under audit who participated in abusive micro-captive insurance transactions.
Only those taxpayers who receive a settlement offer by letter from the IRS are eligible for this resolution. Although the initiative is currently limited to taxpayers with at least one open year under exam and taxpayers who have unresolved years under the jurisdiction of the IRS Appeals, the IRS is continuing to assess whether the settlement offer should be expanded to other taxpayers.
Unless the taxpayer can demonstrate good faith, reasonable reliance, the settlement requires substantial concession of the income tax benefits claimed by the taxpayer together with appropriate penalties.
If a taxpayer who receives a letter under this settlement initiative declines the offer, the IRS will continue to audit the taxpayer under the IRS’s normal procedures, which may result in the full disallowance of captive insurance deductions, inclusion of income by the captive and imposition of all applicable penalties. Moreover, a taxpayer who declines this offer will not be eligible for any potential future settlement initiatives.
The IRS notes that, although the taxpayers who decline this offer will have full appeal rights, the IRS Independent Office of Appeals believes the terms of this resolution initiative generally reflect the hazards of litigation faced by taxpayers, so taxpayers should not expect to receive better terms in appeals than those offered under this initiative.
The IRS will continue to disallow the tax benefits claimed in micro-captive insurance transactions and defend its position in court. Further, the IRS plans to continue opening additional exams in this area as part of ongoing work to combat abusive transactions.