The top tax rate on dividends will rise to 68 percent in 2011 when combined with the effects of the expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, the new health care surtax, and the "double tax on corporate profits," theTax Foundation says in a report.  The group says the double tax on corporate profits imposes a combined federal-state corporate tax rate of 39.1 percent on businesses as well as a top tax rate of 17.3 percent on dividends distributed to individual shareholders.  "With the sunset of the 2003 Bush tax cut at the end of 2010, which will increase the federal dividend tax rate from 15 percent to 39.6 percent, and the new Medicare tax on investment income of 3.8 percent, the integrated effective dividend tax rate will rise dramatically to 68 percent," the Tax Foundation says.

Source:  Bureau of National Affairs at http://www.bna.com/

Source: CBSnews.com

T.D. 9482, 05/10/2010 ; Reg. § 54.9815-2714T ; DOL Fact Sheet and FAQs: “Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act: Protecting Young Adults and Eliminating Burdens on Businesses and Families”


IRS has issued temporary regs on the rule in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act) requiring group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide dependent coverage of children to continue to make such coverage available for an adult child until age 26.   A group health plan, or a health insurance issuer that offers (1) group health insurance coverage, and (2) dependent coverage of children, must make such coverage available for children until they reach age 26. (Reg § 54.9815-2714T(a))

For a child who has not attained age 26, a plan or issuer can't define who is a dependent eligible for dependent coverage of children other than in terms of a relationship between a child and the participant. Thus, for example, a plan or issuer can't deny or restrict coverage for a child under age 26 based on: the presence or absence of the child's financial dependency (upon the participant or any other person); residency with the participant or with any other person; student status; employment, or any combination of those factors. (Reg § 54.9815-2714T(b))

[Note: DOL's FAQs on “Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act: Protecting Young Adults and Eliminating Burdens on Businesses and Families” can be view on the DOL website at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsdependentcoverage.html.]

There is transitional relief for a child whose coverage ended under pre-Affordable Care Act rules, or who was denied coverage (or was not eligible for coverage) under a group health plan or health insurance coverage under these rules. A plan or issuer must give such children an opportunity to enroll that continues for at least 30 days (including written notice of the opportunity to enroll), regardless of whether the plan or coverage offers an open enrollment period and regardless of when any open enrollment period might otherwise occur. (Reg § 54.9815-2714T(f))

Grandfathered group health plans: Group plans that were in existence on Mar. 23, 2010, may exclude adult children eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored health plan (as defined in Code Sec. 5000A(f)(2) ), other than a group health plan of a parent. However, this exception does not apply for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014. (Reg § 54.9815-2714T(f), T.D. 9482, 05/10/2010, DOL FAQ)

RIA observation: There's less than meets the eye in the new coverage requirement. Despite the apparently wide sweep of the new rule, the preamble to Treasury/DOL/HHS regs says that for a variety of reasons, of the 29.5 million young adults in the 19-25 age group, only 2.37 million might be affected.

Source: Federal Tax Updates on Checkpoint Newsstand tab 5/11/2010

The landmark health care reform package is now the law of the land, with immediate and far-reaching tax implications.

Mark Luscombe, CPA, LLM, JD, principal tax analyst for CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business, has tracked this legislation through all its peaks and valleys, and zeroes in on these key issues:

1. For 2010 through 2013, small businesses are eligible for a 35 percent tax credit for premiums paid for employee health coverage. A “small business” has no more than 25 employees and average annual wages less than $50,000. “To qualify, you can exclude company owners from the calculation,” Luscombe says.

2. Starting in 2014, large companies (50 or more workers) will be liable for an additional tax if they do not provide minimum essential coverage. Even if they provide minimum essential coverage, they may be subject to a penalty if any employees received premium assistance or cost-sharing to purchase health insurance through an insurance exchange.

3. Starting in 2014, individuals may be subject to an individual responsibility penalty for failure to maintain minimum essential health coverage. Lower-income individuals may qualify for a refundable premium assistance tax credit.

4. Starting in 2013, Medicare tax will be assessed on investment income for high-income individuals or families. Investment income includes interest, dividends, capital gains, rental income, royalties, and passive business income. “In effect, that’s an additional 3.8 percent tax on net investment income,” Luscombe says. “Many analysts expect the top marginal rate to move up from 35 percent to 39.6 percent in 2011, an additional 4.6 percent tax increase. Top capital gain rates may also increase form 15 percent to 20 percent.” Planning tip: The definition of “investment” does not include tax-exempt bonds.

5. In addition to taxing investment income, the Medicare tax rate itself on earned income has increased by a third, from 2.9 to 3.8 percent, for higher-income individuals and families.

6. Starting in 2013, the legislation increases the adjusted gross income threshold for claiming an itemized deduction for medical expenses, from 7.5 to 10 percent. A temporary exemption is provided for senior citizens.

Source: CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business at http://business.cch.com/, April 22, 2010.

It’s a tipping point that Washington has talked about for a long time – and it’s approaching fast, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated on Wednesday.

The point in question is the moment at which the recovery appears to have advanced far enough for policymakers to turn their attention to another crucial economic priority: deficit reduction.

A credible plan to reduce America’s huge fiscal imbalance could boost economic confidence while reducing long-term interest rates, said Mr. Bernanke in testimony to the Joint Economic Committee of Congress.  "Addressing the country’s fiscal problems will require difficult choices, but postponing them will only make them more difficult," he said.
'A serious long-term threat.'  Bernanke indicated "the current path of fiscal policy is a serious long-term threat to the health of the national economy – there is no single issue that is more worthy of political sacrifice from elected representatives than this one," said Mr. Bethune in a statement.

In his remarks, the Fed chief struck a moderately optimistic note about the current state of the US economy. Recovery began in the second half of last year, boosted by government stimulus spending, according to Bernanke. But with stimulus funds set to diminish in coming months, it's the private sector that will now have to take the lead in stoking the engine of US GDP.

That private-sector boost appears to be happening, said Bernanke, as consumer spending has increased in the first months of 2010. In particular, car sales were strong in March as manufacturers offered another round of purchase incentives.  "Going forward, consumer spending should be aided by a gradual pickup in jobs and earnings, the recovery in household wealth from recent lows, and some improvement in credit availability," said Bernanke.

The Fed chairman did sound a cautionary note on employment, saying it will take a significant amount of time to restore the 8-1/2 million jobs lost in the recent severe downturn. Weakness in the construction sector, plus the cash-strapped situation faced by many state and local governments, will be a drag on economic growth for the foreseeable future.

Bank lending falls.  Bernanke also noted that bank lending to both households and businesses has continued to fall, despite the relatively improved financial position of the banking sector. The Fed is working to make sure its own supervision of banks isn’t part of the reason for the credit slowdown.

"Achieving the appropriate balance between necessary prudence and the need to continue making sound loans to creditworthy borrowers is in the interest of banks, borrowers, and the economy as a whole."

But Bernanke saved perhaps his toughest words for the state of the US balance sheet. His tone on the dangers of the deficit has sharpened in recent weeks as the dangers of financial meltdown have receded.  While federal deficits will decline somewhat in coming years with the decline in stimulus spending, a significant part of the deficit appears to be "structural," he said, caused by long-term projections for Medicare and Social Security spending.

Current projections show the government running an imbalance of 4 to 5 percent of GDP through 2020, and that's dangerous, Bernanke said.  "Maintaining the confidence of the public and financial markets requires that policymakers move decisively to set the federal budget on a trajectory toward sustainable fiscal balance," he said.

Source: "Ben Burnanke: Time to Shift from Stimulus to Federal Deficit," Yahoo News 4/14/10

Source: SmartMoney April 2009, “10 Things the Internal Revenue Service Won’t Tell You” by Jason Kephart

A new tax relief law allows people who contributed in 2010 to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti to take a tax deduction for the contribution on their 2009 tax return instead of their 2010 return. This means you can receive an immediate tax benefit, rather than having to wait until you file next year’s return. Certain requirements apply:

• Only cash contributions made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.
• The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
• You may deduct these contributions on either your 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both.

In addition, the general rules about tax deductions for charitable donations apply:

• You must itemize your deductions on Schedule A; those claiming the standard deduction, including all short-form filers, are not eligible.
• You must keep a record of any deductible donations you make.  For donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the requirement if it shows the name of the donee organization and the date and amount of the contribution.  For cash contributions made by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a cancelled check, or a receipt from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution.
• Contributions to foreign organizations generally are not deductible.

Make sure your contribution goes to a qualified charity. Most organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible donations are listed in a searchable, online database available under Search for Charities. Some organizations, such as churches or governments, may be qualified even though they’re not listed on IRS.gov.

Article by Karen Blumenthal, Wall Street Journal Personal Finance

Here's some friendly year-end advice: Read those disclosure letters that banks and credit-card companies are sending you in coming months—or at least try really hard.

The text of these mailings may seem like gobbledygook. But they may require you to make important choices soon. Ignoring them could mean paying a lot more money to your credit-card company, having a credit card rejected or getting an unpleasant surprise at the ATM.

New legislation and Federal Reserve rules that go into effect in February and next summer will force banks and credit-card companies to give more notice of significant changes in card terms, limit some interest-rate hikes and require more detailed billing statements. But the rules will also require us to decide whether to opt in or out of rate increases and programs such as "overdraft protection" that we may have been automatically enrolled in previously.

The letters may be easy to miss, since some of them look like junk mail. And don't expect reader-friendly prose. The banks' approach is: "It's not our job to teach you the law; it's our job to comply with the law," says Adam Levin, co-founder and chairman of Credit.com, a credit-information Web site.

When you open the envelopes, here are some details to look for and moves you may want to consider:

Is the credit-card's interest rate or annual fee changing? Many companies have been aggressively raising rates as high as 29.99%. But you now have the right to "opt out" of these changes before they become effective, essentially canceling the card for new purchases, though you can continue to pay off the balance at the old interest rate.

If you have an outstanding balance, this option especially matters right now because credit-card companies have a narrow window to hit you with higher interest rates. After the second round of the Credit Card Act goes into effect Feb. 22, the companies can raise rates on future transactions but not on your current balances unless you are at least 60 days behind in your payments. But until Feb. 22, any interest-rate increase can apply to both future purchases and current balances—which could mean substantially higher costs.

Has your credit limit been lowered? And do you borrow close to your limit? Starting in February, the new law will bar credit-card companies from charging fees (typically up to $39) for exceeding a credit cap unless the customer "opts in," or agrees to pay fees for the convenience of busting the limit. If you don't opt in, you run the risk that your credit card will be rejected when you near your limit. That could put those with small credit limits or high balances in an awkward position at the cash register. It also makes travel trickier since hotels and rental-car companies often put a hold on your card as a precaution, reducing your available credit.

To avoid rejection—and fees—set up email and text alerts to notify you when you're near your limit. Credit-card issuers and banks generally offer that option as part of their online service. Also, if you have the discipline, consider a second, back-up card.

Is the bank changing how it handles overdrafts on your debit card? New Fed rules that take effect this summer will bar banks from charging overdraft fees on debit transactions (but not checks or electronic transfers) unless you opt in. Banks will no doubt market their overdraft programs, which charge up to $35 per overdraft, as a convenience. But there are cheaper options.

Again, set up email and text alerts to tell you when your balance drops below a certain level. If you have good credit, you can apply for an overdraft line of credit, which kicks in when your checking account is empty. There's a fee, often $10, for any transaction, plus interest rates comparable to those of credit cards.

Source: See the full article “Credit-Card Mail May be Boring, But Ignoring It Could Cost You” by Karen Blumenthal, Wall Street Journal 12/16/09

Individuals and businesses making contributions to charity should keep in mind several important tax law provisions that have taken effect in recent years.  Some of these changes include the following:

Guidelines for Monetary Donations

To deduct any charitable donation of money, regardless of amount, a taxpayer must have a bank record, cancelled check, credit card statement, or a written communication from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity. These requirements for the deduction of monetary donations do not change the long-standing requirement that a taxpayer obtain an acknowledgment from a charity for each deductible donation (either money or property) of $250 or more.


To help taxpayers plan their holiday-season and year-end giving, the IRS offers the following additional reminders:

• Contributions are deductible in the year made.
• Check that the organization is qualified. Only donations to qualified organizations are tax-deductible.
• For all donations of property, including clothing and household items, get from the charity, if possible, a receipt that includes the name of the charity, date of the contribution, and a reasonably-detailed description of the donated property.

Source:  Internal Revenue Service Newsroom at www.irs.gov/newsroom 12/15/09

Labor and employment lawyers and their clients have seen an increasing emphasis by states on investigating and correcting employer misclassification of workers as independent contractors rather than as employees. The development of new state legal remedies for employees under state law has underlined the importance of properly classifying workers, and attorneys interviewed by BNA agree they have seen a surge in misclassification lawsuits.

Source: Bureau of National Affairs Daily Tax Report 12/14/09

• 50 cents per mile for business miles driven
  
• 16.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
  
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

Tax credits are now available for home improvements meeting the following criteria:

• Must be "placed in service" from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010
• Must be for taxpayer's principal residence, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, and small wind energy systems (where second homes and rentals qualify)
• $1,500 is the maximum total amount that can be claimed for all products placed in service in 2009 & 2010 for most home improvements, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and small wind energy systems which are not subject to this cap, and are in effect through 2016
• Must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement to qualify
• For record keeping, save your receipts and the Manufacturer Certification Statement
• Improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes
• If you are building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind energy systems and fuel cells, but not the tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, or non-solar water heaters

• Windows and Doors
• Insulation
• Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)
• HVAC
• Water Heaters (non-solar)
• Biomass Stoves

• Geothermal Heat Pumps
• Solar Panels
• Solar Water Heaters
• Small Wind Energy Systems
• Fuel Cells

For tax years beginning after 2009, the $100,000 modified adjusted gross income limit on conversions of traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs is eliminated. Additionally, married taxpayers filing a separate return will be able to convert amounts in a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA (currently they are barred from doing so).
Source: Federal Tax Updates on RIA Checkpoint Newsstand tab 11/23/09

IRS has allowed taxpayers to keep electronic tax records since 1997 under Rev. Proc. 97-22 “Recordkeeping Requirements – Electronic Storage System.”

The implementation of records management practices is a business decision that is solely within the discretion of the taxpayer. Records management practices may include the labeling of electronically stored books and records, providing a secure storage environment, creating back-up copies, selecting an off-site storage location, retaining hardcopies of books or records that are illegible or that cannot be accurately or completely transferred to an electronic storage system, and testing to confirm records integrity.

Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 97-22: Recordkeeping Requirements – Electronic Storage System

Previous law. A refundable tax credit is available for qualifying first-time home purchases after Apr. 8, 2008, and before Dec. 1, 2009. For homes bought in 2009, the maximum first time homebuyer tax credit (FTHTC) is equal to the lesser of $8,000 ($4,000 for a married individual filing separately) or 10% of the principal residence's purchase price (for purchases before 2009, the dollar limits are $7,500 ($3,750 for marrieds filing separately). The FTHTC phases out for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income (AGI) between $75,000 and $95,000 ($150,000 and $170,000 for joint filers) for the year of purchase.

New law. The Act extends the FTHTC and liberalizes it by making it available to (1) higher-income taxpayers and (2) to existing homeowners who are qualifying “long-time residents” and who buy another principal residence. However, for the first time there will be a dollar cap on residences qualifying for the FTHTC.

FTHTC extended. Under the Act, the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit is extended to apply to a principal residence purchased by the taxpayer before May 1, 2010. The FTHTC also applies to the purchase of a principal residence before July 1, 2010 by any taxpayer who enters into a written binding contract before May 1, 2010, to close on the purchase of a principal residence before July 1, 2010.

FTHTC available to higher income taxpayers. For purchases after the enactment date, the FTHTC phases out for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income (AGI) between $125,000 and $145,000 ($225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers) for the year of purchase.

FTHTC available for existing homebuyers who are “long-time residents.” For purchases after the enactment date, any individual (and, if married, the individual's spouse) who has maintained the same principal residence for any 5-consecutive year period during the 8-year period ending on the date of the purchase of a subsequent principal residence is treated for FTHTC purposes as a first-time homebuyer of that subsequent principal residence. The maximum allowable credit for such taxpayers is $6,500 ($3,250 for a married individual filing separately).

New limitation on home price for FTHTC. For purchases after the enactment date, the FTHTC cannot be claimed for buying a residence if its purchase price exceeds $800,000

Additional liberalizations for Service Members. The Act extends the FTHTC for an additional year, and waives recapture provisions, for individuals who are on qualified official extended duty, which means service on official extended duty as a member of the uniformed services, a member of the Foreign Service of the United States, or an employee of the intelligence community. Qualified official extended duty is any period of extended duty while serving at a place of duty at least 50 miles away from the taxpayer's principal residence or under orders compelling residence in government furnished quarters. Extended duty is any period of duty pursuant to a call or order to such duty for a period in excess of 90 days or for an indefinite period.

Source: RIA Checkpoint Newsstand 11/06/09

Extension of home buyer credit overcomes procedural hurdle in Senate on 11/2/09.

The Senate votes 85-2 to invoke cloture on legislation (H.R. 3548) that would extend and expand the home buyer tax credit and tax benefits for money-losing businesses, clearing the way for final passage in coming days. The bill would extend the deadline for first-time home buyers to take advantage of an $8,000 tax credit for housing purchases through April 30, 2010, and provide for a new $6,500 tax credit to help certain existing homeowners interested in buying a different house. Businesses also would benefit from a provision to extend and expand the five-year net operating loss carryback provision to all businesses.

Source: Bureau of National Affairs Daily Tax Report 11/3/09

On October 30, House leaders unveiled the “Affordable Health Care for America Act.” It's a massive 1,900-page health reform bill that revises and combines the tri-committee (Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor) bills issued earlier this year. The timetable for the House of Representatives to take up the measure is uncertain at this point. And should the House pass the measure it would have to be reconciled with any bill that passes Senate as the two bills would likely have different approaches on many non-tax and tax provisions.

“Shared responsibility” and tax provisions in the House bill:

• Employers would have to either provide health insurance to their employees or make a contribution to help fund affordable health insurance. Employers not offering qualified coverage would pay a payroll tax equal to 8% of their payroll to help cover expenses of employees who seek coverage through the exchange. Small businesses (annual payrolls below $500,000) would be exempt from coverage requirements, including the 8% payroll contribution for failure to provide health benefits to their workers. The 8% contribution requirement would be phased in for small businesses with an annual payroll between $500,000 and $750,000.

• Individuals would be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay an additional tax equal to the lower of 2.5% of their adjusted income above the filing threshold or the average premium on the insurance exchange.

• The penalty on distributions from health savings accounts that are not used to pay for health related expenditures would be increased from 10% to 20%.

• The deduction for expenses allocable to Medicare Part D subsidy would be eliminated.

The bill would create a 5.4% tax on modified adjusted gross income in excess of $1 million in the case of a joint return ($500,000 in the case of other returns). It's estimated that the tax, if enacted, would affect only 0.3% of all households and only 1.2% of sole proprietors, partners, and S Corp shareholders operating a business.

Source: RIA Checkpoint Tax Watch 10/30/09

During our tax season interviews at Predovich & Company, we find that many clients would have realized substantial tax savings if they had talked to us prior to taking certain taxable actions.

Some areas where a pre-planning appointment with one of our CPAs may help you:

• Discuss your life goals
• Change in employment status
• Review retirement income scenarios
• Purchase or sale of rental or investment real estate
• Purchase or sale of personal residence
• Refinance of real estate property
• Business startup
• Business funding
• Sale of business
• IRA/Pension plan withdrawals
• Investment and financial planning
• Cash management
• Tax implications of education funding plans for children or grandchildren
• Whether long-term care or other insurance should be part of your (or your parents’) estate plan

The above list is not intended to be a complete list of areas where tax planning may reduce your tax liability. Prices for Tax Planning vary based upon individual requirements. We also offer a Personal Finance Checkup Interview and a Business Checkup to our clients covering these and many other topics. Please contact our office for more information.

Income

• Net operating losses – The ARRA amended IRC Sec. 172(b)(1)(H) to allow eligible small businesses to carry back a 2008 net operating loss up to five years instead of the otherwise available two-year limit. To be eligible for the longer carryback period, the loss must arise from an eligible small business – a proprietorship, partnership, or corporation with average gross receipts of $15 million or less for the three-year period ending in 2008. 
• Unemployment compensation – For 2009, $2,400 of unemployment compensation is excluded from tax.

Deductions

• Motor vehicle taxes – Taxpayers may deduct “qualified motor vehicle taxes,” defined as state or local sales or excise taxes imposed on the purchase of a new qualified motor vehicle. The vehicle must be a passenger car, light truck, or motorcycle weighing 8,500 pounds or less, or a motor home. The vehicle must be acquired after Feb. 17, 2009, and before 2010. The deduction is limited to tax on the first $49,500 of the purchase price.

Tax Credits

• Child tax credit – While the amount of the child tax credit remains at $1,000 per dependent child under age 17, the refundable portion is increased for tax years 2009 and 2010 to the extent of 15% of the taxpayer’s earned income over $3,000 (lowered from $8,500). Beginning in tax year 2009, a child who qualifies for the child tax credit must also be the taxpayer’s dependent.
• Hope credit – Beginning in tax year 2009, the Hope credit is increased to a maximum of $2,500 per year (100% of the first $2,000 of qualifying expenses and 25% of the next $2,000), with 40% of the credit refundable. The provision extended the credit to all four years of college and expanded the definition of qualifying expenses to include course materials.
• Earned income credit – For tax years 2009 and 2010, the earned income tax credit percentage for families with three or more qualifying children is increased from 40% to 45%.

Alternative Minimum Tax

• AMT exemptions increased for 2009 to $70,950 for a joint return, $46,700 for single taxpayers and heads of household, and $35,475 for married taxpayers filing separately. Commonly referred to as the “AMT patch,” this measure comes with an estimated cost of $70 billion to provide AMT relief to an estimated 26 million taxpayers.

Source: “Recovery Act Reminders for 2009” by Ellen Cook, CPA, Anna Fowler, CPA, Ph.D., Annette Nellen, Esq., CPA, Nora Stapleton, CPA, and Joseph W. Walloch, CPA, Journal of Accountancy, October 2009

The following is a summary of several important tax developments that have occurred in the past three months that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments and to minimize the impact of those that are unfavorable.

Administration launches new initiative to boost retirement savings. The Administration has issued a barrage of guidance designed to increase retirement savings. Three revenue rulings, four notices, and new IRS website explanations make it easier for employers to provide for automatic retirement plan enrollments and automatic contribution increases, permit unused leave to be converted into retirement savings, give employees a clearer understanding of rollover options, and permit income tax refunds to be used to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds. The new developments will, to be sure, make it easier for employers to offer automatic enrollments, and enhance the chances that taxpayers won't spend their lump-sum payouts. However, the real trail blazers are the ruling that permits the dollar value of unused paid time off to be contributed to a 401(k) plan, and Treasury's new policy of allowing taxpayers to funnel tax refunds directly into U.S. Savings Bonds.

Next year's tax figures increase slightly if at all. Inflation data that is finalized each August is used by the IRS to compute the following year's standard deductions, exemptions, tax brackets and other key items. While the IRS has not yet released its “official” computations (it has until Dec. 15 to do so), a reputable publisher of tax law information has calculated the figures for 2010. It has determined that, because of the extremely low inflation over the past 12 months, for the first time ever, many key tax items will not increase next year or will increase only slightly. Items that won't increase include the personal exemption and the standard deduction for all but heads of household. Some tax brackets will remain the same but most will increase slightly.

IRS can examine tax accrual workpapers. A Federal appellate court has held that so-called tax accrual workpapers are not protected by the work-product privilege. That privilege protects work done for litigation, not in preparing financial statements, and the workpapers were prepared to support financial filings and gain auditor approval. As a result, the IRS could examine the tax accrual workpapers in auditing the taxpayer.

Simplified per diem rates increased effective Oct. 1, 2009. Reimbursements of an employee's business travel costs (lodging, meal and incidental expenses (M&IE)) at a per diem rate are payroll-and income-tax free if simplified substantiation is provided and the daily rate doesn't exceed the federal per diem rate (the maximum amount that the federal government reimburses its employees) for the locality of travel for that day. While the per diem rates vary by travel destination, employers can make reimbursements at the simplified “high-low” per diem rates, which assign one per diem rate to high-cost areas within the continental U.S., and another to non-high-cost areas.

Source: Federal Tax Updates on RIA Checkpoint Newsstand 10/15/09