New: Surviving Spouses to Benefit from Portability Election; Estate Tax Return Required to Make this Choice For Some, Form 706 Due as Early as Oct. 3 IR-2011-97, Sept. 29, 2011 — The IRS reminded estates of married individuals dying after 2010 that they must file an estate tax return to pass along their unused estate & gift tax exclusion amount to their surviving spouse. IRS Issues Guidance to Further Implement Return Preparer Oversight IR-2011-96, Sept. 21, 2011 — The IRS provided clarification for tax return preparers about when to renew their preparer tax identification numbers (PTINs), how suitability testing will be conducted, and when the continuing education requirement will begin. IRS Announces New Voluntary Worker Classification Settlement Program; Past Payroll Tax Relief Provided to Employers Who Reclassify Their Workers IR-2011-95, Sept. 21, 2011 – The IRS launched a new program that will enable many employers to resolve past worker classification issues and achieve certainty under the tax law at a low cost by voluntarily reclassifying their workers. IRS Shows Continued Progress on International Tax Evasion IR-2011-94, Sept. 15, 2011 — The IRS announces new details on the recently completed offshore program. IRS Issues Guidance on Tax Treatment of Cell Phones; Provides Small Business Recordkeeping Relief IR-2011-93, Sept. 14, 2011— The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance designed to clarify the tax treatment of employer-provided cell phones. Treasury and the IRS Seek Public Input on Certain Employer Provisions of the Affordable Care Act IR-2011-92, September 13, 2011 — The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service today requested public comment on a proposed affordability safe harbor for employers under the shared responsibility provisions included in the Affordable Care Act that will apply to certain employers starting in 2014. IRS Offers Filing and Penalty Relief for 2010 Estates; Basis Form Now Due Jan. 17; Extension to March Available for Estate Tax Returns IR-2011-91, Sept. 13, 2011 — The IRS announced that large estates of people who died in 2010 will have until early next year to file various returns and pay any estate taxes due. As Tax Filing Extension Deadlines Near, IRS and HHS Announce New Round of Outreach to Small Businesses and Practitioners IR-2011-90, Sept. 7, 2011 — As the upcoming filing extension tax deadlines approach, the IRS, in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, is announcing a new round of outreach to small employers and the professional service providers they rely on to encourage them to review the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to see if they are eligible. IRS Releases Specifications for Registered Tax Return Preparer Test IR-2011-89, Sept. 6, 2011 — The IRS released the specifications for the competency test individuals must pass to become a Registered Tax Return Preparer. IRS Gives One-Week Filing Extension to Taxpayers Whose Preparers Were Affected by Hurricane Irene IR-2011-88, Sept. 1, 2011 — Relief primarily applies to corporations, partnerships and trusts. IRS Provides Tax Relief to Victims of Hurricane Irene IR-2011-87, Sept. 1, 2011 –– The relief postpones certain filing and payment deadlines to Oct. 31, 2011. News release and fact sheet archive Find previous year news releases and fact sheets from 1997 through last month.
