Pursuant to the requirements of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, refund payments issued to, and credit elect and refund offset transactions for, corporations claiming refundable prior year minimum tax liability, are subject to sequestration. This means that refund payments and credit elect and refund offset transactions processed on or after Oct. 1, 2018, and on or before Sept. 30, 2019, will be reduced by the fiscal year 2019 6.2 percent sequestration rate, irrespective of when the IRS received the original or amended tax return. The sequestration reduction rate will be applied unless and until a law is enacted that cancels or otherwise affects the sequester, at which time the sequestration reduction rate is subject to change. For taxable years beginning before Jan. 1, 2018, a corporation that can claim an additional first-year depreciation deduction under section 168(k) can choose instead to accelerate the use of its prior year minimum tax credits, treating the accelerated credits as refundable credits. Corporations making this section 168(k)(4) election and claiming a refund of prior year minimum tax credits should complete Form 8827. Corporations claiming refundable credits under section 168(k) will be notified that a portion of their requested refund was sequestered. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, refund payments and credit elect and refund offset transactions due to refundable minimum tax credits under section 53(e) will not be subject to sequestration.
