Resources

Client Alerts, News Articles, Blog Posts, & Multimedia

Everything you need to know about BMD and the industry.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: IRS Opens Portals for Advanced Child Tax Credit Payments 2021

Client Alert

UPDATE

The IRS opened two portals for the Advanced Child Tax Credit payments. Taxpayers who wish to opt-out of the advanced child tax credit payments will need to use the “unenroll from advanced payments” portal. Taxpayers who were not required to file a tax return and have not already submitted his/her information should use the “enter your information” portal to receive the advanced child tax credit payments. The portals can be found at https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021.


May 20, 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act (the “Act”) expands the Child Tax Credit for tax year 2021. In addition to expanding the Child Tax Credit, the Act provides for advance payments of the 2021 Child Tax Credit.

Beginning in July, the IRS will automatically send Advanced Child Tax Credit payments to eligible taxpayers based on their 2020 tax return (or 2019 tax return if the 2020 tax return has not been filed and processed yet). The amount of the advanced payment will be up to $300 each month for each qualifying child under 6 years old at the end of 2021 and $250 each month for each qualifying child between 6 and 17 years old at the end of 2021. For example, if you have 2 qualifying children, one 4 years old and one 8 years old, you may receive up to $550 each month in advance child tax credit payments.

These payments are an advance on the child tax credit a person will claim on his/her 2021 tax return. Therefore, when a person files his/her 2021 tax return, the child tax credit amount will be reduced by the total amount of advance child tax payments received between July and December. That means that you may be required to repay some or all of the advanced child tax credit on your 2021 tax return.

Who is an eligible taxpayer?

Eligible taxpayers are:

  • Married taxpayers filing a joint return or Qualifying Widows with income up to $150,000;
  • Head of Household taxpayers with income up to $112,500; and
  • All other taxpayers with income up to $75,000.

Who is a qualifying child?

A qualifying child is one who:

  • Has a valid social security number
  • Lived with the eligible taxpayer for at least half the year
  • Is related to the eligible taxpayer
  • The eligible taxpayer provides more than 50% of the child’s support

What does this mean?

This means that unless a person opts out, he/she will automatically receive advance child tax credit payments. Therefore, the refund amount you are expecting may be reduced. This also means that parents that alternate claiming a dependent on their tax returns may now owe money to the IRS in 2021 rather than receiving a refund.

In the coming months, the IRS has stated taxpayers will have the opportunity to opt out of the advance child tax credit payments. The IRS has also stated taxpayers will have the opportunity to update information with the IRS such as filing status or number of qualifying children.

For additional questions related to the advance child tax credit payments, please contact BMD Tax Law Attorney Tracy Albanese at tlalbanese@bmdllc.com or (330) 253-9195.


Exposure to COVID-19 Flow Chart

Exposure to COVID-19 Flow Chart

Lessons Learned: Five Tips for Buying or Selling a Practice

If you are anticipating buying or selling a practice during the coming months, you are not alone. The healthcare industry is experiencing a wave of integration. In fact, it has been occurring for several years. Many transactional healthcare attorneys have negotiated and closed dozens of these transactions for clients. They have negotiated on behalf of the sellers in some cases and the buyers in others.

Ramping Up – A Quick Guide to Pressing COVID-19 Employment Law Issues

As the country continues to grapple with a global pandemic that now seems to be never-ending, businesses everywhere are waking up to realize that the calming of the COVID-19 employment issues over the summer has come to an end. As cases rise exponentially in all 50 states as we head into the winter months, the number of employment issues related to COVID-19 will also increase dramatically. For these reasons, it is important that we return to the employment law basics that were covered this prior spring, while highlighting the many lessons we have learned along the way. As COVID-19 matters and concerns continue to hinder the working environment of every business, it is important that you reference this review to guide you through these tough issues and questions.

Your Workplace Under Biden

This is my favorite recurring post – Predictions of How a New Administration Will Affect Your Workplace. Four years ago, we accurately called the emasculation of the 2016 proposed FLSA Overtime Rules (the salary exemption threshold was set at $35,568 in 2019, rather than $47,476 as proposed), we forecasted a conservative shift of the NLRB and its results (a roll-back of employee rights, social media policy evaluations, and joint employer rules), and we nailed the likelihood of multiple conservative appointments to the United States Supreme Court and its long-term effects (although I completely failed to predict that my ND classmate Amy Coney Barrett would fill the final vacancy during the Trump administration). This time, the L+E Practice of BMD has decided to make it a group effort at predicting what will happen, what probably happen, and what might happen under President Biden. As always, please save this in your important files and pull it out four (or eight) years from now to judge our accuracy.

HHS Provider Relief Funds Reporting Requirements: Important Updates Every Provider Should Know

HHS continues to revise its reporting requirements for the use of the Provider Relief Funds. Providers with more than $10,000 in Provider Relief Fund payments must report on the use of the funds through December 31, 2020. The reporting window will begin on January 15, 2021 and providers must complete reporting obligations for FY 2020 by February 15, 2021 through a portal designed by HHS. However, providers that have unexpended funds as of December 31, 2020, will have an additional 6 months to use the remaining funds through June 30, 2021. These providers must submit a second and final report no later than July 31, 2021.