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IRS Grants Additional Extensions and Suspends Collection Activity

Client Alert

More Extensions Granted for Filing Returns

In addition to those previously announced, the IRS has granted extensions for filing of the following returns and payments of amounts due for any of the returns listed below due after April 1, 2020 and before July 15, 2020:

  • Form 706 - Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax;
  • Form 8971 – Information Regarding Beneficiaries Acquiring Property form a Decedent;
  • Form 709 – United States Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax;
  • Any Estate Tax payment due as a result of an election under sections 6166, 6161, and 6163;
  • Form 990-T – Exempt Organization Business Income Tax;
  • Form 990-PF – Return of Private Foundation or Section 4947 Trust;
  • Form 4720 – Return of Certain Excise Taxes; and
  • All estimated payments made on Form 990-W; 1040-ES, 1041-ES, 1120-W.

(This is a change from the extension of only the first quarter estimate to include the June 15, 2020, estimate).

Collection Actions

The IRS is suspending most collection actions between April 1, 2020 and July 15, 2020.  The specific actions are outlined below:

  • Installment Agreements
    • Those which are currently in place will have all payments suspended between April 1 and July 15. However, if you are paying by automatic debit, you must contact your bank to suspend the payment.  If you do so, please remember to contact your bank to have payments resume in July.
    • New installment agreements may be submitted on the IRS website for those eligible to automatically be qualified for an installment arrangement. All others will not currently be processed.
  • Offers in Compromise
    • Those with pending OICs will have until July 15 to provide any requested information. No request will be closed before July 15 unless the taxpayer has requested the closure;
    • All payments under current OICs may suspend payments until July 15. Be advised that interest continues to accrue during this period;
    • Any current OIC will not be defaulted for failure to file their 2018 return provided they file the return on or before July 15; and
    • New OIC applications may be filed but will not be worked. As a practical matter, these applications should not be prepared or submitted until closer to the July 15 date in order to avoid having to provide updated information.
  • Liens, Levies, and Passport Certifications
    • Automated liens and levies will be suspended during this period;
    • Liens and Levies initiated by field revenue officers will be suspended;
    • High income non-filers will continue to have collection actions during this period; and
    • New certifications to the Department of State for passport holds will be suspended during the period.
  • Private Debt Collection has not been suspended. However, from a practical standpoint there may not be much if any activity from private debt collectors.
  • Audits and Appeals
    • All in-person meetings have been suspended, but examiners will continue to work on matters remotely. Taxpayers are encouraged to respond to any correspondence they receive if they are able.
    • New audits (including correspondence audits) will not be started UNLESS the IRS deems it necessary to protect the government’s interest.
    • Appeals officers will continue to work cases. Conferences will be held by telephone or videoconference.

For questions, or more information, please contact BMD Tax Member, Priscilla Grant at pag@bmdllc.com or 330.253.5934.


Latest Batch of Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board Rules: What Providers Should Know

The Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board recently released several new rules and proposed amendments to existing rules over the past few months. A hearing for the new rules was held on February 16, 2024, but the Board has not yet finalized them.

Now in Effect: DOL Final Rule on Classification of Independent Contractors

Effective March 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has adopted a new standard for the classification of employees versus independent contractors — a much anticipated update since the DOL issued its Final Rule on January 9, 2024, as previously discussed by BMD.  In brief, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) creates significant protections for workers related to minimum wage, overtime pay, and record-keeping requirements. That said, such protection only exists for employees. This can incentivize entities to classify workers as independent contractors; however, misclassification is risky and can be costly.

Florida's Recent Ruling on Arbitration Clauses

Florida’s recent ruling on arbitration clauses provides a crucial distinction in determining whether such clauses are void as against public policy and providers may have the opportunity to include arbitration clauses in their patient consent forms. On March 6, 2024, Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals reversed and remanded Florida’s Fifteenth Circuit Court ruling of Piero Palacios v. Sharnice Lawson. The Court of Appeals ruled that the parties’ arbitration agreement did not contradict the Legislature’s intent of Florida’s Medical Malpractice Act (the “MMA”), but rather reflects the parties’ choice to arbitrate claims entirely outside of the MMA’s framework. Therefore, the Court found that the agreement was not void as against public policy.

Corporate Transparency Act Update 3/14/24

On March 1, 2024, a federal district court in the Northern District of Alabama concluded that the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) exceeded Congressional powers and enjoined the Department of the Treasury from enforcing the CTA against the plaintiffs. National Small Business United v. Yellen, No. 5:22-cv-01448 (N.D. Ala.). On March 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice appealed the district court’s decision to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Ohio State University Launches Its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

In response to Ohio’s nursing shortage, The Ohio State University College of Nursing is accepting applications for its new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (aBSN). Created for students with a bachelor’s degree in non-nursing fields, the aBSN allows such students to obtain their nursing degree within 18 months. All aBSN students will participate in high-quality coursework and gain valuable clinical experience. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to take the State Board, National Council of Licensure Exam for Registered Nursing (NCLEX-RN).