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Yearly Archives: 2013

Why Do Celebrities Have Tax Problems?

What do Marion Barry, Rob Lowe, Wyclef Jean, Vera Wang and Lindsay Lohan have in common? IRS trouble!


No matter how famous, talented or connected, whether actor, designer, politician or musician, in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service they are simply “taxpayers.”  

The average taxpayer who chooses a withholding status and then turns tax collection over to the HR department for payroll withdrawal often scratches his or her head at the very wealthy who can’t seem to get a handle on paying their taxes.

Keep in mind that many of these famous tax delinquents are independent contractors or self-employed, making their taxes quite a bit more challenging; not to mention the difficulty of correctly reporting income earned in a variety of states. And while many in high income brackets employ a business manager, not all of those managers have tax expertise, especially when they are spouses or other family members.
 
Many celebs that are getting good tax advice to form a corporation in order to shield themselves from personal liability, and to protect personal assets from corporate creditors. In addition to lowering risk, there are numerous tax advantages to incorporation.

But it’s probably safe to say that most celebrities prefer not to spend a lot of time thinking about taxes (not unlike the majority of the American public).

Celebrities and non-celebrities alike should contact a licensed tax practitioner or Tax Attorney to ensure they don’t wind up paying more than they need to or find themselves sharing a cell with Wesley Snipes! 

Need Tax Advice?
 
Contact the Tax Lawyers at Marini & Associates, P.A.
 
 
for a FREE Tax Consultation at www.TaxAid.us or www.TaxLaw.ms  
or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).


Source

NAEA

 

Read more at: Tax Times blog

IRS Statistics – Who Filed Uncertain Tax Positions in 2011?

 

The IRS has released their statistics on Uncertain Tax Position (UTP) filingsby taxpayers for the 2011 tax year.

The Schedule UTP asks for information about tax positions that affect the U.S. federal income tax liabilities of certain corporations that issue or are included in audited financial statements and have assets that equal or exceed $50 million.  

The Schedule UTP requires the reporting of each U.S. federal income tax position taken by an applicable corporation on its U.S. federal income tax return for which two conditions are satisfied:
 
1.       The corporation has taken a tax position on its U.S. federal income tax return for the current tax year or for a prior tax year. 
2.       Either the corporation or a related party has recorded a reserve with respect to that tax position for U.S. federal income tax in audited financial statements, or the corporation or related party did not record a reserve for that tax position because the corporation expects to litigate the position. 
 
A tax position for which a reserve was recorded (or for which no reserve was recorded because of an expectation to litigate) must be reported regardless of whether the audited financial statements are prepared.


 The statistics show that:

Schedule UTP TY2011 Filing Statistics (as of December 2012)

  • 1,783 taxpayers filed Schedule UTP for TY2011. (This compares to 1,761 taxpayers at the same time last year. Total returns filed and number of issues disclosed will increase as late year filters and other returns are filed)
  • 83% of all returns filed with Schedule UTP were filed by IC taxpayers.
  • 4,120 tax positions have been disclosed on Schedule UTPs for TY 2011.
  • Returns filed by CIC taxpayers with a Schedule UTP averaged 3.8 uncertain tax positions per Schedule, while returns filed by IC taxpayers with a Schedule UTP averaged 2.0 positions per Schedule.
    • Note that beginning with TY2011, corporations are required to report tax positions taken in the prior year on Part II of Schedule UTP if that position was not reported on the prior year Schedule. As such, we expect a slight increase in the average number of total positions reported per taxpayer. We will at a later date begin to break out the total number of positions reported between current year and prior year positions.
  • 47% of all Schedule UTP returns filed included only one uncertain tax position.
  • IRS is still compiling the data regarding the top code sections reported with the TY2011 filings, although we do not expect much variation from TY2010. That information will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

For comparison, the TY2010 stats were: Schedule UTP TY2010 Filing Statistics

  • 2,356 taxpayers filed Schedule UTP for TY2010.
  • 79% of all returns filed with Schedule UTP were filed by IC taxpayers.
  • 4,712 tax positions were disclosed on Schedule UTPs for TY 2010.
  • Returns filed by CIC taxpayers with a Schedule UTP averaged 3.1 uncertain tax positions per Schedule, while returns filed by IC taxpayers with a Schedule UTP averaged 1.9 positions per Schedule.
  • 49% of all Schedule UTP returns filed included only one uncertain tax position.
  • The top three code sections reported by UTP filers are IRC 41, 482 and 162. Analysis of UTP filers’ concise descriptions revealed that the third highest primary IRC section is actually IRC 263 capitalization.
  • Transfer Pricing and Research Credit comprise 43% of all disclosed uncertain tax positions.

Have and Uncertain Tax Possission?

Not Sure if you Have to Report it?

Contact the Tax Lawyers at

Marini & Associates, P.A.
 
 

for a FREE Tax Consultation at www.TaxAid.us or www.TaxLaw.ms

or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).

 

Read more at: Tax Times blog

How to Report Your Tribal Trust Settlement to the IRS?

The IRS announces the publication of Notice 2013-1, which updates and supersedes Notice 2012-60. Notice 2013-1 provides guidance concerning the federal income tax treatment of per capita payments that a member of an Indian tribe receives from the proceeds of certain settlements of tribal trust accounting and mismanagement cases between the United States and that Indian tribe.  

The notice also updates the list of tribes that have settled litigation against the United States that alleges the Interior and the Treasury departments mismanaged monetary assets and natural resources held in trust for the benefit of the tribes.

Notice 2013-1 supersedes Notice 2012-60, published in September, adding 6 additional Indian Tribes to the list of tribes in the appendix that have settled litigation against the United States.

Need Tax Help the Tax Treatment of Tribal Trust Settlement Proceeds?
 
Contact the Tax Lawyers at Marini & Associates, P.A.

for a FREE Tax Consultation at www.TaxAid.us or www.TaxLaw.ms

or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).


 

Read more at: Tax Times blog

Swiss Sign FATCA Deal With US to Crack Down on US Tax Dodgers.

Switzerland and the United States have signed a controversial deal aimed at cracking down on wealthy American tax dodgers.

The accord further undermines Switzerland’s tradition of banking secrecy. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca) obliges foreign firms to report offshore accounts by US tax payers that amount to more than $50,000.

The signing on Thursday came the day after Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf told a news conference that Switzerland had decided to agree to a bilateral deal with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which allows for certain exceptions, notably for the Swiss insurance sector, pension funds and the Swiss National Bank.

Switzerland is only the second state after Japan to opt for this type of agreement; most other nations are reportedly willing to sign a standard agreement.

Swiss banks active in international financial markets have no choice but to apply the US rules, according to Widmer-Schlumpf.

The Swiss Bankers Association said it welcomed the signing of the agreement although the banks continue to view Fatca "critically" due to the costs it incurs and the administrative burden it creates.

Widmer-Schlumpf said negotiations with Washington on a global settlement for outstanding tax issues were still under way but she refused to elaborate.

The finance minister added the US authorities had given assurances that acceptance of the Fatca deal would be considered beneficial to speed up a global deal for Switzerland’s financial sector.

The government has been trying to strike a deal for about a dozen Swiss banks which risk court proceedings in the US over illegal tax practices.

“Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward in our efforts to work collaboratively to combat offshore tax evasion,” said Acting Secretary of the Treasury Neal S. Wolin. “We are pleased that Switzerland has signed a bilateral agreement with us, and we look forward to quickly concluding agreements based on this model with other jurisdictions.”

Widmer-Schlumpf said the Fatca deal could also put more pressure on Switzerland to accept the automatic exchange of bank data with the European Union.

Until now Switzerland has refused to cave in to demands from Brussels, saying bilateral agreements with individual EU member states on a withholding tax were more practical.

Accords with Britain and Austria came into force at the beginning of the year. A similar deal with Berlin was rejected by the German parliament. Negotiations with a number of other countries are pending.

 Undeclared Income from a Swiss Bank Account?
 
Contact the Tax Lawyers at Marini & Associates, P.A.
 
 
for a FREE Tax Consultation at www.TaxAid.us or www.TaxLaw.ms
or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).

Source:

 

Read more at: Tax Times blog

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