INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE NEWS FOR TAX PROFESSIONALS
NOVEMBER 2008
● Now is the time to place your order for the IRS 2009 Small Business/Self Employed Tax
Calendar (Pub 1518). This 12-month illustrated wall calendar is filled with helpful information for
small businesses. To order, go to www.IRS.gov, search words: tax calendar. As a special offer
for our tax practitioner partners, the IRS has raised the limit of FREE calendars from 5 to 100
when ordered online. (While the online order form indicates a limit of 5, quantities up to 100 will
still be accepted by the system.) Call 800-829-3676 to order by phone.
● If you or any of your clients believe you are victims of identity theft, find out what to do at
IRS.gov. Need additional help? Call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit toll-free at 1-800908-4490.
● See small business tax news every Wednesday on SBTV.com.
● Find out what meetings and seminars the IRS will be offering tax professionals in your area.
You can also see if the IRS is conducting a Tax Practitioner Institute near you.
● The next Tax Talk Today program will be on Preparing for the New Form 990.
● Taxes: What You Need to Know – Responsibilities & Benefits, the online tax toolkit developed
by TAS and the IRS explains basic tax laws and procedures, focusing on low income or limited
English proficiency taxpayers.
● International Tax Gap. Find out more about the international tax gap -- the difference between
the amount of tax owed and the amount of tax paid voluntarily and on time. Look for new articles
in this series each month.
● If you were not able to attend the 2008 tax forums or just want to review what you learned, you
can now view presentations given by IRS officials online in pdf format. Also, mark your calendars
for the 2009 Nationwide Tax Forums.
● The September overview and current hot issues are now available. IMRS facilitates stakeholder
issue identification, resolution and feedback. See how you can now get a POA on civil penalties.
● The U. S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance page has information on financial
assistance for victims located in a declared disaster area.
● SBA offices have launched their first-ever Small Business Economic Hotlines, to give small
business owners a single phone number they can call with business related questions. Calls will
be promptly returned by SBA staff. Montana (406) 441-1095; South Dakota (605) 330-4243 Ext
10.
RECENT TECHNICAL GUIDANCE
● The massive financial bailout and tax relief package (H.R. 1424) signed into law October 3
includes 116 different tax provisions divided among three separate titles.
● H.R. 6893, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, signed
October 7, 2008, makes changes to the rules for the adoption credit.
● The 2008 fall edition of Employee Plans News is now available online.
● Headliner Volume 245: Federal Tax Deposit Coupons
● Headliner Volume 246: IRS Provides Guidance on Two Employment Tax Issues
● IR-2008-110 for The IRS plans to issue guidance regarding technical terminations of a publicly
traded partnership resulting in multiple short tax years within one calendar year.
● IR-2008-113 Certain advanced lean-burn technology vehicles qualify for the alternative motor
vehicle tax credit. Before, only hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles had
been certified. This release lists the qualifying vehicles and their credit amounts.
● IR-2008-116 and Announcement 2008-98 concern the Qualified Intermediary (QI) program.
● IR-2008-117 The value of personal dependency exemptions, standard deductions and other tax items
have been adjusted for inflation for tax year 2009. Other inflation adjustments are described in
Revenue Procedure 2008-66. IR 2008-118 has pension plan adjustments.
● Notice 2008-78 provides guidance regarding capital contributions under section 382(l)(1) of the
Code and requests comments on the subject.
● Notice 2008-81 provides guidance relating to a temporary program being provided to money
market funds to maintain stable $1.00 per share net asset values.
● Notice 2008-82 protects reservists from losing funds in their health Flexible Spending
Arrangement (health FSA) accounts after being called to active duty.
● Notice 2008-83 provides guidance regarding the proper treatment under section 382(h) of the
Code of certain items of deduction or loss allowed after an ownership change to a bank.
● Notice 2008-84 announces regulations will be issued under section 382(m) of the Code that
address the application of section 382 in the case of certain acquisitions not described in Notice
2008-76, I.R.B. 2008-39, in which the United States acquires a direct or indirect more-than-50percent interest in a loss corporation.
● Notice 2008-86 explains the circumstances under which the 4-year replacement period under
section 1033(e)(2) is extended for livestock sold on account of drought.
● Notice 2008-88 amends and supplements Notice 2008-41, regarding re-issuance standards for
tax-exempt bonds.
●Notice 2008-90 announces a study of the computation of the deductible amount and the
adjustment to cost of goods sold for qualified contributions of inventory property, as defined in
section 170(e)(3)(A) of the Code. It
●Notice 2008-91 provides that, for purposes of section 956 of the Code, a controlled foreign
corporation (CFC) may choose to exclude certain obligations held by the CFC from the definition
of the term “obligation”.
● Notice 2008-92 relates to the Temporary Guarantee Program for Money Market Funds, which is
provided by the Treasury Department in response to the credit market instability.
● Notice 2008-94 provides guidance on certain executive compensation provisions enacted on
October 3, 2008 for firms selling troubled assets.
● Notice 2008-96 addresses the qualifying advanced coal project program.
● Notice 2008-97 addresses the qualifying gasification project program.
● Notice 2008-98 addresses the extension of effective date of normal retirement age regulations
for governmental plans.
● Notice 2008-100 provides guidance regarding the application of section 382 to loss
corporations whose instruments are acquired by the Treasury under the Capital Purchase
Program pursuant to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, P.L. 110-343.
● Notice 2008-101 provides clarification that unless and until guidance is issued to the contrary,
no amount furnished by the Treasury to a financial institution pursuant to the Troubled Asset
Relief Program of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Pub. Law No. 110-343 will
be treated as financial assistance within the meaning of section 597 of the Internal Revenue
Code.
● Revenue Procedure 2008-58 provides guidance regarding the treatment of taxpayers accepting
certain settlements of potential legal claims relating to auction rate securities.
● Revenue Procedure 2008-59 updates the rules for determining the amount of an employee's
business expenses for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses incurred while traveling away
from home.
● Revenue Procedure 2008-60 informs all taxpayers who hold a surety bond or a Treasury Direct
Account pursuant to former section 42(j)(6) of the Code how to make the election, allowed by
section 3004(i)(2)(B)(ii) of the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, to discontinue the surety
bond or Treasury Direct Account.
● Revenue Procedure 2008-61 explains areas in which rulings and determination letters will not
be issued as to the tax consequences of arrangements described in section 409A of the Code.
● Revenue Procedure 2008-63 provides that if a securities loan under section 1058 of the Code
is terminated because of the bankruptcy of the borrower or an affiliate, and the lender applies the
collateral to the purchase of identical securities, the IRS will treat that purchase
● Revenue Procedure 2008-65 provides guidance under section 168(k)(4) of the Code, as added
by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, regarding the election not to claim the 50percent additional first year depreciation for certain new property acquired after March 31, 2008,
and generally placed in service before January 1, 2009, and instead increase the business credit
limitation under section 38(c) or alternative minimum tax credit limitation under section 53(c).
● REG-142339-05 contains proposed regulations relating to how an entity serving certain
targeted populations under section 45D(e)(2) can meet the requirements to be a qualified active
low-income community business. It also provides a notice of a public hearing.
IRS HELP LINES - GENERAL
rev. 10/20/08
General Tax Information for individuals
800-829-1040
Business, Employment tax, and specialty taxpayers
800-829-4933
Forms and Publications (also on-line)
800-829-3676
Hearing impaired with TDD
800-829-4059
TeleTax topics
800-829-4477
IRS HELP LINES - SPECIALTY
Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number
215-516-4846
Appeals Customer Service
559-456-5931; www.irs.gov/appeals
Automated Collection System (ACS)
Wage and Investment
800-829-7650
Small Business and Self-Employed
800-829-3903
International
215-516-2004
Bankruptcy - Insolvency
800-913-9358
CP2000 Customer Service
Holtsville, Ogden or Philadelphia notices - SB/SE
800-829-8310
Atlanta, Austin or Fresno notices - W&I
800-829-3009
Disaster Victim Assistance
866-562-5227
e help desk (Electronic Filing, E-services)
866-255-0654; irs.e-helpmail@irs.gov
Employer Identification Number (EIN) also online
800-829-4933
Exempt Organizations
877-829-5500
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System
www.eftps.gov or www.eftps.com
Batch
800-945-0966
Batch user master password
800-945-7337
Business
800-555-4477
Individual
800-316-6541
Online - To Obtain Internet Password
800-982-3526
Online Customer Service
800-555-8778
EFW-Treasury Agent to cancel scheduled payments
888-353-4537
e payments - Same Day
www.frbservices.org/Treasury/pdf/Sameday.pdf
Employee Plans
877-829-5500
Estate and Gift Tax Account Service
866-699-4083
Excise Tax Help Line
866-699-4096
Form 2290
866-699-4096
Forms 706 and 709 Account Related Inquiries
866-699-4083
Government Entities (TEGE) Help Line
877-829-5500
Identity Theft - tax realted issues
800-908-4490
215-516-4846; fax 215-516-1127
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number inquiries
Information Return Reporting - Martinsburg Comp. Ctr.
866-455-7438
Innocent Spouse
859-669-3731
International Issues
215-516-2000
Lien Processing
800-913-6050
Practitioner Priority Service (PPS)
866-860-4259
866-255-0654 or through e-services
Practitioner Tax Identification Number
800-829-4477 or on-line
Refund Hotline- (Need SSN, filing status,amount )
Refund Information - (use Teletax FIRST )
800-829-1954
Refund Offsets to other debts (FMS)
800-304-3107
Taxpayer Advocate Service–nationwide
877-777-4778
Tax Shelter Hotline
866-775-7474
Combat Zone Inquiries
866-562-5227
Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE)
866-455-7438; https://fire.irs.gov/firev1r/
IRS & TREASURY - OTHER
Audit Reconsiderations
see Pub. 3598
Bank Secrecy Act
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=152532,00.html
Burden Reduction ideas-send Form 13285A
sbse.otpbr@irs.gov
Cash Transaction Reports- Form 8300 questions
8300Questions@irs.gov
Centralized Authorization File (CAF)
Fax: 215-516-1017
CAF International
Fax: 901-546-4115
CAF Memphis
Fax: 801-620-4249
CAF Ogden
E News subscriptions
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/content/0,,id=103381,00.html
Enrolled Agents Program
www.irs.gov/taxpros/agents
Federal Bank Account Reporting (FBAR)
fbarquestions@irs.gov
Fraud www.irs.gov – submit Form 3949-A
see address on form
IRS web site
www.irs.gov
Fax: 202-622-2207
Office of Professional Responsibility - faxed complaints
Phishing - forward bogus IRS scams to
phishing@irs.gov
Fax: 801-620-4249
Power of Attorney by Fax
Tax Talk Today
www.taxtalktoday.tv
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel
www.improveirs.org
888-912-1227
Treasury Inspector General of Tax Administration
800-366-4484
OTHER AGENCIES
Bar coding (not a government site)
www.gs1us.org
DUNS #
http://ccr.dnb.com/ccr/pages/CCRSearch.jsp 866-705-5711
Federal Emergency Management Assistance
www.fema.gov
Federal Trade Commission - Identity Theft
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/index.html
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen)
800-949-2732; fincen.gov
Internet Crime Complaint Center (part of FBI & NWC3)
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
Legislative records - Library of Congress
http://thomas.loc.gov
Money Service Business
800-800-2877; msb.gov
Multiple agencies
www.mymoney.gov
New Hire Reporting
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/newhire/employer/private/newhire.htm
http://www.uspto.gov
Patent Trademark Office
Per diem rates for travel
www.gsa.gov
Sale of Seized Property
http://www.treas.gov/auctions/
SCORE
www.score.org
Small Business Administration
www.sba.gov;
Small Business Development Center
www.sba.gov/sbdc
Social Security - W2 e-filing
800-772-6270; W2 helpline 866-455-7438
Social Security Administration- employers
www.socialsecurity.gov/employer
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel www.improveirs.org
888-912-1227
Treasury Offset Program - refund offsets to other debts
800-304-3107
U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service (USCIS)
www.uscis.gov; I9 form 800-870-3676; 800-357-2099
U.S. Dept of Labor posters (also at SD DOL local offices)
www.dol.gov/osbp/sbrefa/poster/matrix.htm
U.S. DOL retirement plan info
www.dol.gov/elaws/ERISAFiduciary.htm
http://www.careerinfonet.org/
U.S. DOL Job Databases & Disaster Information
U.S. DOL 5500 Late Filing penalty calculator
www.askebsa.dol.gov/dfvc
U.S. Government
www.usa.gov; www.fedworld.gov; http://www.business.gov