Top Tax Issues for 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
1. Supreme Court ruling on ACA
Millions of people will now continue to have access to affordable health care in the states which did not establish marketplace healthcare exchanges. It also tees up our next three major tax issues.
2. Affordable Care Act changes for individuals
The individual mandate penalty increases to the higher of 2 percent of yearly household income or $325 person per year, with a maximum penalty per family for those using this method of $975.
In addition, federal poverty level guidelines, used to determine if the individual qualifies for
3. ACA provisions’ impact on businesses
Applicable large employers who have on average of 50 or more full-time equivalent employees in the prior calendar year must offer minimum essential coverage that is affordable to their FTEs and their dependents, or be subject to an employer shared responsibility payment. Transition relief for 2015 exists for ALEs with fewer than 100 FTEs in 2014, and only requires employers to offer minimum essential coverage to 70 percent of full-time employees and their dependents in 2015.
4. New forms to contend with
The Form 1095-B and Form 1095-C, which were optional for calendar year 2014, must be filed by any person that provides minimum essential coverage to an individual (1095-B) and by applicable large employers (Form 1095-C) who had on average at least 50 full-time equivalent employees during calendar year 2014 or small employers who are member of a controlled group that collectively had at least 50 FTEs and who offer an insured or self-insured plan or no group health plan at all.
5. Increase in identity theft
Under new policies announced by the IRS, taxpayers may receive a letter when the service stops suspicious tax returns that have indications of involving identity theft but contain legitimate taxpayer’s name and/or Social Security number. The IRS has agreed to reverse its policy and provide identity theft victims with copies of the fraudulent tax return that has been filed under their name by scammers, so they can take the proper steps to secure their personal information.
6. Extenders
Despite efforts to get ahead of schedule, Congress looks likely to pull its usual wait-until-the-last-minute trick for extending things like the Section 179 deduction, the R&D credit, and host of other credits and deductions that expired at the end of 2014. If not extended to cover 2015 before year’s end, this will make tax planning difficult, and result in delays in tax forms and software releases.
7. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage
All states must now recognize all married couples in the same way for state income tax purposes, regardless of gender. This will impact the ability to file
8. Trade legislation tax changes
The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 contains a number of tax provisions in addition to its trade measures. Taxpayers who exclude foreign earned income under Code Section 911 cannot claim the child tax credit; taxpayers must receive a payee statement (1098-T) before they can claim an American Opportunity, Hope, or Lifetime Learning Credit or take the deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses. This is effective for tax years beginning after the TPEA’s date of enactment.
9. Tangible property regulations
These regs caused a number of headaches last tax season. Under the final regs, all costs that facilitate the acquisition or production of such property must be capitalized. Improvements to property that better a unit of property, restore it, or
Exceptions: De minimis safe harbor (annual election required); routine maintenance safe harbor; (no election required); per building safe harbor form small businesses (annual election required).
From Accounting Today