Blog

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is still the law of the land, having survived attempts to both repeal and replace the legislation. It now has real teeth, with the dollar amounts of financial penalties having doubled in recent years. Here is what HR professionals need to know to prepare for the upcoming filing season and […]

If you don’t know much about the dark web, you’re not alone. Maybe 5 percent of internet users are on it (at a stretch), but it’s anywhere from 6 to 500 times larger than the consumer web. And it can definitely affect your job as a tax professional. Anything and everything is for sale on […]

Financial institutions are having to deal with a new set of challenges in tax information reporting. Cheryl Riedlinger, noted tax attorney and head of the Tax Reporting Group, recently identified three new headaches for tax professionals: Changes to IRS policy regarding W-8 forms, which are causing FIs to repaper their client bases New developments in […]

The first round of UK CRS filings didn’t go quite as well as some tax professionals at financial institutions thought it would. Just before the filing deadline, a survey of FIs revealed an air of confidence about the first transmittal, despite the fact that the first FATCA filing in the US was challenging. But participants […]

Financial services companies are now forced to tackle a new breed of 1099 reporting requirements for corporate clients. Federal and state governments are increasing audit frequency and requiring more detailed data, and new rules are putting companies’ reputations on the line. Tax leaders at financial services companies have bigger burdens on their shoulders these days, […]

Amidst questions coming out of last week’s Senate vote-a-rama, one thing is clear: Information reporting obligations for Applicable Large Employers and providers of health insurance coverage will remain in place for the foreseeable future. Congress and the Administration are divided on how to proceed after multiple health care bills failed last week in the Senate. […]

The first talks on renegotiating NAFTA begin this month, and with continual discussions of a U.S.-first trade agenda, multinational companies with operations in Mexico are left uncertain on what these talks might entail. While no one knows exactly where these negotiations may land, multinationals should have some answers by the end of 2017, as all […]

New numbers suggest the PATH Act deadline for filing W-2 and 1099-MISC forms is continuing to cause havoc for employers. The PATH Act, enacted in late 2015, moved the filing deadline from March 31 to Jan. 31. Filers are struggling to meet the new deadline and avoid financial penalties, which are attached to both late […]

The Connecticut Legislature has passed new legislation that will move up certain Form 1099 deadlines and require additional Form 1099 reporting. Some of the essential changes can be found below. Effective January 1, 2018, Connecticut will require payers of pensions or annuity distributions, including distributions from an employer pension, an annuity, a profit-sharing plan, a […]

The Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT) has published additional AEOI material, including a calendar with relevant deadlines and specifications for CRS transmittals. The AEOI Calendar indicates that the FATCA and CRS testing window will now end on July 14, 2017. At that time, the production period will begin – with reports being due to SAT […]

Delaware recently amended legislation pertaining to information returns, and part of this legislation advances the filing due date for 1099-MISC forms reporting non-employee compensation in Box 7. This brings the filing deadlines in line with the federal calendar. 1099-MISC forms with Box 7 checked will now be due on January 31, 2018 for Tax Year […]

The Senate’s second draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act would maintain employer information reporting obligations under Internal Revenue Code §§ 6055 and 6056. Changes to minimum essential coverage provisions may give rise to a potential modification of those reporting requirements at some point in the future – as the law would allow individuals to […]

Kansas has updated Publication KW-100, Kansas Withholding Tax Booklet. There are a number of changes from the previous revision: Kansas passed Senate Bill 30 and amended the income tax rates in Kansas retroactive to January 1, 2017, and further increases them for 2018 and later years. Because the tax rates for Tax Year 2017 changed […]

With Senators Rand Paul and Susan Collins stating their opposition to the revised Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) last week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could not afford to lose any more votes on the procedural vote to bring the bill to the Senate floor. Last night, Senators Mike Lee and Jerry Moran both announced that […]

France has updated its technical guidance, Transfert d’Informations to version 1.3.  The new version contains some schema changes including the addition of the Address Type attribute that was previously not required, even though it is required under the OECD’s schema.  Reporting French Financial Institutions, who have Reportable Accounts, should give close attention to the new guidance to […]

Bahrain has recently published the Competent Authority Arrangement between itself and the United States for the purposes of FATCA reporting.  The agreement is required by the Inter-Governmental Agreement between the two states to facilitate FATCA reporting.

The Cayman Islands’ Department for International Tax Cooperation has recently announced a “final extension” for reporting under the FATCA and CRS regimes in a “AEOI News & Updates” release. Reporting under both systems will now be due August 31, 2017. Reporting entities must register with the Department by July 31, 2017 to ensure they meet […]

The IRS has updated the instructions for Form W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals). There are a number of changes from the previous revision: Some minor updates made to Form W-8BEN to conform with Form W-8BEN-E. Instructions have been updated to reflect temporary and final […]