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2018 Businesses Tax Reform can affects Bottom Line

Businesses can visit IRS.gov to find out how tax reform affects their bottom line

Business may find they have questions about how 2017’s tax reform legislation affects their organization and their bottom line. IRS.gov is a great place to find answers. Here are several pages on the IRS website that address tax reform. Businesses can bookmark these pages and check back often, as the IRS regularly updates them with new information.

Tax reform provisions that affect businesses
This is the main page for businesses. Users can link from this page out to more resources with additional information, which is organized in sections by topic. These sections include a plain language description and links to news releases, notices and other technical guidance. Here are a few of the main tax topics on this page and the subtopics highlighted in each section:

Income: taxation of foreign income, carried interest, and like-kind exchanges
Deductions and depreciation: fringe benefits, moving expenses, standard mileage rates, deduction for passthrough businesses, and business interest expenses
Credits: employer credit for paid family and medical leave, and the rehabilitation tax credit
Taxes: blended federal income tax and withholding
Accounting method changes
Opportunity zones

This page also includes information for specific industries, such as farming, insurance companies, and aircraft management services.

Tax reform resources
From this page, people can link to helpful products including news releases, tax reform tax tips, revenue procedures, fact sheets, FAQs and drop-in articles. Organizations can share these materials including the drop-in articles with employees, customers and volunteers to help them better understand tax reform.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: A comparison for businesses
This side-by-side comparison can help businesses understand the changes the new law made to previous law. It will help businesses then make decisions and plan accordingly. It covers changes to deductions, depreciation, expensing, tax credits, and other tax items that affect businesses.

Taxpayers who owed tax this year should check their withholding soon

Taxpayers who owed tax this year should check their withholding soon

Taxpayers who owed additional tax when they filed their federal return earlier this year should do a “paycheck checkup” as soon as possible. The IRS Withholding Calculator and Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, can help these taxpayers do a checkup and avoid another possibly bigger tax bill next year.

Following the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was passed last year, there are many changes to the tax law that could affect these taxpayers. Doing a checkup now will help them make sure their current tax withholding is in line with their 2018 tax situation.

Here are some things for these taxpayers to keep in mind:

These taxpayers may not have had enough taxes withheld from their pay throughout 2017, causing them to owe in 2018.
If they continue to have too little withheld from their paychecks the rest of this year, they could find themselves in the same situation again next year.
They might even end up with a larger tax bill when they file their 2018 return next year.
It’s important to remember that if a taxpayer underpays their tax too much, penalties and interest can apply.
The Withholding Calculator can help taxpayers apply the new law to their situation. The results from the calculator can help them make an informed decision about whether to change their withholding this year.
These taxpayers need to adjust their withholding as soon as possible for an even withholding amount throughout the rest of the year.
Waiting means there are fewer pay periods to withhold the necessary federal tax, which could have a bigger effect on each paycheck.
Taxpayers with more complex situations might find that using Publication 505 is a better option for figuring their withholding than using the Withholding Calculator. Publication 505 works better for employees who owe self-employment tax, the alternative minimum tax, or tax on unearned income from dependents. It can also help those who receive non-wage income such as dividends, capital gains, rents and royalties.

Many tax-exempt organizations must file information returns by May 15; do not include Social Security numbers or personal data

Many tax-exempt organizations must file information returns by May 15; do not include Social Security numbers or personal data

The Internal Revenue Service reminded certain tax-exempt organizations that the Tuesday, May 15 filing deadline for Form 990-series information returns is fast approaching.

Form 990-series information returns and notices are normally due on the 15th day of the fifth month after an organization’s tax-year ends. Many organizations use the calendar year as their tax year, making May 15, 2018 the deadline to file for 2017.

No Social Security numbers on Forms 990

The IRS generally does not ask organizations for Social Security Numbers and cautions filers not to provide them on Form 990. By law, both the IRS and most tax-exempt organizations are required to publicly disclose most parts of Form 990 filings, including schedules and attachments. Public release of SSNs and other personally identifiable information about donors, clients or benefactors could give rise to identity theft. More information on this can be found in the “general instructions” section of the Instructions for Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.

The IRS also urges tax-exempt organizations to file forms electronically to reduce the risk of inadvertently including SSNs or other unnecessary personal information. Electronic filing also provides acknowledgement that the IRS has received the return and reduces normal processing time, making compliance with reporting and disclosure requirements easier.

Tax-exempt forms that must be made public by the IRS are clearly marked “Open to Public Inspection” in the top right corner of the first page. These include Form 990, Form 990-EZ, Form 990-PF and others.

Forms to file

Small tax-exempt organizations with average annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less may file an electronic notice called a Form 990-N (e-Postcard). This form requires only a few basic pieces of information. Tax-exempt organizations with average annual gross receipts above $50,000 must file a Form 990 or 990-EZ, depending on their receipts and assets. Private foundations must file Form 990-PF.

Organizations that need additional time to file a Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-PF may obtain an automatic six-month extension. Use Form 8868, Application for Extension of Time to File an Exempt Organization Return, to request an extension. The request must be filed by the due date of the return. Note that no extension is available for filing the Form 990-N (e-Postcard).

Many organizations risk loss of tax-exempt status

By law, organizations that fail to file annual reports for three consecutive years will see their federal tax exemptions automatically revoked as of the due date of the third year for which they are required to file an annual report. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 mandates that most tax-exempt organizations file annual Form 990-series information returns or notices with the IRS. The law, which went into effect at the beginning of 2007, also imposed a new annual filing requirement for small organizations. Churches and church-related organizations are not required to file annual reports.

Check tax-exempt status online

The IRS publishes a list of organizations identified as having automatically lost tax-exempt status for failing to file annual reports for three consecutive years. Organizations that have had their exemptions automatically revoked can apply for reinstatement of their tax-exempt status and pay the appropriate user fee.

The IRS now offers an enhanced, mobile friendly search tool, called Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS). TEOS provides easy access to publicly available information about exempt organizations. Users can find key information about the federal tax status and filings of certain tax-exempt organizations, including whether organizations have had their federal tax exemptions automatically revoked and if an organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

2018 Businesses Tax Reform can affects Bottom Line

Taxpayers who owed tax this year should check their withholding soon

Many tax-exempt organizations must file information returns by May 15; do not include Social Security numbers or personal data

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