Adequate Books and Records Often Overlooked!
Internal Revenue Code Section 6001 requires Taxpayers to maintain adequate books and records and “that that every person liable for any tax imposed by the Code, or for the collection thereof, must keep such records, render such statements, make such returns, and comply with such rules and regulations”. Adequate Books and Records or Well-Organized Records […]
Terrorist Financing FinCEN Red Flags
On 10/20/23, Terrorist Financing Red Flags were issued by FinCEN to assist financial institutions in identifying funding streams for the terrorist organization Hamas in response to Hamas’s terrorist attack on the people of Israel. FinCEN is urging financial institutions including virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to be vigilant in identifying suspicious activity relating to financing […]
The Tax Gap Increased to $688 Billion in Tax Year 2021
On 10/12/23 announced new tax gap projections for tax years 2020 and 2021 showing the projected gross tax gap increased to $688 billion in tax year 2021, a rise of more than $192 billion from the prior estimates for tax years 2014-2016 and a rise of $138 billion from the revised projections for tax years […]
New IRS Compliance Efforts
On 9/823, the IRS announced new compliance efforts that will focus on increasing scrutiny on high-income taxpayers, partnerships, corporations and promoters abusing tax rules on the books by using Artificial Intelligence and improved technology to identify sophisticated schemes to avoid taxes. The new IRS compliance efforts are geared towards having the IRS compliance teams better […]
FinCEN’s Pig Butchering Alert
On 9/8/23, FinCEN issued an alert on a prevalent Virtual Currency Investment Scam commonly known as “Pig Butchering”. FinCEN’s Pig Butchering alert addresses “Pig butchering” scams which resemble the practice of fattening a hog before slaughter. “Victims invest in supposedly legitimate virtual currency investment opportunities before they are conned out of their money. Scammers refer […]
IRS Digital Assets Proposed Regulations
On 8/29/23, the IRS issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Public Hearing for Digital Assets Proposed Regulations. The IRS Digital Assets Proposed Regulations address information reporting, the determination of amount realized and basis, and backup withholding, for certain digital asset sales and exchanges by requiring brokers, digital asset trading platforms, digital asset […]
FDIC Risk Review 2023 adds Crypto
On 8/14/23, the FDIC Risk Review 2023 was published. The FDIC Risk Review 2023 report summarizes conditions in the U.S. economy, financial markets, and banking industry. The report provides a comprehensive summary of key developments and risks in the U.S. banking system and includes a new section focused on crypto-asset risk. The report focuses on […]
OECD CARF and CRS
On 6/8/23, after conducting the first comprehensive review of the CRS in consultation with participating jurisdictions, financial institutions, and other stakeholders, the OECD released the International Standards for Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters CRYPTO‑ASSET REPORTING FRAMEWORK (CARF) AND 2023 UPDATE TO THE COMMON REPORTING STANDARD). This resulted in two outcomes: a new tax […]
Digital Asset Contractors Sought by IRS
On 6/23/23, the IRS issued a Request for Information (RFI) though its Enterprise Digital Asset Initiative Project Office (DAIPO) “specifically seeking to improve the use of data and technology to identify and address digital assets noncompliance”. The RFI is another indication that the IRS continues to invest in digital asset compliance that includes digital asset […]
FinCEN: Mission, Priorities and Successes
On April 27, 2023, Himamauli Das, Acting Director of FinCEN spoke before the Committee on Financial Services U.S. House of Representatives. His Statement reiterated FinCEN’s mission to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, combat money laundering and its related crimes including terrorism, and promote national security through the strategic use of financial authorities and […]
Form 1099-K: Understanding what the IRS wants you to know
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 lowered the threshold for reporting third party network transactions from aggregate payments exceeding $20,000 to aggregate payments exceeding $600 during the calendar year and eliminated the 200-transaction threshold for reporting third party network transactions entirely with respect to Form 1099-K. Although the IRS announced in late 2022 that […]
Digital Assets Transactions Subject to IRS Increased Enforcement Activities
On 4/5/23, the IRS published the Inflation Reduction Act Strategic Operating Plan where it states that the Agency will pursue enforcement for complex, high-risk and emerging issues; including digital assets transactions. IRS reports in its Operating Plan that digital asset transactions have high risk for non-compliance. Despite the IRS’s resource limitations, the Agency reports that […]
