2023 Tax Updates & New Tax Information

Greetings!

We hope this finds you and your family well as we approach 2024.

Below, please see our firm update letter along with individual and business tax planning letters which were previously mailed.

2023 Firm Letter

2023 Individual Tax Planning

2023 Business Tax Planning

Additionally, there are some recent tax developments related to IRS penalty relief, ERC credits and a new LLC/ corporate ownership reporting requirement (Beneficial Ownership Reporting) that you may find relevant and we have outlined below.

As always, please call or email if you have any questions on this information.

We wish you a year full of joy, health and prosperity ahead. Happy New Year!

Francis S. Infurchia & Company, LLC

Recent & Relevant Updates – 2023

IRS offers penalty relief

The IRS announced on December 19, 2023 new penalty relief for approximately 4.7 million individuals, businesses, and tax-exempt organizations that were not sent automated collection reminder notices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IRS will be automatically waiving approximately $1 billion of failure to pay penalties charged during 2020 and 2021 for taxpayers with assessed tax balances less than $100,000, but will resume charging this penalty in April 2024. Notices and refund checks should begin to appear in January 2024.

Link to IRS Penalty Relief

Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Updates

Suspension of ERC Processing (September 15, 2023):

The IRS issued a moratorium on the processing of new ERC claims due to a surge in questionable and potentially fraudulent applications. This decision was made to ensure the integrity of the program and to prevent misuse of funds. Taxpayers can still submit claims while the moratorium is in place, but they won’t be processed until 2024 when it is lifted.

Introduction of Withdrawal Process for Unpaid Claims (October 20, 2023):

In response to the previous concerns, the IRS introduced a process allowing taxpayers to withdraw their ERC claims if they hadn’t yet received payment. This step was aimed at those who may have submitted erroneous or doubtful claims, offering them a chance to rectify their submissions without facing immediate penalties. It was part of the IRS’s effort to manage the program more effectively and reduce the burden of processing invalid claims.

ERC Compliance Program and Voluntary Repayment (December 21, 2023):

The most recent development is the establishment of a voluntary compliance program specifically for the ERC. This program targets recipients of ERC funds who may have received payments, which they now believe to be in error because they did not understand the program or were misled by poor advice. The voluntary disclosure program allows repayment of 80% of the ERC received with no interest or penalties if certain criteria are met. The deadline to enter into this program is March 22, 2024.

Please contact our office if you would like more information on these programs.

Link to IRS ERC withdrawal information

Link to IRS Voluntary Repayment Program

Ownership Reporting for all LLCs and corporations

Please read if you own 25% or more of an active business, rental real estate or business investments in LLCs, Corporations, Limited Partnerships, and other state authorized entities.

Effective January 1, 2024, business owners will be required to report and disclose information to the U.S. government about who ultimately owns and controls your business and tax-filing entities. The Corporate Transparency Act requires all entities defined as a reporting company to file information on their “beneficial owners” with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the U.S Department of Treasury. The purpose of this new filing requirement is to create a federal centralized database to crack down on money launderers, terrorists, criminals, and individuals who evade taxes using numerous companies.

Failure to file these disclosure reports can result in significant punitive civil and potentially criminal penalties. We recommend all our clients comply with this new law. As of now, this report need only be filed one time, unless ownership changes occur.

For businesses and entities that are already in existence as of December 31, 2023, the filing of the Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOI) with FinCEN must be filed by December 31, 2024. Any new entities that are formed starting January 1st, 2024, must file with FinCEN within 90 days of formation, Effective in 2025, the filing requirement for new entities will change to within 30 days of formation.

The US House of Representatives, along with the AICPA and state CPA societies are advocating for a delayed start to this new requirement but as of this email (December 28, 2023) it is still scheduled to begin on January 1, 2024.

While we are happy to alert you to this new reporting requirement, preparing the legal documentation required for this new compliance is outside the scope of what our accounting firm can undertake at this time, so we would be pleased to recommend legal counsel to you.

Link to FinCen Beneficial Ownership Reporting

2022 / 2023 Tax Letter

2022/2023 Greetings!

So, like most businesses, we are pretty much back to normal, and I say this with gratitude. Some post Covid changes involve modest increases to working remotely and using Zoom and Teams, but we still enjoy being in the same office with each other and meeting face to face with our clients when warranted, which is a good thing.

We continue to update our technology to automate our tax return input and processing procedures. This year we implemented a scan input system at the front end and a streamlined, easy to understand communication of tax return results and instructions to our clients’ system at the final stage. We think you will notice the efficiency.

At the very end of 2021, our firm successfully navigated through a rigorous mandated tri- annual peer review examination with flying colors. We are taking seminars and updating our knowledge of the new tax laws contained in the Inflation Reduction Act, the Covid related tax laws and opportunities, the Secure Act relating to retirement distribution requirements, and the continuing impact of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The employee retention credit which in many cases returns significant dollars to businesses has been a focus of our attention. We also continue to improve inter-office communications, employee relations, job sharing, work flow, filing and retention systems and to cosmetically spiff up the office.

Nevertheless, it is our people that are by far our greatest asset, and our firm maintains a healthy mixture of the young and eager, the teachers and experienced professionals – all of whom are still aspiring.

At this point, it is again to be acknowledged that Samuel Infurchia and Timothy Frawley have been instrumental in the firm’s development and so we are reminding our clients of their recent admission as partners to the firm.

Joe Rybaruk, a CPA, maintains his unsurpassed, steady and productive work effort. Eddie Florian has taken on more complex assignments and responsibilities. Patrick Kryskiewicz, a CPA, has become a deft tax researcher for us and is heading up our initiative to identify and calculate our clients’ claims for the new employee retention credit. Greg Churchill has moved from intern to full time and is eagerly learning and acquiring new skills with diligence and thoroughness. Allison Infurchia, with her quick perceptions, has become a key go-to-person in getting assignments and large special projects done. Beth Anderson is our office manager and manages the office from both sides – clients and staff. She is always on the lookout for a better system and is always taking the time to sit with a client at pick up. Jackie Gallagher was hired in the front office this year to provide broad support in this critical area, and her friendly and engaging manner together with her experience have been invaluable.

Samuel Infurchia, CPA, a partner, is in the Masters in Taxation program at Villanova, has a business valuation credential and is doing some of the most sophisticated work in the office including foreign taxation, trusts and estates, high net worth client services and tax audit representation. He is continually bringing new ideas, ways of doing things and clients to the firm, all of which have significantly contributed to our firm’s growth.

Timothy Frawley, CPA, a partner, is now our financial audit specialist and maintains the accounting and tax compliance for some of our largest assignments. Not by intention, but just because of his generous and patient demeanor, he has become a good part of the social glue of the firm. He has taken a lead role in training the newer staff and is integral in maintaining our successful peer review status.

Frank Infurchia, Jr, CPA, a co-managing partner, is a primary initiator, leader, researcher, locomotive, business valuator specialist, business developer, and expert in tax compliance, planning, and financial statement presentation at all levels.

Larry Silvestro, CPA, a co-managing partner, has been with us almost from the beginning and sets the standard for client service, business development, high-end financial statement presentation, tax compliance and planning, and daily office leadership. We go back to childhood, although I lament that I am older!

Barbara Infurchia, my wife of 45 years, has been with us from the very beginning, in those days balancing her time raising a family and administering to the fledgling business. Barbara heads up the billing process and does all the firm’s bookkeeping. As such she has become one of the firm’s important monitors.

Bob Meissner has been with us from literally the beginning and continues to maintain a seasonal part-time position, and we are glad to have him.

Frank Infurchia, Sr, CPA, (me) remains thoroughly engaged in the firm I founded 39 years ago. Like the partners, I am a set of fresh eyes at the end of an engagement looking for better ways of financial statement presentation, reporting, tax positions taken and tax planning strategies to employ.

As a guiding philosophy, the partners remain steadfast advocates of our client interests not only in our daily dealings but also during the intermittent IRS and DRS tax audits that arise.

So, as I said at the outset, we all have a lot to be grateful for.

We look forward to meeting with you either in person or by Zoom or Teams or by correspondence as we help you with your end of the year tax plans and projections.

We are including with this update our latest tax newsletter which summarizes the significant individual and business tax developments and planning ideas. Audrey (my granddaughter and Frank Jr’s daughter) had a hand in stuffing these envelopes and so the legacy continues! Ha! Tim’s children are next!

Please make arrangements to get us your tax data, electronically, if possible, as soon as you can once we round the year.

We wish you continued health, prosperity and happiness.

Sincerely,

Francis S. Infurchia and all others discussed in this letter

Updated Tax Deadlines

We at Francis S. Infurchia & Company are working remotely starting today, March 23. While we have closed the physical office to visitors and are eliminating in-person meetings for the time being we remain fully operational and we are available virtually and by phone and email. If you haven’t already, and are able to, please scan and electronically send all tax documents to us- we can provide a secure portal for you to upload this information.

Over the weekend, the IRS extended the tax filing and payment deadlines from April 15 to July 15. This extension of time applies to all taxpayers, including individuals, trusts and estates, corporations and other non-corporate tax filers as well as those who pay self-employment tax. In addition, it appears that Q1 2020 estimated tax payments (normally due on 4/15) are included in this relief.

Click here for the IRS announcement

The CT Department of Revenue Services is following the IRS tax deadlines and in addition, has included the Q2 2020 estimated tax payment deadline (normally due on 6/15) in the 90 day extension to July 15. Click here for the CT press release 

To check on your individual state’s updated tax filing deadlines you can click here (updated daily).

We hope you stay safe and healthy during these uncertain times. Please let us know if you have any questions.

We’re Open for Business – Remotely

We at Francis S. Infurchia & Company are working remotely starting today, March 23. While we have closed the physical office to visitors and are eliminating in-person meetings for the time being we remain fully operational and we are available virtually and by phone and email. If you haven’t already, and are able to, please scan and electronically send all tax documents to us- we can provide a secure portal for you to upload this information.
Over the weekend, the IRS extended the tax filing and payment deadlines from April 15 to July 15. This extension of time applies to all taxpayers, including individuals, trusts and estates, corporations and other non-corporate tax filers as well as those who pay self-employment tax. In addition, it appears that Q1 2020 estimated tax payments (normally due on 4/15) are included in this relief. Click here for the IRS announcement

The CT Department of Revenue Services is following the IRS tax deadlines and in addition, has included the Q2 2020 estimated tax payment deadline (normally due on 6/15) in the 90 day extension to July 15. Click here for the CT press release

To check on your individual state’s updated tax filing deadlines you can click here (updated daily).

We hope you stay safe and healthy during these uncertain times. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Tax Deadline Extensions due to Coronavirus

We hope you are staying safe and healthy. Today, we are writing to you regarding the coronavirus as it relates to the upcoming tax deadlines for the IRS and CT. During the last few weeks, we have been contacting our state and federal representatives, senators and lobbyists to request tax filing and payment relief due to the unprecedented disruptions and challenges caused by the spread of this virus. Finally, last night (Sunday 3/15) Connecticut’s Gov. Lamont held a press conference in which he extended CT state tax filing and payment deadlines for the 2019 partnerships and S-corps. Additionally, our governing body, the AICPA, issued a statement saying that they expect the IRS to extend the April 15 personal tax filing deadline by possibly 90 days and waive penalties and interest associated with payments for most taxpayers. CT DRS Press Release

During this time of social distancing, we ask our clients to please make phone or virtual consultation appointments. If you are able to, please send us your tax documents electronically (we can send you a secure upload link) or mail them to us as our office is currently closed to visitors.

We are being faced with a turbulent financial time. The SBA (Small Business Administration) should have liquidity to make loans to Connecticut businesses to pay for expenses incurred as a result of distress caused by the coronavirus. Please read this  for instructions on how to apply for aid.

Below is a chart with the upcoming proposed and extended common filing deadlines. We will update you when we receive more guidance and final filing and payment deadlines from the IRS.