The administration of retirement accounts is notoriously technical, and mistakes by plan sponsors can occur. Furthermore, since an account holder will be maintaining and contributing to a retirement account for many years, there are often changes that must be made. Tax issues may arise when 403(b) and 401(a) retirement plans need to be corrected, and the IRS must typically be notified of any corrections. Fortunately, the IRS has several self-correction mechanisms in place that allow plan sponsors to resolve errors or mistakes on their own.

The IRS has three correction programs:

1. Self-Correction Program (SCP): Used to amend certain plan failures without communicating with the IRS or paying a user fee.
2. Voluntary Correction Program (VCP): Used to rectify failures not eligible for the SCP or get the IRS’s statement in writing that specified failures were correctly resolved.
3. Audit Closing Agreement Program (CAP): Used to correct failures found in the course of an IRS audit that cannot be self-corrected.  

The IRS recently announced an expansion of the self-correction program to allow additional types of failures to be remedied through the SCP instead of requiring parties to make a VCP submission to the IRS. The VCP process can often be expensive and lengthy.

Retirement should be a carefree time for those who have earned the chance to enjoy the later years of their life. When you no longer have to work, you are probably looking forward to spending time with family and pursuing hobbies, and you will be able to use the money you have saved throughout your career to provide for your needs. However, one thing that retirees are often surprised by is the fact that the funds coming out of their retirement accounts may be subject to taxes.

Because retirees are on a fixed income, every dollar counts, and these taxes can cut into the amount of money you will be able to comfortably withdraw from your retirement savings. Fortunately, an experienced tax attorney can help you understand how you will be taxed during your retirement years.

Taxation on Retirement Income

Here are some common income streams for retirees and how each is taxed:

There are several ways the IRS will be involved in the estate of someone who has died (known as a “decedent”). The IRS is notorious for enforcing payment of the taxes it claims it is due, including in situations involving a deceased person’s estate. 

Tax issues will be important to a deceased person’s personal representative, executor, successor trustee, and heirs, because the estate must pay all taxes due before the estate’s assets can be distributed to the beneficiaries. The IRS can even audit the tax returns of a dead person.

The estate will have to pay any income taxes due for the year of the person’s death (as well as for any year that the decedent did not file). Just like a taxpayer filing his or her income taxes each year, the estate administrator will file a Form 1040 for the estate. Depending on how organized the estate is, the estate administrator may need to file a Request for Transcript of Tax Return in order to get needed documents related to the deceased person’s income and taxes.

Income Tax Day--April 15, 2019--is just around the corner. This year, your taxes may be different from years past, thanks to the tax reform passed by the U.S. government. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has changed a wide variety of tax laws, and the IRS has stated that nearly every taxpayer will be impacted. 

These are some important ways taxes have changed that should be kept in mind when filing your 2018 taxes:

• Tax rates changed. Taxes will be levied against taxpayers according to seven income tax brackets. These brackets range from 10 percent to 37 percent.
• Higher standard deduction. The standard deduction has almost doubled. For 2018, it is $12,000 for singles, $18,000 for heads of household, and $24,000 for married couples filing together. There is a higher deduction available to the blind and those who are 65 and older. This means that many people will opt to take the standard deduction instead of itemizing deductions.
• Certain deductions are limited or eliminated. One of the most common deductions that has been reduced is that for state and local tax. For 2018, the deduction is limited to $10,000 and to $5,000 for couples who are married and filing separate tax returns.
• Child Tax Credit increased and expanded. The credit tops out at $2,000 for each qualifying child age 17 years old and under. Also, the income restriction for receiving full credit has been bumped up to $400,000 for joint filers and $200,000 for other taxpayers.

tFinally, it should be noted that the deadline by which you must file your tax return along with payment of any taxes owed has not been changed. While you can file for an extension, you must do so before Tax Day. Note: As in prior years, although an extension to file may be obtained, there is no extension to pay taxes due. Failure to timely file (in April or on extension) can mean an assessment of penalties and interest. Failure to timely pay (in April) can also mean an assessment of penalties and interest.

Failing to pay your tax obligations can lead to major consequences. One problem you might run into is that you may not be able to obtain a U.S. passport or renew an existing passport. Carrying tax debt could also keep you from using your already issued passport. This can be detrimental for those who need to travel internationally for work or family reasons.

The IRS has prioritized the enforcement of this consequence of not paying back taxes for the past year. The law targets those with “seriously delinquent tax debts,” which is defined as a debt of $52,000 or more, including taxes, penalties, and interest.

If the IRS identifies you as being seriously delinquent, it will inform the State Department, which by law will deny a passport application or renewal. If you have in your possession a valid passport, the State Department also has the power to revoke the passport or limit your ability to leave the United States.