IRS e-News for Payroll Professionals

Useful Links:

IRS.gov

Payroll Professionals
Tax Center

Employment Taxes

Reporting Agents File

Employment Tax Forms

Employment Tax Publications

Online Ordering

SSA/IRS Reporter

SSA - Employer Web Page

Taxpayer Advocate Service

Back to top

Issue Number:  2015-8

Inside This Issue

1. New on IRS.gov
2. Efforts to Prevent Payroll Tax Delinquencies
3. ACA Information Returns Specifications
4. Webinar Series on Affordable Care Act Provisions for Employers
5. Technical Guidance

Final Version Forms

• 2015 Pub. 1179, General Rules and Specifications for Substitute Forms 1096, 1098, 1099, 5498, and Certain Other Information Returns
• 2015 Pub. 1693, SSA/IRS Reporter Newsletter 
• 2015 Pub. 4163, Modernized e-File (MeF) Information for Authorized IRS e-file Providers for Business Returns
• 2015 Pub. 5078, Modernized e-File (MeF) Test Package
• 2015 Pub. 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities
• 2014 Form 5884, Work Opportunity Credit  
• 2015 Inst. 941-X (PR), Instructions for Form 941-X (PR), Adjusted Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return or Claim for Refund (Puerto Rico Version)
• 2015 Pub. 4772-A, American Opportunity Tax Credit Poster
• 2015 Pub. 4772, American Opportunity Tax Credit Flyer  
• 2015 Pub. 1693 (SP), SSA/IRS Reporter Newsletter (Spanish version)
• 2015 Form 941-X (PR), Adjusted Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return or Claim for Refund (Puerto Rico Version)

Draft Forms:

• 2015 Inst. 1095-A, Instructions for Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement 2016 Form W-4 (SP), Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (Spanish version)
• 2015 Form 4137, Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income
• 2015 Form 8959, Additional Medicare Tax
• 2016 Form W-2GU, Guam Wage and Tax Statement (Info Copy Only)
• 2016 Form W-2VI, U.S. Virgin Islands Wage and Tax Statement (Info Copy Only)

Back to Top

IRS Collection is piloting an initiative to make early contact with employers who may be falling behind in their payroll taxes.

When it appears an employer may owe a balance at the end of the quarter, revenue officers will be in contact before the quarterly payroll tax return, Form 941, is due.

The goal is to address payroll tax issues before they become unmanageable.

Headliner Volume 351 has more information.

Back to Top

The draft Publication 5223 ‒ General Rules and Specifications for Affordable Care Act Substitute Forms 1095-A, 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C is available for review.

This pub contains specifications for these information returns:

• 2015 Draft Form 1094-B, Transmittal of Health Coverage Information Returns
• 2015 Draft Form 1095-B, Health Coverage 2015
• Draft Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns 2015
• Draft Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage

Note: Failure to produce acceptable substitutes of the forms and schedules listed in this publication may result in delays in processing and penalties.

Links to forms’ instructions:

• 2015 Draft Instructions for Forms 1094-B and 1095-B 
• 2015 Draft Instructions for Forms 1094-C and 1095-C

Please share with stakeholders.

Back to Top

Employers can attend a series of educational webinars to help understand the Affordable Care Act’s employer provisions and related requirements.

IRS Health Care Tax Tip 2015-41 has more information.

Back to Top

Announcement 2015-22 states that the IRS will not assert that an individual whose personal information may have been compromised in a data breach must include in gross income the value of the identity protection services provided by the organization that experienced the data breach. Additionally, the IRS will not assert that an employer providing identity protection services to employees whose personal information may have been compromised in a data breach of the employer’s (or employer’s agent or service provider’s) recordkeeping system must include the value of the identity protection services in the employees’ gross income and wages. Find Announcement 2015-22 in the IRB 2015-35, dated August 31, 2015.

Back to Top