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Issue Number:  2017-4

Inside This Issue

1. New on IRS.gov
2. New Fax Number for Form 8655
3. Process for Reporting Data Losses
4. Technical Guidance

• Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit
• Inst. 8974, Instructions for Form 8974, Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities
• Form 8655, Reporting Agent Authorization
• Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return
• Form 941 (Schedule R), Allocation Schedule for Aggregate Form 941 Filers
• Inst. 941-SS, Instructions for Form 941-SS, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return – American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Form 941-SS, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return – American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Pub. 5146, Employment Tax Returns: Examinations and Appeal Rights
• Form 14039 (SP), Identity Theft Affidavit (Spanish version)
• Pub. 1281, Backup Withholding for Missing and Incorrect Name/TINs (including instructions for reading tape cartridges and CD/DVD formats)

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There’s a new fax number for Form 8655, Reporting Agent Authorization. The new fax number is 855-214-7523.

As a reminder, don’t send more than 25 forms in a single transmission when faxing Forms 8655. And if possible, send faxes directly from your computer instead of from a traditional fax machine.

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The IRS has established a process that allows businesses and payroll service providers to quickly report any data losses related to the W-2 scam currently making the rounds. See details at Form W2/SSN Data Theft: Information for Businesses and Payroll Service Providers.  

If notified in time, the IRS can take steps to prevent employees from being victimized by identity thieves filing fraudulent returns in their names. There also is information about how to report receiving the scam email.

And, as a reminder, tax professionals who experience a data breach also should quickly report the incident to the IRS. Tax professionals may contact their local stakeholder liaison. See details at Data Theft Information for Tax Professionals.

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Revenue Procedure 2017-28 provides guidance to employers on the requirements for employee consent used by an employer to support a claim for refund of overpaid taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and the Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA). It clarifies the basic requirements for both a request for employee consent and for the employee consent and permits employee consent to be requested, furnished and retained in an electronic format. It also contains guidance concerning what constitutes “reasonable efforts” if employee consent is not secured in order to permit the employer to claim a refund of the employer share of overpaid FICA or RRTA taxes.

Revenue Procedure 2017-25 establishes the Small Business/Self Employed Fast Track Settlement program (SB/SE FTS) to provide an expedited format for resolving disputes with Small Business/Self Employed (SB/SE) taxpayers. SB/SE taxpayers that currently have unagreed factual or legal issues in at least one open year under examination can work together with SB/SE and the Office of Appeals to resolve outstanding disputed issues while the case is still in SB/SE jurisdiction. This revenue procedure modifies and supersedes Announcement 2011-5, 2011-4 I.R.B. 430.

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