IRS News Wire
Additional Honda Vehicles Certified for Hybrid Tax Credits
IR-2006-183, Nov. 22, 2006
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has acknowledged the certification by American Honda Motor Company, Inc., that several of its Model Year
2007 vehicles meet the requirements of the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit as qualified hybrid motor vehicles.
The hybrid vehicle certifications recently acknowledged by the IRS and their credit amounts are:
- Honda Civic Hybrid CVT, Model Year 2007 $2,100
- Honda Accord Hybrid AT, Model Year 2007 $1,300
- Honda Accord Hybrid Navi AT, Model 2007 $1,300
Consumers seeking the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit may want to buy early since the full Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit is only available for a limited time. Taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer records its sale of the 60,000th vehicle. For the second and third calendar quarters after the quarter in which the 60,000th vehicle is sold, taxpayers may claim 50 percent of the credit. For the fourth and fifth calendar quarters, taxpayers may claim 25 percent of the credit. No credit is allowed after the fifth quarter.
The total number of qualifying Honda hybrid vehicles reported sold as of Sept. 30, 2006, was 28,408. Therefore, purchasers of Honda’s qualified vehicles may continue to rely on the previously issued IRS certifications.
Honda Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Certified for Tax Credit
IR-2006-182, Nov. 22, 2006
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has acknowledged the certification by American Honda Motor Company, Inc., that its Honda Civic GX Model Year
2007 vehicle meets the requirements of the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit.
The qualified Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicle Credit was enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The new credit includes separate credits for four distinct categories: (1) fuel cell vehicles, (2) advanced lean burn technology vehicles, (3) hybrid vehicles and (4) alternative fuel vehicles.
The credit amount for the Honda Civic GX Model Year 2007, which operates solely on compressed natural gas, is $4,000. The credit is equal to a percentage of the incremental cost of the alternative fuel technology.
IRS Has Refund for 95,746 Taxpayers Whose Checks Could Not Be Delivered
IR-2006-178, Nov. 16, 2006
WASHINGTON — An average refund of $963 is waiting for 95,746 taxpayers whose refund checks have been returned to the Internal Revenue Service as
undeliverable.
The checks, worth a total of $92.2 million, can be claimed as soon as their owners update their addresses with the IRS. In some cases, a taxpayer has more than one check waiting.
"Every year, many taxpayers miss their refunds because they move without notifying the IRS or Postal Service of a change of address," IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson said. "For those missing their check, the IRS is making it easier than ever for taxpayers to update their information and claim their refunds." Taxpayers can use the "Where's My Refund?" feature on the home page of the IRS.gov Web site to learn the status of their refunds. To use it, a taxpayer must enter a Social Security number, filing status (such as single or married filing jointly) and the refund amount shown on the taxpayer’s 2005 tax return. When the information is submitted, "Where's My Refund?" will display the status of a refund and, in some cases, provide instructions on how to resolve potential account issues.
Taxpayers can access a telephone version of "Where's My Refund?" by calling 1-800-829-1954.
How to Update an Address with the IRS
Refund checks can go astray for a variety of reasons. Sometimes a life change results in a change of address. When a taxpayer moves or changes address and fails to notify the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service, a check sent to the taxpayer's last known address is returned to the IRS.
"Where's My Refund?" now has an online mailing address update feature for taxpayers whose refund checks were returned to IRS. If an undeliverable check was originally issued within the past 12 months, the taxpayer will be prompted online to provide an updated mailing address.
The address update feature is only available to taxpayers using the Web version of "Where’s My Refund?" Taxpayers with undelivered refund checks who access "Where's My Refund?" by phone will receive instructions on next steps. Individuals whose refunds were not returned to IRS as undeliverable cannot update their mailing addresses through the "Where's My Refund?" service.
A taxpayer can also ensure the IRS has his or her correct address by filing Form 8822, Change of Address. Download the form from IRS.gov or request it by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).
Those who do not have access to the Internet and think they may be missing a refund should first check their records or contact their tax preparer, then call the IRS toll-free assistance line at 1-800-829-1040 to update their address.
Direct Deposit Can Put an End to Lost Refunds
To put an end to undelivered refunds, taxpayers can take advantage of Direct Deposit. Taxpayers who choose this service receive their refunds directly into a personal checking or savings account. Direct Deposit, which also guards against theft or lost refund checks, is available for filers of both paper and electronic returns.
Links:
IRS Provides Guidance on Per Diem Expense Reimbursements Paid By Employers
IR-2006-175, Nov. 9, 2006
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance emphasizing the need for employers to track the amount of
expense reimbursement allowances paid to employees on a per diem basis.
Revenue Ruling 2006-56 tells employers that if they routinely pay per diem allowances in excess of the federal per diem rates, but do not track the allowances and do not require the employees either to actually substantiate all the expenses or pay back the excess amounts, and do not include the excess amounts in the employee’s income and wages, then the entire amount of the expense allowances is subject to income tax and employment tax.
Generally, amounts employers pay employees to reimburse them for substantiated business expenses are not subject to income tax or employment tax. For reimbursements for expenses for meals and other incidentals associated with business travel, employees get this exclusion for reimbursements for each day of travel up to the federal per diem rates without having to actually substantiate the amounts of the expenses. However, if an employer pays expense allowances that exceed the federal per diem rates, the excess amounts are subject to income tax and employment tax if they are not repaid to the employer, unless the employee actually substantiates all of the expenses covered by the per diem allowance.
The revenue ruling illustrates when a per diem allowance arrangement that fails to track the excess amounts and does not include the unsubstantiated, unrepaid excess amounts in the employee’s income and wages constitutes a pattern of abuse of the rules for tax-free expense reimbursements. The finding that the arrangement is abusive causes all allowances paid under the arrangement to be subject to income tax and employment tax, not just the excess amounts. While the revenue ruling uses a scenario in the trucking industry because of the industry’s widespread use of per diem allowances, the analysis in the revenue ruling applies to any employer in any industry that uses per diem allowances to reimburse employee expenses.
IRS Revenue Ruling 2006-56 is effective immediately upon issuance. However, the IRS recognizes that employers may need some time to adjust their systems so they can track excess allowances and account for them correctly. The IRS is issuing instructions to its agents not to apply the results under the revenue ruling for taxable periods ending on or before Dec. 31, 2006, in the absence of intentional noncompliance.
2007 Inflation Adjustments Widen Tax Brackets, Expand Tax Benefits
IR-2006-173, Nov. 9, 2006
WASHINGTON — Personal exemptions and standard deductions will rise, tax brackets will widen and income limits for IRAs will increase in 2007,
thanks to inflation adjustments announced today by the Internal Revenue Service.
By law, the dollar amounts for a variety of tax provisions must be revised each year to keep pace with inflation. As a result, more than three dozen tax benefits, affecting virtually every taxpayer, are being adjusted for 2007. Key changes affecting 2007 returns, filed by most taxpayers in early 2008, include the following:
- The value of each personal and dependency exemption, available to most taxpayers, will be $3,400, up $100 from 2006.
- The new standard deduction will be $10,700 for married couples filing a joint return (up $400), $5,350 for singles and married individuals filing separately (up $200) and $7,850 for heads of household (up $300). Nearly two out of three taxpayers take the standard deduction, rather than itemizing deductions, such as mortgage interest, charitable contributions and state and local taxes.
- Tax-bracket thresholds will increase for each filing status. For a married couple filing a joint return, for example, the taxable-income threshold separating the 15-percent bracket from the 25-percent bracket will be $63,700, up from $61,300 in 2006.
In 2007, for the first time, inflation adjustments will raise the income limits that apply to the retirement savings contributions credit, contributions to a Roth IRA and deductible contributions to a traditional IRA where the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work.
Revenue Procedure 2006-53 contains a complete rundown of inflation adjustments.
IRS Announces 2007 Standard Mileage Rates
IR-2006-168, Nov. 1, 2006
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2007 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of
operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
- 48.5 cents per mile for business miles driven;
- 20 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and
- 14 cents per mile driven in service to a charitable organization.
The new rate for business miles compares to a rate of 44.5 cents per mile for 2006. The new rate for medical and moving purposes compares to 18 cents in 2006. The primary reasons for the higher rates were higher prices for vehicles and fuel during the year ending in October.
The standard mileage rates for business, medical and moving purposes are based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. Runzheimer International, an independent contractor, conducted the study for the IRS.
The mileage rate for charitable miles is set by statute.
A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS), after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle, for any vehicle used for hire or for more than four vehicles used simultaneously. Revenue Procedure 2006-49 contains additional information on these standard mileage rates.
Related Items:
Revenue Procedure 2006-49