Revenue Ruling 2020-12 provides various prescribed rates for federal income tax purposes including the applicable federal interest rates for June 2020, the adjusted applicable federal interest rates, the adjusted federal long-term rate, the adjusted federal long-term tax-exempt rate. These rates are determined as prescribed by § 1274. 

Revenue Ruling 2020-12 will be in IRB:  2020-24, dated June 8, 2020.

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service announced today the availability of additional material for partner groups sharing information related to Economic Impact Payments, including a new toolkit in Spanish and a variety of other print and visual items available.

Even with more than 130 million Economic Impact Payments delivered to date and millions more on the way, there are still people who may not realize they may qualify for a payment of $1,200 or more. To help reach people who don’t normally file a tax return, the IRS has embarked on a sweeping outreach effort to share information in multiple languages inside and outside the tax community.

“From the enactment of the CARES Act, the IRS has embarked on an unprecedented outreach effort to share information about Economic Impact Payments,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “We want to reach every eligible person and encourage everyone to share this information with family and friends, and groups and businesses to send it to partners and clients. During these difficult times, each of you can make a difference by helping us help others.”

The IRS has placed a special emphasis on partnering with new organizations that work with groups focusing on veterans, homeless, low-income taxpayers as well as non-English speaking audiences to share information about the payments. In all, the IRS has worked with thousands of partners across the country reaching organizations representing hundreds of millions of taxpayers.

Special materials available on IRS.gov; Partner toolkit available in English and Spanish

To help share information with your family, friends, partners and clients, the IRS has more than 40 ready-to-use materials available. These are available at Economic Impact Payments: Partner and Promotional Materials. These materials include:

The IRS also has a special partner toolkit now available in both Spanish and English. The toolkit offers a summary of various items related to Economic Impact Payments that partner groups can share.

In addition, the IRS has been working closely with partners in the tax community as the private sector worked to translate key Economic Impact Payments into more than two dozen different languages to get key information to more people.

IRS social media shares information

The IRS continues regularly sharing Economic Impact Payment information on social media. Organizations are encouraged to share these information items, which also including new developments related to Economic Impact Payments and other provisions related to the CARES Act:

IRS works with other federal agencies to share information

As part of the wider outreach effort, the IRS has been working with other federal agencies to share information, ranging from the Treasury Department and the Bureau of Fiscal Service to the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition to those groups, a number of federal agencies have additional information of interest to taxpayers, including:

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides tax credits to reimburse employers for the costs of providing paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave to employees unable to work because of the coronavirus (COVID-19). These credits are refundable. That means if the amount of the credit exceeds the amount of tax owed, the remainder is refunded to the business or organization.

The law is intended to allow employers to keep employees on their payrolls, while at the same time making sure employees aren’t forced to choose between their paychecks and public health measures needed to combat COVID-19.

These credits are available to eligible employers beginning April 1, 2020, for qualifying leave they provide between April 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020.

Covered employers
Eligible employers are businesses and tax-exempt organizations with fewer than 500 full-time and part-time employees within the United States or any U.S. territory or possession and that have to meet employer paid leave requirements. The Questions and Answers and regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor have more information about the 500-employee threshold and the paid leave requirements.

The law allows equivalent credits for self-employed individuals in similar circumstances. For details, see specific provisions related to self-employed individuals in the COVID-19-Related Tax Credits for Required Paid Leave Provided by Small and Midsize Businesses FAQs.

Paid sick leave requirement and credit
Employees of eligible employers who are unable to work or telework because they’re quarantined or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis can receive up to 80 hours of paid sick leave. This pay is at their regular rate of pay or, if higher, the applicable minimum wage, up to $511 per day and $5,110 in total.

Employees can receive up to 80 hours of paid sick leave at 2/3 of their regular pay or, if higher, the applicable minimum wage, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in total. Employees can receive this benefit if they need to care for:

due to COVID-19 or because they’re experiencing similar conditions as specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

An employee is eligible for paid sick leave, regardless of length of employment.

The eligible employer is entitled to a fully refundable tax credit equal to the required paid sick leave wages. Eligible employers can also get an additional credit for the employer’s share of Medicare tax imposed on the qualfied sick leave wages and the cost of maintaining health insurance coverage for the employee during the sick leave period. The employer is not subject to the employer portion of Social Security tax on those wages. 

Paid family and medical leave requirement and credit
In addition to the paid sick leave credit, an employee who is unable to work or telework because of a need to care for a child whose school or place of care is closed or whose child-care provider is unavailable due to COVID-19, is entitled to paid family and medical leave equal to 2/3 of the employee’s regular pay, up to $200 per day and $10,000 in total. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted toward the paid family leave credit. 

An employee qualifies for paid family and medical leave if they’ve been on an employer’s payroll for 30 calendar days or more.

The eligible employer is entitled to a fully refundable tax credit equal to the required paid family leave wages. Eligible employers can also get an additional credit for the employer’s share of Medicare tax imposed on those wages and its cost of maintaining health insurance coverage for the employee during the family leave period. The eligible employer isn’t subject to the employer portion of Social Security tax on those wages.

Example. An employee’s child-care provider is unavailable indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak, leaving the employee unable to work or telework because of the need to care for their child. For up to the first 80 hours of any period of leave to care for their child, the employee is entitled to qualified sick leave wages, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in total. After that, the employee is entitled to qualified family leave wages for up to 10 weeks of additional leave needed, up to $200 per day and $10,000 in total.

How to claim the credits
Eligible employers report their total qualified leave wages and the related credits for each quarter on their federal employment tax return, usually Form 941, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return. They can receive the benefit of the credits by reducing their federal employment tax deposits for that quarter by the amount of the qualified leave wages, allocable qualified health plan expenses, and the employer’s share of Medicare tax on the wages. They’ll account for the reduction in deposits due to the leave credits on the Form 941 they file at the end of the quarter.   The IRS recently posted Frequently Asked Questions about the ability both to reduce deposits for the credits and to defer the deposit of all of the employer’s portion of Social Security tax due before January 1, 2021 under a separate provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

If employers don’t have enough federal employment taxes to cover the amount of the credits, after they have deferred deposits of employer Social Security taxes under the CARES Act as discussed in the Frequently Asked Questions, they may request an advance payment of the credits from the IRS by submitting Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19. They may fax their completed forms to 855-248-0552.

Examples: An eligible employer is entitled to a credit of $5,000 for paying qualified sick leave wages and qualified family leave wages (and allocable health plan expenses) and is otherwise required to deposit $8,000 in federal employment taxes withheld from all of its employees for wage payments made during the same quarter as the $5,000 in qualified leave wages. The employer may keep up to $5,000 of the $8,000 of taxes it was going to deposit, and it will not owe a penalty for keeping the $5,000.  The eligible employer will claim the credit and reflect the reduced liability for the $5,000 when it files Form 941.

An eligible employer is entitled to a credit of $10,000 for paying qualified leave wages (and allocable qualified health plan expenses) and is otherwise required to deposit $8,000 in federal employment taxes withheld from all of its employees on wage payments made during the same quarter. The employer can keep the entire $8,000 of taxes that it was otherwise required to deposit without penalties as a portion of the credits it is otherwise entitled to claim on Form 941. The employer may file a request for an advance credit for the remaining $2,000 by completing Form 7200.

Keep records to substantiate claims
Eligible employers claiming the credits must keep records and documentation supporting each employee’s leave. The COVID-19-Related Tax Credits for Required Paid Leave Provided by Small and Midsize Businesses FAQs has more information about the documents needed to support the employee’s leave and the employer’s credit.

An employer should keep all employment tax records for at least four years.

The Questions and Answers issued by the U.S. Department of Labor have more information about the leave requirements.

More information:
Coronavirus Tax Relief
IR-2020-57, Treasury, IRS and Labor announce plan to implement coronavirus-related paid leave for workers and tax credits for small and midsize businesses to swiftly recover the cost of providing coronavirus-related leave.

IRS.gov has answers to many questions people may have about their Economic Impact Payment. Here are answers to some of the top questions people are asking about these payments. 

Is this payment considered taxable income?

No, the payment is not income and taxpayers will not owe tax on it. The payment will not reduce a taxpayer’s refund or increase the amount they owe when they file their 2020 tax return next year. A payment also will not affect income for purposes of determining eligibility for federal government assistance or benefit programs.

Can people who receive a Form SSA-1099 or RRB-1099 use Get MyPayment to check their payment status?

Yes, they will be able to use Get My Payment to check the status of their payment after verifying their identity by answering the required security questions.

If someone’s bank account information has changed since they filed their last tax return, can they update it using Get My Payment?

To help protect against potential fraud, the tool also does not allow people to change direct deposit bank account information already on file with the IRS.

If the IRS issues a direct deposit based on the account information that the taxpayer provided on their tax return and the bank information is now invalid or the account has been closed, the bank will reject the deposit. The agency will then mail payment as soon as possible to the address they have on file. Get My Payment will be updated to reflect the date a payment will be mailed. It will take up to 14 days to receive the payment, standard mailing time.

Where can people get more information?

Taxpayers who are required to file a tax return, can go to IRS Free File to file electronically. If they aren’t required to file, they should go to the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool and submit their information to receive an Economic Impact Payment.

For the complete lists of FAQs, visit the Economic Impact Payment and the Get My Payment tool pages on IRS.gov. The IRS updates these FAQs regularly.

The IRS encourages people to share this information with family and friends.

Share this tip on social media -- #IRSTaxTip: What people really want to know about Economic Impact Payments. https://go.usa.gov/xvst9

Notice 2020-37 provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates used under § 417(e)(3), and the 24-month average segment rates under § 430(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.  In addition, this notice provides guidance as to the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities under § 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate under § 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I), as reflected by the application of § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv). 

Notice 2020-37 will be in IRB: 2020-23, dated June 1, 2020.

Notice 2020-29 provides for increased flexibility with respect to mid-year elections made under a § 125 cafeteria plan during calendar year 2020 related to employer-sponsored health coverage, health Flexible Spending Arrangements (health FSAs), and dependent care assistance programs. The notice also provides increased flexibility with respect to grace periods to apply unused amounts in health FSAs to medical care expenses incurred through December 31, 2020, and unused amounts in dependent care assistance programs to dependent care expenses incurred through December 31, 2020. Further, the notice provides that the relief provided in Notice 2020-15, 2020-14 IRB 559 regarding high deductible health plans and expenses related to COVID-19, and in Section 3701 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) regarding a temporary exemption for telehealth services, may be applied retroactively to January 1, 2020. This notice is being issued to assist with the nation’s response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), this notice

Notice 2020-33 increases the $500 limit for unused amounts remaining in a health flexible spending arrangement (health FSA) that may be carried over into the following year by making the carryover amount 20 percent of the maximum salary reduction amount under § 125(i), which is indexed for inflation. This calculation had been the basis for the $500 limit under Notice 2013-71, but the $500 limit did not incorporate the indexing.  Thus, for 2020, under this new notice the carryover amount will increase to $550.  The notice cross references Notice 2020-29 for guidance on how a § 125 cafeteria plan may be amended to allow prospective health FSA election changes for the 2020 calendar year. Notice 2020-29 provides relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that, among other things, permits employers to amend § 125 cafeteria plans to provide participants flexibility to change health FSA contribution elections at such times as the employer permits through the end of 2020, provided that any changes are applied only prospectively.  Regarding individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), the notice also provides clarification regarding reimbursement for premium expenses occurring prior to the beginning of the plan year (generally addressing the need to pay the premium for January health insurance coverage in December of the previous year).

Both Notice 2020-29 & Notice 2020-33 will be in IRB-2020-22, dated May 26, 2020.

WASHINGTON –The Internal Revenue Service today released guidance to allow temporary changes to section 125 cafeteria plans. These changes extend the claims period for health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and dependent care assistance programs and allow taxpayers to make mid-year changes.

The guidance issued today addresses unanticipated changes in expenses because of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and provides that previously provided temporary relief for high deductible health plans may be applied retroactively to January 1, 2020, and it also increases for inflation the $500 permitted carryover amount for health FSAs to $550.

Notice 2020-29 provides greater flexibility for taxpayers by:

Notice 2020-33 responds to Executive Order 13877, which directs the Secretary of the Treasury to “issue guidance to increase the amount of funds that can carry over without penalty at the end of the year for flexible spending arrangements.” The notice increases the limit for unused health FSA carryover amounts from $500, to a maximum of $550, as adjusted annually for inflation.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued proposed regulations under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that provide guidance to taxpayers and governments with respect to fines, penalties and certain other amounts.

The TCJA disallows a deduction for the payment of fines, penalties, and certain other amounts.  Specifically, taxpayers may not deduct amounts that, pursuant to court orders or settlement agreements, are paid to, or at the direction of, governments in relation to the violation of any law or the investigation or inquiry into the potential violation of any law.

Under the TCJA, this disallowance may not apply to amounts that taxpayers establish, and court orders or settlement agreements identify, are paid as restitution, remediation, or to come into compliance with a law so long as the amounts otherwise qualify as deductible under the Internal Revenue Code.

The proposed regulations describe how taxpayers may meet these requirements and define key terms and phrases such as restitution, remediation, and paid to come into compliance with a law.

The TCJA also requires governments to report these amounts to the Internal Revenue Service and taxpayers.  The proposed regulations provide guidance to governments related to these reporting requirements.

For more information about this and other TCJA provisions, visit IRS.gov/taxreform.

WASHINGTON −The IRS and Treasury have successfully delivered nearly 130 million Economic Impact Payments to Americans in less than a month, and more are on the way. Some Americans may have received a payment amount different than what they expected. Payment amounts vary based on income, filing status and family size. 

See below for some common scenarios that may explain why you received a different payment amount than expected: 

You have not filed a 2019 tax return, or the IRS has not finished processing your 2019 return 

Payments are automatic for eligible people who filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019. Typically, the IRS uses information from the 2019 tax return to calculate the Economic Impact Payment.  Instead, the IRS will use the 2018 return if the taxpayer has not yet filed for 2019. If a taxpayer has already filed for 2019, the agency will still use the 2018 return if the IRS has not finished processing the 2019 return. Remember, the IRS accepting a tax return electronically is different than completing processing; any issues with the 2019 return mean the IRS would’ve used the 2018 filing. 

If the IRS used the 2018 return, various life changes in 2019 would not be reflected in the payment. These may include higher or lower income or birth or adoption of a child. 

In many cases, however, these taxpayers may be able to claim an additional amount on the 2020 tax return they file next year. This could include up to an additional $500 for each qualifying child not reflected in their Economic Impact Payment. 

Claimed dependents are not eligible for an additional $500 payment 

Only children eligible for the Child Tax Credit qualify for the additional payment of up to $500 per child. To claim the Child Tax Credit, the taxpayer generally must be related to the child, live with them more than half the year and provide at least half of their support. Besides their own children, adopted children and foster children, eligible children can include the taxpayer’s younger siblings, grandchildren, nieces and nephews if they can be claimed as dependents. In addition, any qualifying child must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or other qualifying resident alien. The child must also be under the age of 17 at the end of the year for the tax return on which the IRS bases the payment determination.  

A qualifying child must have a valid Social Security number (SSN) or an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN). A child with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is not eligible for an additional payment. 

Parents who are not married to each other and do not file a joint return cannot both claim their qualifying child as a dependent. The parent who claimed their child on their 2019 return may have received an additional Economic Impact Payment for their qualifying child. When the parent who did not receive an additional payment files their 2020 tax return next year, they may be able to claim up to an additional $500 per-child amount on that return if they qualify to claim the child as their qualifying child for 2020.  

Dependents are college students 

Pursuant to the CARES Act, dependent college students do not qualify for an EIP, and even though their parents may claim them as dependents, they normally do not qualify for the additional $500 payment. For example, under the law, a 20-year-old full-time college student claimed as a dependent on their mother’s 2019 federal income tax return is not eligible for a $1,200 Economic Impact Payment. In addition, the student’s mother will not receive an additional $500 Economic Impact Payment for the student because they do not qualify as a child younger than 17. This scenario could also apply if a parent’s 2019 tax return hasn’t been processed yet by the IRS before the payments were calculated, and a college student was claimed on a 2018 tax return. 

However, if the student cannot be claimed as a dependent by their mother or anyone else for 2020, that student may be eligible to claim a $1,200 credit on their 2020 tax return next year. 

Claimed dependents are parents or relatives, age 17 or older 

If a dependent is 17 or older, they do not qualify the additional $500. If a taxpayer claimed a parent or any other relative age 17 or older on their tax return, that dependent will not receive a $1,200 payment.  In addition, the taxpayer will not receive an additional $500 payment because the parent or other relative is not a qualifying child under age 17. 

However, if the parent or other relative cannot be claimed as a dependent on the taxpayer's or anyone else’s return for 2020, the parent or relative may be eligible to individually claim a $1,200 credit on their 2020 tax return filed next year. 

Past-due child support was deducted from the payment 

The Economic Impact Payment is offset only by past-due child support. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service will send the taxpayer a notice if an offset occurs.

For taxpayers who are married filing jointly and filed an injured spouse claim with their 2019 tax return (or 2018 tax return if they haven’t filed the 2019 tax return), half of the total payment will be sent to each spouse. Only the payment of the spouse who owes past-due child support should be offset.

The IRS is aware that a portion of the payment sent to a spouse who filed an injured spouse claim with his or her 2019 tax return (or 2018 tax return if no 2019 tax return has been filed) may have been offset by the injured spouse’s past-due child support. The IRS is working with the Bureau of Fiscal Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement, to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. If you filed an injured spouse claim with your return and are impacted by this issue, you do not need to take any action. The injured spouse will receive their unpaid half of the total payment when the issue is resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. 

Garnishments by creditors reduced the payment amount

Federal tax refunds, including the Economic Impact Payment, are not protected from garnishment by creditors by federal law once the proceeds are deposited into a taxpayer’s bank account.

What if the amount of my Economic Impact Payment is incorrect?

Everyone should review the eligibility requirements for their family to make sure they meet the criteria.

In many instances, eligible taxpayers who received a smaller-than-expected Economic Impact Payment (EIP) may qualify to receive an additional amount early next year when they file their 2020 federal income tax return. EIPs are technically an advance payment of a new temporary tax credit that eligible taxpayers can claim on their 2020 return. Everyone should keep for their records the letter they receive by mail within a few weeks after their payment is issued. 

When taxpayers file their return next year, they can claim additional credits on their 2020 tax return if they are eligible for them. The IRS will provide further details on IRS.gov on the action they may need to take.

The EIP will not reduce a taxpayer’s refund or increase the amount they owe when they file a tax return early next year. It is also not taxable and is therefore should not be included in income on a 2020 return. 

More resources on Economic Impact Payments here:

WASHINGTON – With a variety of steps underway to speed Economic Impact Payments, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service urged people to use Get My Payment by noon Wednesday, May 13, for a chance to get a quicker delivery.

The IRS, working in partnership with Treasury Department and the Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS), continues to accelerate work to get Economic Impact Payments to even more people as soon as possible. Approximately 130 million individuals have already received payments worth more than $200 billion in the program’s first four weeks.

Starting later this month, the number of paper checks being delivered to taxpayers will sharply increase. For many taxpayers, the last chance to obtain a direct deposit of their Economic Impact Payment rather than receive a paper check is coming soon. People should visit Get My Payment on IRS.gov by noon Wednesday, May 13, to check on their payment status and, when available, provide their direct deposit information.

“We’re working hard to get more payments quickly to taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “We want people to visit Get My Payment before the noon Wednesday deadline so they can provide their direct deposit information. Time is running out for a chance to get these payments several weeks earlier through direct deposit.”

After noon Wednesday, the IRS will begin preparing millions of files to send to BFS for paper checks that will begin arriving through late May and into June. Taxpayers who use Get My Payment before that cut-off can still take advantage of entering direct deposit information.

How Get My Payment works
The Get My Payment tool provides eligible taxpayers with a projected Economic Impact Payment deposit date. The information is updated once daily, usually overnight. There is no need to check more than once a day. Taxpayers who did not choose direct deposit on their last tax return can use this tool to input bank account information to receive their payment by direct deposit, expediting receipt.

Non-Filers portal remains available
For those not required to file a federal tax return, the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool helps them submit basic information to receive an Economic Impact Payment quickly to their bank account. Developed in partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, this tool provides a free and easy option for those who don’t receive Social Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefits. The Non-filers tool is also available in Spanish.

Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for 2019 or 2018 will receive the payments automatically. Automatic payments will also be sent to those receiving Social Security retirement, disability benefits, Railroad Retirement benefits, Veterans Affairs benefits or Supplemental Security Income soon.

Watch out for scams related to Economic Impact Payments
The IRS urges taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams related to the Economic Impact Payments. To use the new app or get information, taxpayers should visit IRS.gov. People should watch out for scams using email, phone calls or texts related to the payments. Be careful and cautious: The IRS will not send unsolicited electronic communications asking people to open attachments, visit a website or share personal or financial information.

Stay informed with Economic Impact Payment FAQs; Social Media platforms
Taxpayers should check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information.