About 830,000 taxpayers are having their tax refunds held up due to the move away from paper checks and Democratic leadership on the House Ways and Means Committee is seeking information on what the IRS is doing to expedite the issuance of those refunds.

About 830,000 taxpayers are having their tax refunds held up due to the move away from paper checks and Democratic leadership on the House Ways and Means Committee is seeking information on what the IRS is doing to expedite the issuance of those refunds.

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support Ranking Member Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Subcommittee on Oversight Ranking Member Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), in a March 9, 2026, letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Scott Bessent, noted that to date 530,000 notices have been sent to individual taxpayers who did not include bank account information on their tax returns and are planning to send another 300,000 notices this week.

“As a result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14247 mandating electronic payments of tax refunds, these taxpayers could face more than a 10-week delay (over 2.5 months) in receiving their refunds by paper check,” the letter states, adding a National Taxpayer Advocate citation stating that more than 10 million individual taxpayers received their refunds by check.

They continued: “Having reviewed the IRS notice and called the IRS phone lines, we learned that there is no simple process for these taxpayers to request an immediate release of their refund by paper check without waiting at least 10 weeks. Effectively, the President, unilaterally through his Executive Order, is causing undue hardship on millions of Americans by delaying their paper refunds for months. This delay is not mandated by the Internal Revenue Code.”

The ranking members ask Bessent a series of questions, including how IRS taxpayers without an online account can apply for a paper check and immediate release of funds; how many notices have been sent and are expected to be released; how many tax payers have exceptions have been successfully filed; and how many paper checks have been mailed to date.

The representatives asked for answers by March 23, 2026.

By Gregory Twachtman, Washington News Editor

The IRS has issued the luxury car depreciation limits for business vehicles placed in service in 2026 and the lease inclusion amounts for business vehicles first leased in 2026.

The IRS has issued the luxury car depreciation limits for business vehicles placed in service in 2026 and the lease inclusion amounts for business vehicles first leased in 2026.

Luxury Passenger Car Depreciation Caps

The luxury car depreciation caps for a passenger car placed in service in 2026 limit annual depreciation deductions to:

• $12,300 for the first year without bonus depreciation
• $20,300 for the first year with bonus depreciation
• $19,800 for the second year
• $11,900 for the third year
• $7,160 for the fourth through sixth year

Depreciation Caps for SUVs, Trucks and Vans

The luxury car depreciation caps for a sport utility vehicle, truck, or van placed in service in 2026 are:

• $12,300 for the first year without bonus depreciation
• $20,300 for the first year with bonus depreciation
• $19,800 for the second year
• $11,900 for the third year
• $7,160 for the fourth through sixth year

Excess Depreciation on Luxury Vehicles

If depreciation exceeds the annual cap, the excess depreciation is deducted beginning in the year after the vehicle’s regular depreciation period ends.

The annual cap for this excess depreciation is:

• $7,160 for passenger cars and
• $7,160 for SUVS, trucks, and vans.

Lease Inclusion Amounts for Cars, SUVs, Trucks and Vans

If a vehicle is first leased in 2026, a taxpayer must add a lease inclusion amount to gross income in each year of the lease if its fair market value at the time of the lease is more than:

• $62,000 for a passenger car, or
• $62,000 for an SUV, truck or van.

The 2026 lease inclusion tables provide the lease inclusion amounts for each year of the lease.

The lease inclusion amount results in a permanent reduction in the taxpayer’s deduction for the lease payments.

Vehicles Exempt from Depreciation Caps and Lease Inclusion Amounts

The depreciation caps and lease inclusion amounts do not apply to:

• cars with an unloaded gross vehicle weight of more than 6,000 pounds; or
• SUVs, trucks and vans with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 6,000 pounds.

So taxpayers who want to avoid these limits should "think big."

Rev. Proc. 2026-15

The IRS has released guidance on the withdrawal of an election to be an excepted trade or business for the Code Sec. 163(j) business interest limitation for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 tax year. The election is made by filing an amended income tax return, amended Form 1065, or administrative adjustment request (AAR) on or before October 15, 2026, or applicable statute of limitation. The withdrawal allows a taxpayer to make depreciation adjustments or a late election not to deduct the additional first-year depreciation (bonus depreciation) for certain property in light of recent legislative changes. 

The IRS has released guidance on the withdrawal of an election to be an excepted trade or business for the Code Sec. 163(j) business interest limitation for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 tax year. The election is made by filing an amended income tax return, amended Form 1065, or administrative adjustment request (AAR) on or before October 15, 2026, or applicable statute of limitation. The withdrawal allows a taxpayer to make depreciation adjustments or a late election not to deduct the additional first-year depreciation (bonus depreciation) for certain property in light of recent legislative changes. Guidance is also provided on the early election or revocation of a controlled foreign corporation (CFC) CFC group election.

Background

A taxpayer’s deduction of business interest expenses paid or incurred for the tax year is generally limited under section 163(j) to the taxpayer’s business interest income for that year and 30 percent of the taxpayer’s adjusted taxable income (ATI). The deduction limit does not apply to certain excepted businesses, including an electing real property trade or business, electing farming business, or regulated utility trade or business.

The election applies to the current tax year and all subsequent tax years. The election is irrevocable but may automatically terminate in certain circumstances. An electing real property trade or business or electing farming business that elects out of the section 163(j) limit must depreciate certain property using alternative depreciation system (ADS) and as a result cannot claim bonus depreciation for that property.

Election Withdrawal

An election to be an excepted trade or business for the section 163(j) business interest limit may be withdrawn for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 tax year. The withdrawal is made by attaching a statement to the taxpayer’s amended income tax return, amended Form 1065 , or administrative adjustment request (AAR) on or before October 15, 2026, or applicable statute of limitations per the IRS guidance.

A taxpayer that receives an amended Schedule K-1 as a result of an amended return or Form 1065 should similarly file an amended return, amended Form 1065, or AAR with a similar attached statement. If a taxpayer withdraws an election, the taxpayer will be treated as if the election had never been made.

Depreciation Adjustments

A taxpayer that is withdrawing an excepted trade or business interest election under section 163(j) must determine its depreciation deduction and basis for the property that is affected by the withdrawn election in accordance with Code Sec. 168. A taxpayer that makes the withdrawals may make a late election under Code Sec. 168(k)(7) to opt certain property out of bonus depreciation on the same amended Federal income tax return, amended Form 1065, or AAR filed for withdrawing the section 163(j) excepted trade or business election.

CFC Group Election

A taxpayer that is a designated U.S. person may revoke or make a CFC group election without regard to the 60-month limitation of § 1.163(j)-7(e)(5)(ii) for the first specified period of a specified group beginning after December 31, 2024. A taxpayer that chooses to revoke the election or make a new election must follow all procedures specified in the regulation other than the 60-month limit. In addition, the 60-month limitation applies to subsequent specified periods.

Rev. Proc. 2026-17

Internal Revenue Service CEO Frank Bisignano highlighted the early successes of the tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act before the House Ways and Means Committee while defending or deflecting critical commentary from the panel’s Democratic representatives.

Internal Revenue Service CEO Frank Bisignano highlighted the early successes of the tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act before the House Ways and Means Committee while defending or deflecting critical commentary from the panel’s Democratic representatives.

In his opening statement during the March 4, 2026, hearing, Bisignano noted that the tax benefit to individuals under these provisions is “estimated to be $220 billion,” noting key aspects like the no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and the Trump accounts helping to pave the way to the benefits.

He also highlighted the growth of 43 percent in usage of online tools, which he said is coinciding with a decrease in demand for phone service.

“Our goal is for taxpayers is our transformational efforts to create a seamless customer experience where taxpayers can interact with the IRS with the same ease they expect from the private sector,” Bisignano told the committee.

Bisignano during the hearing framed AI simply as a tool in the technology toolbox and stated that he didn’t simply want to “modernize” IRS systems because all that does is lead to future obsolescence, but framed information technology upgrades as “transforming” the systems to be able to evolve with technology, which “will increase compliance and increase simplification.”

He was put on the defensive on the subject of audit rates, with questions suggesting that the agency is not doing its job in terms of auditing high income and other wealthy taxpayers, which will lead to a greater tax gap.

Bisignano tried to interject that there was a $2 billion settlement reached but was not given an opportunity to expand upon the circumstances around the recovery, as Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Ca.) noted that “fewer audits of wealthy tax cheats and more scrutiny of working families” doesn’t build “trust among the American taxpayers.”

In answering a separate question regarding audit rates, he pushed back on the increase or decrease in audit rates, testifying that there has never been a standard audit rate that has been proven to be the right number and it could be more or less than where things are at now.

Bisignano defended the cutting of the National Treasury Employees Union contract, stating that by statute, federal employees already have “greater benefits that any union in the world can provide for their people,” including pay, health, and other benefits that are guaranteed by law. “So they are losing nothing,” he said.

He also defended the elimination of the Direct File program, citing its lack of utilization and its costs to operate the program, while promoting Free File as “well-received” and a well-used and trusted program.

Bisignano avoided any discussion regarding the IRS turning over taxpayer information to the Department of Homeland Security without proper authorization, noting that litigation on this issue was still ongoing. He confirmed that so far, no one has been fired or disciplined for this unauthorized information transmission.

He also would not commit to opening any of the closed Taxpayer Assistance Centers, noting that the current centers were experiencing increased activity, although he did add that there were no plans to close any of the existing centers.

Adoption Credit Update

Bisignano told the committee that the IRS will be implementing a provision that for tax year 2025, carry forward amounts of the adoption credit for prior years are refundable up to $5,000 per qualifying child, “and the IRS is implementing this policy as expeditiously as possible without disrupting the current filing season.”

He said there is will be information on this published “very soon” and that taxpayers “should continue to claim the credit as directed by the current tax forms and instructions during the tax season, since the IRS is pursuing post-filing remedies to solve this issue.”

By Gregory Twachtman, Washington News Editor

The IRS has finalized regulations to include unmarked vehicles used by firefighters, members of rescue squads, or ambulance crews in the list of “qualified nonpersonal use vehicles” exempt from the IRC §274(d) substantiation requirements. The final rule adopts, with only minor, non-substantive changes, the text of the proposed regulations (NPRM REG-106595- 22) issued on December 3, 2024. The amendments ensure that specially equipped unmarked vehicles are subject to the same tax treatment as other emergency vehicles used by first responders.

The IRS has finalized regulations to include unmarked vehicles used by firefighters, members of rescue squads, or ambulance crews in the list of “qualified nonpersonal use vehicles” exempt from the IRC §274(d) substantiation requirements. The final rule adopts, with only minor, non-substantive changes, the text of the proposed regulations (NPRM REG-106595- 22) issued on December 3, 2024. The amendments ensure that specially equipped unmarked vehicles are subject to the same tax treatment as other emergency vehicles used by first responders.

Qualified Nonpersonal Use Vehicles

IRC §274(d) requires that taxpayers satisfy additional substantiation requirements when claiming certain business deductions including the business use of an automobile or other means of transportation. A qualified nonpersonal use vehicle is any vehicle that, by reason of its nature, is not likely to be used more than a de minimis amount for personal purposes. Reg. §1.274-5(k)(2)(ii) provides a list of such vehicles, which includes, in part: ambulances; clearly marked police, fire, public safety officer vehicles; and unmarked police vehicles.

Unmarked Emergency Vehicles

Recently, some municipalities have been providing unmarked vehicles to these first responders as a response to an increase in incidents of vandalism and harassment. These unmarked vehicles are typically equipped with special equipment such as lights and sirens, medical emergency equipment, communication radios, and personal protective equipment. Most fire and emergency response departments retain the title to these unmarked vehicles and have policies that limit the use of the vehicles for personal purposes.

The intent and use of these unmarked vehicles meet the definition of qualified nonpersonal vehicles provided in IRC §274(i). However, prior to the amendments, fire and emergency response departments had to substantiate the time the first responders spent using these unmarked vehicles for work related purposes. Personal use of these vehicles, no matter how minute, was required to be included in that employee’s income.

In addition to adding unmarked rescue to the list of qualified nonpersonal use vehicles provided in Reg. §1.274-5(k)(2)(ii), the amendments add Reg. §1.274-5(k)(7) which provides the definitions for “unmarked firefighter, rescue squad or ambulance crew vehicles”, “firefighter,” and “member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew.”

The amendments apply to tax years beginning on or after the date the final regulations are published in the Federal Register. However, taxpayers may rely on the guidance provided in the proposed regulations until that date.

T.D. 10043

Proposed regulations under Code Sec. 530A, providing guidance on making an election to open a Trump account, and under Code Sec. 6434, relating to the Trump account contribution pilot program, have been issued. Comments are requested and should be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (indicate IRS and REG-117270-25 for comments related to Code Sec. 530A or IRS and REG-117002-25 for comments related to Code Sec. 6434). The proposed regulations are proposed to apply on or after January 1, 2026.

Proposed regulations under Code Sec. 530A, providing guidance on making an election to open a Trump account, and under Code Sec. 6434, relating to the Trump account contribution pilot program, have been issued. Comments are requested and should be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (indicate IRS and REG-117270-25 for comments related to Code Sec. 530A or IRS and REG-117002-25 for comments related to Code Sec. 6434). The proposed regulations are proposed to apply on or after January 1, 2026.

Background

Code Sec. 530A, as added by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) provides for the creation of a Trump account for an eligible individual. A Trump account is subject to certain special rules that do not apply to other types of individual retirement accounts during the growth period, which is the period that begins when an initial Trump account is established and ends on December 31st of the year in which the account beneficiary of the initial Trump account reaches the age of 17. Proposed regulations on the special rules that apply during and after the growth period are reserved and will be proposed at a later date.

In addition, Code Sec. 6434 was added, which provides for a one-time $1,000 pilot program contribution to the Trump account of an eligible child with respect to whom an election is made. The qualifications to be an eligible child are less restrictive than those to be an eligible individual. Finally, Code Sec. 128 allows for employer contributions to a Trump account of an employee or a dependent of an employee. These contributions must be made in accordance with the rules of a Code Sec. 128(c) Trump account contribution program. Guidance on this section is expected to be released in the future.

General Requirements and Election to Open an Account

A Trump account is either (1) an initial Trump account, created or organized by the Treasury Secretary for an eligible individual or (2) a rollover Trump account, which is an account created during the growth period and funded by a qualified rollover contribution from the account beneficiary's existing Trump account. An individual can only have one Trump account containing funds in existence at a time. The written governing instrument of a Trump account must generally meet the rules of Code Sec. 408(a)(1) through (6) and Code Sec. 530A (b)(1)(C)(i) through (iii). Any person approved by the IRS as of December 31, 2025, to be a nonbank trustee of an IRA would have automatic approval to act as a trustee of a Trump account. The written instrument must clearly identify the account as a Trump account at the time of creation.

An election to open an account can be made by either an authorized individual or by the Secretary. If a pilot program contribution election is made at the same as the election to open the initial account, the authorized individual would be the individual authorized to make (and making) the pilot program contribution election. If a pilot contribution program election is not being made, Prop. Reg. §1.530A-1(c)(1)(i)(B) provides an ordering rule to determine who the authorized individual is. In order of priority, the authorized individual would be a legal guardian, parent, adult sibling, or grandparent of the eligible individual. The election to open an initial Trump account is made on or before December 31st of the calendar year in which the eligible individual attains age 18. The election is made on Form 4547 or through an electronic application or webpage made available by the Secretary.

Contribution Pilot Program

A pilot program election with respect to an eligible child must be made by a pilot program-electing individual so that the Secretary can make the $1,000 pilot program contribution into the Trump account of en eligible child. An eligible child is a pilot program-electing individual's anticipated qualifying child, as defined in Code Sec. 152(c), for the tax year of the pilot program-electing individual in which the pilot program election is made; is born in 2025, 2026, 2027, or 2028; is a U.S. citizen; has been issued a social security number; and with respect to which no prior pilot program election has been made by any individual and processed by the Secretary.

A pilot program election is made with respect to the eligible child's "special taxable year" (defined in Prop. Reg. §301.6434-1(c)(1)), instead of with respect to any calendar based tax year for the eligible child's federal income tax liability. Once an election is processed, the eligible child is treated as making a $1,000 payment against a federal income tax liability for the eligible child's special taxable year, resulting in a $1,000 overpayment. The overpayment is then refunded by the Secretary as a pilot program contribution to the eligible child's Trump account. The overpayment is not refunded unless the eligible child has an established Trump account.

An election may be made on the day that a child becomes eligible, and the last day to make the election is December 31st of the calendar year in which the eligible child attains age 17. In addition, only the first pilot program contribution election processed by the IRS will result in a $1,000 contribution to the eligible child's Trump account. The pilot program contribution election is made on Form 4547.

Proposed Regulations, NPRM REG-117270-25

Proposed Regulations, NPRM REG-117002-25

IR 2026-31

IR 2026-33

The IRS expects to delay the applicability date of proposed regulations on required minimum distributions (RMDs) until the distribution calendar year that would begin 6 months after the date the regulations are finalized. Specifically, the announcement relates to proposed amendments of Reg. §§1.401(a)(9)-4, 1.401(a)(9)-5, and 1.401(a)(9)-6, issued pursuant to NPRM REG–103529–23 .

The IRS expects to delay the applicability date of proposed regulations on required minimum distributions (RMDs) until the distribution calendar year that would begin 6 months after the date the regulations are finalized. Specifically, the announcement relates to proposed amendments of Reg. §§1.401(a)(9)-4, 1.401(a)(9)-5, and 1.401(a)(9)-6, issued pursuant to NPRM REG–103529–23 .

Background

Prior to this announcement, provisions under NPRM REG–103529–23 (2024) were proposed to apply for determining RMDs for calendar years beginning on or after January 1, 2025. This ensured the provisions would begin to apply at the same time as final regulations under T.D. 10001 (2024).

Following a request for comments, concerns included difficulty to implement many provisions of future final regulations in a timely manner if the January 1, 2025, applicability date were to be retained in future final regulations.

Future Final Regulations

The IRS expects future final regulations that would amend Reg. §§1.401(a)(9)-4, 1.401(a)(9)-5, and 1.401(a)(9)-6, issued pursuant to NPRM REG–103529–23, to apply to determine RMDs for the distribution calendar year that would begin no earlier than six months after the date that any future final regulations would be issued in the Federal Register. For periods before the applicability date of such future final regulations, taxpayers must continue to apply a reasonable, good-faith interpretation.

Announcement 2026-7

The IRS has issued a waiver for individuals who failed to meet the foreign earned income or deduction eligibility requirements of Code Sec. 911(d)(1) because adverse conditions in certain foreign countries prevented them from fulfilling the requirements for the 2025 tax year. Qualified individuals may elect to exclude from gross income their foreign earned income and to exclude or deduct the housing cost amount.

The IRS has issued a waiver for individuals who failed to meet the foreign earned income or deduction eligibility requirements of Code Sec. 911(d)(1) because adverse conditions in certain foreign countries prevented them from fulfilling the requirements for the 2025 tax year. Qualified individuals may elect to exclude from gross income their foreign earned income and to exclude or deduct the housing cost amount.

Relief Provided

The IRS, in consultation with the Secretary of State, has determined that war, civil unrest, or similar adverse conditions precluded the normal conduct of business in the following countries, effective from the dates specified: (1) Haiti – January 1, 2025; (2) Ukraine – January 1, 2025; (3) Democratic Republic of the Congo – January 28, 2025; (4) South Sudan – March 7, 2025; (5) Iraq – June 11, 2025; (6) Lebanon – June 22, 2025; and (7) Mali – October 30, 2025. An individual who left any of these countries on or after the respective dates will be treated as a qualified individual for the period during which the individual was a bona fide resident of, or was present in, the country. To qualify for relief, an individual must establish that, but for these adverse conditions, they would have met the requirements of Code Sec. 911(d)(1). Additionally, the waiver does not apply to individuals who first established residency or were physically present in any of these countries after the respective dates listed above. Taxpayers seeking guidance on how to claim this exclusion or file an amended return should refer to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion section at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion or contact a local IRS office.

Rev. Proc. 2026-16

The IRS has provided guidance regarding whether taxpayers receiving loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) may deduct otherwise deductible expenses. Act Sec. 1106(i) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act ( P.L. 116-136) did not address whether generally allowable deductions such as those under Code Secs. 162 and 163 would still be permitted if the loan was later forgiven pursuant to Act Sec. 1106(b). The IRS has found that such deductions are not permissible.

The IRS has provided guidance regarding whether taxpayers receiving loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) may deduct otherwise deductible expenses. Act Sec. 1106(i) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act ( P.L. 116-136) did not address whether generally allowable deductions such as those under Code Secs. 162 and 163 would still be permitted if the loan was later forgiven pursuant to Act Sec. 1106(b). The IRS has found that such deductions are not permissible.

PPP Loans
The CARES Act expanded the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) existing Section 7(a) loan program to include certain PPP loans. The PPP is made available from the SBA to provide small businesses with loans to help pay payroll costs, mortgages, rent, and utilities during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. All payments of principal, interest, and fees under the loans are deferred for at least 6 months. The loans are also forgiven for amounts payroll costs, mortgage or rent obligations, and certain utility payments incurred between February 15 and June 30. The loans are 100 percent guaranteed by the SBA.

Deductions Prohibited
If the SBA forgives a taxpayer’s PPP loan pursuant to Act. Sec. 1106(b) of the CARES Act, the amount of the loan is excluded from gross income. Under Reg. §1.265-1 taxpayers cannot deduct expenses that are allocable to income that is either wholly excluded from gross income or wholly exempt from the taxes. This rule exists in order to prevent double tax benefits. Thus, the IRS has determined that taxpayers who have their PPP loans forgiven may not deduct any business or interest expenses related to the income associated with the loan.

Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) have worked together to release the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application. According to Treasury’s May 15 press release, the application and correlating instructions inform borrowers how to apply for forgiveness of PPP loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act ( P.L. 116-136). The PPP was enacted under the CARES Act to provide eligible small businesses with loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) have worked together to release the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application. According to Treasury’s May 15 press release, the application and correlating instructions inform borrowers how to apply for forgiveness of PPP loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act ( P.L. 116-136). The PPP was enacted under the CARES Act to provide eligible small businesses with loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, SBA is expected to issue regulations and guidance to assist borrowers as they complete their applications, and to provide lenders with guidance on their responsibilities, according to Treasury.

Measures included in the application and instructions intended to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers include:

• options to calculate payroll costs using an "alternative payroll covered period" that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles;
• flexibility to include eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the eight-week period after receiving their PPP loan;
• step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness;
• borrower-friendly implementation of statutory exemptions from loan forgiveness reduction based on rehiring by June 30; and
• the addition of a new exemption from the loan forgiveness reduction for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined.

Although you may want your traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) to keep accumulating tax-free well into your old age, the IRS sets certain deadlines. The price for getting an upfront deduction when contributing to a traditional IRA (or having a rollover IRA) is that Uncle Sam eventually starts taxing it once you reach 70½. The required minimum distribution (RMD) rules under the Internal Revenue Code accomplish that.

If distributions do not meet the strict minimum requirements for any one year once you reach 70½, you must pay an excise tax equal to 50 percent, even if you kept the money in the account by mistake.

Required minimum distribution

The traditional IRA owner must begin receiving a minimum amount of distributions (the RMD) from his or her IRA by April 1 of the year following the year in which he or she reaches age 70½. That first deadline is referred to as the required beginning date.

If, in any year, you as a traditional IRA owner receive more than the RMD for that year, you will not receive credit for the additional amount when determining the RMD for future years. However, any amount distributed in your 70½ year will be credited toward the amount that must be distributed by April 1 of the following year. The RMD for any year after the year you turn 70½ must be made by December 31 of that year.

Distribution period

The distribution period is the maximum number of years over which you are allowed to take distributions from the IRA. You calculate your RMD for each year by dividing the amount in the IRA as of the close of business on December 31 of the preceding year by your life expectancy at that time as set by special IRS tables. Those tables are found in IRS Publication 590, "IRAs Appendix C."

Example: Say you were born on November 1, 1936, are unmarried, and have a traditional IRA. Since you have reached age 70½ in 2007 (on May 1 to be exact), your required beginning date is April 1, 2008. Assume further that as of December 31, 2006, your account balance was $26,500. Using Table III, the applicable distribution period for someone your age as of December 31, 2007 (when you will be age 71) is 26.5 years. Your RMD for 2007 is $1,000 ($26,500 ÷ 26.5). That amount must be distributed to you by April 1, 2008.

The RMD rules do not apply to Roth IRAs; they only apply to traditional IRAs. That is one of the principal estate planning reasons for setting up a Roth IRA or rolling over a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. The downside of a Roth IRA, of course, is not getting an upfront deduction for contributions, or having to pay tax on the balance when rolled over from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA.

Please contact this office if you need any help in determining a RMD or in deciding whether a rollover to a Roth IRA now to avoid RMD issues later might make sense for you.

Q. I use my computer for both business and pleasure and I am confused about how much I can deduct. Also, how are PDAs such as Palm Pilots, etc. deducted for tax purposes?

A. Because computers and peripheral equipment are viewed as more susceptible than other business property to unwarranted deductions for personal use, they are subject to special scrutiny under the tax law. This scrutiny comes from their classification as "listed property," which limits the amount that may be deducted each year.

A computer as listed property only becomes an issue if it is not used exclusively in business. If a computer is used exclusively at the taxpayer's regular business establishment or in the taxpayer's principal trade or business, the listed property limitations don't apply at all.

Any computer that you use predominately for pleasure may not be written-off over its life nearly as quickly as exclusive-use computers. If your business usage does not meet the predominant use test, you are relegated to using a much slower depreciation method (the ADS, straight-line method) over the longer-ADS recovery period.

Your computer will meet the predominant use test for any tax year if its qualified business use is more than 50% of its total use. You must review your computer's usage and determine the percentage usage for each of its various uses (business, investment, and personal). When computing the predominant use test, any investment use of your computer cannot be considered as part of the percentage of qualified business use. However, you do use the combined total of business and investment use to figure your depreciation deduction for the property. It's up to you to prove business use to the IRS; the IRS does not need to prove personal use to reject your deductions.

In order to claim your computer expenses, you must meet the adequate records requirements by maintaining a "log" or other documentary evidence that sufficiently establishes the business/investment percentage claimed. The log should be similar to a log you would keep to track your auto expenses, indicating date, time of usage, business or nonbusiness, and business reason. Good documentation is always the key to success if your return is ever audited.

Finally, what about application of these rules to PDA's? The shorter the designated "life" of the property, the faster you can write-off its cost. Cell phones are generally considered 7-year property (the cost is depreciated over seven years). Computers are generally considered 5-year property, and computer-software normally is 3-year property. PDA's are generally classified as 5-year property, being considered wireless computers. If a PDA includes a cell phone feature, as long as that feature is not predominant and removable, it continues to fall under the 5-year property rule. Software that you may download to your PDA is 3-year property. Software that you buy already loaded into the PDA, however, is 5-year property. Monthly charges for a wireless service provider are deductible as paid each month, just as your business would deduct any phone or internet service bill.

Most homeowners have found that over the past five to ten years, real estate -especially the home in which they live-- has proven to be a great investment. When the 1997 Tax Law passed, most homeowners assumed that the eventual sale of their home would be tax free. At that time, Congress exempted from tax at least $250,000 of gain on the sale of a principal residence; $500,000 if a joint return was filed. Now, those exemption amounts, which are not adjusted for inflation, don't seem too generous for many homeowners.

What can be done?

Keeping lots of receipts is one answer! Remember, it will be the gain on your home that is potentially taxable, not full sale price. Gain is equal to net sales price minus an amount equal to the price you paid for your house (including mortgage debt) plus the cost of any improvements made over the years. Bottom line: If your residence has gain that will otherwise be taxed, you will get around 30 percent back on the cost of the improvements (assume your tax bracket is about 30 percent when you sell), simply by keeping good records of those improvements.

The basis of your personal residence is generally made up of three basic components: original cost, improvements, and certain other basis adjustments

How your home was acquired will need to be considered when determining its original cost basis.

Purchase or Construction. If you bought your home, your original cost basis will generally include the purchase price of the property and most settlement or closing costs you paid. If you or someone else constructed your home, your basis in the home would be your basis in the land plus the amount you paid to have the home built, including any settlement and closing costs incurred to acquire the land or secure a loan.

Gift. If you acquired your home as a gift, your basis will be the same as it would be in the hands of the donor at the time it was given to you.

Inheritance. If you inherited your home, your basis is the fair market value on the date of the deceased's death or on the "alternate valuation" date, as indicated on the federal estate tax return filed for the deceased.

Divorce. If your home was transferred to you from your ex-spouse incident to your divorce, your basis is the same as the ex-spouse's adjusted basis just before the transfer took place.

If you've been in your home any length of time, you most likely have made some home improvements. These improvements will generally increase your home's basis and therefore decrease any potential gain on the sale of your residence. Before you increase your basis for any home improvements, though, you will need to determine which expenditures can actually be considered improvements versus repairs.

An improvement materially adds to the value of your home, considerably prolongs its useful life, or adapts it to new uses. The cost of any improvements cannot be deducted and must be added to the basis of your home. Examples of improvements include putting room additions, putting up a fence, putting in new plumbing or wiring, installing a new roof, and resurfacing your patio. It doesn't need to be a big project, however, just relatively permanent. For example, putting in a skylight or a new kitchen sink qualifies.

Repairs, on the other hand, are expenses that are incurred to keep the property in a generally efficient operating condition and do not add value or extend the life of the property. For a personal residence, these costs do not add to the basis of the home. Examples of repairs are painting, mending drywall, and fixing a minor plumbing problem.

Additional items that will increase your basis include expenditures for restoring damaged property and assessing local improvements. Some common decreases to your home's basis are:

• Insurance reimbursements for casualty losses.
• Deductible casualty losses that aren't covered by insurance.
• Payments received for easement or right-of-way granted.
• Deferred gain(s) on previous home sales before 1998.
• Depreciation claimed after May 6, 1997 if you used your home for business or rental purposes.

In order to document your home's basis, it is wise to keep the records that substantiate the basis of your residence such as settlement statements, receipts, canceled checks, and other records for all improvements you made. Good records can make your life a lot easier if the IRS ever questions your gain calculation. You should keep these records for as long as you own the home. Once you sell the home, keep the records until the statute of limitations expires (generally three years after the date on which the return was filed reporting the sale).