Partnership Audit Regime Rules

Once a partnership withdraws from BBA proceedings, the election cannot be revoked without the consent of the IRS (Regs. Section 301.6221 (b) – 1 (c) (1)). An application for revocation of the choice of BBA procedures must be submitted for review within the first 30 days of receipt of a notice of selection for the partnership (letter 2205-D) (see LB&I and SB/SE Memo, at 23). Nor can the rejection of a request for revocation of an election from the BBA procedure be appealed (id. to 24). Two conditions must be met before a partnership can choose from these new rules. Audits can be time-consuming, distracting, and difficult, and that`s just for the IRS auditor! For partners and partnership, they can be time-consuming, distracting, difficult and expensive. Because of the many difficulties, rules, and pitfalls rooted in the IRS partnership audit rules, and the difficulty of reviewing and collecting from individual partners, the IRS did not often audit partnerships under the old rules. There is a very good explanation of the historical evolution and application of partnership audit rules by Kreig Mitchell, which explains the formidable obstacles that any partnership examiner must address under the old rules here: the choice of the partnership audit regime. To request an amendment, PR must file a Form 8980, Partnership Application for the Amendment of Imputed Underpaid Payments Subcontracted Underpayments under Paragraph 6225(c), by fax or electronically when the electronic portal is completed (MrI Project § 8.19.14.5(1)).

After evaluating all documents provided by PR, the Ogden BBA entity will issue a Form 15027, Partnership Summary of Approved Amendments and Insufficient Payments Charged, to the Partnership and the PR, detailing the approved amendments and a revised amount of imputed subpayment (MRI Project § 8.19.14.5 (2)). If a partnership makes a valid election, the applicable limitation period for the tax assessment is determined at the level of the partner and determined separately for each partner. If the choice is not made, the limitation period applicable for the tax assessment is instead determined at the partnership level. Because the voting partnership is required to disclose the identification numbers of its partners, each of the foreign partners in the partnership must apply for and receive a valid U.S. TIN, even if they do not have a U.S. tax return requirement. Partnerships are not eligible to withdraw from the centralized partnership review system if they are required to issue a Schedule K-1 for partners that: On November 24, 2020, the IRS issued draft regulations to support its upcoming focus on auditing large partnerships, as approved by the Tax Technical Corrections Act, 2018. These regulations apply to (1) partnerships that have an S-Corporation partner, (2) the treatment of partnerships that have been terminated, and (3) the IRS`s authority to make certain adjustments related to the partnership without opening a full audit of the partnership (for example. B when examining an individual partner). If the partnership is unable or decides not to unsubscribe, the company agreement must specify how the company will pay an insufficient imputed payment and how the imputed underpayment will be distributed between the old and new partners.

The company agreement should also determine whether or not the partnership will hold an early election. The second question concerns situations where a QSub partner is in a partnership. The rules state that a partnership with a QSub as a partner cannot choose from the centralized partnership verification system. The IRS said in the preamble that it did so to avoid having to audit more than 100 partners, a possible outcome of allowing QSubs to vote. In the case of appeals, only substantive issues are taken into account, such as.B. challenging the company`s adjustments, calculating imputed underpayment and imposing penalties (including any objection at company level to these penalties) (draft IRM § 8.19.14.2.7). BBA procedures apply to all partnership returns whose taxation years begin after December 31, 2017, unless the partnership is eligible and chooses from the BBA (Regs. Section 301.6221(a)-1(c)(1)). Partnerships whose taxation years begin after November 2, 2015 and before January 1, 2018 may register within 30 days of receiving a letter 2205-D (Regulation. Section 301.6221(a)-1(c)(2)). To calculate the number of eligible partners, add up the number of schedules K-1 that the partnership must issue to the partners and include all the shareholders of each partner who is an S corporation.

A partnership with one of the following partners as a partner can NOT be chosen: Partnerships received guidance from the IRS on Friday on when the new centralized partnership review system does not apply to certain elements related to partnerships. The proposed Regulations (REG-123652-18) provide that the centralized review system may not apply if an adjustment during the review of a person other than the partnership requires a change in an element related to the partnership. The regulation also stipulates that a partnership with a qualified subsidiary partner of Subchapter S (QSub) cannot choose from the centralized partnership audit system. A partnership may also consider including language that requires the partnership representative to notify the partners at certain stages of an audit, or to require the partnership representative to consult or obtain the consent of the partners before taking a position, accepting a settlement or making an election. All of the above issues can and should be addressed in changes to company agreements, and there is still time to do so before the IRS seriously begins audits under the new regime. Consider amending your agreement of persons or operating agreement to prohibit partners or owners who are not « eligible partners » without the consent of the general partner or manager or the consent of other partners or members, depending on how the corporation is structured. This change will ensure that the company does not accidentally lose its eligibility to vote by allowing an unelected partner. For example, a growing company formed as an LLC may decide to accept investments from a venture capital fund or other mutual fund that may be a partnership or LLC. If you accept this investment, your company will be discouraged from withdrawing from the centralized audit system in the coming years, and if your agreement prohibits that investor from becoming a partner or member without consent, the disqualification is intentional and not accidental. All elections are valid unless the IRS decides otherwise. If we determine that an election is not valid, we will notify the company in writing. In addition, given the broad discretion granted to a partnership representative under the new regime, a partnership should at least appoint or designate a procedure to appoint a partnership representative in its business agreement.

The contract of enterprise should also regulate when/if the partnership representative is liable to the partners if he or she did not make an election or made a choice that was not in the best interests of the partnership. A partnership may also consider amending or adding compensation provisions for the partnership representative. In Communication 2019-06, the IRS announced its intention to propose rules dealing with two « special matters of application » under Section 6241(11). The regulations proposed on Friday contain these rules. .