December deadline for tax-exempt reinstatement: Here’s an important reminder for small nonprofit organizations: If your organization had its tax-exempt status revoked for failing to file an annual return from 2007 through 2009, the IRS is giving you a chance to get reinstated. The IRS has issued guidance for small organizations with gross annual receipts of less than $50,000 that will allow them to regain tax-exempt status retroactive to the date of revocation. To qualify for this reinstatement and a reduced application fee of $100, the organization must submit an application postmarked no later than December 31, 2012.
IRS eases reporting requirement on health coverage: The Affordable Care Act of 2010 included a provision requiring employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on the employee’s 2012 W-2. However, employers issuing fewer than 250 W-2s will not need to include the cost of health care on W-2s for 2012. For these employers, the 2012 reporting is optional. And such reporting will not apply for future calendar years until the IRS publishes further guidance.
IRS announces 2013 HSA limits: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) allow taxpayers with high-deductible health insurance to set aside tax-deductible dollars that can be used tax-free to pay unreimbursed medical expenses. If you have an HSA, you’ll be able to contribute more in 2013, thanks to the inflation-adjusted limit recently announced by the IRS. The amount you can set aside in 2013 will increase to $3,250 for an individual and to $6,450 for a family. If you’re 55 or older, you’re allowed an additional $1,000 contribution. For 2013, a high-deductible health plan is one with an annual deductible greater than $1,250 for self-only coverage or $2,500 for family coverage. Annual out-of-pocket expenses cannot exceed $6,250 for self-only coverage or $12,500 for family coverage.
IRS delays basis reporting for bonds and options: The IRS is giving brokers extra time to start reporting the basis in debt instruments and options. This requirement had been scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2013, but brokers and other involved parties complained to the IRS that this did not give them enough time to build and test the systems required to meet this obligation. The IRS has extended the deadline to January 1, 2014. This reporting requirement was the third phase of investment basis reporting included in a 2008 tax law.
