IRS Guidance

The IRS has announced the postponement of certain tax-related deadlines for victims of severe storms, flooding, and landslides in California.

The IRS has issued Revenue Ruling 2023-06, which contains the applicable federal rates (AFR) for April 2023.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a disaster declaration on February 27, 2023, for severe winter storms and snowstorms in South Dakota, for the incident period of December 12, 2022 – December 25, 2022.

The IRS has released a proposed rule intending to clarify the use and timing of the allocation of forfeitures in qualified retirement plans.

The IRS has issued Notice 2023-19, which contains updated guidance on factors used in certain defined benefit (DB) pension plan minimum funding and present value calculations.

The Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Employee Benefits Security Administration, the IRS, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) have released a third and final phase that implements a September 2021 regulatory proposal.

The IRS has released final regulations amending rules intended to increase the filing of electronic returns in accordance with the Taxpayer First Act of 2019.

The IRS has released Announcement 2023-6, stating that it expects to issue opinion letters for pre-approved defined benefit plans that were filed with the IRS during the third remedial amendment cycle “on February 28, 2023, or, in some cases, as soon as possible thereafter.”

The IRS has announced the postponement of certain tax-related deadlines for victims of severe storms, flooding and landslides in California. The tax relief postpones various tax filing deadlines that began on December 27, 2022. Affected individuals and households who reside or have a business in Calaveras, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz counties, as well as taxpayers with records located in the covered area that are needed to meet covered deadlines, qualify for relief.

In addition to extending certain tax filing and tax payment deadlines, the relief includes completion of many time-sensitive, tax-related acts described in IRS Revenue Procedure 2018-58 and Treasury Regulation 301.7508A-1(c)(1). Affected taxpayers with a covered deadline on or after December 27, 2022, and before May 15, 2023, will have until May 15, 2023, to complete the acts. This includes filing Form 5500 series returns that are required to be filed on or after December 27, 2022, and before May 15, 2023.

"Affected taxpayer" automatically includes any individuals who live, and businesses whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Those who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area, but have been affected by the disaster, may contact the IRS to request relief.

The IRS has issued Notice 2023-12, which contains updated guidance on factors used in certain defined benefit (DB) pension plan minimum funding and present value calculations. Updates include the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates for January used under Internal Revenue Code Section (IRC Sec.) 417(e)(3), and the 24-month average segment rates under IRC Sec. 430(h)(2). IRC Sec. 417 contains definitions and special rules for minimum survivor annuity requirements in DB plans. IRC Sec. 430 addresses minimum funding standards for single-employer DB plans.