Internal Revenue Code 6707A and Section 79: Breaking Down the Problem

  Lance Wallach Council Member President, VEBA Plan

Lance Wallach Council Member President, VEBA Plan

 

22%Risk Management22%Taxation22%Insurance34%Other

April 06, 

Premise
by Lance WallachThe IRS is fussy about its forms, and people involved in 419 and 412i plans discovered that the hard way. Now the IRS is starting to target Section 79 plans, and business owners are running into the same 6707A issues that the 412i and 419 plan participants had.  Knowing this history could help someone considering a Section 79 plan avoid those very major headaches.

Discussion

Insurance companies, agents, financial planners, and others have pushed abusive 419 and 412i plans for years. They claimed business owners could obtain large tax deductions. Insurance companies, agents and others earned very large life insurance commissions in the process. Eventually, the IRS cracked down on the unsuspecting business owners. Not only did they lose the tax deductions, but they were also fined and charged penalties and interest.

After the business owner was assessed the fines and lost his tax deduction, the IRS then came back and fined him a huge amount of money for not telling on himself under Internal Revenue Code 6707A. You see, if you participate in a listed or reportable transaction, you must alert the IRS or face a large fine. In essence, you must alert the IRS if you were in a transaction that has the possibility of tax avoidance or evasion. Not only must you file Form 8886 telling on yourself, but the form needs to be filed properly, and done every year that you are in the plan, even if you are no longer making contributions.

I have received hundreds of phone calls from business owners who improperly filed Form 8886, usually with the help of their accountants or the plan promoter. They got the fine for either improperly filing, or for making mistakes on the form. I only know of two people in the entire country who have consistently prepared these forms properly.

In addition, many states also require forms to be filed. For example, if you work in New York State and manage to properly fill out the Federal form, but don’t file the State form, you may still get fined.

Lately, insurance companies, agents, accountants, and others have been selling captive insurance and Section 79 scams. The motivations are exactly the same. They push large tax deductions for business owners. There are also huge commissions for salespeople.

If you do not properly file Form 8886, there is no Statute of Limitations. That means the IRS can come back and fine you many years later.

Anyone that wants to risk an IRS audit by utilizing a captive insurance or Section 79 scam should, at the very least, engage a competent professional to file 8886 forms.

Lance Wallach, National Society of Accountants Speaker of the Year and member of the AICPA faculty of teaching professionals, is a frequent speaker on retirement plans, abusive tax shelters, financial, international tax, and estate planning.  He writes about 412(i), 419, Section79, FBAR, and captive insurance plans. He speaks at more than ten conventions annually, writes for over fifty publications, is quoted regularly in the press and has been featured on television and radio financial talk shows including NBC, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and others. Lance has written numerous books including Protecting Clients from Fraud, Incompetence and Scams published by John Wiley and Sons, Bisk Education’s CPA’s Guide to Life Insurance and Federal Estate and Gift Taxation, as well as the AICPA best-selling books, including Avoiding Circular 230 Malpractice Traps and Common Abusive Small Business Hot Spots. He does expert witness testimony and has never lost a case. Contact him at 516.938.5007, wallachinc@gmail.com or visit www.taxadvisorexpert.com.

The information provided herein is not intended as legal, accounting, financial or any type of advice for any specific individual or other entity. You should contact an appropriate professional for any such advice.