TREASURY
INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR TAX ADMINISTRATION
Examinations of Partnerships Often Do Not Follow All
Procedures Required by the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982
July 31, 2006
Reference Number: 2006-30-106
This
report has cleared the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
disclosure review process and information determined to be restricted from
public release has been redacted from this document.
Phone Number |
202-927-7037
Email Address | Bonnie.Heald@tigta.treas.gov
Web Site |
http://www.tigta.gov
July 31, 2006
MEMORANDUM FOR COMMISSIONER, LARGE AND
MID-SIZE BUSINESS DIVISION
COMMISSIONER, SMALL BUSINESS/SELF-EMPLOYED
DIVISION
FROM: Michael R. Phillips /s/ Michael R. Phillips
Deputy Inspector General for Audit
SUBJECT: Final Audit Report – Examinations of Partnerships Often Do Not Follow All Procedures Required by the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (Audit # 200530021)
This report presents the results of our review of the
Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) examination of partnerships that require the
use of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA)[1]
procedures. The overall objective of this
review was to determine whether examinations initiated under the TEFRA were conducted
in accordance with statutory and administrative procedures. In general, the term TEFRA is used to
describe a set of rules (both statutory and administrative) that affect how the
IRS conducts examinations of tax returns from partnerships and certain other
entities. There are important reasons for the IRS to ensure these rules are followed during examinations. Most importantly, perhaps, is that
procedural errors can affect the validity of assessments, infringe on taxpayer
rights, and result in improper disclosures of tax information.
Synopsis
Prior to enactment of the TEFRA, partnership examinations
were in many ways examinations of the individual partners. Each
partner’s return was examined separately, and the determination and treatment of partnership items for one
partner was not binding on any other partner.
For those partnerships subject to the TEFRA, the treatment of
partnership items is determined at the entity level in one unified
examination. Among other things, the TEFRA
requires that (1) every partnership have a tax matters partner who serves as a liaison
with the IRS, (2) tax adjustments to the partnership are made in one
examination and are binding to all partners, and (3) special notices are issued
and procedures followed by the IRS at the beginning and end of
examinations.
Despite IRS controls
and emphasis on case file documentation, additional steps must be taken to
ensure procedures are properly followed when partnership examinations are
initiated. We evaluated case files from
60 partnership return examinations closed between October 1, 2003, and June 30,
2005, by examiners located in IRS offices from
across the country. One or more required
procedures were not followed in 55 percent (33 out of 60) of these examinations. For example, in two cases, examiners should
have used TEFRA statutory and administrative procedures to initiate and conduct
the examinations, but information in case files indicated non-TEFRA procedures were
used. Consequently, the case files did
not contain any documentation showing the partnerships and their partners
received the notices they were entitled to under the Internal Revenue Code, and,
had there been any assessments, such assessments may not have been valid.[2] We
also identified other problems, including issuance of a Notice of Beginning of Administrative
Proceeding (Letter 1787) well after examinations had started and partnership
records had been examined.[3]
A combination of factors contributed to the concerns identified in our case reviews. First, examiners need to take better advantage of IRS resources when conducting partnership examinations. We used four IRS job aids to review the cases in our sample. While the Internal Revenue Manual[4] does not specifically require examiners to use the job aids, the aids are readily accessible for examiners online through the IRS Intranet. We saw limited documentation in case files that these resources were used, even though they can provide a reliable and consistent method for directing and guiding examiners through all phases of the partnership examination process.
Second, quality controls could be strengthened. IRS guidelines require both the Small Business/Self-Employed
(SB/SE) Division[5]
and Large and Mid-Size Business (LMSB) Division[6]
to review a sufficient sample of closed examinations through their respective quality
measurement systems. Although the LMSB
Division quality measurement system evaluates how well examiners follow TEFRA
procedures, the SB/SE Division quality measurement system does not include such
evaluations. Consequently, management may
not be aware of the procedural problems.
Third, examiners and
managers should be held accountable for following TEFRA procedures. Prior to our review, the LMSB Division
recognized the need to better hold its examiners and managers accountable for
properly documenting work and introduced an Administrative Procedures Standard (APS)
to its quality measurement system in March 2003. While the APS does not specifically address
TEFRA procedures, it does require examiners and managers to provide
documentation that many non-TEFRA statutory and administrative procedures are followed
in planning, initiating, conducting, and closing examinations. Documentation supporting that non-TEFRA procedures
are followed is captured on the Administrative Procedures Standard Input
Document (Form 13327).[7] Modifying
the APS to cover TEFRA procedures, and incorporating it in the SB/SE Division quality
measurement system, would provide a mechanism for enhancing accountability and increasing
assurances that TEFRA procedures are followed in all partnership
examinations.
Recommendations
We recommended
the Director, Quality Assurance and Performance Management, LMSB Division, modify
the APS and related Form 13327
to cover TEFRA examination procedures. We
recommended the Commissioners, LMSB and SB/SE Divisions, initiate actions to revise the Internal
Revenue Manual so examiners are required to complete, and include in partnership
examination case files, appropriate TEFRA job aids. Additionally, the Director,
Examination, SB/SE Division, should evaluate how well examiners are complying
with TEFRA examination procedures in reviews conducted under the SB/SE Division
quality measurement system and implement a process that will better hold
examiners and their managers accountable for following TEFRA procedures.
Response
IRS management agreed with our recommendations and will be taking appropriate corrective actions to better ensure examiners and managers are accountable for following TEFRA procedures. In the LMSB Division, the Form 13327 will be changed to cover TEFRA examination procedures and an interim guidance memorandum will be jointly issued with the SB/SE Division instructing examiners to complete and include an updated TEFRA Procedures Check List in case files. In the SB/SE Division, quality controls will be strengthened by evaluating how well examiners are adhering to TEFRA examination procedures and developing guidelines to assist TEFRA reviewers in conducting their evaluations. Additionally, SB/SE Division management will supplement TEFRA lead sheets used by examiners with a revised TEFRA Procedures Check List that will require managers and examiners to provide documentation showing TEFRA procedures were followed. Management’s complete response to the draft report is included as Appendix V.
Copies of this report are also being sent to IRS managers affected by the report recommendations. Please contact me at (202) 622-6510 if you have questions or Daniel R. Devlin, Assistant Inspector General for Audit (Small Business and Corporate Programs), at (202) 622-8500.
Appendices
Appendix
I – Detailed Objective, Scope, and Methodology
Appendix
II – Major Contributors to This Report
Appendix
III – Report Distribution List
Appendix
IV – Administrative Procedures Standard Input Document
Appendix V
– Management’s Response to the Draft Report
Partnerships are associations of two or more persons or entities, such as corporations or other partnerships, that join together to carry on a trade or business. Each partner generally contributes money, property, labor, or specialized skills in exchange for a share of the profits and losses from the partnership. Although partnerships are required to file a U.S. Return of Partnership Income (Form 1065) annually, no taxes are generally paid with these tax returns. The partners are responsible for reporting and paying any applicable taxes on their respective income tax returns for their share of the partnership’s income. Because partnership income, losses, credits, and other tax items are generally distributed untaxed to the respective partners, partnerships are commonly referred to as flowthrough entities.
From a practical standpoint, partnerships have long provided a very popular way to shelter income from taxation because they have minimum legal startup formalities and costs, as well as the legal capacity to pass on to their partners losses that can be used to offset wages and other income sources of partners. Moreover, changes in the legal and regulatory environment in the 1990s contributed to making partnerships one of the fastest growing segments of all tax return filers. Specifically, these changes included the creation of Limited Liability Companies[8] and the issuance of so-called Check-the-Box Regulations[9] by the Department of the Treasury. Currently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) Division is responsible for managing most of the programs and activities devoted to partnerships, although the Large and Mid-Size Business (LMSB) Division[10] serves partnerships reporting more than $10 million in assets.
Because partnership losses can offset income sources of partners, in the 1970s and early 1980s, some taxpayers began using partnerships as a vehicle to take advantage of unintended loopholes in the tax laws. Enactment of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA)[11] by Congress was intended, in part, to close these loopholes by including in the Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) statutory procedures that affected how the IRS conducts examinations of partnerships and certain other entities that meet the criteria under the TEFRA. To guide and assist its examiners and other personnel in complying with the TEFRA statutory procedures, the IRS developed a set of administrative procedures that are reflected in the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM).[12]
Prior to enactment of the TEFRA, partnership examinations were in many ways examinations of the individual partners. Each partner’s return was examined separately, and the determination and treatment of partnership items for one partner was not binding on any other partner. Additionally, the statute of limitations for assessment of taxes was tied to the individual partners’ returns; so, for the IRS to extend the statute of limitations to facilitate completing the examination of a partnership return, each partner had to sign a consent form. This process resulted in logistical problems for the IRS and created significant burdens on examiners and the private sector, especially if the partnership had numerous partners who were geographically dispersed across the country and filed returns at different IRS processing centers.
For those partnerships subject to the TEFRA, the treatment of partnership items is determined at the entity level in one unified examination. Among other things, the TEFRA provides that (1) every partnership have a tax matters partner (TMP) who serves as a liaison with the IRS, (2) tax adjustments to the partnership are made in one examination and are binding to all partners, and (3) special notices are issued and procedures followed by the IRS at the beginning and end of examinations. Although some TEFRA statutory and administrative procedures have been modified over the years,[13] current TEFRA procedures generally apply to partnerships that have more than 10 partners or have partners that are S corporations, other partnerships, or Limited Liability Companies that filed partnership returns.
This review was performed in the IRS LMSB and SB/SE Divisions,
which are respectively headquartered in
Examiners Have a Critical Role in
Initiating Examinations in Accordance With Administrative and Statutory
Procedures
Many of the
administrative and statutory procedures required to initiate a TEFRA examination
are the same as those required to initiate a non-TEFRA examination. In both types of examinations, IRS examiners
review tax return information to identify questionable items and indications of
unreported income. If questionable items
are identified or there are indications of unreported income, the examiner will
schedule an appointment with the taxpayer, or his or her designated
representative, and request information needed to resolve the questionable
items. In addition to these administrative
procedures, examiners are required by the I.R.C. to inform taxpayers of their
rights at the start of the examination.
The statutory procedures under the I.R.C. state, among other things,
that taxpayers have the rights to know why the IRS is asking for information
about their tax returns and to authorize another person, such as an accountant
or attorney, to work with the examiner during the examination.
The
initiation process for TEFRA examinations requires examiners to complete
additional steps to comply with administrative and statutory procedures
Although there are
similarities in the processes used to initiate TEFRA and non-TEFRA examinations,
there are steps required to initiate TEFRA examinations that are not required
for non-TEFRA examinations. These steps
include:
These three different processes make initiating a TEFRA examination more detailed and can place greater burden on examiners because they require completion of additional administrative and statutory procedures.
Management
controls have been developed to help examiners properly initiate partnership
examinations
Ultimately, the IRS relies on its examiners to ensure partnership examinations are properly initiated. To assist examiners in meeting this responsibility, the IRS has developed a system of controls that are in line with the Government Accountability Office Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government.[15] At the top of the agency, broad policy statements provide guidance nationwide to IRS personnel that are involved in IRS programs and activities. Of the 189 IRS Policy Statements, 34 cover examination issues, such as taxpayer rights and examiner responsibilities.
At the divisional level, the quality measurement staff in the LMSB Division review samples of examination cases to assess the degree to which LMSB Division examiners complied with TEFRA procedures when initiating partnership examinations. In addition to reviews by the LMSB Division quality measurement staff, mid-level managers in both the LMSB and SB/SE Divisions may evaluate ongoing work in open TEFRA examinations during their operational reviews. Operational reviews are required to be performed at least annually to ensure work is being done in conformance with procedures. These processes serve as a quality control by identifying managerial, technical, and procedural problems and providing a basis for corrective actions.
First-line managers are an important control component
because they are responsible for the quality of work performed by the examiners
they supervise. They use a variety of
techniques to ensure examiners’ work is meeting acceptable standards and procedures
are followed in planning, initiating, and conducting TEFRA examinations. These
techniques, as we have previously reported,[16] include observations and discussions with examiners and reviews of work during
examinations and after they are closed.
Through these observations, discussions, and reviews, first-line
managers attempt to identify problems so examiners can take prompt corrective
actions.
The IRM is another
important control component because it contains the official compilation
of detailed instructions and explanations of the statutory and administrative
procedures for examiners to follow in conducting both TEFRA and non-TEFRA
examinations. Throughout the IRM,
examiners are instructed to properly document
in examination case files all aspects of their work during the planning, initiating,
conducting, and closing phases of examinations.
This documentation is important because it provides the principal
evidence that procedures were followed, as well as the foundation for other
control processes such as managerial reviews and the quality measurement
systems. The importance of examiner
documentation is further emphasized in management directives, examiner training
materials, and the quality measurement standards.
Additional
Steps Are Needed to Ensure Statutory and Administrative Procedures Are Followed
When Partnership Examinations Are Initiated
Despite the IRS’ controls
and its emphasis on case file documentation, additional steps must be taken to
ensure procedures are properly followed when partnership examinations are
initiated. We evaluated case files from 60
partnership return examinations closed between October 1, 2003, and June 30,
2005, by examiners located in IRS offices from across the country and found
that 1 or more required procedures were not followed in 55 percent (33 out of
60) of these examinations. There are
important reasons for the IRS to ensure procedural errors such as the ones we
identified are avoided in the future. Most
importantly, perhaps, is that
procedural errors can affect the validity of assessments, result in improper disclosures
of tax information, and infringe on taxpayers’ rights. Although
we did not use statistically valid sampling techniques, we believe our results
indicate a concern nationwide because the examinations were conducted from geographically
dispersed IRS offices. Moreover, the IRS
officials who evaluated our case reviews agreed with the problems identified.
We found, for
example, two cases for which examiners should have used TEFRA statutory and
administrative procedures to initiate and conduct the examinations, but the
information in the case files indicated non-TEFRA examination procedures were
used. Consequently, there was no
documentation in the case files that the partnerships and their partners
received the notices they were entitled to under the tax law, and, had there
been any assessments, such assessments may not have been valid. In both instances, the examinations resulted
in no change to the partnership and the partners’ tax liabilities. In another 25 cases, the Form 2848 did not
contain required information that allows examiners to disclose tax return
information to individuals or organizations designated by the partnership. The IRM instructs examiners that it is
imperative to complete the Form 2848 correctly or risk making improper
disclosures of tax information. As
summarized in Figure 1, we also identified other problems in our case reviews,
including issuance of the Letter 1787 well after examinations had started and
partnership records had been examined.
Figure 1: Description of Problems in 60 Partnership
Examinations Reviewed |
||
Problem
Description |
Potential Risks |
Number of
Cases |
1.
Minimum tests were not documented to determine if |
Ø Invalid tax assessments
Ø Taxpayer rights violation |
33 |
2.
Necessary checks were not
documented in case files to ensure the TMP was qualified to represent the
partnership for tax matters arising from the examination. |
Ø
Invalid tax
assessments
Ø
Barred assessment
statutes
Ø
Improper
disclosure of tax information |
23 |
3.
Form 2848 did not contain
required information that allows disclosure of tax return information to designated
individuals or organizations. |
Ø
Barred
assessment statutes
Ø
Improper
disclosure of tax information |
25 |
4.
Letters 1787 were not
correctly issued. Case files did not
contain evidence that notices were mailed to the TMP, and some were issued
after partnership records were examined. |
Ø
Invalid tax
assessments
Ø
Taxpayer rights violation |
31 |
(~) The total number of cases will add to more than 60 because some cases
contained multiple problems.
Source:
Analysis of 60 closed partnership return examinations.
The Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government specify that control activities are the policies, procedures, techniques, and mechanisms that enforce management’s directives. In short, controls ensure actions are taken to minimize risks. We applied these standards in evaluating the problems in the partnership examinations and determined a combination of factors contributed to the concerns identified in our case reviews. Steps can be taken at both the examiner and quality control levels to provide better assurance that required procedures are followed, thereby minimizing the risks outlined in Figure 1.
Examiners
need to take better advantage of IRS resources when conducting partnership
examinations
As previously discussed, many of the examination case files we reviewed were not documented to show that statutory and administrative procedures were properly followed when the examinations were initiated. Although managers were involved in 92 percent of the cases we reviewed, their involvement was not effective in identifying and correcting inadequately documented files or cases for which required procedures were not followed.
We used the 4 IRS job aids outlined in Figure 2 to review the 60 cases in our sample. While the IRM does not specifically require that examiners use the job aids, the aids are readily accessible to examiners online through the IRS Intranet. We saw limited documentation in case files that these resources were used by either examiners or their managers.
Figure 2: IRS Job Aids for Initiating Partnership
Examinations in Accordance With Statutory and Administrative Procedures |
1.
TEFRA Partnership Criteria Checklist and Flowchart. The list and
chart solicit answers from examiners to questions that, if followed, will
correctly determine whether the partnership examination should be conducted
under TEFRA or non-TEFRA statutory
procedures. |
2.
TMP Checklist. The
seven-page checklist is designed to be completed concurrently with
interviewing the identified TMP for each tax year under examination. The checklist can be a valuable tool for
ensuring specific requirements of the statute are met with respect to the
TMP’s designation and qualifications. |
3.
TEFRA
Procedures Checklist and Flowchart. The list and chart provide a
summary of the sequential steps to complete in properly initiating a TEFRA
examination. They also provide
important references to applicable sections of the IRM where more detailed
instructions can be located. |
4.
TEFRA Form
2848 Instructional Guide. The document illustrates how to properly
prepare a |
Source: The IRM and the IRS TEFRA Intranet site.
Requiring the use of
IRS job aids can provide a reliable and consistent method for directing
and guiding examiners and their managers through all phases of the partnership
examination process. At the same time,
using these job aids can significantly minimize the risks associated with not
following TEFRA statutory and administrative procedures.
Quality controls could be strengthened
IRS guidelines require both the LMSB and SB/SE Divisions to
review a sufficient sample of closed examinations through their respective quality
measurement systems. From October 1,
2003, through December 31, 2005, the LMSB Division quality measurement staff evaluated
whether examiners followed TEFRA procedures in 88 applicable examinations and identified
concerns similar to those we identified in our case reviews. However, reviews performed by the SB/SE Division
quality measurement staff do not include evaluating how well examiners are adhering
to TEFRA procedures, even though the SB/SE Division conducts the majority of
partnership examinations for the IRS. Consequently,
management may not be aware of the procedural problems in TEFRA examinations.
The errors
identified in our case reviews and the reviews conducted by the LMSB Division
quality measurement staff raise questions about how well examiners and
first-line managers are being held accountable for following required procedures. Prior to our review, the LMSB Division
recognized the need to better hold its examiners and managers accountable for properly
documenting work and introduced an Administrative Procedures Standard (APS) to
its quality measurement system in March 2003.
While the APS does not specifically address TEFRA procedures, it does require
examiners and managers to provide documentation that the many non-TEFRA statutory
and administrative procedures were followed in planning, initiating, conducting,
and closing examinations.
Documentation supporting
that the non-TEFRA procedures were followed is captured on the Administrative
Procedures Standard Input Document (Form 13327), which is evaluated by the LMSB
Division quality measurement staff and is reproduced, in part, in Appendix IV. The Form 13327 is required to be completed
during the course of every examination, self-certified by examiners and
managers that listed procedures were followed, and included in case files so it
can be used in subsequent managerial reviews.
Modifying the APS to
cover TEFRA procedures and requiring first-line manager involvement in the
self-certification process could provide a mechanism for enhancing accountability
and better ensuring case files are documented to show TEFRA procedures were
followed. At the same time,
incorporating the APS in the SB/SE Division quality measurement system could increase
assurances that TEFRA procedures are followed in all partnership examinations.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1: The Director, Quality Assurance and Performance Management, LMSB Division, should add TEFRA examination procedures to the LMSB Division APS and related Form 13327.
Management’s Response: The IRS agreed with this recommendation. The LMSB Division will revise Form 13327 to cover TEFRA examination procedures by adding the question “Was the TEFRA checksheet included in the case file?” to the Form.
Recommendation 2: The Commissioners, LMSB and SB/SE Divisions, should initiate actions needed to revise the IRM so examiners are required to complete, and include in partnership examination case files, appropriate TEFRA job aids.
Management’s Response: The IRS agreed with this recommendation. The SB/SE and LMSB Divisions will issue a joint interim guidance memorandum instructing examiners to complete and include an updated TEFRA Procedures Check List in the partnership examination case files. If necessary, the Divisions will begin the process to revise the IRM procedures to include such procedures.
Recommendation 3: The Director, Examination, SB/SE
Division, should incorporate an evaluation of how well examiners are complying
with TEFRA examination procedures in reviews conducted under the SB/SE Division
quality measurement system.
Management’s Response: The IRS agreed with this recommendation. The SB/SE Division will strengthen quality controls by evaluating how well examiners are adhering to TEFRA examination procedures and developing guidelines to assist TEFRA reviewers in conducting their evaluations.
Recommendation 4: The Director, Examination, SB/SE Division, should implement a process, such as required use of the APS and Form 13327, that will better hold examiners and their managers accountable for following TEFRA procedures and that can be monitored through the SB/SE Division quality measurement system.
Management’s Response: The IRS agreed with this recommendation. The SB/SE Division will supplement TEFRA lead sheets used by examiners with a revised TEFRA Procedures Check List that will require managers and examiners to provide documentation showing TEFRA procedures were followed. Additionally, evaluations conducted by TEFRA reviewers will be provided to upper-level management.
Appendix I
Detailed
Objective, Scope, and Methodology
The overall objective of this review was to determine whether examinations initiated under the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA)[17] were conducted in accordance with statutory and administrative procedures. Except as noted otherwise, we used judgmental sampling techniques due to time and resource constraints. To accomplish the objective, we:
I.
Reviewed a significant amount of source material
to gain an understanding of the statutory and administrative procedures
involved with partnership examinations.
These sources included the Internal Revenue Code; the United States Treasury
Regulations; court cases; and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Internal
Revenue Manual, job aids, memoranda, Audit Technique Guides, and training
materials.
II.
Used the Government Accountability Office Standards
for Internal Control in the Federal Government[18]
to identify and assess the management controls that the IRS established to help
examiners meet their responsibility for complying with the statutory and
administrative procedures when initiating partnership examinations.
III. Used the IRS Audit Information Management System[19] to select a judgmental sample of 60 partnership return examinations out of the 2,441 partnership return examinations that were closed between October 1, 2003, and June 30, 2005, and determined if the examinations were initiated in accordance with statutory and administrative procedures. In selecting our sample cases, we excluded Coordinated Industry[20] partnership examinations because different techniques are used in these examinations.
IV. Reconciled the judgmental sample of 60 partnership return examinations to the IRS Audit Information Management System and verified that the examinations were in fact closed between October 1, 2003, and June 30, 2005.
V.
Evaluated documentation from the quality measurement
systems of the Large and Mid-Size Division and Small Business/Self-Employed Division
to determine if evaluations were made that assessed how well examiners complied
with the statutory and administrative procedures when initiating partnership
examinations.
VI.
Reviewed IRS Data Books, which annually provide information
on a broad base of tax administration subjects, to identify trends in
partnership return filings.
VII.
Reviewed the IRS Table 37, Examination Program Monitoring, reports for Fiscal
Years 2003 through 2005 to identify the number of TEFRA examinations of
partnerships with 11 more partners that were closed each year.
Appendix II
Major Contributors
to This Report
Dan
Devlin, Assistant Inspector General for Audit (Small Business and Corporate
Programs)
Kyle
Andersen, Director
Frank
Dunleavy, Audit Manager
William
Tran, Lead Auditor
Debra
Mason, Auditor
Ali Vaezazizi, Auditor
Appendix III
Commissioner C
Office
of the Commissioner – Attn: Chief of
Staff C
Deputy
Commissioner for Services and Enforcement
SE
Deputy
Commissioner, Large and Mid-Size Business Division SE:LM
Deputy
Commissioner, Small Business/Self-Employed Division SE:S
Director, Examination, Small Business/Self-Employed Division SE:S:E
Director, Quality Assurance and Performance Management, Large and Mid-Size Business Division SE:LM:Q
Chief Counsel CC
National Taxpayer Advocate TA
Director, Office of Legislative Affairs CL:LA
Director, Office
of Program Evaluation and Risk Analysis
RAS:O
Office of
Management Controls OS:CFO:AR:M
Audit Liaisons:
Commissioner, Large and Mid-Size Business Division SE:LM
Commissioner,
Small Business/Self-Employed Division
SE:S
Appendix IV
Administrative
Procedures Standard Input Document
The document was removed due to its size. To see the document, please go to the Adobe
PDF version of the report on the TIGTA Public Web Page.
Appendix V
Management’s Response
to the Draft Report
The response was removed due to its size. To see the response, please go to the Adobe
PDF version of the report on the TIGTA Public Web Page.
[1] Pub. L. No. 97-248, Title IV, Section 402(a), 96 Stat. 648.
[2] In both instances, the examinations resulted in no change to the partnership and the partners’ tax liabilities.
[3] A Letter 1787 is required to be issued under the Internal Revenue Code and serves as the official notification from the IRS that it is beginning a TEFRA examination.
[4] This is an official compilation of procedures, instructions, and guidelines that govern the operational features of the IRS; it includes guidance that examiners are to use in conducting both TEFRA and non-TEFRA examinations.
[5] The taxpayers served by the SB/SE Division include small businesses and self-employed individuals.
[6] The taxpayers served by the LMSB Division include corporations and partnerships with assets of more than $10 million.
[7] Form 13327 is required to be completed during the course of every examination, self-certified by examiners and managers that listed procedures were followed, and included in case files so it can be used in subsequent managerial reviews. Form 13327 is reproduced, in part, in Appendix IV.
[8] This is a business entity that offers its owners the advantage of limited liability (like corporations) and partnership-like taxation, in which profits are passed through to the owners and taxed on their personal income tax returns.
[9] United States Treasury Regulations allow most unincorporated businesses to elect, by checking a box, whether they will be taxed as a corporation or a flowthrough entity, such as a partnership, for Federal income tax purposes.
[10] The taxpayers served by the SB/SE Division include small businesses and self-employed individuals, while taxpayers served by the LMSB Division include corporations and partnerships with assets of more than $10 million.
[11] Pub. L. No. 97-248, Title IV, Section 402(a), 96 Stat. 648.
[12] The IRM is an official compilation of procedures, instructions, and guidelines that govern the operational features of the IRS; it includes guidance that examiners are to use in conducting both TEFRA and non-TEFRA examinations.
[13] For example, Congress enacted legislation in 1996 that eliminated the need to treat S corporations as TEFRA entities for tax periods ending after December 31, 1996. An S corporation, also known as a Subchapter S corporation, is a popular form of business entity for a small business that provides limited liability for its shareholders and partnership-like taxation.
[14] A power of attorney is a legal instrument that gives legal authority to another person (called an agent or attorney-in-fact) to make property, financial, and other legal decisions for the principal.
[15] GAO/AIMD-00-21.3.1, dated November 1999.
[16] Consistent and Effective Manager Involvement Is Needed in Examinations of Large Businesses (Reference Number 2004-30-054, dated February 2004).
[17] Pub. L. No. 97-248, Title IV, Section 402(a), 96 Stat. 648.
[18] GAO/AIMD-00-21.3.1, dated November 1999.
[19] The Audit Information Management System stores and maintains data on tax return examinations.
[20] A Coordinated Industry examination warrants the application of team examination procedures and techniques.