Free Instruction 8275 (Rev. February 2009) - Federal

Instructions for Form 8275
(Rev. February 2009)
(Use with the August 2008 revision of Form 8275.) Disclosure Statement What's New
Changes have been made to penalties for tax return preparers as a result of P.L. 110-343, section 506. For more information, see Tax Return Preparer Penalties on page 2. 8275-R, Regulation Disclosure Statement, instead of Form 8275. For items attributable to a pass-through entity, disclosure should be made on the tax return of the entity. If the entity does not make the disclosure, the partner (or shareholder, etc.) can make adequate disclosure of these items. Exception to filing Form 8275. Guidance is published annually in a revenue procedure in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. This can be found on the Internet at www.irs.gov. The revenue procedure identifies circumstances when an item reported on a return is considered adequate disclosure for purposes of the substantial understatement aspect of the accuracy-related penalty and for avoiding the preparer's penalty relating to understatements due to unreasonable positions. See the Example below. You do not have to file Form 8275 for items that meet the requirements listed in this revenue procedure. Example. Generally, you will have met the requirements for adequate disclosure of a charitable contribution deduction if you complete the contributions section of Schedule A (Form 1040) and supply all the required information. If you make a contribution of property other than cash that is over $500, the form required by the Schedule A instructions must be attached to your return.

Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service

General Instructions
Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless otherwise noted.

Purpose of Form
Form 8275 is used by taxpayers and tax return preparers to disclose items or positions, except those taken contrary to a regulation, that are not otherwise adequately disclosed on a tax return to avoid certain penalties. The form is filed to avoid the portions of the accuracy-related penalty due to disregard of rules or to a substantial understatement of income tax for non-tax shelter items if the return position has a reasonable basis. It can also be used for disclosures relating to preparer penalties for understatements due to unreasonable positions or disregard of rules. The portion of the accuracy-related penalty CAUTION attributable to the following types of misconduct cannot be avoided by disclosure on Form 8275.

which they originated. You do not have to file another Form 8275 for those items for the tax years in which the carryover is taken into account. Carryback items must be disclosed for the tax year in which they originated. You do not have to file another Form 8275 for those items for the tax years in which the carryback is taken into account. However, if you disclose items of a recurring nature (such as depreciation expense), you must file Form 8275 for each tax year in which the item occurs. If you are disclosing a position that is contrary to a rule, and the position relates to a reportable transaction as defined in Regulations section 1.6011-4(b), you must also make the disclosure required by Regulations section 1.6011-4(b). See Form 8886, Reportable Transaction Disclosure Statement, its instructions, and Rev. Proc. 2004-45, 2004-31 I.R.B. 140, available at www.irs.gov/irb/ 2004-31_IRB/ar19.html.

Accuracy-Related Penalty
Generally, the accuracy-related penalty is 20% of any portion of a tax underpayment attributable to: 1. Negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, 2. Any substantial understatement of income tax, 3. Any substantial valuation misstatement under chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code, 4. Any substantial overstatement of pension liabilities, or 5. Any substantial estate or gift tax valuation understatement. However, the penalty is 40% of any portion of a tax underpayment attributable to one or more gross valuation misstatements in (3), (4), or (5) above if the applicable dollar limitation under section 6662(h)(2) is met. Reasonable basis. Generally, you can avoid the disregard of rules and

!

income tax on a tax shelter item. · Any substantial valuation misstatement under chapter 1. · Any substantial overstatement of pension liabilities. · Any substantial estate or gift tax valuation understatements.

· Negligence. · Disregard of regulations. · Any substantial understatement of

How To File
File Form 8275 with your original tax return. Keep a copy for your records. You may be able to file Form 8275 with an amended return. See Regulations sections 1.6662-4(f) and 1.6664-2(c)(3) for more information. To make adequate disclosure for items reported by a pass-through entity, you must complete and file a separate Form 8275 for items reported by each entity. Carrybacks, carryovers, and recurring items. Carryover items must be disclosed for the tax year in
Cat. No. 62063F

Who Should File
Form 8275 is filed by individuals, corporations, pass-through entities, and income tax return preparers. If you are disclosing a position taken contrary to a regulation, use Form

substantial understatement portions of the accuracy-related penalty if the position is adequately disclosed and the position has at least a reasonable basis. Reasonable basis is a relatively high standard of tax reporting that is significantly higher than not frivolous or not patently improper. The reasonable basis standard is not satisfied by a return position that is merely arguable. The penalty will not be imposed on any part of an underpayment if there was reasonable cause for your position and you acted in good faith in taking that position. If you failed to keep proper books and records or failed to substantiate items properly, you cannot avoid the penalty by disclosure.

basis for the tax treatment of the item. (In no event will a corporation be treated as having a reasonable basis for its tax treatment of an item attributable to a multi-party financing transaction entered into after August 5, 1997, if the treatment does not clearly reflect the income of the corporation.) For corporate tax shelter transactions (and for tax shelter items of other taxpayers for tax years ending after October 22, 2004), the only exception to the substantial understatement portion of the accuracy-related penalty is the reasonable cause exception. For more details, see section 6662(d) and Regulations section 1.6664-4. Tax shelter items. A tax shelter, for purposes of the substantial understatement portion of the accuracy-related penalty, is a partnership or other entity, plan, or arrangement, with a significant purpose to avoid or evade federal income tax. For transactions on or before August 5, 1997, a tax shelter is a partnership or other entity, plan, or arrangement, whose principal purpose is to avoid or evade federal income tax. A tax shelter item is any item of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit that is directly or indirectly attributable to the principal or significant purpose of the tax shelter to avoid or evade federal income tax.

Substantial Understatement
An understatement is the excess of: 1. The amount of tax required to be shown on the return for the tax year, over 2. The amount of tax shown on the return for the tax year, reduced by any rebates. There is a substantial understatement of income tax if the amount of the understatement for any tax year exceeds the greater of: 1. 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the tax year, or 2. $5,000 ($10,000 for a corporation other than an S corporation or a personal holding company as defined in section 542). An understatement of a corporation (other than an S corporation or a personal holding company) is substantial if it exceeds the lesser of: 1. 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the tax year (or, if greater, $10,000), or 2. $10,000,000. For purposes of the substantial understatement portion of the accuracy-related penalty, the amount of the understatement will be reduced by the part that is attributable to the following items. · An item (other than a tax shelter item) for which there was substantial authority for the treatment claimed at the time the return was filed or on the last day of the tax year to which the return relates. · An item (other than a tax shelter item) that is adequately disclosed on this form if there is a reasonable

The penalty will not apply if it can be shown that there was reasonable cause for the understatement and that the preparer acted in good faith. In cases where any part of the understatement of the liability is due to a willful attempt by the return preparer to understate the liability, or if the understatement is due to reckless or intentional disregard of rules or regulations by the preparer, the preparer is subject to a penalty equal to the greater of $5,000 or 50 percent of the income derived (or to be derived) by the tax return preparer with respect to the return or claim. This penalty shall be reduced by the amount of the penalty paid by such person for taking an unreasonable position, or a position with no reasonable basis, as described immediately above. A preparer is not considered to have recklessly or intentionally disregarded a rule if a position is adequately disclosed and has a reasonable basis. Note. For more information about the accuracy-related penalty and preparer penalties, and the means of avoiding these penalties, see the regulations under section 6662, 6664, and 6694.

Specific Instructions
Be sure to supply all the information for Parts I, II, and, if applicable, Part III. Your disclosure will be considered adequate if you file Form 8275 and supply the information requested in detail. Use Part IV on page 2 if you need more space for Part I or II. Indicate the corresponding part and line number from page 1. You can use a continuation sheet(s) if you need additional space. Be sure to put your name and identifying number on each sheet.

Tax Return Preparer Penalties
A preparer who files a return or claim for refund is subject to a penalty in an amount equal to the greater of $1,000 or 50 percent of the income derived (or to be derived) by the tax return preparer, with respect to the return or claim, for taking a position which the preparer knew or reasonably should have known would understate any part of the liability if: · There is or was no substantial authority for the position. · The position is a tax shelter (as defined in section 6662(d)(2)(C)(ii)) or a reportable transaction to which section 6662A applies and it was not reasonable to believe that the position would more likely than not be sustained on its merits. · The position was disclosed as provided in section 6662(d)(2)(B)(ii), is not a tax shelter or a reportable transaction to which section 6662A applies, and there was no reasonable basis for the position. -2-

Part I
Column (a). If you are disclosing a position contrary to a rule (such as a statutory position or IRS revenue ruling), you must identify the rule in column (a). Column (b). Identify the item by name. If any item you disclose is from a pass-through entity, you must identify the item as such. If you disclose items from more than one pass-through entity, you must complete a separate Form 8275 for

each entity. Also, see How To File on page 1. Column (c). Enter a complete description of the item(s) you are disclosing. Example. If entertainment expenses were reported in column (b), then list in column (c) "theater tickets, catering expenses, and banquet hall rentals." If you claim the same tax treatment for a group of similar items in the same tax year, enter a description identifying the group of items you are disclosing rather than a separate description of each item within the group. Columns (d) through (f). Enter the location of the item(s) by identifying the form number or schedule and the line number in columns (d) and (e) and the amount of the item(s) in column (f).

For example, your disclosure will not be considered adequate if you attach a copy of an acquisition agreement to your tax return to disclose the issues involved in determining the basis of certain acquired assets. If Form 8275 is not completed and attached to the return, the disclosure will not be considered valid even if the information described above is provided using another method, such as a different form or an attached letter.

Part III
Line 4. Contact your pass-through entity if you do not know where its return was filed. However, for partners and S corporation shareholders, information for line 4 can be found on the Schedule K-1 that you received from the partnership or S corporation. If the pass-through entity filed its return electronically using e-file, enter "e-file" on line 4. Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You are required to give us the information if you wish to use this form to make adequate disclosure to avoid the portion of the accuracy-related penalty due to a substantial understatement of income tax or disregard of rules, or to avoid certain preparer penalties. We need it to ensure that you are complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax.

Part II
Your disclosure statement must include a description of the relevant facts affecting the tax treatment of the item. To satisfy this requirement you must include information that reasonably can be expected to apprise the IRS of the identity of the item, its amount, and the nature of the controversy or potential controversy. Information concerning the nature of the controversy can include a description of the legal issues presented by the facts. Your disclosure will not be considered accurate unless CAUTION the information described above is provided using Form 8275.

You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103. The time needed to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. The estimated burden for individual taxpayers filing this form is approved under OMB control number 1545-0074 and is included in the estimates shown in the instructions for their individual income tax return. The estimated burden for all other taxpayers who file this form is shown below.
Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . 3 hr., 35 min. Learning about the law or the form . . . . . . . . . 1 hr. Preparing and sending the form to the IRS . . . 1 hr., 6 min.

If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. See the instructions for the tax return with which this form is filed.

!

-3-