Bulletin No. 2021–26
Agency decision
Ask Donna
What actually matters in this document.
Text
HIGHLIGHTS
OF THIS ISSUE
Bulletin No. 2021–26
June 28, 2021
These synopses are intended only as aids to the reader in
identifying the subject matter covered. They may not be
relied upon as authoritative interpretations.
ADMINISTRATIVE
EMPLOYEE PLANS
Rev. Proc. 2021-27, page 1252.
Notice 2021-37, page 1227.
This procedure provides specifications for the private printing of red-ink substitutes for the 2021 revisions of certain
information returns. This procedure will be reproduced as
the next revision of Publication 1179. Revenue Procedure
2020-35 is superseded.
ADMINISTRATIVE; INCOME TAX
T.D. 9950, page 1221.
These final regulations amend regulations under sections
165 and 7508A, interpreting new section 7508A(d) relating
to mandatory postponements of time to perform time-sensitive tax acts by reason of a federally declared disaster, and
clarifying the definition of federally declared disaster under
section 165(i)(5). The final regulations clarify that the phrase
“in the same manner as a period specified under [section
7508A(a)]” in section 7508A(d)(1) means that the time-sensitive acts postponed for the mandatory 60-day period are
those determined by the Secretary under section 7508A(a).
The final regulations further provide that the mandatory 60day period will only apply if the Secretary bases her discretionary determination on a disaster declaration that specifies
an incident date. The final regulations also clarify that the
mandatory 60-day period cannot exceed the one-year limitation provided under section 7508A(a). Finally, the final regulations clarify that a federally declared disaster includes an
event declared either a major disaster under section 401 of
the Stafford Act or an emergency under section 501 of the
Stafford Act.
Finding Lists begin on page ii.
This notice sets forth updates on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates for
June 2021 used under § 417(e)(3)(D), the 24-month average
segment rates applicable for June 2021, and the 30-year
Treasury rates, as reflected by the application of § 430(h)
(2)(C)(iv).
EMPLOYMENT TAX
Rev. Proc. 2021-22, page 1231.
General Rules and Specifications for Substitute Form 941,
Schedule B (Form 941), Schedule D (Form 941), Schedule R
(Form 941), and Form 8974. This procedure provides general rules and specifications from the IRS for paper and computer-generated substitutes for Form 941; Schedule B (Form
941); Schedule D (Form 941); Schedule R (Form 941); and
Form 8974. This procedure supersedes Revenue Procedure
2020-31, 2020-27 I.R.B. 12.
INCOME TAX
Notice 2021-36, page 1227.
This Notice announces that the Treasury Department and the
IRS intend to amend the regulations under sections 59A and
6038A to defer the applicability date of certain provisions of
the regulations relating to the reporting of qualified derivative
payments until taxable years beginning on or after January
1, 2023.
The IRS Mission
Provide America’s taxpayers top-quality service by helping
them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all.
Introduction
The Internal Revenue Bulletin is the authoritative instrument
of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for announcing official rulings and procedures of the Internal Revenue Service
and for publishing Treasury Decisions, Executive Orders, Tax
Conventions, legislation, court decisions, and other items of
general interest. It is published weekly.
It is the policy of the Service to publish in the Bulletin all substantive rulings necessary to promote a uniform application
of the tax laws, including all rulings that supersede, revoke,
modify, or amend any of those previously published in the
Bulletin. All published rulings apply retroactively unless otherwise indicated. Procedures relating solely to matters of internal management are not published; however, statements of
internal practices and procedures that affect the rights and
duties of taxpayers are published.
Revenue rulings represent the conclusions of the Service
on the application of the law to the pivotal facts stated in
the revenue ruling. In those based on positions taken in rulings to taxpayers or technical advice to Service field offices,
identifying details and information of a confidential nature are
deleted to prevent unwarranted invasions of privacy and to
comply with statutory requirements.
Rulings and procedures reported in the Bulletin do not have the
force and effect of Treasury Department Regulations, but they
may be used as precedents. Unpublished rulings will not be
relied on, used, or cited as precedents by Service personnel in
the disposition of other cases. In applying published rulings and
procedures, the effect of subsequent legislation, regulations,
court decisions, rulings, and procedures must be considered,
and Service personnel and others concerned are cautioned
against reaching the same conclusions in other cases unless
the facts and circumstances are substantially the same.
The Bulletin is divided into four parts as follows:
Part I.—1986 Code.
This part includes rulings and decisions based on provisions
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Part II.—Treaties and Tax Legislation.
This part is divided into two subparts as follows: Subpart A,
Tax Conventions and Other Related Items, and Subpart B,
Legislation and Related Committee Reports.
Part III.—Administrative, Procedural, and Miscellaneous.
To the extent practicable, pertinent cross references to these
subjects are contained in the other Parts and Subparts. Also
included in this part are Bank Secrecy Act Administrative
Rulings. Bank Secrecy Act Administrative Rulings are issued
by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Assistant
Secretary (Enforcement).
Part IV.—Items of General Interest.
This part includes notices of proposed rulemakings, disbarment and suspension lists, and announcements.
The last Bulletin for each month includes a cumulative index
for the matters published during the preceding months. These
monthly indexes are cumulated on a semiannual basis, and are
published in the last Bulletin of each semiannual period.
The contents of this publication are not copyrighted and may be reprinted freely. A citation of the Internal Revenue Bulletin as the source would be appropriate.
June 28, 2021
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Part I
26 CFR 301.7508A-1: Postponement of certain
tax-related deadlines by reasons of a federally
declared disaster or terroristic or military action;
26 CFR 1.165-1: Losses
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT: Andrew C. Keaton at (202)
317-5404 (not a toll-free number).
T.D. 9950
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DEPARTMENT OF THE
TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
26 CFR Parts 1 and 301
Mandatory 60-Day
Postponement of Certain
Tax-Related Deadlines
by Reason of a Federally
Declared Disaster
AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service
(IRS), Treasury.
ACTION: Final regulations.
SUMMARY: This document contains final
regulations relating to the new mandatory
60-day postponement of certain time-sensitive tax-related deadlines by reason of a
federally declared disaster. This document
also contains final regulations clarifying
the definition of “federally declared disaster.” These final regulations affect individuals who reside in or were killed or injured
in a disaster area, businesses that have a
principal place of business in a disaster
area, relief workers who provide assistance
in a disaster area, or any taxpayer whose
tax records necessary to meet a tax deadline are located in a disaster area.
DATES: Effective Date: These regulations are effective on June 11, 2021.
Applicability Date: The date of applicability for the amendment to the Procedure and Administration Regulations under section 7508A is December 21, 2019,
as explained below in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
The date of applicability for the amendment to the Income Tax Regulations under section 165 of the Code to clarify the
definition of the term “federally declared
disaster” is June 11, 2021.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Background
Section 205 of the Taxpayer Certainty
and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2019, enacted as Division Q of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-94, 133 Stat. 2534, 3226,
amended section 7508A of the Code, relating to the discretionary authority of the
Secretary of the Treasury or her delegate
(Secretary) to postpone certain time-sensitive tax deadlines by reason of a federally declared disaster, by adding section
7508A(d). This provision provides qualified taxpayers a mandatory 60-day period that is to be disregarded “in the same
manner as a period specified under [section 7508A(a)].”
On January 13, 2021, the IRS published in the Federal Register a notice of
proposed rulemaking (REG-115057-20,
86 FR 2607) to interpret and implement
sections 165(i)(5) and 7508A(d). Five responsive written comments were received.
No commenter requested a public hearing,
so none was held.
As described more fully in the preamble to the proposed regulations, section
7508A(d) is ambiguous in at least two important respects – the time-sensitive acts to
be postponed (beyond the pension-related
actions described in section 7508A(d)(4))
are not specified and it is unclear how the
mandatory 60-day postponement period is
to be calculated when the disaster declaration specified in section 7508A(d) does
not contain an incident date. The legislative history is also insufficient to explain
these areas of ambiguity.
These final regulations amend the Procedure and Administration Regulations
(26 CFR part 301) under section 7508A
and the Income Tax Regulations (26 CFR
part 1) under section 165 to clarify the
definition of the term “federally declared
disaster.” As described further below, the
Department of the Treasury (Treasury
Department) and the IRS have modified
proposed §301.7508A-1(g)(4)(iii), Exam-
1221
ple (3), in these final regulations to better
illustrate the calculation of the mandatory
60-day postponement period and to correct typographical errors. No other changes have been adopted.
Comments on the Proposed
Regulations
Section 1.165-11(b)(1)
The proposed regulations provided that
a federally declared disaster includes both
a major disaster and an emergency declared under sections 401 or 501, respectively, of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(Stafford Act), Public Law 100-707,102
Stat. 4689 (1988).
One commenter said it approved of
the proposed regulations including emergency declarations in the definition of a
federally declared disaster under section
165(i)(5)(A). However, another commenter was critical of this portion of the proposed regulations and recommended that
it be stricken. This second commenter said
emergency declarations are governed by a
different set of rules than major disaster
declarations, pointing out that emergency
declarations (i) do not need to be preceded
by a governor’s request for Stafford Act
relief (but may instead be declared sua
sponte by the President), (ii) may only result (if not followed up by a major disaster
declaration) in Federal assistance to local
governmental entities (as opposed to assistance to individuals), and (iii) may be
issued before a disaster. This commenter
further opined that President Trump’s letter of March 13, 2020, declaring an emergency under the Stafford Act with respect
to the COVID-19 pandemic, was not authorized by Congress to serve as a disaster
declaration under sections 165(i)(5)(A)
and 7508A of the Code.
The comment from the second commenter is not adopted in the final regulations. In the Explanation of Provisions
section of the preamble to the proposed
regulations, Part III. Federally Declared
Disasters, this issue is already addressed
in detail. There is no provision in the
Stafford Act to declare a “disaster.”
The legislative history of the Stafford
June 28, 2021
Act indicates that the term “disaster”
is an umbrella term that includes both
an emergency and a major disaster. The
Conference Report to the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of
1974, Public Law 93-288, 88 Stat. 143
(1974), clarified the definitional section
of the Stafford Act, stating: “It was the
intention of the conferees not to define
the term ‘disaster’ specifically; whenever
used in this legislation such term includes
an emergency or a major disaster.” H.R.
Rep. 93-1037, p. 26 (May 13, 1974).
The opening section of the Stafford
Act, titled “Congressional findings and
declarations,” uses the generic term “disaster” in laying out the key congressional
findings and declarations that underlie the
rest of the chapter’s provisions. Stafford
Act section 101(a), 42 U.S.C. section
5121(a). In multiple revenue rulings, the
IRS has provided that, for the purposes
of section 165(i), a federally declared disaster includes an emergency or a major
disaster declared under the Stafford Act.
Several of these revenue rulings are cited
in the preamble to the proposed regulations.
The differences noted by the commenter between emergencies and major
disasters under the Stafford Act are not
material to their treatment under sections
165(i)(5)(A) and 7508A of the Code. Most
disaster declarations announced by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) for particular states also provide
only public assistance, and no individual
assistance, to particular counties in the
state under the Stafford Act. In addition,
most emergency declarations announced
by FEMA are under section 501(a) of the
Stafford Act, and begin with a request
from a governor or other chief executive
of a state, territory, or tribal government.
As noted in the preamble to the proposed
regulations, it is rare for an emergency declaration to be made without such
a request. The President is authorized to
make an emergency declaration under
section 501(b) of the Stafford Act when
the United States will have the primary responsibility for response to the emergency. There is no difference in the need for
affected persons in a state threatened with
a disaster to receive relief from time-sensitive deadlines to perform specified acts
under the Code when the request for such
June 28, 2021
relief originates with the state’s governor
or is independently raised by the President. Consequently, the final regulations
make no changes to this portion of the
proposed regulations.
Section 301.7508A-1(g)(1)-(2)
The proposed regulations provided
that (excluding the pension-related acts
described in section 7508A(d)(4)) the
time-sensitive tax acts that are postponed
for the mandatory 60-day postponement
period are the acts, if any, that the Secretary determines to be postponed under
section 7508A(a) or (b).
One commenter expressed a general
concern that this provision had the potential to reduce section 7508A(d) to a
nullity. A second commenter expressed
its concerns specifically in terms of what
it contended was a clear reading of the
statute and its legislative history. This
commenter said it was clear that Congress intended to postpone the timely performance of all of the time-sensitive tax
acts, both taxpayer and government acts,
listed in section 7508(a)(1) of the Code.
However, this second commenter recommended that the final regulations provide
that the government may take advantage
of the postponement periods for government-initiated actions only if a taxpayer
first acts in reliance on the “automatic”
postponement periods for the taxpayer’s
time-sensitive tax acts.
A third commenter agreed with the
Secretary’s characterizations of the statute and legislative history as ambiguous
on the issues of which time-sensitive tax
acts (other than the pension-related tax
acts described in section 7508A(d)(4)) are
postponed under section 7508A(d) and of
which declared disasters are subject to the
mandatory 60-day postponement period
under section 7508A(d). This commenter
approved of the solution to these ambiguities that was reflected in the proposed
regulations, in terms of which time-sensitive tax acts would be postponed. This
commenter said section 7508A(d) was a
poorly-worded statute, that the legislative history of the provisions contained
contradictions, and the result was that
section 7508A(d)(1) leaves no (non-pension) time-sensitive tax acts for section
7508A(d) to operate upon, unless or until
1222
the Secretary exercises her powers under
section 7508A(a).
The third commenter noted also that
for the year 2017, the IRS provided relief
under section 7508A(a) in response to
only 14 of the 59 major disaster declarations announced by FEMA that year. If all
major disaster declarations automatically
entitled all taxpayers in disaster areas to
timing relief under section 7508A(d), the
commenter noted that there would be a
dramatic increase in the number of disasters leading to postponements of time-sensitive tax acts. On these issues, the third
commenter concluded that the proposed
regulations properly preserved the discretion of the IRS to determine which declared disasters should result in any type
of disaster relief and of which time-sensitive tax acts should be postponed under
section 7508A.
The comments from the first two commenters on this issue are not adopted in
the final regulations, while the approving
comments of the third commenter were
already reflected in the proposed regulations. As explained more fully in the
Explanation of Provisions section of the
preamble to the proposed regulations, Part
I. Time-Sensitive Tax Acts, and as noted
by the third commenter described above,
except for the rules regarding pensions
described in section 7508A(d)(4), section
7508A(d), by its terms, does not specify
the time-sensitive tax acts to be postponed
during the mandatory 60-day postponement period. Instead, section 7508A(d)
(1) provides that the mandatory 60-day
postponement period “shall be disregarded in the same manner as a period specified under [section 7508A(a)].” Section
7508A(a) is not self-executing, but rather,
requires a determination by the Secretary to specify the acts to be postponed.
As a result, the cross-reference to section
7508A(a) in section 7508A(d)(1) operates
to require the same determination by the
Secretary as a prerequisite to determining
the acts to which the mandatory 60-day
postponement period applies. This interpretation gives full effect to the statutory language and does not reduce section
7508A(d) to a nullity, because that section still imposes a mandatory period for
postponement and establishes a new category of persons eligible for relief – the
“qualified taxpayers” defined in section
Bulletin No. 2021–26
7508A(d)(2). The final regulations make
no changes to §301.7508A-1(g)(1) and (2)
of the proposed regulations.
Section 301.7508A-1(g)(3)(i)
Section 301.7508A-1(g)(3)(i) of the
proposed regulations tracked section
7508A(d)(1) and (d)(5) in describing how
the mandatory 60-day postponement period for federally declared disasters will
be calculated and how the calculation of
that mandatory postponement period will
interact with the Secretary’s discretionary
postponement period (if any) under section 7508A(a) and (b). The Explanation of
Provisions section of the preamble to the
proposed regulations, Part II. Calculation
of the Mandatory 60-Day Postponement
Period, identified a 120-day postponement period from the beginning incident
date of a disaster announced by FEMA as
the usual postponement period provided
by the IRS for those disasters where the
IRS exercises its discretion under section
7508A(a) or (b) to postpone any time-sensitive tax acts.
Consequently, most mandatory 60day postponement periods under section
7508A(d) will be calculated to run concurrently with the 120-day postponement period the IRS generally provides
under section 7508A(a) or (b). Two
commenters noted that section 7508A(d)
(1) and the proposed regulations did not
provide a clear rule for calculating the
mandatory 60-day postponement period
when there was more than one disaster
declaration issued for the same disaster
in a particular state or when any disaster
declaration was amended to provide any
new or modified incident dates (earliest
or latest) that were missing or different
from when the first disaster declaration
for a disaster in a state was announced
by FEMA. Two commenters suggested
potential alternative methods of making
calculations of the mandatory 60-day
postponement period more certain when
there are multiple disaster declarations
or disaster declarations that are amended
by FEMA for the earliest or latest incident dates described in section 7508A(d)
(1)(A) and (B).
One commenter claimed that a literal
reading of section 7508A(d)(1) creates
challenges for indefinite disasters, such
Bulletin No. 2021–26
as the COVID-19 pandemic, because the
statute could be interpreted to postpone
a taxpayer’s deadlines “indefinitely until
some unknown point in time that is long
after the disaster began.” To avoid this
“unworkable application” of the statute,
this commenter recommended that if the
initial disaster declaration does not expressly identify the latest incident date for
a disaster, then section 7508A(d) should
be interpreted as automatically providing
a postponement period until the date that
is 60 days after the earliest incident date
specified in a disaster declaration. However, the statute mitigates the commenter’s concern by directing that the postponement period under section 7508A(d)
“shall be disregarded in the same manner
as a period specified under subsection
(a).” That provision ensures that the Secretary retains the same discretion as she
has under section 7508A(a) to determine
what time-sensitive tax acts, if any, will be
postponed.
A second commenter noted what it
characterized as a pick-and-choose problem and an amendment problem with the
method of calculating the mandatory 60day postponement period provided for in
the proposed regulations and recommended the Secretary adopt one of several alternative bright-line rules it suggested for
making the calculation period more predictable.
This second commenter noted there
was a potential pick-and-choose problem among multiple potential FEMA-announced disaster declarations, because the
Treasury Department and the IRS propose
to treat FEMA-announced emergency
declarations (as well as major disaster
declarations) under the Stafford Act as
federally declared disasters under sections
165 and 7508A of the Code. This commenter’s recommendation to strike proposed amended regulation § 1.165-11(b)
(1) is discussed and rejected in the preamble discussion of this issue above.
Alternatively, the second commenter
recommended that the final regulations reflect a bright-line rule to address potential
multiple declarations, such as a first-out
rule (the first issued declaration controls),
a rule that a later major disaster declaration controls over an earlier emergency
declaration, or a rule that the issue date
of an emergency declaration is the earli-
1223
est incident date for section 7508A(d)(1)’s
mandatory 60-day postponement period.
The second commenter further recommended in this section of the final regulations that the Treasury Department and the
IRS provide a bright-line rule concerning
the effect of potential amendments to an
initial FEMA announced disaster declaration on how the mandatory 60-day postponement period is calculated. The additional potential bright-line alternatives
suggested by the second commenter were
that (i) future amendments will not affect
how the mandatory period is calculated,
or (ii) only amendments made within a
certain amount of time (say one year) will
affect the computation of the mandatory
period.
The Treasury Department and the IRS
appreciate the predictability offered by the
bright-line rules suggested by the second
commenter. Nevertheless, the statutory
language providing for a mandatory period beginning on the earliest incident date
specified in the disaster declaration and
ending on the date which is 60 days after
the latest incident date so specified is capable of being applied as written. While
amendments to disaster declarations and
shifting “latest” incident dates can cause
confusion, the intent of the statute is to
ensure that relief is provided throughout
the disaster period, assuming such a period is identified in the disaster declaration and the Secretary has determined that
postponement of time-sensitive tax acts
is warranted. As a result, the comment on
this issue is not adopted in the final regulations.
Section 301.7508A-1(g)(3)(ii)(A)
The proposed regulations provided that
in no event will the mandatory 60-day
postponement period be calculated to exceed one year. One commenter stated that
this portion of the proposed regulations
should be removed because it lacks any
basis in the text or legislative history of
section 7508A(d)(1) or (d)(4).
The comment on this issue is not adopted in the final regulations. As stated
in the Explanation of Provisions section
of the preamble to the proposed regulations, Part II. Calculation of the Mandatory 60-Day Postponement Period, it
defies logic for the Secretary’s discre-
June 28, 2021
tionary postponement period under section 7508A(a) to be limited to “a period
of up to 1 year,” and there be no limit
on the mandatory 60-day postponement
period under section 7508A(d). Interpreting section 7508A(d) to allow postponement periods for more than 1 year
would be contrary to the directive of
section 7508A(d)(1) that the mandatory
60-day postponement period must “be
disregarded in the same manner as a period specified under [section 7508A(a)].”
The final regulations make no change to
§301.7508A-1(g)(3)(ii)(A) of the proposed regulations.
Section 301.7508A-1(g)(4)(iii)
Example (3)
The proposed regulations provided an
Example (3) concerning a continuing disaster declaration involving wildfires that
was later amended by a subsequent FEMA
announcement of a latest incident date for
the disaster. This example contained typographical errors, including a misnumbering – “(5)” instead of “(4)” – of the
subparagraph for the four examples and
referring to the taxpayer in the example
variously as “Individual C” and “Individual D.”
One commenter further noted that the
intended rules, if any, which Example (3)
was meant to illustrate were not described
in the portions of the proposed regulations
which precede the Examples section.
Example (3) is intended to illustrate the
calculation of the mandatory 60-day postponement period in the event of an ongoing disaster with multiple declarations and
shifting “latest” incident dates described
in §301.7508A-1(g)(3) of these final regulations. The Treasury Department and the
IRS have modified Example (3) in these
final regulations, in consideration of the
comment above as well as the comments
received on §301.7508A-1(g)(3)(i), to
better illustrate the calculation of the mandatory 60-day postponement period and to
correct typographical errors.
Section 301.7508A-1(h)(2)
The proposed regulations provided that
the final regulations shall apply to all disasters declared on or after December 21,
2019.
June 28, 2021
One commenter requested not only that
the final regulations not be retroactive to
the effective date of section 7508A(d), but
that the final regulations provide relief to
any individuals or employee benefit plans
that took actions (or failed to take actions)
based on a good faith and reasonable interpretation of the postponement relief
provided in section 7508A. The commenter further requested that such good faith
relief be available for at least 60 days after
the final regulations are published in the
Federal Register.
The Applicability Date discussion
in the preamble to the proposed regulations clearly indicated the intention of the
Treasury Department and the IRS to rely
on the provisions of section 7805(b)(2)
of the Code for the applicability date of
these final regulations. Section 7805(b)
(2) provides that regulations filed or issued within 18 months of the date of
enactment of the statutory provision to
which the regulations relate are not prohibited from applying retroactively to
the date of enactment. Section 7508A(d)
was enacted on December 20, 2019, and
these final regulations have been filed
or issued within 18 months of that date
of enactment. The proposed regulations
were clear in stating that the Treasury
Department and the IRS intended for the
final regulations to apply to any disasters
that were declared on or after December
21, 2019. These final regulations do not
adopt the commenter’s request to modify §301.7508A-1(h)(2) of the proposed
regulations.
New Rule Proposal
One commenter requested that the final regulations “confirm” that all forms
of deadline relief requested under section
7508A are optional for affected taxpayers.
In particular, the commenter focused on
deadlines arising under employee benefit
plans. In some cases, the application of
these deadlines may affect both the plan
and the participants. After consideration,
the Treasury Department and the IRS
have concluded that the suggestions made
in this comment are beyond the intended
scope of the proposed regulations. Consequently, the suggestions are not adopted in
these final regulations.
1224
Modifications of Proposed Regulations
Section 301.7508A-1(g)(4)(iii) Example
(3)
Example (3) is modified to better illustrate the calculation of the mandatory 60day postponement period in the event of
multiple declarations and shifting “latest”
incident dates, and to correct typographical errors.
Applicability Dates
For date of applicability for the amendment to the Procedure and Administration
Regulations under section 7508A, see
§301.7508A-1(h), which provides that
the regulations promulgated by this Treasury decision are applicable for federally
declared disasters that are declared on or
after December 21, 2019, as explained in
the preamble to the proposed regulations
(REG-115057-20) published in the Federal Register (86 FR 2607), because section
7805(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code
(Code) provides that regulations filed or
issued within 18 months of the date of
the enactment of the statutory provision
to which they relate may apply to taxable
periods prior to those described in section
7805(b)(1) and these final regulations are
being published within 18 months of the
enactment of section 7508A(d) on December 20, 2019.
The date of applicability for the amendment to the Income Tax Regulations under section 165 of the Code to clarify the
definition of the term “federally declared
disaster” is June 11, 2021.
Special Analyses
Certain IRS regulations, including
these, are exempt from the requirements
of Executive Order 12866, as supplemented and affirmed by Executive Order
13563. Therefore, a regulatory assessment
is not required.
Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6), it is hereby
certified that these regulations will not
have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities. The
regulations clarify how the Secretary may
postpone certain time-sensitive tax deadlines by reason of a federally declared di-
Bulletin No. 2021–26
saster. Such postponements provide more
time for affected taxpayers to complete
time-sensitive acts than they otherwise
would have under the internal revenue
laws. In addition, the regulations do not
impose a collection of information burden
on any person, including small entities,
for purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility
Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6). Accordingly, the
Secretary certifies that the regulations will
not have a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities.
Pursuant to section 7805(f) of the Internal Revenue Code, the notice of proposed
rulemaking preceding these final regulations was submitted to the Chief Counsel
for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration for comments on its impact
on small business, and no comments were
received.
Drafting Information
The principal authors of these final regulations are Andrew C. Keaton and William V. Spatz of the Office of Associate
Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration). However, other personnel from
the Treasury Department and the IRS participated in their development.
List of Subjects
26 CFR Part 1
Income taxes, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
26 CFR Part 301
Employment taxes, Estate taxes, Excise taxes, Gift taxes, Income taxes, Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Adoption of Amendments to the
Regulations
Accordingly, 26 CFR parts 1 and 301
are amended as follows:
PART 1—INCOME TAXES
Paragraph 1. The authority citation
for part 1 continues to read in part as follows:
Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Par. 2. Section 1.165-11 is amended by
revising paragraphs (b)(1) and (h) to read
as follows:
§1.165-11 Election to take disaster loss
deduction for preceding year.
*****
(b) * * *
(1) A federally declared disaster means
any disaster subsequently determined by
the President of the United States to warrant assistance by the Federal Government
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act). A federally declared disaster
includes both a major disaster declared
under section 401 of the Stafford Act and
an emergency declared under section 501
of the Stafford Act.
*****
(h) Applicability dates—(1) In general.
Except as provided in paragraph (h)(2) of
this section, this section applies to elections and revocations that are made on or
after October 16, 2019.
(2) Paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
The second sentence of paragraph (b)(1)
of this section applies to elections and revocations that are made on or after June
11, 2021.
PART 301—PROCEDURE AND
ADMINISTRATION
Par. 3. The authority citation for part
301 continues to read in part as follows:
Authority: 26 U.S.C. 7805 * * *
Par. 4. Section 301.7508A-1 is amended by revising paragraph (g) and adding
paragraph (h) to read as follows:
§301.7508A-1 Postponement of certain
tax-related deadlines by reasons of a
federally declared disaster or terroristic
or military action.
*****
(g) Mandatory 60-day postponement—
(1) In general. In addition to (or concurrent with) the postponement period specified by the Secretary in an exercise of
the authority under section 7508A(a) to
postpone time-sensitive acts by reason of
a federally declared disaster, qualified taxpayers (as defined in section 7508A(d)(2))
are entitled to a mandatory 60-day post-
1225
ponement period during which the time to
perform those time-sensitive acts is disregarded in the same manner as under section 7508A(a). The rules of this paragraph
(g)(1) apply with respect to a postponement period specified by the Secretary under section 7508A(b), to postpone acts as
provided in section 7508A(d)(4). Except
for the acts set forth in paragraph (g)(2)
of this section, section 7508A(d) does not
apply to postpone any acts.
(2) Acts postponed. The time-sensitive
acts that are postponed for the mandatory
60-day postponement period are the acts
determined to be postponed by the Secretary’s exercise of authority under section
7508A(a) or (b). In addition, in the case of
any person described in section 7508A(b),
the time-sensitive acts postponed for the
mandatory 60-day postponement period include those described in section
7508A(d)(4):
(i) Making contributions to a qualified
retirement plan (within the meaning of
section 4974(c)) under section 219(f)(3),
404(a)(6), 404(h)(1)(B), or 404(m)(2);
(ii) Making distributions under section
408(d)(4);
(iii) Recharacterizing contributions under section 408A(d)(6); and
(iv) Making a rollover under section
402(c), 403(a)(4), 403(b)(8), or 408(d)(3).
(3) Calculation of mandatory 60-day
postponement period—(i) In general. The
mandatory 60-day postponement period
begins on the earliest incident date specified in a disaster declaration for a federally declared disaster and ends on the date
that is 60 days after the latest incident date
specified in the disaster declaration. In
accordance with section 7508A(d)(5), the
mandatory 60-day postponement period
under section 7508A(d) runs concurrently
with the postponement period determined
by the Secretary in exercising discretion
under section 7508A(a) or (b) if the period determined by the Secretary is equal
to or longer than 60 days after the latest
incident date. If the period determined
by the Secretary in exercising discretion
under section 7508A(a) or (b) ends prior
to 60 days after the latest incident date,
in accordance with section 7508A(d)(5),
the mandatory 60-day postponement period will run concurrently for the length
of the period determined by the Secretary
under section 7508A(a) or (b) and then
June 28, 2021
continue running in addition to the period
determined by the Secretary under section
7508A(a) or (b).
(ii) Limitations on the mandatory 60day postponement period. (A) In no event
will the mandatory 60-day postponement
period be calculated to exceed one year.
(B) In the event the Secretary determines to postpone time-sensitive acts
pursuant to a declaration establishing a
federally declared disaster for purposes
of section 7508A that does not specify an
incident date, there is no mandatory postponement period under section 7508A(d).
In such cases, the only postponement period will be the period determined by the
Secretary under section 7508A(a) or (b).
(4) Examples. The rules of this paragraph (g) are illustrated by the following
examples:
(i) Example (1). Individual A lives in a state that
experienced severe but isolated tornado damage on
March 15. On March 20, FEMA issued a Federal
Register Notice announcing a major disaster declaration approved by the President for the state where
Individual A lives, describing the incident date for
the tornado as March 15. Based upon that major disaster declaration, the IRS published a news release
identifying the taxpayers (by county) affected by the
disaster for purposes of section 7508A and specifying the time-sensitive acts that are postponed and
a period of postponement from March 15 through
July 31, pursuant to section 7508A(a). The county
where Individual A lives was included in the news
release. Under section 7508A(d), the mandatory 60day postponement period that Individual A is entitled
to begins on March 15 and ends 60 days after March
15, on May 14. The mandatory postponement period
applies to the same time-sensitive acts and runs concurrently with the relief the IRS provided to Individual A under section 7508A(a).
(ii) Example (2). Individual B lives in a coastal
state which experienced harmful effects from a hurricane that began to affect the weather in his state on
August 15 and ceased to be a weather factor in his
state on August 19. On August 22, FEMA issued a
Federal Register Notice announcing a major disaster
declaration approved by the President, determining
that the coastline counties in the state, including the
county where Individual B lives, were severely affected and that these counties were entitled to both
June 28, 2021
individual assistance and public assistance. The major disaster declaration specified the earliest incident
date for the hurricane in the state where Individual
B lives as August 15 and the latest incident date as
August 19. Based upon that major disaster declaration, the IRS published a news release identifying
the taxpayers affected by the disaster for purposes
of section 7508A and specifying the time-sensitive
acts that are postponed and a period of postponement
from August 15 through December 31, pursuant to
section 7508A(a). Under section 7508A(d), the mandatory 60-day postponement period that Individual B
is entitled to begins on August 15 and ends 60 days
after August 19, on October 18. The mandatory postponement period applies to the same time-sensitive
acts and runs concurrently with the relief the IRS
provided to Individual B under section 7508A(a).
(iii) Example (3). Individual C lives in a county
of a state that is experiencing ongoing wildfires. On
August 14, FEMA issued a Federal Register Notice
announcing an emergency declaration approved by
the President to make public assistance available under the Stafford Act to local governments to fight the
wildfires. This declaration specified an earliest incident date of August 14 and no latest incident date. On
August 17, FEMA issued a Federal Register Notice
announcing a major disaster declaration approved
by the President for the same wildfires incident, announcing that the residents of the county where Individual C lives were eligible to receive individual
assistance under the Stafford Act. This declaration
specified August 15 as the earliest incident date and
described the incident period as ongoing. Based upon
that major disaster declaration, the IRS exercised its
discretion under section 7508A(a) to publish a news
release identifying the taxpayers (by county) affected by the wildfires disaster for purposes of section
7508A and specifying both the time-sensitive acts
that are postponed and a period of postponement
from August 15 through December 15. Following the
initial news release, the wildfires disaster remained
ongoing, with no ending incident date specified, for
several months. The IRS published a second news
release postponing the time-sensitive acts through
January 15. FEMA subsequently amended the major
disaster declaration to specify the latest incident date
of November 19. Because the IRS acted in its discretion to provide relief in response to the major disaster
declaration, and not to provide relief in response to
the emergency declaration, the mandatory 60-day
postponement period that Individual C is entitled
to under section 7508A(d) begins on August 15, the
earliest incident date specified in the major disaster
declaration, and ends 60 days after the latest incident
date of November 19. The mandatory postponement
1226
period applies to the same time-sensitive acts and
runs concurrently with the relief the IRS provided
to Individual C under section 7508A(a), and ends on
January 18, which is 60 days after the latest incident
date and three days beyond the postponement period
specified by the IRS under section 7508A(a) in its
news release.
(iv) Example (4). Individual D lives in the United States, which is experiencing a nationwide emergency as a result of its residents being exposed to a
highly infectious and dangerous pandemic disease.
On March 13, the President declared a nationwide
emergency under section 501(b) of the Stafford Act.
The pandemic became a federally declared disaster
for purposes of section 7508A on March 13, however, no incident date was specified in the President’s
emergency declaration. Pursuant to the President’s
March 13 emergency declaration, the IRS published
several notices identifying the taxpayers affected by
the disaster for purposes of section 7508A and specifying the time-sensitive acts that are postponed and a
period of postponement that generally ran from April
1 through July 15, pursuant to section 7508A(a). Because, in this circumstance, the emergency declaration pursuant to which the notices were published did
not specify an incident date, there is no mandatory
postponement period under section 7508A(d). The
only postponement period is the period determined
by the Secretary pursuant to the discretionary authority under section 7508A(a).
(h) Applicability dates—(1) In general.
Except as provided in paragraph (h)(2) of
this section, this section applies to disasters declared after January 15, 2009.
(2) Paragraph (g) of this section. Paragraph (g) of this section applies to disasters declared on or after December 21,
2019.
Douglas W. O’Donnell,
Deputy Commissioner for Services
and Enforcement.
Approved: May 25, 2021.
Mark J. Mazur,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
(Tax Policy).
(Filed by the Office of the Federal Register on June
13, 2021, 8:45 a.m., and published in the issue of the
Federal Register for June 11, 2021, 86 FR 31146)
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Part III
Section 59A Qualified
Derivative Payments
Reporting Requirements
Notice 2021-36
I. PURPOSE
This Notice announces that the Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) intend to amend the regulations under sections 59A and 6038A to defer the
applicability date of certain provisions of
the regulations relating to the reporting of
qualified derivative payments (“QDP”)
until taxable years beginning on or after
January 1, 2023.
II. BACKGROUND
On December 6, 2019, the Treasury
Department and the IRS published TD
9885 in the Federal Register (84 FR
66968), which contains final regulations
addressing the base erosion and anti-abuse
tax (“BEAT”) of section 59A (the “2019
final regulations”). The 2019 final regulations generally apply to taxable years
ending on or after December 17, 2018.
The 2019 final regulations included rules
under sections 59A and 6038A addressing
the reporting of QDPs, which are not base
erosion payments.
Under §1.59A-6(b)(2)(i), a payment
does not qualify as a QDP unless the taxpayer reports the information required in
§1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix)for the taxable year.
Section 1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix) requires a
taxpayer subject to the BEAT to report
on Form 8991the aggregate amount of
QDPs for the taxable year and make a
representation that all payments satisfy
the requirements of §1.59A-6(b)(2). If a
taxpayer fails to satisfy the reporting requirements of §1.59A-6(b)(2)(i) with respect to any payments, §1.59A-6(b)(2)(ii)
(the reporting failure exclusion) provides
that those payments are not eligible for the
QDP exception described in §1.59A-3(b)
(3)(ii)and are base erosion payments unless another exception applies.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Section 1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix) applies to
taxable years beginning on or after June
7, 2021. Section 1.6038A-2(g). Before
§1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix) is applicable (the
transition period), a taxpayer is treated as
satisfying the QDP reporting requirements
to the extent that the taxpayer reports the
aggregate amount of QDPs on Form 8991,
Schedule A, provided that the taxpayer reports this amount in good faith. See
§1.59A-6(b)(2)(iv) and §1.6038A-2(g).
On October 9, 2020, the Treasury Department and the IRS published TD 9910
in the Federal Register (85 FR 64368),
which contains additional final regulations
relating to section 59A (the “2020 final regulations”). As described in the preamble
to the 2020 final regulations, a comment
was submitted that recommended that the
Treasury Department and the IRS address
the interaction of the QDP exception, the
BEAT netting rule in §1.59A-2(e)(3)(vi)
(with respect to positions for which a taxpayer applies a mark-to-market method
of accounting for U.S. federal income tax
purposes), and the QDP reporting requirements in §1.59A-6 and §1.6038A-2(b)(7)
(ix)–each in the 2019 final regulations.
The Treasury Department and the IRS
continue to study whether future guidance
may be appropriate. While studying this
matter, the Treasury Department and the
IRS have determined that it is appropriate
to extend the transition period.
III. AMENDED APPLICABILITY
DATE
Therefore, the Treasury Department and
the IRS intend to amend §1.6038A-2(g)
to provide that §1.6038A-2(b)(7)(ix) will
apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023. Until §1.6038A-2(b)
(7)(ix) applies, the rules described in
§1.59A-6(b)(2)(iv) that apply during the
transition period will continue to apply.
IV. TAXPAYER RELIANCE
Taxpayers may rely on the provisions
of this Notice before the issuance of the
amendments to the final regulations described in section III of this Notice.
1227
V. DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this notice
is Sheila Ramaswamy of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International). For
further information regarding this notice
contact Sheila Ramaswamy at (202) 3176938 (not a toll-free number).
Update for Weighted
Average Interest Rates,
Yield Curves, and Segment
Rates
Notice 2021-37
This notice provides guidance on the
corporate bond monthly yield curve, the
corresponding spot segment rates used
under § 417(e)(3), and the 24-month average segment rates under § 430(h)(2) of the
Internal Revenue Code. In addition, this
notice provides guidance as to the interest
rate on 30-year Treasury securities under
§ 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in effect for plan
years beginning before 2008 and the 30year Treasury weighted average rate under
§ 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I).
In addition to providing these rates
for current periods, this notice provides
24-month average segment rates for earlier periods for plan years beginning in 2020
and 2021, determined under § 430(h)(2)
(C)(iv) of the Code reflecting the modifications made by § 9706(a) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Pub. L.
No. 117-2 (ARP), which was enacted on
March 11, 2021.
YIELD CURVE AND SEGMENT
RATES
Section 430 specifies the minimum
funding requirements that apply to single-employer plans (except for CSEC
plans under § 414(y)) pursuant to § 412.
Section 430(h)(2) specifies the interest rates that must be used to determine
a plan’s target normal cost and funding
target. Under this provision, present val-
June 28, 2021
ue is generally determined using three
24-month average interest rates (“segment rates”), each of which applies to
cash flows during specified periods. To
the extent provided under § 430(h)(2)
(C)(iv), these segment rates are adjusted
by the applicable percentage of the 25year average segment rates for the period
ending September 30 of the year preceding the calendar year in which the plan
year begins.1 However, an election may
be made under § 430(h)(2)(D)(ii) to use
the monthly yield curve in place of the
segment rates.
Notice 2007-81, 2007-44 I.R.B. 899,
provides guidelines for determining the
Applicable Month
June 2021
es of the corresponding 25-year average
segment rates.
The 25-year average segment rates for
plan years beginning in 2020 and 2021
were published Notice 2019-51, 2019-41
I.R.B. 866, and Notice 2020-72, 2020-40
I.R.B. 789, respectively.
24-MONTH AVERAGE CORPORATE
BOND SEGMENT RATES
The three 24-month average corporate
bond segment rates applicable for June
2021 without adjustment for the 25-year
average segment rate limits are as follows:
24-Month Average Segment Rates Without 25-Year Average Adjustment
First Segment
Second Segment
1.27
2.77
25-YEAR AVERAGE SEGMENT
RATES
Section 9706(a) of ARP changes the
25-year average segment rates and the
applicable minimum and maximum percentages used under § 430(h)(3)(C)(iv) of
the Code to adjust the 24-month average
segment rates. Prior to this change, the applicable minimum and maximum percentages were 90% and 110% for a plan year
beginning in 2020, and 85% and 115% for
a plan year beginning in 2021, respectively. After this change, the applicable mini-
For Plan Years
Beginning In
monthly corporate bond yield curve, and
the 24-month average corporate bond
segment rates used to compute the target
normal cost and the funding target. Consistent with the methodology specified in
Notice 2007-81, the monthly corporate
bond yield curve derived from May 2021
data is in Table 2021-5 at the end of this
notice. The spot first, second, and third
segment rates for the month of May 2021
are, respectively, 0.61, 2.84, and 3.54.
The 24-month average segment rates
determined
under
§ 430(h)(2)(C)(i)
through (iii) must be adjusted pursuant to
§ 430(h)(2)(C)(iv) to be within the applicable minimum and maximum percentag-
mum and maximum percentages are 95%
and 105% for a plan year beginning in
2020 or 2021. In addition, pursuant to this
change, any 25-year average segment rate
that is less than 5% is deemed to be 5%.2
Pursuant to § 9706(c)(1) of ARP, these
changes apply with respect to plan years
beginning on or after January 1, 2020.
However, § 9706(c)(2) of ARP provides
that a plan sponsor may elect not to have
these changes apply to any plan year beginning before January 1, 2022.3
The adjusted 24-month average segment rates set forth in the chart below
Third Segment
3.45
reflect § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv) of the Code
as amended by § 9706(a) of ARP. These
adjusted 24-month average segment
rates apply only for plan years for which
an election under § 9706(c)(2) of ARP is
not in effect. For a plan year for which
such an election does not apply, the
24-month averages applicable for June
2021, adjusted to be within the applicable minimum and maximum percentages of the corresponding 25-year average segment rates in accordance with
§ 430(h)(2)(C)(iv) of the Code, are as
follows:
Adjusted 24-Month Average Segment Rates
Applicable
First
Second
Month
Segment
Segment
Third
Segment
2020
June 2021
4.75
5.50
6.27
2021
June 2021
4.75
5.36
6.11
The adjusted 24-month average segment rates set forth in the chart below do
not reflect the changes to § 430(h)(2)(C)
(iv) of the Code made by § 9706(a) of
ARP. These adjusted 24-month average
segment rates apply only for plan years for
Pursuant to § 433(h)(3)(A), the 3rd segment rate determined under § 430(h)(2)(C) is used to determine the current liability of a CSEC plan (which is used to calculate the minimum amount
of the full funding limitation under § 433(c)(7)(C)).
2
Pursuant to this change, the 25-year averages of the first segment rate for 2020 and 2021 are increased to 5.00% because those 25-year averages as originally published are below 5.00%.
3
This election may be made either for all purposes for which the amendments under § 9706 of ARP apply or solely for purposes of determining the adjusted funding target attainment percentage under § 436 of the Code for the plan year.
1
June 28, 2021
1228
Bulletin No. 2021–26
which an election under § 9706(c)(2) of
ARP is in effect. For a plan year for which
such an election applies, the 24-month av-
For Plan Years
Beginning In
erages applicable for June 2021, adjusted
to be within the applicable minimum and
maximum percentages of the correspond-
ing 25-year average segment rates in accordance with § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv) of the
Code, are as follows:
Pre-ARP Adjusted 24-Month Average Segment Rates
Applicable
First
Second
Month
Segment
Segment
Third
Segment
2020
June 2021
3.64
5.21
5.94
2021
June 2021
3.32
4.79
5.47
30-YEAR TREASURY SECURITIES
INTEREST RATES
Section 431 specifies the minimum
funding requirements that apply to multiemployer plans pursuant to § 412. Section
431(c)(6)(B) specifies a minimum amount
for the full-funding limitation described in
§ 431(c)(6)(A), based on the plan’s current
liability. Section 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I) provides that the interest rate used to calculate current liability for this purpose must
be no more than 5 percent above and no
more than 10 percent below the weighted
average of the rates of interest on 30-year
Treasury securities during the four-year
period ending on the last day before the
beginning of the plan year. Notice 88-73,
1988-2 C.B. 383, provides guidelines for
determining the weighted average interest rate. The rate of interest on 30-year
Treasury securities for May 2021 is 2.32
percent. The Service determined this rate
as the average of the daily determinations
For Plan Years
Beginning In
Treasury Weighted Average Rates
30-Year Treasury
Weighted Average
Permissible Range
90% to 105%
June 2021
2.23
2.00 to 2.34
under § 417(e)(3)(D) are segment rates
computed without regard to a 24-month
average. Notice 2007-81 provides guidelines for determining the minimum pres-
ent value segment rates. Pursuant to that
notice, the minimum present value segment rates determined for May 2021 are
as follows:
MINIMUM PRESENT VALUE
SEGMENT RATES
In general, the applicable interest rates
Month
May 2021
Minimum Present Value Segment Rates
First Segment
Second Segment
0.61
2.84
DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this notice
isTom Morgan of the Office of the Asso-
Bulletin No. 2021–26
of yield on the 30-year Treasury bond maturing in February 2051 determined each
day through May 12, 2021, and the yield
on the 30-year Treasury bond maturing
in May 2051 determined each day for
the balance of the month. For plan years
beginning in June 2021, the weighted average of the rates of interest on 30-year
Treasury securities and the permissible
range of rates used to calculate current liability are as follows:
ciate Chief Counsel (Employee Benefits,
Exempt Organizations, and Employment
Taxes). However, other personnel from
the IRS participated in the development
1229
Third Segment
3.54
of this guidance. For further information
regarding this notice, contact Mr. Morgan
at 202-317-6700 or Paul Stern at 202-3178702 (not toll-free numbers).
June 28, 2021
Table 2021-5
Monthly Yield Curve for May 2021
Derived from May 2021 Data
Maturity
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
10.5
11.0
11.5
12.0
12.5
13.0
13.5
14.0
14.5
15.0
15.5
16.0
16.5
17.0
17.5
18.0
18.5
19.0
19.5
20.0
Yield
0.16
0.21
0.28
0.36
0.48
0.61
0.76
0.92
1.09
1.26
1.42
1.59
1.75
1.91
2.06
2.20
2.34
2.46
2.57
2.68
2.77
2.86
2.94
3.01
3.07
3.12
3.17
3.21
3.24
3.27
3.30
3.32
3.34
3.35
3.37
3.38
3.39
3.40
3.40
3.41
June 28, 2021
Maturity
20.5
21.0
21.5
22.0
22.5
23.0
23.5
24.0
24.5
25.0
25.5
26.0
26.5
27.0
27.5
28.0
28.5
29.0
29.5
30.0
30.5
31.0
31.5
32.0
32.5
33.0
33.5
34.0
34.5
35.0
35.5
36.0
36.5
37.0
37.5
38.0
38.5
39.0
39.5
40.0
Yield
3.42
3.42
3.43
3.43
3.44
3.44
3.44
3.45
3.45
3.46
3.46
3.46
3.47
3.47
3.48
3.48
3.48
3.49
3.49
3.49
3.50
3.50
3.51
3.51
3.51
3.52
3.52
3.52
3.52
3.53
3.53
3.53
3.53
3.54
3.54
3.54
3.54
3.55
3.55
3.55
Maturity
40.5
41.0
41.5
42.0
42.5
43.0
43.5
44.0
44.5
45.0
45.5
46.0
46.5
47.0
47.5
48.0
48.5
49.0
49.5
50.0
50.5
51.0
51.5
52.0
52.5
53.0
53.5
54.0
54.5
55.0
55.5
56.0
56.5
57.0
57.5
58.0
58.5
59.0
59.5
60.0
Yield
3.55
3.56
3.56
3.56
3.56
3.56
3.56
3.57
3.57
3.57
3.57
3.57
3.57
3.58
3.58
3.58
3.58
3.58
3.58
3.58
3.59
3.59
3.59
3.59
3.59
3.59
3.59
3.59
3.60
3.60
3.60
3.60
3.60
3.60
3.60
3.60
3.60
3.61
3.61
3.61
1230
Maturity
60.5
61.0
61.5
62.0
62.5
63.0
63.5
64.0
64.5
65.0
65.5
66.0
66.5
67.0
67.5
68.0
68.5
69.0
69.5
70.0
70.5
71.0
71.5
72.0
72.5
73.0
73.5
74.0
74.5
75.0
75.5
76.0
76.5
77.0
77.5
78.0
78.5
79.0
79.5
80.0
Yield
3.61
3.61
3.61
3.61
3.61
3.61
3.61
3.61
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.62
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.63
3.64
Maturity
80.5
81.0
81.5
82.0
82.5
83.0
83.5
84.0
84.5
85.0
85.5
86.0
86.5
87.0
87.5
88.0
88.5
89.0
89.5
90.0
90.5
91.0
91.5
92.0
92.5
93.0
93.5
94.0
94.5
95.0
95.5
96.0
96.5
97.0
97.5
98.0
98.5
99.0
99.5
100.0
Yield
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.64
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
3.65
Bulletin No. 2021–26
NOTE. This revenue procedure will be reproduced as the next revision of IRS Publication 4436, General Rules and Specifications for Substitute Form 941, Schedule B (Form 941), Schedule D (Form 941), Schedule R (Form 941), and Form 8974.
Rev. Proc. 2021-22
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1 –
Section 1.1 – Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1231
Section 1.2 – What’s New. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1233
Section 1.3 – Reminders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1233
Section 1.4 – General Requirements for Reproducing IRS Official Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D,
Schedule R, and Form 8974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1233
Section 1.5 – Reproducing Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974 for
Software-Generated Paper Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1235
Section 1.6 – Specific Instructions for Schedule D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1236
Section 1.7 – Specific Instructions for Schedule R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1237
Section 1.8 – Specific Instructions for Form 8974. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1237
Section 1.9 – Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Requirements for Substitute Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1238
Section 1.10 – Order Forms and Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1238
Section 1.11 – Effect on Other Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1239
Section 1.12 – Helpful Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1239
Section 1.13 – Exhibits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1241
Part 1
Section 1.1 – Purpose
.01 The purpose of this revenue procedure is to provide general rules and specifications from the
IRS for paper and computer-generated substitutes for Form 941, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return; Schedule B (Form 941), Report of Tax Liability for Semiweekly Schedule Depositors (referred to in this revenue procedure as “Schedule B”); Schedule D (Form 941), Report
of Discrepancies Caused by Acquisitions, Statutory Mergers, or Consolidations (referred to in this
revenue procedure as “Schedule D”); Schedule R (Form 941), Allocation Schedule for Aggregate
Form 941 Filers (referred to in this revenue procedure as “Schedule R”); and Form 8974, Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities.
Caution. Before creating a substitute Form 941, see Pub. 1167, General Rules and Specifications
for Substitute Forms and Schedules, for additional rules and specifications for payment vouchers
(Vouchers), printing in margins (Marginal Printing), and additional instructions (Additional Instructions for All Forms).
Note. Substitute territorial forms (941-PR, Planilla para la Declaración Federal TRIMESTRAL
del Patrono; 941-SS, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return (American Samoa, Guam,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands); and Anexo B
(Formulario 941-PR), Registro de la Obligación Contributiva para los Despositantes de Itinerario
Bisemanal), should also conform to the specifications outlined in this revenue procedure.
.02 This revenue procedure provides information for substitute Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule
D, Schedule R, and Form 8974. If you need more in-depth information on who must complete
these forms and how to complete them, see the Instructions for Form 941, the Instructions for
Schedule B, the Instructions for Schedule D, the Instructions for Schedule R, the Instructions for
Form 8974, and Pub. 15, Employer’s Tax Guide, or visit IRS.gov.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1231
June 28, 2021
Note. Failure to produce acceptable substitutes of the forms and schedules listed in this revenue
procedure may result in delays in processing. This may result in penalties.
.03 Forms that completely follow the guidelines in this revenue procedure and are exact replicas
of the official IRS forms do not need to be submitted to the IRS for specific approval. Substitute
forms and schedules need to be scanned using IRS scanning equipment.
If you are uncertain of any specification and want clarification, do the following.
1.
Submit a letter citing the specification.
2.
State your understanding of the specification.
3.
Enclose an example (if appropriate) of how the form would appear if produced using your
understanding.
4.
Be sure to include your name, complete address, phone number, and, if applicable, your
email address with your correspondence. Send your request to SCRIPS@IRS.gov or
SubstituteForms@IRS.gov, or use the following address.
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Substitute Forms Program
SE:W:CAR:MP:P:TP
1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Room 6554
Washington, DC 20224
Note. Allow at least 30 days for the IRS to respond.
.04 However, software developers and form producers should send a blank copy of their substitute
Form 941, Schedule B, and Schedule R in Portable Document Format (PDF) to SCRIPS@IRS.
gov. The purpose is not specifically for approval but to assist the IRS in preparing to scan these
forms. Submitters will only receive comments if a significant problem is discovered through this
process.
Submitters are not expected to delay marketing their forms in order to receive feedback. Submitters must not include any “live” taxpayer data on any substituteform submitted for review.
.05 The following six-digit form ID codes are used on Form 941, the schedules for Form 941, and
Form 8974.
•
Official paper forms: 951121 (Form 941, page 1); 951221 (Form 941, page 2); 951921
(Form 941, page 3); 951020 (Form 941, page 4); 960311 (Schedule B); 950421 (Schedule R,
page 1); 950521 (Schedule R, page 2); and 950817 (Form 8974).
•
Substitute 6x10 grids: 971121 (Form 941, page 1); 971221 (Form 941, page 2); 971921
(Form 941, page 3); 971020 (Form 941, page 4); 970311 (Schedule B); 970421 (Schedule R,
page 1); 970521 (Schedule R, page 2); and 970817 (Form 8974).
Generally, the last two digits of the form ID code represent the last year in which the IRS made
major formatting changes to the layout of a page of theform.
Note. Page 4 of Form 941 (page intentionally left blank) is not required to be filed with the IRS
as part of a substitute Form 941. However, if page 4 of the substitute Form 941 is filed, it must
include the form ID code.
.06 This revenue procedure will be updated only if there are major formatting changes to the
layout of the forms or there are other changes that impact the processing of substitute forms. This
revenue procedure won’t be updated solely because a line is changed to “Reserved for future use.”
June 28, 2021
1232
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Section 1.2 – What’s New
There were significant changes to Form 941 and Schedule R (Form 941) under the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the ARP). See the instructions for these forms at IRS.gov/Form941 for
more information about the changes made under the ARP.
Due to changes made under the ARP, the form ID codes on pages 1 through 3 of Form 941 and
both pages of Schedule R have changed. The new form ID codes are provided under Section
1.1.05, earlier, and under Section 1.4.08 and Section 1.5.02, later.
Section 1.3 – Reminders
.01 Draft forms. Draft forms can be found at IRS.gov/DraftForms.
Section 1.4 – General Requirements for Reproducing IRS Official Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D,
Schedule R, and Form 8974
.01 Submit substitute Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974 to the IRS
for specifications review. Substitute Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form
8974 that completely conform to the specifications contained in this revenue procedure do not
require prior approval from the IRS, but should be submitted to SCRIPS@IRS.gov to ensure that
they conform to IRS format and scanning specifications.
.02 Print the form on standard 8.5-inch wide by 11-inch paper.
.03 Use white paper that meets generally accepted weight, color, and quality standards (minimum
20 lb. white bond paper).
Note. Reclaimed fiber in any percentage is permitted provided that the requirements of this standard are met.
.04 The IRS prefers printing Form 941 on both sides of a single sheet of paper, but it is acceptable
to print on one side of each of two separate sheets of paper.
.05 Make the substitute paper form as identical to the official form as possible.
.06 Print the substitute form using nonreflective black (not blue or other-colored) ink. Printing in
an ink color other than black may reduce readability in the scanning process. This may result in
figures being too faint to be recognizable.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1233
June 28, 2021
.07 Use typefaces that are substantially identical in size and shape to the official form and use rules
and shading (if used) that are substantially identical to those on the official form. Use font size as
large as possible within the fields.
.08 In the same location as shown on the official IRS forms, print the six-digit form ID code (if one
exists on the official form) on each form using nonreflective black, carbon-based, 12-point font.
The use of non-OCR-A font may reduce readability for scanning. Use the official form to develop
your substitute form.
Note. Maintain as much white space as possible around the form ID code. Do not allow character
strings to print adjacent to the code.
Generally, the year digits represent the last year in which the IRS made major formatting changes
to the layout of a page of the form. Therefore, the last two digits may not be the same as the current tax year. For the tax period starting April 2021 and until this revenue procedure is superseded,
print “951121” on Form 941, page 1; “951221” on Form 941, page 2; “951921” on Form 941,
page 3; “951020” on Form 941, page 4; “960311” on Schedule B; “950421” on Schedule R, page
1; “950521” on Schedule R, page 2; and “950817” on Form 8974. See Section 1.5 for information
on form ID codes for software-generated forms.
Note. Page 4 of Form 941 (page intentionally left blank) is not required to be filed with the IRS
as part of a substitute Form 941. However, if page 4 of the substitute Form 941 is filed, it must
include the form ID code.
.09 Print the OMB number in the same location as on the official form. Be sure to include the
OMB number on Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974.
.10 Print all entry boxes and checkboxes exactly as shown (location and size) on the official
forms.
Note. Instead of a four-sided checkbox for the entry, just the bottom line of the box can be used as
long as the location and size remain the same.
.11 Print “For Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the back of the Payment
Voucher.” at the bottom of page 1 of Form 941.
.12 Print “For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see separate instructions.” at the bottom of
Schedule B and Schedule D.
.13 Print “For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the separate instructions.” at the bottom of
Schedule R.
.14 Print “For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the separate instructions.” at the bottom of
Form 8974.
.15 Do not print the form catalog number (“Cat. No.”) at the bottom of the forms or instructions.
Instead, print your IRS-issued three-letter substitute form source code in place of the catalog
number on the left at the bottom of page 1 of Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R,
and Form 8974.
Note. You can obtain a three-letter substitute form source code by requesting it by email at
SubstituteForms@IRS.gov. Please enter “Substitute Forms” on the subject line.
.16 Do not print the Government Printing Office (GPO) symbol at the bottom of the forms or
instructions.
June 28, 2021
1234
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Section 1.5 – Reproducing Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974 for
Software-Generated Paper Forms
.01 You may use the PDF files to develop the layout for your forms. Draft forms found at IRS.
gov/DraftForms can be used to develop interim formats until the forms are finalized. When forms
become finalized, they are posted and can be found at IRS.gov/Forms. You may use 6x10 grid
formats to develop software versions of Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and
Form 8974.
Please follow the specifications exactly to develop the fields.
.02 If you are developing software using the 6x10 grid, you may make thefollowing modifications.
•
“971121” for Form 941, page 1; “971221” for Form 941, page 2;
“971921” for Form 941, page 3; “971020” for Form 941, page 4;
“970311” for Schedule B; “970421” for Schedule R, page 1;
“970521” for Schedule R, page 2; and “970817” for Form 8974, as the form ID codes.
Note. Maintain as much white space as possible around the form ID code. Do not allow character strings to print adjacent to the code.
•
Place all 6x10 grid boxes and entry spaces in the same field locations as indicated on the
official forms.
•
Use single lines for “Employer Identification Number (EIN)” and other entry areas in the
entity section of Form 941, pages 1, 2, and 3; Schedule B; Schedule R, pages 1 and 2; and
Form 8974.
•
Reverse type is not needed as shown on the official form.
•
Do not pre-print decimal points in the data boxes. However, where the amounts are required,
the amounts should be printed with decimal points and place holders for cents.
•
Delete the pre-printed formatting in any “date” boxes.
•
Use a single box for “Personal Identification Number (PIN)” on Form 941.
•
You may delete all shading when using the 6x10 grid format.
.03 If producing both the form and the data or the form only, print your three-letter source code
at the bottom of Form 941, page 1; Schedule B; Schedule D; Schedule R, page 1; or Form 8974.
See Section 1.4.15.
.04 If producing only the data on the form, print your four-digit software industry vendor code
on Form 941. The four-digit vendor code preceded by four zeros and a slash (0000/9876) must
be pre-printed. If you have a valid vendor code issued to you through the National Association of
Computerized Tax Processors (NACTP), you should use that code. If you do not have a valid vendor code, contact the NACTP via email at president@nactp.org for information on these codes.
.05 Print “For Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the back of the Payment
Voucher.” at the bottom of Form 941, page 1.
.06 Print “For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see separate instructions.” at the bottom of
Schedule B and Schedule D.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1235
June 28, 2021
.07 Print “For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the separate instructions.” at the bottom of
Schedule R, page 1.
.08 Print “For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the separate instructions.” at the bottom of
Form 8974.
.09 Be sure to print the OMB number in the same location as on the official forms on substitute
Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974.
.10 Do not print the form catalog number (“Cat. No.”) at the bottom of the forms or instructions.
.11 Do not print the Government Printing Office (GPO) symbol at the bottom of the forms or
instructions.
.12 To ensure accurate scanning and processing, enter data on Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D,
Schedule R, and Form 8974 as follows.
•
Display/print the name and EIN on all pages and attachments in the proper associated fields.
•
Use 12-point (minimum 10-point) Courier font (where possible).
•
Omit dollar signs. Commas are optional.
•
Except for Form 941, lines 1, 2, and 12, leave blank any data field with a value of zero.
•
Enter negative amounts with a minus sign. For example, report “-10.59” instead of “(10.59).”
Note. The IRS prefers that you use a minus sign for negative amounts instead of parentheses or
some other means. However, if your software only allows for parentheses in reporting negative
amounts, you may use them.
Section 1.6 – Specific Instructions for Schedule D
.01 To properly file and to reduce delays and contact from the IRS, Schedule D must be produced
as close as possible to the official form.
.02 Use Schedule D to explain why you have certain discrepancies. See the Instructions for Schedule D for more information. In many cases, the information on Schedule D helps the IRS resolve
discrepancies without contacting you.
.03 If a substitute Schedule D is not submitted in similar format to the official IRS schedule, the
substitutes may be returned, you may be contacted by the IRS, delays in processing may occur,
and you may be subject to penalties.
Section 1.7 – Specific Instructions for Schedule R
June 28, 2021
1236
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Schedule R has been redesigned to allow the new lines from the June 2021 revision of Form 941
to be reported on Schedule R.
.01 To properly file and to reduce delays and contact from the IRS, Schedule R and Continuation
Sheets for Schedule R must be produced as close as possible to the official form.
Note. Do not present the information in spreadsheet or similar format. We may not be able to
properly process nonconforming documents with an excessive number of entries. Complete as
many Continuation Sheets for Schedule R (Schedule R, page 2) as necessary. If Continuation
Sheets are not used or they vary in form from the official form, processing may be delayed and
you may be subject to penalties.
.02 Use Schedule R to allocate the aggregate information reported on Form 941 to each client. If
you have more than 5 clients, complete as many Continuation Sheets for Schedule R as necessary.
Attach Schedule R, including any Continuation Sheets, to your aggregate Form 941 and file it with
your return. Enter your business information carefully.
Make sure all information exactly matches the information shown on the aggregate Form 941.
Compare the total of each column on Schedule R, line 9 (including your information on line 8),
to the amounts reported on the aggregate Form 941. For each column total of Schedule R, the
relevant line from Form 941 is noted in the column heading. If the totals on Schedule R, line 9, do
not match the totals on Form 941, there is an error that must be corrected before submitting Form
941 and Schedule R.
.03 Do:
•
Develop and submit only conforming Schedules R,
•
Follow the format and fields exactly as on the official Schedule R, and
•
Maintain the same number of entry lines on the substitute Schedule R as on the official form.
.04 Do not:
•
Add or delete entry lines;
•
Submit spreadsheets, database printouts, or similar formatted documents instead of using the
Schedule R format to report data; and
•
Reduce or expand font size to add or delete extra data or lines.
.05 If substitute Schedules R and Continuation Sheets for Schedule R are not submitted in similar
format to the official schedule, the substitutes may be returned, you may be contacted by the IRS,
delays in processing may occur, and you may be subject to penalties.
Section 1.8 – Specific Instructions for Form 8974
.01 To properly file and to reduce delays and contact from the IRS, Form 8974 must be produced
as close as possible to the official form.
.02 Use Form 8974 only if you are claiming the qualified small business payroll tax credit for
increasing research activities.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1237
June 28, 2021
.03 If a substitute Form 8974 is not submitted in similar format to the official IRS form, the substitutes may be returned, you may be contacted by the IRS, delays in processing may occur, and
you may be subject to penalties.
Section 1.9 – Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Requirements for Substitute Forms
.01 The Paperwork Reduction Act (the Act) of 1995 (P.L. 104-13) requires the following.
•
OMB approves all IRS tax forms that are subject to the Act.
•
Each IRS form contains the OMB approval number, if assigned. The official OMB numbers
may be found on the official IRS-printed forms.
•
Each IRS form (or its instructions) states:
1.
Why the IRS needs the information,
2.
How it will be used, and
3.
Whether or not the information is required to be furnished to theIRS.
.02 This information must be provided to any users of official or substitute IRS forms or instructions.
.03 The OMB requirements for substitute IRS forms are the following.
•
Any substitute form or substitute statement to a recipient must show the OMB number as it
appears on the official form.
•
For Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974, the OMB number
(1545-0029) must appear exactly as shown on the official form.
•
For Form 941, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974, the OMB number must
use one of the following formats.
1.
OMB No. 1545-0029 (preferred).
2.
OMB # 1545-0029 (acceptable).
.04 If no instructions are provided to users of your forms, you must furnish to them the exact text
of the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.
Section 1.10 – Order Forms and Instructions
.01 You can order forms and instructions at IRS.gov/OrderForms.
June 28, 2021
1238
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Section 1.11 – Effect on Other Documents
.01 Revenue Procedure 2020-31, 2020-27 I.R.B. 12, dated June 29, 2020, is superseded.
Section 1.12 – Helpful Information
.01 Please follow the specifications and guidelines to produce substitute Form 941, Schedule B,
Schedule D, Schedule R, and Form 8974.
.02 These forms are subject to review and possible changes, as required. Therefore, employers are
cautioned against overstocking supplies of privately printed substitutes.
.03 Here is a review of references that were listed throughout this document.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
•
Form 941, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return.
•
Schedule B (Form 941), Report of Tax Liability for Semiweekly Schedule Depositors (referred to in this revenue procedure as “Schedule B”).
•
Schedule D (Form 941), Report of Discrepancies Caused by Acquisitions, Statutory Mergers,
or Consolidations (referred to in this revenue procedure as “Schedule D”).
•
Schedule R (Form 941), Allocation Schedule for Aggregate Form 941 Filers (referred to in
this revenue procedure as “Schedule R”).
•
Form 8974, Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit for Increasing Research Activities.
•
Substitute territorial forms (941-PR, 941-SS, and Anexo B (Formulario 941-PR)).
•
Instructions for Form 941.
•
Instructions for Schedule B (Form 941).
•
Instructions for Schedule D (Form 941).
•
Instructions for Schedule R (Form 941).
•
Instructions for Form 8974.
•
Pub. 15, Employer’s Tax Guide.
•
SCRIPS@IRS.gov for submissions.
•
SubstituteForms@IRS.gov for questions.
1239
June 28, 2021
•
For questions:
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Substitute Forms Program
SE:W:CAR:MP:P:TP
1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Room 6554
Washington, DC 20224
June 28, 2021
•
IRS.gov/DraftForms for draft forms.
•
IRS.gov/Forms for final forms.
1240
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Section 1.13 – Exhibits
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1241
June 28, 2021
June 28, 2021
1242
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1243
June 28, 2021
June 28, 2021
1244
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1245
June 28, 2021
June 28, 2021
1246
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1247
June 28, 2021
June 28, 2021
1248
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1249
June 28, 2021
June 28, 2021
1250
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1251
June 28, 2021
NOTE. This revenue procedure will be reproduced as the next revision of IRS Publication 1179, General Rules and Specifications for Substitute Forms 1096, 1098,
1099, 5498, and Certain Other Information Returns.
Forms and instructions. (Also, Part 1, Sections 101, 162(f), 170, 199A, 220, 223, 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408, 408A, 457(b), 529, 529A, 530, 853A, 892, 1400Z-1,
1400Z–2, 1441, 6041, 6041A, 6042, 6043, 6044, 6045, 6047, 6049, 6050A, 6050B, 6050D, 6050E, 6050H, 6050J, 6050N, 6050P, 6050Q, 6050R, 6050S, 6050U,
6050W, 6050X, 6050Y, 6071, 1.402A-2, 1.408-5, 1.408-7, 1.408-8, 1.408A-7, 1.1441-1 through 1.1441-5, 1.1471-4, 1.6041-1, 1.6042-2, 1.6042-4, 1.6043-4, 1.60442, 1.6044-5, 1.6045-1, 1.6045-2, 1.6045-4, 1.6047-1, 1.6047-2, 1.6049-4, 1.6049-6, 1.6049-7, 1.6050A-1, 1.6050B-1, 1.6050D-1, 1.6050E-1, 1.6050H-1, 1.6050H-2,
1.6050J-1T, 1.6050N-1, 1.6050P-1, 1. 6050S-1, 1.6050S-3, 1.6050W-1, 1.6050W-2, 1.6050Y-1, 1.6050Y-2, 1.6050Y-3.)
Rev. Proc. 2021-27
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION
Section 1.1 – Overview of Revenue Procedure 2021-27/What’s New. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1253
Section 1.2 – Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1256
Section 1.3 – General Requirements for Acceptable Substitute Forms 1096, 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921,
3922, 5498, W-2G, and 1042-S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1256
Part 2 – SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBSTITUTE FORMS 1096 AND COPIES A OF FORMS 1098,
1099, 3921, 3922, AND 5498 (ALL FILED WITH THE IRS)
Section 2.1 – Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1259
Section 2.2 – Instructions for Preparing Paper Forms That Will Be Filed With the IRS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1264
Part 3 – SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBSTITUTE FORM W-2G (FILED WITH THE IRS)
Section 3.1 – General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1266
Section 3.2 – Specifications for Copy A of Form W-2G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1266
Part 4 – SUBSTITUTE STATEMENTS TO FORM RECIPIENTS AND FORM RECIPIENT COPIES
Section 4.1 – Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1267
Section 4.2 – Composite Statements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1271
Section 4.3 – Additional Information for Substitute and Composite Forms 1099-B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1273
Section 4.4 – Required Legends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1273
Section 4.5 – Miscellaneous Instructions for Copies B, C, D, E, 1, and 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1275
Section 4.6 – Electronic Delivery of Recipient Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1277
Part 5 – ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBSTITUTE FORMS 1097- BTC, 1098, 1099, 5498,
W-2G, AND 1042-S
Section 5.1 – Paper Substitutes for Form 1042-S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1278
Section 5.2 – OMB Requirements for All Forms in This Revenue Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1280
Section 5.3 – Ordering Forms and Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1281
Section 5.4 – Effect on Other Revenue Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1282
Part 6 – EXHIBITS
Section 6.1 – Exhibits of Forms in This Revenue Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1282
June 28, 2021
1252
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Part 1
General Information
Section 1.1 – Overview of Revenue Procedure 2021-27/What’s New
1.1.1
Purpose
1.1.2
Which Forms Are Covered?
The purpose of this revenue procedure is to set forth the 2021 requirements for:
•
Using official Internal Revenue Service (IRS) forms to file information returns with the IRS,
•
Preparing acceptable substitutes of the official IRS forms to file information returns with the
IRS, and
•
Using official or acceptable substitute forms to furnish information to recipients.
This revenue procedure contains specifications for these information returns:
Form
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Title
1096
Annual Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information Returns
1097-BTC
Bond Tax Credit
1098
Mortgage Interest Statement
1098-C
Contributions of Motor Vehicles, Boats, and Airplanes
1098-E
Student Loan Interest Statement
1098-F
Fines, Penalties, and Other Amounts
1098-MA
Mortgage Assistance Payments
1098-Q
Qualifying Longevity Annuity Contract Information
1098-T
Tuition Statement
1099-A
Acquisition or Abandonment of Secured Property
1099-B
Proceeds From Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions
1099-C
Cancellation of Debt
1099-CAP
Changes in Corporate Control and Capital Structure
1099-DIV
Dividends and Distributions
1099-G
Certain Government Payments
1099-H
Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) Advance Payments
1099-INT
Interest Income
1099-K
Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions
1099-LS
Reportable Life Insurance Sale
1099-LTC
Long-Term Care and Accelerated Death Benefits
1099-MISC
Miscellaneous Information
1099-NEC
Nonemployee Compensation
1099-OID
Original Issue Discount
1099-PATR
Taxable Distributions Received From Cooperatives
1099-Q
Payments From Qualified Education Programs (Under Sections 529 and 530)
1253
June 28, 2021
Form
1.1.3
Scope
Title
1099-QA
Distributions From ABLE Accounts
1099-R
1099-S
Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans,
IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc.
Proceeds From Real Estate Transactions
1099-SA
Distributions From an HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA
1099-SB
Seller’s Investment in Life Insurance Contract
3921
Exercise of an Incentive Stock Option Under Section 422(b)
3922
5498
Transfer of Stock Acquired Through An Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Under Section 423(c)
IRA Contribution Information
5498-ESA
Coverdell ESA Contribution Information
5498-QA
ABLE Account Contribution Information
5498-SA
HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA Information
W-2G
Certain Gambling Winnings
1042-S
Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding
For purposes of this revenue procedure, a substitute form or statement is one that is not published
by the IRS. For a substitute form or statement to be acceptable to the IRS, it must conform to the
official form or the specifications outlined in this revenue procedure. Do not submit any substitute
forms or statements listed above to the IRS for approval. Privately published forms may not state,
“This is an IRS approved form.”
Filers making payments to certain recipients during a calendar year are required by the Internal
Revenue Code (the Code) to file information returns with the IRS for these payments. These filers
must also provide this information to their recipients. In some cases, this also applies to payments
received. See Part 4 for specifications that apply to recipient statements (generally Copy B).
In general, section 6011 of the Code contains requirements for filers of information returns. A filer
must file information returns electronically or on paper. A filer who is required to file 250 or more
information returns of any one type during a calendar year must file those returns electronically.
Caution. Financial institutions that are required to report payments made under chapter 3 or 4
must file Forms 1042-S electronically, regardless of the number of forms to file.
Note. If you file electronically, do not file the same returns on paper.
Although not required, small volume filers (fewer than 250 returns during a calendar year) may
file the forms electronically. See the requirements for filing information returns (and providing a
copy to a payee) in the 2021 General Instructions for Certain Information Returns and the 2021
Instructions for Form 1042-S. In addition, see the current revision of Publication 1220, Specifications for Electronic Filing of Forms 1097, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, and W-2G, for electronic
filing through the IRS FIRE system.
1.1.4
For More
Information
June 28, 2021
The IRS prints and provides the forms on which various payments must be reported. See Section 5.3, later, for ordering forms and instructions. Alternately, filers may prepare substitute copies
of these IRS forms and use such forms to report payments to the IRS.
1254
Bulletin No. 2021–26
•
The Internal Revenue Service/Information Returns Branch (IRS/IRB) maintains a centralized customer service call site to answer questions related to information returns (Forms
W-2, W-3, W-2c, W-3c, 1099 series, 1096, etc.). You can reach the call site at 866-455-7438
(toll-free) or outside the U.S. 304-263-8700 (not a toll-free number). Persons with a hearing
or speech disability with access to TTY/TDD equipment can call 304-579-4827 (not a tollfree number). You may also send questions to the call site via the Internet at mccirp@irs.
gov. Note. IRS/IRB does not process information returns which are filed on paper forms. See
Publication 1220 for information on waivers and extensions of time.
•
For other tax information related to business returns or accounts, call 800-829-4933. Persons
with hearing or speech disabilities with access to TTY/TDD equipment can call 800-8294059 to ask tax account questions or to order forms and publications.
Note. Further information impacting Publication 1179, such as issues arising after its final release,
will be posted on IRS.gov at IRS.gov/pub1179.
1.1.5
What’s New
The following changes have been made to this year’s revenue procedure. For further information
about each form listed below, see the separate reporting instructions.
Electronic filing of returns. The Taxpayer First Act of 2019, enacted July 1, 2019, authorized
the Department of the Treasury and the IRS to issue regulations that reduce the 250-return requirement for 2021 tax returns. If those regulations are issued and effective for 2021 tax returns
required to be filed in 2022, we will post an article at IRS.gov explaining the change. Until regulations are issued, however, the number remains at 250, as reflected in these instructions.
Where to send extension of time to furnish statements to recipients. An extension of time to
furnish the statements is now a fax only submission. See M. Extension of time to furnish statements to recipients, in the 2021 General Instructions for Certain Information Returns. You can
access the extension of time to furnish statements to recipients section at IRS.gov/instructions/
i1099gi#idm140388152503184.
Form 1098-F filing requirements. At the time these instructions were sent to print, the filing
of Form 1098-F was not yet required. See the proposed regulations at www.federalregister.gov/
documents/2020/05/13/2020-08649/denial-of-deduction-for-certain-fines-penalties-and-other-amounts-information- with-respect-to. For the latest filing information, see Form1098F.
Form 1099-H continuous-use conversion. Form 1099-H and its instructions have been converted from annual updates to continuous use. The form and its instructions will be updated as
required. For more information, see the Guide to Information Returns, in the General Instructions
for Certain Information Returns. For the latest filing information, see Form 1099-H.
Form 1099-MISC. The title of the Form 1099-MISC has changed from Miscellaneous Income to
Miscellaneous Information.
Form 1099-NEC resized. We have reduced the height of the form so it can accommodate 3 forms
on a page.
Exhibits. All of the exhibits in this publication were updated to include all of the 2021 revisions
of those forms that have been revised.
Editorial changes. We made editorial changes throughout, including updated references. Redundancies were eliminated as much as possible.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1255
June 28, 2021
Section 1.2 – Definitions
1.2.1
Form Recipient
Form recipient means the person to whom you are required by law to furnish a copy of the official
form or information statement. The form recipient may be referred to by different names on various Forms 1099 and related forms (beneficiary, borrower, debtor, donor, employee, filer, homeowner, insured, participant, payee, payer, payer/borrower, payment recipient, policyholder, seller,
shareholder, student, transferor, or, in the case of Form W-2G, the winner). See Section 1.3.4.
1.2.2
Filer
Filer means the person or organization required by law to file with the IRS a form listed in Section 1.1.2 with the IRS. A filer may be a payer, creditor, payment settlement entity, recipient of
mortgage or student loan interest payments, educational institution, broker, barter exchange, person reporting real estate transactions; a trustee or issuer of any educational or ABLE Act savings
account, individual retirement arrangement, or medical savings account; a lender who acquires an
interest in secured property or who has reason to know that the property has been abandoned; a
corporation reporting a change in control and capital structure or transfer of stock to an employee;
certain donees of motor vehicles, boats, and airplanes; or an acquirer or issuer of a life insurance
contract.
1.2.3
Substitute Form
Substitute form means a paper substitute of Copy A of an official form listed in Section 1.1.2 that
completely conforms to the provisions in this revenue procedure.
1.2.4
Substitute Form Recipient
Statement (recipient
statement)
1.2.5
Composite Substitute
Statement
Substitute form recipient statement means a paper or electronic statement of the information reported on a form listed in Section 1.1.2. For the remainder of this revenue procedure, we will refer
to this as a recipient statement. This statement must be furnished to a person (form recipient), as
defined under the applicable provisions of the Code and the applicable regulations.
Composite substitute statement means one in which two or more required statements (for example, Forms 1099-INT and 1099-DIV) are furnished to the recipient on one document. However,
each statement must be designated separately and must contain all the requisite Form 1099 information except as provided under Section 4.2. A composite statement may not be filed with the IRS.
Section 1.3 – General Requirements for Acceptable Substitute Forms 1096, 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921,
3922, 5498, W-2G, and 1042-S
June 28, 2021
1256
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1.3.1
Introduction
Paper substitutes for Form 1096 and Copy A of Forms 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498,
W-2G, and 1042-S that completely conform to the specifications listed in this revenue procedure
may be privately printed and filed as returns with the IRS. The reference to the Department of the
Treasury– Internal Revenue Service should be included on all such forms.
If you are uncertain of any specification and want it clarified, you may submit a letter citing the
specification, stating your understanding and interpretation of the specification, and enclosing an
example of the form (if appropriate) to:
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Substitute Forms Program
SE:W:CAR:MP:P:TP
1111 Constitution Ave. NW Room 6554
Washington, DC 20224
Note. Allow at least 30 days for the IRS to respond.
You may also contact the Substitute Forms Program via email at substituteforms@irs.gov. Please
enter “Substitute Forms” on the Subject Line.
Forms 1096, 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, W-2G, and 1042-S are subject to annual
review and possible change. Therefore, filers are cautioned against overstocking supplies of privately printed substitutes.
1.3.2
Logos, Slogans, and
Advertisements
Some Forms 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, W-2G, and 1042-S that include logos,
slogans, and advertisements may not be recognized as important tax documents. A payee may not
recognize the importance of the payee copy for tax reporting purposes due to the use of logos,
slogans, and advertisements.
Accordingly, the IRS has determined that logos, slogans, and advertising are not allowed on the
payee copies of the above forms, on Copy A filed with the IRS, or on Form 1096, with the following exceptions:
•
The exact name of the payer, broker, or agent, primary trade name, trademark, service mark,
or symbol of the payer, broker, or agent, an embossment or watermark on the information
return and payee copies that is a representation of the name, a primary trade name, trademark,
service mark, or symbol of the payer, broker, or agent, that is;
•
Presented in any typeface, font, stylized fashion, or print color normally used by the payer,
broker, or agent, and used in a nonintrusive manner; and
•
As long as these items do not materially interfere with the ability of the recipient to recognize,
understand, and use the tax information on the payee copies.
The IRS e-file logo on the IRS official payee copies may be included, but it is not required, on any
of the substitute form copies.
The information return and payee copies must clearly identify the payer’s name associated with
its employer identification number.
Logos and slogans may be used on permissible enclosures, such as a check or account statement,
other than information returns and payee copies.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1257
June 28, 2021
If you have comments about the restrictions on including logos, slogans, and advertising on information returns and payee copies, send your comments to:
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Substitute Forms Program
SE:W:CAR:MP:P:TP
1111 Constitution Ave. NWRoom 6554
Washington, DC 20224
or email them to substituteforms@irs.gov.
1.3.3
Copy A Specifications
Proposed substitutes of Copy A must be exact replicas of the official IRS form with respect to
layout and content. Proposed substitutes for Copy A that do not conform to the specifications in
this revenue procedure are not acceptable.
Further, if you file such forms with the IRS, you may be subject to a penalty for failure to file a
correct information return under section 6721 of the Code. The amount of the penalty is based on
when you file the correct information return.
Penalties. The amounts of the penalty for returns required to be filed in 2022 is shown in O.
Penalties in the 2021 General Instructions for Certain Information Returns. You can access the
penalties section at IRS.gov/instructions/ i1099gi#idm140065029227536.
1.3.4
Copy B and Copy C
Specifications
Copy B and Copy C of the following forms must contain the information in Part 4 to be considered a “statement” or “official form” under the applicable provisions of the Code. The format of
this information is at the discretion of the filer with the exception of the location of the tax year,
form number, form name, and the information for composite Form 1099 statements as outlined
under Section 4.2.
Copy B, of the forms below, is for the following recipients.
Form
June 28, 2021
Recipient
1098
For Payer/Borrower
1098-C
For Donor
1098-E; 1099-A
For Borrower
1098-F
For Payer
1098-MA
For Homeowner
1098-Q
For Participant
1098-T
For Student
1099-C
For Debtor
1099-CAP
For Shareholder
1099-K
For Payee
1099-LS
For Payment Recipient
1099-LTC
For Policyholder
1099-R; W-2G
Indicates that these forms may require Copy B to be
attached to the federal income tax return.
1258
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Form
Recipient
1099-S
For Transferor
1099-SB
For Seller
All remaining Forms 1099;
1097-BTC;1042-S
3921; 3922
For Recipient
5498; 5498-SA
For Participant
5498-QA; 5498-ESA
For Beneficiary
For Employee
Copy C of the following forms is for the following recipients.
Form
Recipient
1097-BTC
For Payer
1098
For Recipient/Lender
1098-C
For Donor’s Records
1042-S; 1098-E
For Recipient
1098-F; 1098-MA; 1098-T;
1099-K
1098-Q
For Filer
1099-CAP; 3921; 3922
For Corporation
1099-LTC
For Insured
1099-QA
For Payer
1099-R
For Recipient’s Records
All other Forms 1099
See Section 4.5.2
5498
For Trustee or Issuer
5498-ESA; 5498-SA
For Trustee
5498-QA
For Issuer
W-2G
For Winner’s Records
For Issuer
Note. On Copy C, Form 1099-LTC, you may reverse the locations of the policyholder’s and the
insured’s name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code for easier mailing.
Part 2
Specifications for Substitute Forms 1096 and Copies A of Forms 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, and 5498
(All Filed With the IRS)
Section 2.1 – Specifications
2.1.1
Online Fillable Forms
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Due to the very low volume of paper Forms 1097-BTC, 1098-C, 1098–F, 1098-MA, 1099-A,
1099-CAP, 1099-LTC, 1099-Q, 1099-QA, 1099-SA, 3922, 5498-ESA, 5498-QA, and 5498-SA
1259
June 28, 2021
received and processed by the IRS each year, these forms have been converted to fillable online
PDFs.
Note. The instructions for substitute Forms 1042-S, also a fillable online format, are found separately in Part 5.
These forms in their fillable format can be found at IRS.gov/formspubs.
All the instructions regarding the substitute forms found in Part 1, and Sections 2.1.2, 2.1.7, 2.1.9,
and 2.1.10, and the remainder of this publication, unless specified differently immediately below,
remain in effect if you are going to produce the online fillable forms as paper or online substitute
forms.
•
Copy A of privately printed substitutes of the forms listed above must be exact replicas of
the official forms with respect to layout and content. Use the official form, found on IRS.gov,
printed actual size on an 8½ inches by 11 inches sheet of paper. The forms will print one to
a page.
•
All printing must be in high quality nonglossy black ink.
•
Paper for Copy A must be white chemical wood bond, or equivalent, 20 pounds (basis 17 x
22-500), plus or minus 5% (0.05); or offset book paper, 50 pounds (basis 25 x 38-500). No
optical brighteners may be added to the pulp or paper during manufacture. The paper must
consist of principally bleached chemical wood pulp or recycled printed paper. It must also be
suitably sized to accept ink without feathering.
Note. If you want to print the forms as they formerly appeared to save paper, with the exception of
Forms 1097-BTC (printed 2-to-a-page) and 1098-C (single form page), they are all printed 3-to-apage. Follow the 3-to-a-page measurements in Section 6. Form 1098-C can be found at IRS.gov/
Form1098C. Print the form to actual size, no scaling.
2.1.2
General Requirements
Form identifying numbers (for example, 9191 for Form 1099-DIV) must be printed in nonreflective black carbon-based ink in print positions 15 through 19 using an optical character recognition
(OCR) A font. The checkboxes to the right of the form identifying numbers must be 10-point boxes. The “VOID” checkbox is in print position 25 (1.9 inches from left vertical line of the form).
The “CORRECTED” checkbox is in print position 33 (2.7 inches from left vertical line of the
form). Measurements are generally from the left edge of the paper, not including the perforated
strip.
The substitute form Copy A must be an exact replica of the official IRS form with respect to layout
and content. To determine the correct form measurements, see Exhibits A through CC at the end
of this publication.
Hot wax and cold carbon spots are not permitted on any of the internal form plies. These spots are
permitted on the back of a mailer top envelope ply.
Use of chemical transfer paper for Copy A is acceptable.
The Government Printing Office (GPO) symbol must be deleted.
June 28, 2021
1260
Bulletin No. 2021–26
2.1.3
Color and Paper Quality
Color and paper quality for Copy A (cut sheets and continuous pinfeed forms) as specified by JCP
Code 0-25, dated November 29, 1978, must be white 100% bleached chemical wood, OCR bond
produced in accordance with the following specifications.
Note. Reclaimed fiber in any percentage is permitted provided the requirements of this standard
are met.
Acidity: Ph value, average, not less than
4.5
Basis Weight: 17 x 22-500 cut sheets
18-20
Metric equivalent–g/m2
75
A tolerance of ±5 pct. is allowed.
Stiffness: Average, each direction, not less than-milligrams
50
Tearing strength: Average, each direction, not less than-grams
40
Opacity: Average, not less than-percent
82
Thickness: Average-inch
0.0038
Metric equivalent-mm
0.097
A tolerance of +0.0005 inch (0.0127 mm) is allowed. Paper cannot
vary more than 0.0004 inch (0.0102 mm) from one edge to the other.
Porosity: Average, not less than-seconds
10
Finish (smoothness): Average, each side-seconds
20-55
For information only, the Sheffield equivalent-units
170-100
Dirt: Average, each side, not to exceed-parts per million
2.1.4
Chemical Transfer Paper
8
Chemical transfer paper is permitted for Copy A only if the following standards are met.
•
Only chemically backed paper is acceptable for Copy A. Front and back chemically treated
paper cannot be processed properly by machine.
•
Carbon-coated forms are not permitted.
•
Chemically transferred images must be black.
All copies must be clearly legible. Fading must be minimized to assure legibility.
2.1.5
Printing
All print on Copy A of Forms 1097-BTC, 1098, 1098-C, 1098-E, 1098-MA, 1098-Q, 1098-T,
1099-A, 1099-B, 1099-C, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-INT, 1099-K, 1099-LS, 1099-MISC, 1099NEC, 1099-OID, 1099-PATR, 1099-Q, 1099-R, 1099-S, 1099-SB, 3921, 3922, 5498, and the
print on Form 1096 above the statement, “Return this entire page to the Internal Revenue Service.
Photocopies are not acceptable.” must be in Flint J-6983 red OCR dropout ink or an exact match.
However, the 4-digit form identifying number must be in nonreflective carbon-based black ink in
OCR A font.
The shaded areas of any substitute form should generally correspond to the format of the official
form.
The printing for the Form 1096 jurat statement and the text that follows may be in any shade or
tone of black ink. Black ink should only appear on the lower part of the reverse side of Form 1096,
where it will not bleed through and interfere with scanning.
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1261
June 28, 2021
Note. The instructions on the front and back of Form 1096, which include filing addresses, must
be printed.
Separation between fields must be 0.1 inch.
Other printing requirements are discussed in Sections 2.1.5 through 2.1.9.
2.1.6
OCR
Specifications
You must initiate, or have, a quality control program to assure OCR ink density. Readings will be
made when printed on approved 20 lb. white OCR bond with a reflectance of not less than 80%
(0.80). Black ink must not have a reflectance greater than 15% (0.15). These readings are based
on requirements of the “BancTec IntelliScan XDS” Optical Scanner using Flint J-6983 red OCR
dropout ink or an exact match.
The following testers and ranges are acceptable:
Important information: The forms produced under these specifications must be guaranteed to
function properly when processed through High Speed Scan-Optics 9000 mm scanners. Forms
require precision spacing, printing, and trimming.
Density readings on the solid J-6983 (red) must be between the ranges of 0.95 to 0.90. The optimal
scanning range is 0.93. Density readings on the solid black must be between the ranges of 112 to
108. The optimal scanning range is 110.
Note. The readings are taken using an Ex-Rite 500 series densitometer, in Status T with Absolute
or – paper setting under an Illuminate 5000 Kelvin Watt Light. You must maintain print contrast
specification of ink and densitometer reflectivity reading throughout the entire production run.
•
MacBeth PCM-II. The tested Print Contrast Signal (PCS) values when using the MacBeth
PCM-II tester on the “C” scale must range from .01 minimum to .06 maximum.
•
Kidder 082A. The tested PCS values when using the Kidder 082A tester on the Infra Red (IR)
scale must range from .12 minimum to .21 maximum. White calibration disc must be 100%.
Sensitivity must be set at one (1).
•
Alternative testers must be approved by the IRS to establish tested PCS values. You may
obtain approval by writing to the following address:
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Attn: SE:W:CAR:MP:P:TP
Business Publishing – Tax Products
1111 Constitution Ave. NW
Room 6554
Washington, DC 20224
2.1.7
Typography
Type must be substantially identical in size and shape to the official form. All rules are either
1/2-point or 3/4-point. Rules must be identical to those on the official IRS form.
Note. The form identifying number must be nonreflective carbon-based black ink in OCR A font.
June 28, 2021
1262
Bulletin No. 2021–26
2.1.8
Dimensions
Generally, three Copies A of Forms 1098, 1099, 3921, and 3922 are contained on a single page
(3-to-a-page), 8 inches wide (without any snap-stubs and/or pinfeed holes) by 11 inches deep.
Exceptions. Forms 1097-BTC, 1098, 1098-Q, 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, 1099-K, 1099MISC, 1099-OID, 1099-R, and 5498 contain two copies on a single page (2-to-a-page). Forms
1098-C and 1042-S are single-page documents.
There is a 0.33 inch top margin from the top of the corrected box, and a 0.2 to 0.25 inch right
margin, with a +/- 1/20 (0.05) inch tolerance for the right margin. If the right and top margins are
properly aligned, the left margin for all forms will be correct. All margins must be free of print.
See Exhibits A through CC in Part 6 for correct form measurements.
These measurements are constant for certain Forms 1098, 1099, and 5498. These measurements
are shown only once in this publication, on Form 1097-BTC (Exhibit B) 2-to-a-page and on Form
1098-E (Exhibit E) 3-to-a-page. Exceptions to these measurements, and form-specific measurements are shown on the rest of the exhibits.
The depth of the individual trim size of each 3-to-a-page form must be 3 2/3 inches, the same
depth as the official form, unless otherwise indicated.
The depth of the individual trim size of each 2-to-a-page form is 5 1/2 inches.
2.1.9
Perforation
Copy A (3-to-a-page and 2-to-a-page) of privately printed continuous substitute forms must be
perforated at each 11 inches page depth. No perforations are allowed between forms on the Copy
A page.
Exception. Copy A of Form W-2G may be perforated.
The words “Do Not Cut or Separate Forms on This Page” must be printed in red dropout ink (as
required by form specifications) between the 3-to-a-page or 2-to-a-page. This statement should
not be included after the last form on the page.
Separations are required between all the other individual copies (Copies B and C, and Copies 1
and 2 of Forms 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-INT, 1099-K, 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC, 1099OID, 1099-R, and Copy D for Forms 1099–LS, 1099-LTC, 1099-R, and 1042-S) in the set. Any
recipient copies printed on a single sheet of paper must be easily separated. The best method of
separation is to provide perforations between the individual copies. Each copy should be easily
distinguished, whatever method of separation is used.
Note. Perforation does not apply to printouts of copies that are furnished electronically to recipients (as described in Regulations section 31.6051-1(j)). However, these recipients should be cautioned to carefully separate any copies. See Section 4.6.1, later, for information on electronically
furnishing statements to recipients.
2.1.10
Required Inclusions/
Exclusions
Bulletin No. 2021–26
You must include the OMB Number on Copies A and Form 1096 in the same location as on the
official form.
1263
June 28, 2021
The following Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice phrases must be printed on Copy
A of the forms as follows. It must also be printed on the Copy C, D, or E of the form retained by
the filer.
•
“For Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the current version of the General
Instructions for Certain Information Returns” on Forms 3921 and 3922.
•
“For more information and the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see
the 2021 General Instructions for Certain Information Returns” on Form 1096.
•
“For Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see instructions” on Form 1042S.
•
“For Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the 2021 General Instructions
for Certain Information Returns” must be printed on all other forms listed in Section 1.1.2.
A postal indicia may be used if it meets the following criteria.
•
It is printed in the OCR ink color prescribed for the form.
•
No part of the indicia is within one print position of the scannable area.
The printer’s symbol (GPO) must not be printed on substitute Copy A. Instead, the employer
identification number (EIN) or the vendor code of the form’s printer must be entered in place of
the Catalog Number (Cat. No.). The 4-digit vendor code, preceded by four zeros and a slash, for
example, 0000/9876, must appear in 12-point Arial font, or a close approximation, on Copy A only
of Forms 1096, 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, and W-2G. The vendor code is used to
identify the forms producer. Vendor codes can be obtained free of charge from the National Association of Computerized Tax Processors (NACTP) via email at president@nactp.org. The use of a
vendor code is recommended.
Note. Vendor codes from the NACTP are required by those companies producing the 1099 family
of forms (Forms 1096, 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, and W-2G) as part of a product
for resale to be used by multiple issuers. Issuers developing 1099 family forms to be used only for
their individual company do not require a vendor code.
The Cat. No. shown on the forms is used for IRS distribution purposes and should not be printed
on any substitute forms.
The form must not contain the statement “IRS approved” or any similar statement.
Section 2.2 – Instructions for Preparing Paper Forms That Will Be Filed With the IRS
2.2.1
Recipient Information
The form recipient’s name, street address, city, state, ZIP code, and telephone number (if required)
should be typed or machine printed in black ink in the same format as shown on the official IRS
form. The city, state, and ZIP code must be on the same line.
The following rules apply to the form recipient’s name(s).
June 28, 2021
•
The name of the appropriate form recipient must be shown on the first or second name line in
the area provided for the form recipient’s name.
•
No descriptive information or other name may precede the form recipient’s name.
1264
Bulletin No. 2021–26
•
Only one form recipient’s name may appear on the first name line of the form.
•
If multiple recipients’ names are required on the form, enter on the first name line the recipient name that corresponds to the recipient taxpayer identification number (TIN) shown on
the form. Place the other form recipients’ names on the second name line (only 2 name lines
are allowable).
Because certain states require that trust accounts be provided in a different format, filers should
generally provide information returns reflecting payments to trust accounts with the:
•
Trust’s employer identification number (EIN) in the recipient’s TIN area,
•
Trust’s name on the recipient’s first name line, and
•
Name of the trustee on the recipient’s second name line.
Although handwritten forms will be accepted, the IRS prefers that filers type or machine print
data entries. Also, filers should insert data as directed by shading, or in the middle of blocks, well
separated from other printing and guidelines, and take measures to guarantee clear, dark black,
sharp images. Photocopies are not acceptable.
Truncating payee identification number on payee statements. Where permitted, filers may
truncate a payee’s identification number (social security number (SSN), individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), adoption taxpayer identification number (ATIN), or employer identification number (EIN)) on the payee statement (including substitute and composite substitute
statements) furnished to the payee in paper form or electronically. Generally, the payee statement
is that copy of an information return designated “Copy B” on the form. To truncate where allowed,
replace the first 5 digits of the 9-digit number with asterisks (*) or Xs (for example, an SSN xxxxx-xxxx would appear on the paper payee statement as ***-**-xxxx or XXX-XX-xxxx). See
Treasury Decision 9675, 2014-31 I.R.B. 242, available at IRS.gov/irb/2014-31_IRB#TD-9675.
Caution. Recipient TINs must not be truncated on Copy A filed with the IRS.
2.2.2
Account Number Box
Use the account number box on all Forms 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, 5498, and W-2G for an account
number designation when required by the official IRS form. The account number is required if you
have multiple accounts for a recipient for whom you are filing more than one information return
of the same type. Additionally, the IRS encourages you to include the recipients’ account numbers
on paper forms if your system of records uses the account number rather than the name or TIN
for identification purposes. Also, the IRS will include the account number in future notices to you
about backup withholding. If you are using window envelopes to mail statements to recipients and
using reduced rate mail, be sure the account number does not appear in the window. The Postal
Service may not accept these for reduced rate mail.
Exception. Form 1098-T can have third-party provider information.
2.2.3
Specifications and
Restrictions
Bulletin No. 2021–26
•
Machine-printed forms should be printed using a 6 lines/inch option, and should be printed
in 10 pitch pica (10 print positions per inch) or 12 pitch elite (12 print positions per inch).
Proportional spaced fonts are unacceptable.
•
Substitute forms prepared in continuous or strip form must be burst and stripped to conform to
the size specified for a single sheet before they are filed with the IRS. The size specified does not
include pin feed holes. Pin feed holes must not be present on forms filed with the IRS.
1265
June 28, 2021
•
Do not use a felt tip marker. The machine used to “read” paper forms generally cannot read
this ink type.
•
Do not use dollar signs ($), ampersands (&), asterisks (*), commas (,), or other special characters in the numbered money boxes.
Exception. Use decimal points to indicate dollars and cents (for example, 2000.00 is acceptable).
2.2.4
Where To File
•
Do not use apostrophes (’), asterisks (*), or other special characters on the payee name line.
•
Do not fold Forms 1097-BTC, 1098, 1099, 3921, 3922, or 5498 mailed to the IRS. Mail these
forms flat in an appropriately sized envelope or box. Folded documents cannot be readily
moved through the machine used in IRS processing.
•
Do not staple Forms 1096 to the transmitted returns. Any staple holes near the return code
number may impair the IRS’s ability to machine scan the type of documents.
•
Do not type other information on Copy A.
•
Do not cut or separate the individual forms on the sheet of forms of Copy A (except Forms
W-2G).
Mail completed paper forms to the IRS service center shown in the Instructions for Form 1096
and in the 2021 General Instructions for Certain Information Returns. Specific information needed
to complete the forms mentioned in this revenue procedure are given in the specific form instructions. A chart showing which form must be filed to report a particular payment is included in the
2021 General Instructions for Certain Information Returns.
Part 3
Specifications for Substitute Form W-2G (Filed With the IRS)
Section 3.1 – General
3.1.1
Purpose
The following specifications give the format requirements for substitute Form W-2G (Copy A
only), which is filed with the IRS.
A filer may use a substitute Form W-2G to file with the IRS (referred to as “substitute Copy A”).
The substitute form must be an exact replica of the official form with respect to layout and content.
Section 3.2 – Specifications for Copy A of Form W-2G
3.2.1
Substitute Form W-2G
(Copy A)
June 28, 2021
You must follow these specifications when printing substitute Copy A of the Form W-2G.
1266
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Caution. The payee’s TIN (SSN, ITIN, ATIN, or EIN) must not be truncated onCopy A of Form
W2-G.
Item
Substitute Form W-2G (Copy A)
Paper Color and
Quality
Paper for Copy A must be white chemical wood bond, or equivalent, 20
pounds (basis 17 x 22-500), plus or minus 5% (0.05). The paper must
consist substantially of bleached chemical wood pulp. It must be free
from unbleached or ground wood pulp or post-consumer recycled paper.
It must also be suitably sized to accept ink without feathering.
All printing must be in a high quality nonglossy black ink.
Ink Color and
Quality
Typography
Dimensions
Hot Wax and Cold
Carbon Spots
Printer’s Symbol
Catalog Number
The type must be substantially identical in size and shape to the official
form. All rules on the document are either 1/2 point (0.007 inch), 1
point (0.015 inch), or 3 point (0.045). Vertical rules must be parallel to
the left edge of the document; horizontal rules to the top edge.
The official form is 8 inches wide x 51/2 inches deep, exclusive of a
snap stub. Any substitute Copy A can be between 8 inches and 81/2
inches wide by 5 inches deep. The snap feature is not required on
substitutes. All margins must be free of print. There is a 0.33 inch top
margin from the top of the corrected box, and a 1/2 inch left margin. If
the top and left margins are properly aligned, the right margin for all
forms will be correct. If the substitute forms are in continuous or strip
form, they must be burst and stripped to conform to the size specified
for a single form.
Hot wax and cold carbon spots are not permitted on any of the internal
form plies. These spots are permitted on the back of a mailer top
envelope ply.
The Government Printing Office (GPO) symbol must not be printed on
substitute Forms W-2G. Instead, the employer identification number
(EIN) of the form’s printer must be printed in the bottom margin on the
face of each individual Copy A on a sheet. The form must not contain
the statement “IRS approved” or any similar statement.
The Catalog Number (Cat. No.) shown on Form W-2G is used for IRS
distribution purposes and should not be printed on any substitute forms.
Part 4
Substitute Statements to Form Recipients and Form Recipient Copies
Section 4.1 – Specifications
4.1.1
Introduction
Bulletin No. 2021–26
If you do not use the official IRS form to furnish statements to recipients, you must furnish an
acceptable substitute statement. Information presented in substitute statements should be in a
point size large enough to be easily read by recipients. To be acceptable, your substitute statement
must comply with the rules in this Part. If you are furnishing a substitute form, see Regulations
sections 1.6042-4, 1.6044-5, 1.6049-6, and 1.6050N-1 to determine how the following statements
must be provided to recipients for most Forms 1099-DIV and 1099-INT, all Forms 1099-OID and
1099-PATR, and Form 1099-MISC, or 1099-S for royalties. Generally, information returns may
be furnished electronically with the consent of the recipient. See Section 4.6.1.
1267
June 28, 2021
Note. A trustee of a grantor-type trust may choose to file Forms 1099 and furnish a statement to
the grantor under Regulations sections 1.671-4(b)(2)(iii) and (b)(3)(ii). The statement required by
those regulations is not subject to the requirements outlined in this section.
4.1.2
Substitute Statements to
Recipients for Certain
Forms 1099-B, 1099- DIV,
1099-INT, 1099-OID, and
1099-PATR
The rules in this section apply to Form 1099-B, 1099-DIV (except for section 404(k) dividends),
1099-INT (except for interest reportable under section 6041), 1099-OID, and 1099-PATR only.
You may furnish form recipients with Copy B of the official Form 1099 or a substitute Form 1099
(recipient statement) if it contains the same information as the official IRS form (such as aggregate
amounts paid to the form recipient, any backup withholding, the name, address, and TIN of the
person making the return, and any other information required by the official form). Information
not required by the official form should not be included on the substitute form except for state income tax withholding information. But see Section 4.3 regarding additional information that may
be included on substitute and composite Forms 1099-B, such as basis for noncovered securities.
Note. Many of the information returns now include boxes for providing state withholding information as part of the official form, with additional copies for convenience. Payers may, however,
provide the state withholding information separately (such as on a separate page or section) in
order to assist the payee with completing a state income tax return that requires the attachment of
any information return that includes state withholding amounts and payer numbers.
Exception for supplementary information. The substitute form may include supplementary information that will assist the payee with completing his or her tax return. Such information could
include expense and cost basis factors related to the reporting for widely held fixed investment
trusts (WHFITs), as required under Regulations section 1.671-5. The substitute statement should
disclose to the payee that such supplementary information is not furnished to the IRS. See Section
4.3 for additional requirements when providing supplemental information with the Form 1099-B
that is not furnished to the IRS.
Form 1099-B. For transactions reportable on Form 8949, brokers that use substitute statements
should segregate dispositions of noncovered securities from covered securities, and further segregate long-term and short-term dispositions of covered securities. They may also segregate longterm from short-term dispositions of noncovered securities, to the extent that date acquired is
known. For 2021 dispositions, the substitute Forms 1099-B may have up to five separate sections,
each with a heading identifying which securities are included in the list, and each separately
totaled. Each section, after totaling or within the heading for the section, should indicate how to
report the transactions on Form 8949, as indicated.
June 28, 2021
1.
Short-term transactions for which basis is reported to the IRS—Report on Form 8949, Part I,
with Box A checked.
2.
Short-term transactions for which basis is not reported to the IRS—Report on Form 8949,
Part I, with Box B checked.
3.
Long-term transactions for which basis is reported to the IRS—Report on Form 8949, Part
II, with Box D checked.
4.
Long-term transactions for which basis is not reported to the IRS—Report on Form 8949,
Part II, with Box E checked.
5.
Transactions for which basis is not reported to the IRS and for which short-term or long-term
determination is unknown (to Broker). You must determine short-term or long-term based on
your records and report on Form 8949, Part I, with Box B checked, or on Form 8949, Part
II, with Box E checked, as appropriate.
1268
Bulletin No. 2021–26
For each section, each transaction may include information not reported to the IRS, such as basis,
date acquired, and gain or loss. Therefore, for short-term dispositions where basis was not reported to the IRS, basis and date acquired may be shown just as it would be shown for short-term
dispositions where basis was reported to the IRS.
For 2021 dispositions, each of the applicable sections must have Sales Price and Cost or Other
Basis (if known) separately totaled. Net gain or loss, if included for any of the sections, may also
be totaled.
Brokers may also use substitute Form 1099-B for transactions that are not directly reported on
Form 8949. Examples include transactions involving regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and section 1256 option contracts. Any additional sections created for this purpose
should be segregated from those transactions directly reportable on Form 8949.
The substitute form requirements in the following paragraphs also apply to Form 1099-B.
Form 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-OID, or 1099-PATR. A substitute recipient statement for
Forms 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-OID, or 1099-PATR must comply with the following requirements.
•
Box captions and numbers that are applicable must be clearly identified, using the same wording and numbering as on the official form.
•
The recipient statement (Copy B) must contain all applicable recipient instructions as provided on the front and back of the official IRS form. You may provide those instructions on
a separate sheet of paper.
•
The box caption “Federal income tax withheld” must be in boldface type or otherwise highlighted on the recipient statement.
•
The recipient statement must contain the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number
as shown on the official IRS form. See Section 5.2.
•
The recipient statement must contain the tax year (for example, 2021), form number (for
example, Form 1099-INT), and form name (for example, Interest Income) of the official
IRS Form 1099. This information must be displayed prominently together in one area of the
statement. For example, the tax year, form number, and form name could be shown in the
upper right part of the statement. Each copy must be appropriately labeled (such as Copy B,
For Recipient). See Section 4.5.2 for applicable labels and arrangement of assembly of forms.
Note. Do not include the words “Substitute for” or “In lieu of” on the recipient statement.
•
Layout and format of the statement is at the discretion of the filer. However, the IRS encourages the use of boxes so that the statement has the appearance of a form and can be easily
distinguished from other nontax statements.
•
Each recipient statement of Form 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, 1099-OID, or 1099-PATR
must include the direct access telephone number of an individual who can answer questions
about the statement. Include that telephone number conspicuously anywhere on the recipient
statement.
A mutual fund family may furnish one statement (for example, one piece of paper) on which it
reports the dividend income earned by a recipient from multiple funds within the family of mutual
funds, as required by Form 1099-DIV. However, each fund and its earnings must be stated separately. The statement must contain an instruction to the recipient that each fund’s dividends and
name, not the name of the mutual fund family, must be reported on the recipient’s tax return. The
statement cannot contain an aggregate total of all funds. In addition, a mutual fund family may furnish a single statement (as a single filer) for Form 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, or 1099-OID information
(see Section 4.2.1, later). Each fund and its earnings must be stated separately. The statement must
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1269
June 28, 2021
contain an instruction to the recipient that each fund’s earnings and name, not the name of the
mutual fund family, must be reported on the recipient’s tax return. The statement cannot contain
an aggregate total of all funds.
You may enter a total of the individual accounts listed on the statement only if they have been
paid by the same payer. For example, if you are listing interest paid on several accounts by one
financial institution on Form 1099-INT, you may also enter the total interest amount. You may also
enter a date next to the corrected box if that box is checked.
4.1.3
Substitute Statements to
Recipients for Certain
Forms 1098, 1099, 5498,
and W-2G
Statements to form recipients for Forms 1097-BTC, 1098, 1098-C, 1098-E, 1098-F, 1098-MA,
1098-Q, 1098-T, 1099-A, 1099-C, 1099-CAP, 1099-G, 1099-K, 1099-LS, 1099-LTC, 1099MISC, 1099-NEC, 1099-Q, 1099-QA, 1099-R, 1099-S, 1099-SA, 1099-SB, 3921, 3922, 5498,
5498-ESA, 5498-QA, 5498-SA, W-2G, 1099-DIV (only for section 404(k) dividends reportable
under section 6047), and 1099-INT (only for interest of $600 or more made in the course of a trade
or business reportable under section 6041) can be copies of the official forms or an acceptable
substitute.
Caution. The IRS does not require a donee to use Form 1098-C as the written acknowledgment
for contributions of motor vehicles, boats, and airplanes. However, if you choose to use copies of
Form 1098-C or an acceptable substitute as the written acknowledgment, then you must follow
the requirements of this section.
To be acceptable, a substitute recipient statement must meet the following requirements.
•
The tax year, form number, and form name must be the same as the official form and must
be displayed prominently together in one area on the statement. For example, they may be
shown in the upper right part of the statement.
•
The statement must contain the same information as the official IRS form, such as aggregate
amounts paid to the form recipient, any backup withholding, the name, address, and TIN of
the filer and of the recipient, and any other information required by the official form.
•
Each substitute recipient statement for Forms W-2G, 1097-BTC, 1098, 1098-C, 1098-E,
1098-F, 1098-T, 1099-A, 1099-C, 1099-CAP, 1099-DIV, 1099-G (excluding state and local
income tax refunds), 1099-K, 1099-INT, 1099-LS, 1099-LTC, 1099-MISC (excluding fishing
boat proceeds), 1099-NEC, 1099-Q, 1099-R (for qualified long-term care insurance contracts
under combined arrangements only), 1099-S, 1099-SA, 1099-SB, and 5498-SA must include
the direct access telephone number of an individual who can answer questions about the
statement.
•
Include the telephone number conspicuously anywhere on the recipient statement. Although
not required, payers reporting on Forms 1099-QA, 1099-R (payments other than qualified
long-term care insurance contracts under combined arrangements), 3921, 3922, 5498, 5498ESA, and 5498-QA are encouraged to furnish telephone numbers at which recipients of the
form(s) can reach a person familiar with the information reported.
•
All applicable money amounts and information, including box numbers required to be reported to the form recipient, must be titled on the recipient statement in substantially the same
manner as those on the official IRS form. The box caption “Federal income tax withheld”
must be in boldface type on the recipient statement.
Exception. If you are reporting a payment as “Other income” in box 3 of Form 1099-MISC, you
may substitute appropriate language for the box title. For example, for payments of accrued wages
and leave to a beneficiary of a deceased employee, you might change the title of box 3 to “Beneficiary payments” or something similar.
June 28, 2021
1270
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Note. You cannot make this change on Copy A.
4.1.4
Online Fillable Copies B, C,
D, 1, and 2
•
If federal income tax is withheld and shown on Form 1099-R or W-2G, Copy B and Copy
C must be furnished to the recipient. If federal income tax is not withheld, only Copy C of
Forms 1099-R and W-2G must be furnished. However, for Form 1099-R, instructions similar
to those on the back of the official Copy B and Copy C of Form 1099-R must be furnished
to the recipient. For convenience, you may choose to provide both Copies B and C of Form
1099-R to the recipient.
•
You must provide appropriate instructions to the form recipient similar to those on the official IRS form, to aid in the proper reporting on the form recipient’s income tax return. For
payments reported on Forms 1099-B and 1099-CAP, the requirement to include instructions
substantially similar to those on the official IRS form, may be satisfied by providing form
recipients with a single set of instructions for all Forms 1099-B and 1099-CAP statements
required to be furnished in a calendar year.
•
If you use carbonless sets to produce recipient statements, the quality of each copy in the set
must meet the following standards.
1.
All copies must be clearly legible.
2.
All copies must be able to be photocopied.
3.
Fading must not diminish legibility and the ability to photocopy.
•
In general, black chemical transfer inks are preferred, but other colors are permitted if the
above standards are met. Hot wax and cold carbon spots are not permitted on any of the internal form plies. The back of a mailer top envelope ply may contain these spots.
•
For reporting state income tax withholding and state payments, you may add an additional
box(es) to recipient copies, as appropriate. In addition, the state withholding information may
be provided separately and apart from the other information in the event the recipient must
attach a copy to the recipient’s tax return. Note. You cannot make this change on Copy A.
•
On Copy C of Form 1099-LTC, you may reverse the location of the policyholder’s and the
insured’s name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code for easier mailing.
•
If an institution insurer uses a third-party service provider to file Form 1098-T, then in addition to the institution or insurer’s name, address, and telephone number, the same information
may be included for the third-party service provider in the space provided on the form.
•
Forms 1099-A and 1099-C transactions, if related, may be combined on Form 1099-C.
Copies B, C, D, 1, and 2, as applicable, to be furnished to recipients and kept in the filers’ records,
have been made online fillable at IRS.gov/forms-instructions for many forms referenced in these
instructions. See the separate instructions for Forms 1098, 1098-E & T, 1098-F, 1098-Q, 1099-A
& C, 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-INT & OID, 1099-K, 1099-LS, 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC,
1099-PATR, 1099-R & 5498, 1099-S, 1099-SB, and 3921.
Section 4.2 – Composite Statements
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1271
June 28, 2021
4.2.1
Composite Substitute
Statements for Certain
Forms 1099-B, 1099- DIV,
1099-INT, 1099-MISC,
1099-OID, 1099-PATR, and
1099- S
A composite recipient statement is permitted for reportable payments consisting of the proceeds
of brokerage and barter transactions, dividends, interest, original issue discount, patronage dividends, and royalties. The following forms may be included on a composite substitute statement,
when one payer is reporting more than one of these payments during a calendar year to the same
form recipient.
•
Form 1099-B.
•
Form 1099-DIV (except for section 404(k) dividends).
•
Form 1099-INT (except for interest reportable under section 6041).
•
Form 1099-MISC (only for royalties or substitute payments in lieu of dividends and interest).
•
Form 1099-OID.
•
Form 1099-PATR.
•
Form 1099-S (only for royalties).
Generally, do not include any other Form 1099 information (for example, 1099-A or 1099-C) on a
composite statement with the information required on the forms listed in the preceding sentence.
Although the composite recipient statement may be on one sheet, the format of the composite
recipient statement must satisfy the following requirements in addition to the requirements listed
earlier in Sections 4.1.2, 4.3, and 4.4, as applicable.
4.2.2
Composite Substitute
Statements to Recipients for
Forms Specified in Sections
4.1.2 and 4.1.3
June 28, 2021
•
All information pertaining to a particular type of payment must be located and blocked together on the form and separate from any information covering other types of payments
included on the form. For example, if you are reporting interest and dividends, the Form
1099-INT information must be presented separately from the Form 1099-DIV information.
•
The composite recipient statement must prominently display the form number and form name
of the official IRS form together in one area at the beginning of each appropriate block of
information. The tax year must only be placed on each block of information if it is not prominently displayed elsewhere on the page on which the information appears.
•
Any information required by the official IRS forms that would otherwise be repeated in each
information block is required to be listed only once in the first information block on the composite form. For example, there is no requirement to report the name of the filer in each information block. This rule does not apply to any money amounts (for example, federal income
tax withheld) or to any other information that applies to money amounts.
•
A composite statement is an acceptable substitute only if the type of payment, and the recipient’s tax obligation with respect to the payment, are as clear as if each required statement
were furnished separately on an official form.
A composite recipient statement for the forms specified in Section 4.1.2 or 4.1.3 is permitted when
one filer is reporting more than one type of payment during a calendar year to the same form recipient. A composite statement is not allowed for a combination of forms listed in Sections 4.1.2
and 4.1.3.
1272
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Exceptions:
•
Substitute payments in lieu of dividends or interest reported in box 8 of Form 1099-MISC
may be reported on a composite substitute statement with Form 1099-DIV.
•
Form 1099-B information may be reported on a composite form with the forms specified in
Section 4.1.2 as described in Section 4.2.1.
•
Royalties reported on Form 1099-MISC or 1099-S may be reported on a composite form only
with the forms specified in Section 4.1.2.
Although the composite recipient statement may be on one sheet, the format of the composite recipient statement must satisfy the requirements listed in Section 1.1.1 as well as the requirements
in Section 4.1.3. A composite statement of Forms 1098 and 1099-INT (for interest reportable
under section 6049) is not allowed.
Section 4.3 – Additional Information for Substitute and Composite Forms 1099-B
4.3.1
General Requirements for
Presenting Additional Form
1099-B
Information
A filer may include Form 1099-B information on a composite form with the forms listed in Section
4.1.2. Therefore, supporting, explanatory, or comparable relevant information for covered and
noncovered lots on the 1099-B portion of the composite statement can be included. This information includes display on the payee statement of data elements such as basis for noncovered lots,
explanatory remarks on permissible basis adjustments for covered lots, descriptions of the type
of transaction (merger, buy to close, redemption, etc.), identification of contingent payment debt
obligations, and lot relief methods.
If you wish to provide additional information to the investor on the same substitute recipient Form
1099-B, the form must follow the rules set forth in this Section 4.3 and should clearly delineate
how the information is presented. Any information presented should make reference to its corresponding number on the official form, as appropriate. You should clearly categorize each type of
information you are reporting.
4.3.2
Added Legend for
Providing Additional
1099-B Information
An additional separate legend is required that explains exactly which pieces of information are
and which are not reported to the IRS, to the extent, if any, the information is not already identified as not being reported to the IRS, as described in Section 4.1.2. It should clearly explain how
the information is presented. You may present this legend in a way that is consistent with your
design as long as it clearly indicates which information is being provided to the IRS. Additionally,
a reminder to taxpayers that they are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of their tax returns
is also required.
Section 4.4 – Required Legends
Bulletin No. 2021–26
1273
June 28, 2021
4.4.1
Required Legends for
Forms 1098
4.4.2
Required Legends for
Forms 1099 and W-2G
June 28, 2021
Form 1098 recipient statements (Copy B) must contain the following legends:
•
Form 1098
1.
“The information in boxes 1 through 10 is important tax information and is being furnished to the IRS. If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction may be imposed on you if the IRS determines that an underpayment of tax results
because you overstated a deduction for the mortgage interest or for these points, reported
in boxes 1 and 6; or because you did not report the refund of interest (box 4); or because
you claimed a nondeductible item.”
2.
Caution. “The amount shown may not be fully deductible by you. Limits based on the
loan amount and the cost and value of the secured property may apply. Also, you may
only deduct interest to the extent it was incurred by you, actually paid by you, and not
reimbursed by another person.”
•
Form 1098-C: Copy B - “In order to take a deduction of more than $500 for this contribution,
you must attach this copy to your federal tax return. Unless box 5a or 5b is checked, your
deduction cannot exceed the amount in box 4c.” Copy C - “This information is being furnished to the IRS unless box 7 is checked.”
•
Form 1098-E: “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the IRS. If you are
required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction may be imposed on you if the
IRS determines that an underpayment of tax results because you overstated a deduction for
student loan interest.”
•
Forms 1098-F and 1098-MA: “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the
IRS.”
•
Form 1098-Q: “This information is being furnished to the IRS.”
•
Form 1098-T: “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the IRS. This form
must be used to complete Form 8863 to claim education credits. Give it to the tax preparer or
use it to prepare the tax return.”
•
Forms 1099-A, 1099-C, 1099-CAP, and 1099-K: Copy B - “This is important tax information
and is being furnished to the IRS. If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or
other sanction may be imposed on you if taxable income results from this transaction and the
IRS determines that it has not been reported.”
•
Forms 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-INT, 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC, 1099-OID, 1099PATR, 1099-Q, and 1099-QA: Copy B - “This is important tax information and is being
furnished to the IRS. If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction
may be imposed on you if this income is taxable and the IRS determines that it has not been
reported.”
•
Form 1099-LS: Copy B - “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the IRS.
If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction may be imposed on
you if this item is required to be reported and the IRS determines that it has not been reported.” Copy C - “Copy C is provided to you for information only. Only the payment recipient
is required to report this information on a tax return.”
•
Form 1099-LTC: Copy B - “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the
IRS. If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction may be imposed on you if this item is required to be reported and the IRS determines that it has not been
1274
Bulletin No. 2021–26
reported.” Copy C - “Copy C is provided to you for information only. Only the policyholder
is required to report this information on a tax return.”
4.4.3
Required Legends for
Forms 1097-BTC, 3921,
3922, and 5498
•
Form 1099-R: Copy B - “Report this income on your federal tax return. If this form
shows federal income tax withheld in box 4, attach this copy to your return.” Copy C “This information is being furnished to the IRS.”
•
Forms 1099-S and 1099-SB: Copy B - “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the IRS. If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction
may be imposed on you if this item is required to be reported and the IRS determines that it
has not been reported.”
•
Form 1099-SA: Copy B - “This information is being furnished to the IRS.”
•
Form W-2G: Copy B - “This information is being furnished to the IRS. Report this income
on your federal tax return. If this form shows federal income tax withheld in box 4,
attach this copy to your return.” Copy C - “This is important tax information and is being
furnished to the IRS. If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction
may be imposed on you if this income is taxable and the IRS determines that it has not been
reported.”
•
Form 1097-BTC: Copy B - “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the
IRS. If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction may be imposed on you if an amount of tax credit exceeding the amount reported on this form is claimed
on your income tax return.”
•
Form 3921: Copy B - “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the IRS.
If you are required to file a return, a negligence penalty or other sanction may be imposed
on you if this item is required to be reported and the IRS determines that it has not been
reported.” Copy C - “This copy should be retained by the corporation whose stock has been
transferred under Section 422(b).”
•
Form 3922: Copy B - “This is important tax information and is being furnished to the IRS.”
Copy C - “This copy should be retained by the corporation.”
•
Form 5498: Copy B - “This information is being furnished to the IRS.” Note. If you do not
provide another statement to the participant because no contributions were made for the year,
the statement of the fair market value, and any required minimum distribution of the account,
must contain this legend and a designation of which information is being provided to the IRS.
•
Forms 5498-ESA, 5498-QA, and 5498-SA: Copy B - “This information is being furnished to
the IRS.”
Section 4.5 – Miscellaneous Instructions for Copies B, C, D, E, 1, and 2
4.5.1
Copies
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Copies B, C, and in some cases D, E, 1, and 2 are included in the official assembly for the convenience of the filer. You are not legally required to include all these copies with the privately printed
substitute forms. Furnishing Copy B, and in some cases Copy C, will satisfy the legal requirement
to provide statements of information to form recipients.
1275
June 28, 2021
Note. If an amount of federal income tax withheld is shown on Form 1099-R or W-2G, Copy B
(to be attached to the tax return) and Copy C must be furnished to the recipient. Copy D (Forms
1099-R and W-2G) may be used for payer records. Only Copy A should be filed with the IRS.
4.5.2
Arrangement of Assembly
Copy A (“For Internal Revenue Service Center”) of all forms must be on top. The rest of the assembly must be arranged, from top to bottom, as follows.
Form
1098
Copy B “For Payer/Borrower”; Copy C “For Recipient/Lender.”
1098-C
1098-E
Copy B “For Donor”; Copy C “For Donor’s Records”; Copy D “For
Donee.”
Copy B “For Borrower”; Copy C “For Recipient.”
1098-F
Copy B “For Payer”; Copy C “For Filer.”
1098-MA
Copy B “For Homeowner”; Copy C “For Filer.”
1098-Q
1098-T
1099-A
1097-BTC, 1099-PATR,
1099-Q, and 1099-QA
1099-C
1099-CAP
1099-B, 1099-DIV,
1099-G, 1099-INT,
1099-MISC, 1099NEC, and 1099-OID
1099-K
Copy B “For Participant”; Copy C “For Issuer.”
Copy B “For Student”; Copy C “For Filer.”
Copy B “For Borrower”; Copy C “For Lender.”
Copy B “For Recipient”; Copy C “For Payer.”
1099-LS
1099-LTC
1099-R
1099-S
1099-SA
1099-SB
3921
3922
5498
5498-ESA
5498-QA
5498-SA
June 28, 2021
Title
Copy B “For Debtor”; Copy C “For Creditor.”
Copy B “For Shareholder”; Copy C “For Corporation.”
Copy 1 “For State Tax Department”; Copy B “For Recipient”;
Copy 2 “To be filed with recipient’s state income tax return, when
required”; and Copy C “For Payer.”
Copy 1 “For State Tax Department”; Copy B “For Payee”; Copy
2 “To be filed with the recipient’s state income tax return, when
required”; Copy C “For Filer.”
Copy B “For Payment Recipient”; Copy C “For Issuer”; Copy D
“For Acquirer.”
Copy B “For Policyholder”; Copy C “For Insured”; Copy D “For
Payer.”
Copy 1 “For State, City, or Local Tax Department”; Copy B “Report
this income on your federal tax return. If this form shows federal
income tax withheld in box 4, attach this copy to your return”; Copy
C “For Recipient’s Records”; Copy 2 “File this copy with your state,
city, or local income tax return, when required”; Copy D “For Payer.”
Copy B “For Transferor”; Copy C “For Filer.”
Copy B “For Recipient”; Copy C “For Trustee/Payer.”
Copy B “For Seller”; Copy C “For Issuer.”
Copy B “For Employee”; Copy C “For Corporation”; Copy D “For
Transferor.”
Copy B “For Employee”; Copy C “For Corporation.”
Copy B “For Participant”; Copy C “For Trustee or Issuer.”
Copy B “For Beneficiary”; Copy C “For Trustee.”
Copy B “For Beneficiary”; Copy C “For Issuer.”
Copy B “For Participant”; Copy C “For Trustee.”
1276
Bulletin No. 2021–26
Form
W-2G
1042-S
4.5.3
Perforations
Title
Copy 1 “For State, City, or Local Tax Department”; Copy B “Report
this income on your federal tax return. If this form shows federal
income tax withheld in box 2, attach this copy to your return”; Copy
C “For Winner’s Records”; Copy 2 “Attach this copy to your state,
city, or local income tax return, if required”; Copy D “For Payer.”
Copy B “For Recipient”; Copy C “For Recipient” and “Attach to any
federal tax return you file”; Copy D “For Recipient” and “Attach to
any state tax return you file”; Copy E “For Withholding Agent.”
Instructions for perforation of forms can be found in Section 2.1.9, earlier.
Section 4.6 – Electronic Delivery of Recipient Statements
4.6.1
Electronic Recipient
Statements
If you are required to furnish a written statement (Copy B or an acceptable substitute) to a recipient, then you may furnish the statement electronically instead of on paper. This includes furnishing the statement to recipients of Forms 1098, 1098-E, 1098-F, 1098-MA, 1098-Q, 1098-T,
1099-A, 1099-B, 1099-C, 1099-CAP, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-H, 1099-INT, 1099-K, 1099-LS,
1099-LTC, 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC, 1099-OID, 1099-PATR, 1099-Q, 1099-QA, 1099-R, 1099S, 1099-SA, 1099-SB, 1042-S, 3921, 3922, 5498, 5498-ESA, 5498-QA, and 5498-SA. It also
includes Form W-2G (except for horse and dog racing, jai alai, sweepstakes, wagering pools, and
lotteries).
Note. Until further guidance is issued, you cannot furnish Form 1098-C electronically. Perforation
(see Section 2.1.9, earlier) does not apply to printouts of copies of forms that are furnished electronically to recipients. However, recipients should be cautioned to carefully separate the copies.
If you meet the requirements listed in Sections 4.6.2 and 4.6.3, you are treated as furnishing the
statement timely.
4.6.2
Consent
Bulletin No. 2021–26
The recipient must consent in the affirmative to receiving the statement electronically and not
have withdrawn the consent before the statement is furnished. The consent by the recipient must
be made electronically in a way that shows that he or she can access the statement in the electronic
format in which it will be furnished. You must notify the recipient of any hardware or software
changes prior to furnishing the statement. A new consent to receive the statement electronically is
required after the new hardware or software is put into service. Prior to furnishing the statements
electronically, you must provide the recipient a statement with the following statements prominently displayed.
•
If the recipient does not consent to receive the statement electronically, a paper copy will be
provided.
•
The scope and duration of the consent. For example, whether the consent applies to every
year the statement is furnished or only for the January 31, 2022 (February 15 for Forms 1099-
1277
June 28, 2021
B, 1099-S, and 1099-MISC with payments reported in box 8 or 10) immediately following
the date of the consent.
4.6.3
Format, Posting, and
Notification
•
How to obtain a paper copy after giving consent.
•
How to withdraw the consent. The consent may be withdrawn at any time by furnishing the
withdrawal in writing (electronically or on paper) to the p
This text is long and has been trimmed here. Open the source document for the complete record.
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.