Definition of Collected Proceeds Dropped
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the reconciliation of the tax legislation has dropped the definition of collected proceeds for the IRS whistleblower program introduced into the Senate version that passed. The amendment was added by Senator Chuck Grassley, an advocate for whistleblowers and responsible for introducing the legislative provision in 2007 that created the IRS whistleblower program.
The reconciliation process is used to achieve a final bill when there are differences in the bills passed by the House and Senate. The original version of the tax bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives did not include Senator Grassley’s amendments.
The definition of collected proceeds for the IRS whistleblower law is currently under review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The proposed measure would have codified an interpretation of the term collected proceeds to provide whistleblowers a percentage of both criminal fines and civil forfeitures. The IRS argued in U.S. Tax Court last year that these funds were not included in the term. The U.S. Tax Court decided a broad interpretation of the term was warranted in a decision that favored the whistleblowers. The ruling is now on appeal.
The reconciled bill also appears to have eliminated Senator Grassley’s other proposed amendment, to clarify that SEC and CFTC whistleblower awards are exempt from double taxation under the Civil Rights Tax Relief Act (adopted as part of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004).
The potential for double taxation is created when successful whistleblowers must pay tax on the entire amount of their award and then the whistleblower’s attorney pays tax on the portion they receive from the contingency fee. The Relief Act allows for an exemption for the contingent fee portion so that only one tax payment is made. As always, consult a tax lawyer for specific legal advice with regard to tax issues.
The reconciliation was passed by the U.S. House, 227-203, and the U.S. Senate, 51-48. It will now be sent to President Trump’s desk for signature.