The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service recently issued Notice 2021-25 PDF providing guidance under the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act of 2020.

The Act added a temporary exception to the 50% limit on the amount that businesses may deduct for food or beverages. The temporary exception allows a 100% deduction for food or beverages from restaurants, according to an IRS news release.

When This Happens

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2022, businesses can claim 100% of their food or beverage expenses paid to restaurants as long as the business owner (or an employee of the business) is present when food or beverages are provided and the expense is not lavish or extravagant under the circumstances.

Where Can Businesses Get Food and Beverages and Claim 100%?

Under the temporary provision, restaurants include businesses that prepare and sell food or beverages to retail customers for immediate on-premises and/or off-premises consumption. However, restaurants do not include businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged goods, not for immediate consumption, such as grocery stores and convenience stores, the news release added.

Additionally, an employer may not treat certain employer-operated eating facilities like restaurants, even if these facilities are operated by a third party under contract with the employer.

More information for businesses seeking coronavirus-related tax relief can be found at IRS.gov.

Other Tax Assistance: IRS Reminds Taxpayers to Make April 15 Estimated Tax Payment

The Internal Revenue Service is also reminding self-employed individuals, retirees, investors, businesses, corporations, and others who pay their taxes quarterly that the payment for the first quarter of 2021 is due Thursday, April 15, 2021.

The extension to May 17, 2021, for individuals to file their 2020 federal income taxes does not apply to estimated tax payments. The 2021 Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals, can help taxpayers estimate their first quarterly tax payment.

Income taxes are pay-as-you-go. This means, by law, taxes must be paid as income is earned or received during the year. Most people pay their taxes through withholding from paychecks, pension payments, Social Security benefits, or certain other government payments including unemployment compensation.

Most often, those who are self-employed or in the sharing economy need to make estimated tax payments. Similarly, investors, retirees, and others often need to make these payments because a substantial portion of their income is not subject to withholding. Other income generally not subject to withholding includes interest, dividends, capital gains, alimony, and rental income. Paying quarterly estimated taxes will usually lessen and may even eliminate any penalties.

Exceptions to the penalty and special rules apply to some groups of taxpayers, such as farmers, fishermen, casualty and disaster victims, those who recently became disabled, recent retirees, and those who receive income unevenly during the year.

See Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts, and its instructions for more information.

How to Pay Estimated Taxes

Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals, includes instructions to help taxpayers figure their estimated taxes. They can also visit IRS.gov/payments to pay electronically. The fastest and easiest way to make an estimated tax payment is by using IRS Direct Pay, the IRS2Go app, or the Treasury Department’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). For information on other payment options, visit IRS.gov/payments. If paying by check, taxpayers should be sure to make the check payable to the “United States Treasury.”

Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, has additional details, including worksheets and examples, that can be especially helpful to those who have dividend or capital gain income, owe alternative minimum tax or self-employment tax, or have other special situations.

IRS.gov Assistance 24/7

Tax help is available 24/7 on IRS.gov. The IRS website offers a variety of online tools to help taxpayers answer common tax questions. For example, taxpayers can search the Interactive Tax AssistantTax TopicsFrequently Asked Questions, and Tax Trails to get answers to common questions.

The news release also said the IRS is continuing to expand ways to communicate to taxpayers who prefer to get information in other languages. The IRS has posted translated tax resources in 20 other languages on IRS.gov. For more information, see We Speak Your Language.

Source: IRS