Virtual currency – often referred to as 'bitcoin" -- is a mystery for many people but an everyday currency for others. As virtual currency grows in popularity, questions arise about its taxation. The IRS treats virtual currency as property and not as currency. This means that general tax principles that apply to property transactions apply to transactions using virtual currency.

The likelihood exists that federal tax-cut legislation will become law sometime in 2017. Nevertheless, the possibility also remains that comprehensive tax legislation may be delayed until 2018 either because of difficult negotiations or intervening events, or it could eventually even get tabled indefinitely, except for a few provisions, if momentum turns to other matters. The contents of a tax bill, too, can vary – from a compromise between the House GOP's "Better Way" blueprint and President-elect Trump's tax plan as set forth during his campaign—to a significantly rewritten version if Senate Democrats and fiscally conservative House and Senate members are able to gain seats at the negotiating table.

One month after the presidential election, taxpayers are learning more about President-elect Donald Trump's tax proposals for his administration. Although exact details, including legislative language, are likely months away, taxpayers have a snapshot of the president-elect's tax proposals for individuals and businesses.

Note. At the time this article was prepared, the primary descriptions of President-elect Trump's tax proposals are on his campaign and transition websites. The materials on these websites are not the same as legislation, which would amend the Tax Code. Rather, they discuss the President-elect's tax proposals in very general and broad language.

As an individual or business, it is your responsibility to be aware of and to meet your tax filing/reporting deadlines. This calendar summarizes important federal tax reporting and filing data for individuals, businesses and other taxpayers for the month of November 2016.

Federal tax law allows taxpayers to exclude from income "qualified transportation fringe benefits." Included in this category of benefits are van pools

The Tax Code is among the most complex of all federal statutes. To explain the Code, the IRS issues guidance. Recently, the IRS has used the "Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)" format to explain some of the tax laws. At the same time, questions have arisen about the FAQs. May taxpayers rely on them like other types of IRS guidance?

The IRS has released draft forms for Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting under Code Secs. 6055 and 6056 for tax year (TY) 2016. These draft forms reflect changes from the forms used for TY 2015 and will likely reflect what compliance under the final version will entail.

The IRS has issued temporary regulations (T.D. 9780) that explain how a partnership can opt in to the new partnership audit regime that was enacted in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA). As enacted, the new audit rules will apply to partnership returns filed for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. However, the new law allows partnerships to elect to apply the new audit regime to a return filed for a partnership tax year beginning after November 2, 2015 (the date of enactment of the BBA) and before January 1, 2018. A tax year within this period is identified as an "eligible tax year."

The IRS launched new online resources for service providers and participants in the sharing economy. Advances in telecommunications have fueled the growth of the sharing economy. More and more consumers are connecting with service providers for shared car services, apartments and rooms for short-term rentals, and some employment opportunities.

Under Code Sec. 469, passive losses can only be used to offset passive income. Taxpayers who have losses from a passive activity cannot use losses from a passive activity to offset nonpassive income, such as wages. A passive activity generally is an activity in which a taxpayer does not "materially participate." Passive losses that cannot be deducted must be carried over to a future year, where they can offset newly generated passive income.