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Tag Archives: Section 6039

January 11, 2017

Form 3922 Gets an Upgrade

Here we are again at the start of another season of Section 6039 filings. Nothing much has changed with respect to Section 6039 filings in recent years, so imagine my surprise when I learned that the IRS had updated Form 3922.

Form 3922 Grows Up

As it turns out, the only update to the form is that it has been turned into a fill-in form. If you are planning on submitting paper filings, this allows the form to be filled in using Adobe Acrobat, so you don’t have to scare up a typewriter or practice your handwriting. I haven’t owned a typewriter since college and even I can’t read my handwriting, so I am a big fan of fill-in forms.

Unfortunately, this is just about the least helpful improvement to the forms that the IRS could make. Form 3922 is for ESPP transactions. ESPPs tend to be offered by publicly held companies with well over 250 employees.  Chance are, if a company has to file Form 3922, the company has more than 250 returns to file (less than 250 ESPP participants is probably a pretty dismal participation rate for most ESPP sponsors) and the returns have to be filed electronically. The fill-in feature doesn’t impact the electronic filing procedures; it is only helpful for paper filings.

It would have been more helpful if the IRS had made Form 3921 a fill-in form. Given the declining interest in ISOs (only around 10% of respondents to the NASPP/Deloitte Consulting 2016 Domestic Stock Plan Design Survey grant ISOs), companies are more likely to be filing this form on paper.  The IRS notes, however, that it selected Form 3922 to be made into a fill-in form because they receive so few filings of it on paper. I guess the IRS’s goal was to appear helpful but not actually be helpful. Your tax dollars at work.

A Fill-In Form Isn’t As Helpful As You Think, Anyway

As it turns out, having a fill-in form may not be that helpful, anyway. I was thinking you could fill in the form, save it, and then email it to the IRS but it doesn’t seem like this is the case.  No, even if you fill it in using Adobe Acrobat, you still have to print it out and mail it to the IRS. And the requirements for printing the form out still include phrases like “optical character recognition A font,” “non-reflective carbon-based ink,” and “principally bleached chemical wood pulp.” I think this means that you have to print the form on white paper, using black ink that isn’t too shiny, and using the standard fonts in the fill-in form. But I’m not entirely sure.

What About Form 3921?

When I first saw that Form 3922 is now fill-in-able, I assumed, perhaps naively, that a fill-in Form 3921, which would truly be useful, would be available any day. But that was back in September and still no update to Form 3921. Upon reflection, especially given the IRS’s statement about why this honor was bestowed upon Form 3922, I think I may have been overly optimistic.

More Information about Section 6039 Filings

For more information on Section 6039 Filings, check out the NASPP Alert “Reminder: ISO and ESPP Information Returns and Statements.”

Thanks to Diana Woods of Fenwick & West for bringing the updated form to my attention.

– Barbara

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September 15, 2015

Increased Penalties for Forms 3921 and 3922

A riddle: what do the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and HOPE for Haiti have to do with Forms 3921 and 3922?  You might think “not much” but then you aren’t a member of Congress.  The Trade Preferences Extension Act, which includes provisions relating to those three things and a couple of other global trade-related items, also increases the penalties for failure to file Forms W-2 and forms in the 1099 series, which includes Forms 3921 and 3922 (why forms 3921 and 3922 are considered part of the “1099” series is another riddle for another day).

The New Penalties

Timing of Correct Filing     New Penalty
(Per Failure)
    New Annual Cap      Old Penalty
(Per Failure)
   Old Annual Cap
Within 30 days $50 $500,000 $30   $250,000
By Aug 1 $100 $1,500,000 $60   $500,000
After Aug 1 or never $250 $3,000,000 $100   $1,500,000
With intentional disregard,
regardless of timing
Min. of $500 uncapped Min. of $250   uncapped

 

Make That a Double

The penalties apply separately for returns filed with the IRS and the statements furnished to employees. If a company fails to do both, both the per-failure penalty and the cap is doubled.  Thus, if both the return and the employee statement are corrected/filed/furnished after Aug 1, that’s a total penalty of $500, up to a maximum of $6,000,000.  If intentional disregard is involved, that’s a minimum total penalty of $1,000 (and this amount could be higher) with no annual maximum.

Effective Date

The new penalties will be effective for returns and statements required after December 31, 2015, so these penalties will be in effect for 2015 forms that are filed/furnished early next year.

Penalties At Least As Interesting As the Trade Provisions?

Interestingly, when I Googled “Trade Preferences Extension Act,” so I could figure out what the rest of the act was about, the first page of search results included as many articles about the new penalties as about the trade-related provisions of the act.

If you want to know what the rest of the act is about, here is a summary from the White House Blog. There’s not a lot more to say about the penalties but if you want to spend some time reading about them anyway, here are summaries from Groom Law Group and PwC.

– Barbara

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January 6, 2015

6039 Reminders

To start off the new year, I have a few reminders for Section 6039 filings for ISO and ESPP transactions.

Deadlines

Participant statements need to be furnished by February 2, 2015 (normally the deadline is January 31, but that’s a Saturday). Paper returns need to be filed with the IRS by March 2 (February 28, the normal deadline, is a Saturday) and electronic returns need to be filed by March 31 (this deadline applies regardless of whether electronic filing is on a mandatory or voluntary basis).

Extensions

It’s easy to get an extension for filing the returns with the IRS; log into the IRS Fire system and complete Form 8809. So long as you do this by the deadline, you get an automatic 30-day extension—no questions asked.  It is harder to get an extension for the participant statements. You can’t use Form 8809 for this; you have to write a polite letter to the IRS explaining why you need the extension and hope that they grant it to you. See pg 13 of the “General Instructions for Certain Information Returns” for details of what you need to say in the letter and where to send it. The extension is not automatic, so you’d best get on this right away if you think you’ll need one.

Substitute Participant Statements

You can create a substitute statement for participants that lists all their transactions on one page, rather than a separate form for each transaction. You still have to use the IRS terminology, but you can include your own statement that explains what all the words mean (or even annotate the statement itself). But you can’t include any slogans or taglines on the form and if you are going to include your company logo, you have to comply with specific guidelines explained in IRS Publication 1179 (see pg 6). The IRS is serious about this—they are worried your logo might make the form look like junk mail—so it might be best to skip the logo.

Rounding

Shares and dollar amounts have to be rounded in electronic filings (to the nearest whole share or penny, respectively). The IRS says to use a true round for share amounts (that’s rounding down for .4 and under, up for .5 and above). They don’t specify how dollar values should be rounded but since they recommend a true round for share amounts, it’s probably reasonable to use the same approach for dollar values (that’s also how dollar values are rounded on other tax forms (e.g., tax returns). But other approaches might be reasonable as well; I’m fairly certain the IRS isn’t that concerned about how you round. Just be consistent.

Employee ID Number

This needs to be the employee’s tax ID number. Also, you can’t truncate it or mask it on the participant statements. The IRS eventually checks to make sure the number is correct and you’ll have to pay a fine if it is wrong. But they won’t get around to checking until you are in the maximum penalty period. So be smart and run a TIN matching program on your returns before you file them with the IRS.

Account Number

For our purposes, think of this as a transaction number. You can use any system you want to come up with the number (and it can include letters as well as numbers), but you need to assign a unique number to every transaction reported. If you later have to file a correction, this number is how you will identify the transaction being corrected.

Names

Don’t include any special characters in employee names other than hyphens and ampersands.

Just a Few Filings?

Even though you only have a handful of filings, you cannot download the form from the IRS website and fill it out or gin up a form that looks similar in Word and use that to file your returns. The IRS has all sorts of fussy requirements for returns filed on paper, including that they be printed on special paper with special ink. If you don’t want to pay a third party to help with this, you have to order the paper forms from the IRS and wait for them to send them to you. Then you need to scare up a typewriter or print very very neatly.  There are tools that are quite affordable that can be used to file even just a handful of forms—personally, I think this approach would be easier than finding a typewriter. Email me and I can send you a list.

Read the NASPP article “Figuring Out Section 6039 Filings” for more tips.  Another great article to check out is “6039 Gotchas” by My Equity Comp. Many happy returns!

– Barbara

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January 28, 2014

Tax Questions, Answered

As is often the case at this time of the year, a lot of tax related questions have been popping up in the NASPP Q&A Discussion Forum lately.  For today’s blog entry, I try to quickly answer some of the questions I’ve seen the most frequently.

Former Employees
You have to withhold taxes on option exercises by and award payouts to former employees and report the income for these stock plan transactions on a Form W-2, no matter how long it has been since they were employed by the company.  The only exceptions are:

  • ISOs exercised within three months of termination (12 months for termination due to disability). 
  • RSAs paid out on or after retirement (because these awards will have already been taxed for both income tax and FICA purposes when the award holders became eligible to retire). Likewise, RSUs paid out on or after retirement that have already been subject to FICA are subject to income tax only.

If the former employees did not receive regular wages from the company in the current year or the prior calendar year, US tax regs require you to withhold at their W-4 rate, not the supplemental rate. In my experience, however, few companies are aware of this and most withhold at the supplemental rate because the W-4 rate is too hard to figure out.

Changes in Employment Status
Where an individual changes status from employee to non-employee (or vice versa) and holds options or awards that continue to vest after the change in status, when the option/award is exercised/paid out, you can apportion the income for the transaction based on years of service under each status.  Withhold taxes on the income attributable to service as an employee (and report this income on Form W-2).  No withholding is necessary for the income attributable to service as a non-employee (and this income is reported on Form 1099-MISC). 

Any reasonable method of allocating the income is acceptable, so long as you are consistent about it.

Excess Withholding
I know it’s hard to believe, but if you are withholding at the flat supplemental rate, the IRS doesn’t want you to withhold at a higher rate at the request of the employee. They care about this so much, they issued an information letter on it (see my blog entry “Supplemental Withholding,” January 8, 2013).  If employees want you to withhold at a higher rate, you have to withhold at their W-4 rate and they have to submit a new W-4 that specifies the amount of additional withholding they want.

Also, withholding shares to cover excess tax withholding triggers liability treatment for accounting purposes (on the grant in question, at a minimum, and possibly for the entire plan).  Selling shares on the open market to cover excess tax withholding does not have any accounting consequence, however.

ISOs and Form 3921
Same-day sales of ISOs have to be reported on Form 3921 even though this is a disqualifying disposition.  It’s still an exercise of an ISO and the tax code says that all ISO exercises have to be reported.

On the other hand, if an ISO is exercised more than three months after termination of employment (12 months for termination due to disability), it’s no longer an ISO, it’s an NQSO.  The good news is that because it’s an NQSO, you don’t have to report the exercise on Form 3921. The bad news is that you have to withhold taxes on it and report it on a Form W-2 (and, depending on how much time has elapsed, it might have been easier to report the exercise on Form 3921). 

The articles “Figuring Out Section 6039 Filings” and “6039 Gotchas!” in the NASPP’s Section 6039 Portal are great resources as you get ready to file Forms 3921 and 3922.

FICA, RSUs, and Retirement Eligible Employees
This topic could easily be a blog entry in and of itself, but it doesn’t have to be because we published an in-depth article on it in the Jan-Feb 2014 issue of The NASPP Advisor (“Administrators’ Corner: FICA, RSUs, and Retirement“).  All your questions about what rules you can rely on to delay collecting FICA for retirement eligible employees, what FMV to use to calculate the FICA income, and strategies for collecting the taxes are covered in this article. 

– Barbara

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January 23, 2014

Keeping Above the Section 6039 Radar

Many companies have settled into a routine when it comes to furnishing information statements and filing the IRS returns required under Section 6039 of the Internal Revenue Code. Whether you have a solid routine, or this is the first time you’re facing Section 6039 compliance, there are a few areas where companies should verify that they are fully satisfying 6039 requirements as they near the deadlines for 2013 tax year reporting.

Review Non-U.S. Employees

Non-resident aliens who do not receive a W-2 are not subject to Section 6039 reporting. If a non-resident alien does receive a W-2, then 6039 statements would also need to be furnished.

U.S. citizens who are working abroad are subject to Section 6039 reporting, so companies should not rely on address filters alone to determine whether or not an employee should receive an information statement.

Implement a New ESPP?

Did your company implement a new ESPP recently? It’s important to note that the trigger for filing Form 3922 (for ESPP shares) is the first transfer of legal title for the shares, not the purchase or exercise of the shares. The moment of first legal transfer includes the deposit of shares to a brokerage account in the employee’s name upon purchase, like many companies do via a captive broker. If you had ESPP purchases in 2013 and deposited purchased shares immediately into a brokerage account for the employee, then you’ll need to report the transaction(s) this season. Note that issuances into book entry at a transfer agent or in certificate form do not constitute a legal transfer of title. Those shares would be reported once deposited to a brokerage account, gifted, or sold. Of course, this doesn’t only apply to new ESPPs, but most companies with existing ESPPs are already aware of this requirement. It’s possible that those implementing a new ESPP may overlook this “first legal transfer of title” requirement if not looking at the nuances carefully.

More Transactions this Year?

The IRS doesn’t require companies to file 6039 returns electronically unless there are 250 or more of them. The 250 number is per form type, so if you have 251 Form 3921 returns and 249 Form 3922 returns, only the Form 3921 returns need to be filed electronically. For quantities less than 250 per form type, companies may elect to file electronically or via paper. Even if you didn’t have to file electronically in the past, you’ll want to look at each year’s quantities anew to make sure you’ve assessed the threshold correctly. The deadline for paper filings is February 28, 2014. The deadline for electronic filings is March 31, 2014.

No Chump Change for Failures and Mistakes

Failing to furnish information information statements is no laughing matter. The IRS penalty for not furnishing an information statement, or, for providing an incomplete or incorrect statement to a participant is up to $100 per statement. In addition, a separate penalty is assessed for issues with 6039 returns that should be filed with the IRS – up to $100 per return for those not filed or incomplete/incorrect returns. As a result, you’ll want to make sure you are really auditing the entire process – even if it’s outsourced, to ensure there are no failures. There is a cap of $1.5 million on each penalty type, but that’s high enough to want make doubly sure that the proper reporting is done accurately and timely.

For more information, the NASPP has an excellent Section 6039 portal, available on our web site.

-Jennifer

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March 26, 2013

Stock Plans 101

In today’s entry I highlight a few articles that are available on the NASPP website that I think are particularly valuable. Many of these articles are updated on an annual basis; together they comprise the core foundational knowledge necessary to be proficient in stock compensation.

Taxes:  The title of “The Definitive Guide to Tax Withholding and Reporting for Stock Compensation in the US” pretty much says it all.  Death, divorce, change on employment status, retirees–just about any question you could have on the topic is answered by this article. And, I just updated it last month.

Got questions on Section 6039 reporting?  From rounding to filing for extensions, “Figuring Out Section 6039 Filings” has the answers.

Stock Options:  The Incentive Stock Options and Non-Qualified Stock Options portals are thorough resources on ISOs and NQSOs respectively.

Restricted Stock and Units:  The article “Restricted Stock Plans” covers just about anything you could want to know about restricted stock and unit awards and is updated annually. 

ESPPs:  “Designing and Implementing an Employee Stock Purchase Plan” takes an in-depth look at the regulatory and design considerations that apply to ESPPs, particularly Section 423 plans.  This is a reprint of my chapter in the NCEO’s book “Selected Issues in Equity Compensation” so it is updated annually. 

Securities Law:  Alan Dye and Peter Romeo’s outlines of Rule 144 and Section 16 provide great overviews of these areas of law and are also updated annually.

– Barbara

 

 

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January 22, 2013

Don’t Forget Section 6039

I’m sure that all of you are completely on top of this, but just in case you’ve gotten a little distracted by all the excitement over the new tax withholding rates and the American Taxpayer Relief Act, don’t forget that it’s time to file the returns and distribute the information statements required under Section 6039 for ISOs and ESPPs.

Section 6039 Deadlines Coming Up

The information statements need to be distributed to employees by January 31 and the returns need to be filed with the IRS by February 28 (if filing on paper) or April 1 (if filing electronically).

The returns are filed on Form 3921 for ISOs and Form 3922 for ESPPs. You can simply provide employees with a copy of the returns that will be filed with the IRS or you can provide them with a substitute statement, provided the statement complies with the IRS’s requirements (which aren’t terribly onerous despite what one law firm memo I’ve seen suggests).

What If You Did Forget?

Well, you’ve still got plenty of time on the returns that are filed with the IRS, especially if you file electronically, which is actually probably easier than trying to file on paper anyway. There are several providers than can take your data, whip it into shape, and file it electronically for you–see the NASPP’s webcast “Comparing Solutions for Section 6039 Compliance. Not only is the deadline (April 1–we get an extra day this year because March 31 is a Sunday) still several months off, but you can file for an automatic, no-questions-asked 30-day extension using Form 8809.

But you’d better get cracking on the employee statements. There’s no automatic extension available here–if you need an extension you need to write a letter to the Extension of Time Coordinator in the Information Returns Branch at the IRS, include a good excuse (the dog ate my information statements?), and hope the IRS is feeling generous. [A couple of thoughts come to mind: 1) How cool is that job title? I think it would be awesome to tell people that you are the “Extension of Time Coordinator.” I bet a lot of people want to be your friend. I wonder if this person also has the authority to suspend birthdays? And, 2) if you are in need of an extension, it’s nice to know that there are so many other people in the same boat that the IRS has actually created a position to handle all the requests.]

If any of my readers have requested (or have clients that requested) an extension on the employee statements I’d love to hear from you–how quickly did the IRS respond, was the extension granted, did they give you are hard time about it, etc.?

More Information

The NASPP has loads of resources on Section 6039–Section 6039 is practically our middle name!  Our Section 6039 Portal brings together all of our great resources on this topic, including numerous blog entries we’ve written on the topic as well as many other articles we’ve collected and various IRS publications that relate to this reporting obligation. 

New this year, we’ve posted the article “6039 Gotchas!” by My Equity Comp to the portal.  And the article “Figuring Out Section 6039 Filings” answers every question you could possibly have on either the returns or the statements.  If it doesn’t, let me know so I can update it. 

In addition to the webcast on providers that I mentioned above, we have a “lessons learned” webcast on 6039 filings. 

Finally, we recently received a number of reminders on Section 6039 from various law firms; I’ve posted them to the practice alert “Don’t Forget Section 6039 Statements and Returns.”

Here’s to many happy returns! 

– Barbara

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January 17, 2012

The Revenge of Section 6039

Last year was the first year companies filed Section 6039 returns with the IRS for ISO and ESPP transactions. Those of us who lived through those filings are a little older and wiser now. So, as we head into our sophomore year of 6039 returns, I have a few tips for you.

Update Your FAQ

Participant statements have to be sent out by January 31, so updating your FAQ on Forms 3921 and 3922, as well as any other communications you include with the statements, should be first up on your list of things to do. The materials you created last year probably refer to the forms as “new,” state that this is the first year employees are receiving them, and fail to mention Form 8949 (and instead just tell employees to complete Schedule D). I’ve updated the sample memos and FAQ available in the NASPP’s Section 6039 Portal:

If you are interested in seeing what I changed in the FAQ, I’ve posted a redline version of it in the NASPP Document Library. And, of course, I posted the updated Section 6039 Flow Charts last week.

Deja Vu

Forms 3921 and 3922 are currently not available through the IRS’s online order form (if you recall, last year the forms weren’t available until mid-March, well after the deadline for filing on paper). Yesterday was a federal holiday, so I couldn’t verify whether or not the forms were available through 1-800-Tax Forms, but I suspect not. If the forms aren’t available right quick, companies will have to use substitute statements for participants again this year. Hopefully the forms will be available this year before the deadline to submit paper filings. If they aren’t, anyone filing on paper will need to file for an extension on Form 8809. It’s best to file for the extension online, using the IRS FIRE system, even if you are submitting the returns on paper.

Lessons Learned

Here are a few tips and other things that I learned from last year’s filings:

  • You can email the IRS many, many times with the same question and they won’t take out a restraining order against you. But they also still won’t answer your question. This probably isn’t the kind of tip you were looking for.
  • You have to include employees’ full social security numbers on the participant statements. Yes, I know that employees already know their social security numbers and that this presents a security risk. It’s not my rule–email the IRS about it (see my first tip).
  • If you are having trouble figuring out your grant date and grant date FMV for Form 3922, you are probably thinking too much. If you have a look-back, it’s the same date and FMV you use to determine the purchase price. If you don’t have a look-back, I take it back; you aren’t thinking too much.
  • The corporation on Form 3922 has to be the corporation whose stock is purchased under the plan, even if this isn’t the company that operates the plan. I’ve asked this question of IRS staffers multiple times and I get the same answer every time; I don’t think they are going to change their minds. But I think you could include the address of the company operating the plan rather than the address of the corporation whose stock is purchased, so that any IRS communications about the filings at least go to the right place.
  • If you are filing electronically, you probably went through some angst last year relating to rounding shares and/or monetary amounts. Publication 1220 was updated this year to specify that a true round should be used on share amounts. There’s still no instruction on how monetary values should be rounded, but it would seem reasonable to do the same thing. Then again, this seems like such an immaterial issue that I think you could probably use any reasonable rounding method (up, down, true) you want, so long as you are consistent about it.
  • Account number is really a transaction number. And it’s important, because if you have to file a corrected return, the account number could be critical to matching the corrected form to the original filing. You can come up with your own system for assigning account numbers, just so long as each transaction you report has a unique number and the numbers aren’t longer than 20 digits. They can include numbers, letters, and symbols.
  • You have to file Form 3921 for all ISO exercises, even same-day sales, even though an AMT adjustment is necessary for same-day sales. This is the way the law was passed by Congress, so the IRS can’t really do anything about it. Blame your Congressman.
  • Dead men don’t wear plaid but they do still get Section 6039 statements. The death of an employee does not relieve you of the obligation to file Forms 3921 and 3922.

For more information on complying with all aspects of Section 6039, see the article “Figuring Out Section 6039 Filings” in the NASPP’s Section 6039 Portal and check out last month’s webcast, “6039: The Sequel–Putting Lessons Learned in 2010 to Use in 2011.” 

NASPP “To Do” List
We have so much going on here at the NASPP that it can be hard to keep track of it all, so I keep an ongoing “to do” list for you here in my blog. 

– Barbara

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November 8, 2011

Tax Updates

It was great to see everyone at the NASPP Conference last week. One session I look forward to every year at the Conference is “The IRS Speaks“–which I consider to be my chance to get the inside scoop on various IRS projects that impact stock compensation. For today’s blog, I have a few updates from this year’s panel, as well as some other recent tax news.

For highlights of the NASPP Conference, check out my blog entries on November 2 and November 4.

COLAs for 2012
The maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax will increase to $110,100 in 2012 (up from $106,800 this year) (those of you that follow the NASPP on Facebook and Twitter already know this). The tax rate is also scheduled to return to 6.2% (up from 4.2% this year), making the maximum withholding $6,826.20 for 2012 (see the NASPP alert). But stay tuned on this one; President Obama has proposed reducing Social Security tax for 2012. 

Also, if any of you exclude highly compensated employees from your ESPP, note that the threshold for who is considered highly compensated increases to $115,000 in 2012.

BTW–COLAs stands for “cost of living adjustments.”

Updates from “The IRS Speaks
Here are areas where the IRS hopes to issue guidance in the next year or so:

  • 409A income inclusion rules. Note however, that this doesn’t include Code Y reporting. That isn’t likely to happen until some time after the 409A income inclusion rules are finalized.
  • Finalizing the proposed regs that were issued earlier this year under Section 162(m).
  • The treatment of dividends and dividend equivalents under Section 162(m).
  • A model election under Section 83(b) that includes examples illustrating the tax consequences of making (or not making) the election. (Fascinating–I had no idea the IRS even thought there was a need for this.)
  • Guidance on Section 162(m)(6), which relates to the deduction limit that applies to health insurance providers.
  • Something about foreign pension plans under Section 402(b) (I have no idea what this is–sorry, when I hear the words “foreign pension plans,” I tune out).

The panel also covered a number of issues relating to Section 6039 returns for ISOs and ESPPs. I don’t have time to cover them all today, but maybe in a future blog.

In terms of cost-basis reporting, the panel did say that the IRS is considering adding a checkbox to Form 1099-B that would indicate whether the reported cost basis includes W-2 income recognized in connection with the shares. We think this brilliant suggestion from Andrew Schwartz of BNY Mellon Shareowner Services would be a big help in explaining the form to employees, but if the IRS makes this change, it won’t be until the 2012 form comes out.

See a picture of our celebrity tax panel on the NASPP’s Facebook page.

NASPP “To Do” List
We have so much going on here at the NASPP that it can be hard to keep track of it all, so I keep an ongoing “to do” list for you here in my blog. 

– Barbara 

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March 15, 2011

Corporation on Form 3922

As the deadline for filing Forms 3921 and 3922 draws near, I have finally heard from the IRS on a nagging question (see Topic #6810 in the NASPP Discussion Forum): if a company offers an ESPP in which employees purchase another corporation’s stock–for example, a subsidiary that sponsors an ESPP in which employees purchase the parent company’s stock–which company should be listed on Form 3922?

Which Corporation Should Be Listed on Form 3922?
For ISO exercises (reported on Form 3921), this matter is easily resolved because the form includes space to list both corporate entities. The corporation that transferred the stock to the employee (presumably the plan sponsor–in my example, the subsidiary) is indicated in the “Transferor” box and the corporation whose stock was transferred (in my example, the parent company) is indicated in box 6.

Form 3922, however, only has space for one corporation. §1.6039-1(b)(1)(ii) of the final regulations states that the return for the transfer of ESPP shares is required to include “The name, address and employer identification number of the corporation whose stock is being transferred.” Based on that, the company whose stock is purchased (in my example, the parent company) should be the corporation indicated on Form 3922.

Why the Confusion?

Some companies would prefer to include the plan sponsor on Form 3922, rather than the company whose stock was purchased under the plan. For example, in the case of subsidiary sponsoring an ESPP in which employees purchase stock of a foreign parent company, there is concern that including the foreign parent as the corporation on Form 3922 could cause the IRS to think that the foreign parent has employees or a permanent establishment in the United States, which could trigger other tax-related issues.

Even where the company whose stock is purchased is not a foreign company, there is concern that listing this company, instead of the actual plan sponsor, on Form 3922 could cause the IRS to think that the individuals for which Form 3922 is filed are employees of the company indicated, causing confusion with regards to other tax matters (e.g., would the IRS then be looking for a Form W-2 from this company for the individuals).

What Do the Form Instructions Say?

The instructions to Form 3922 are not as specific as the final regulations with regard to what corporation must be listed. Per the instructions, the term “corporation” could include (but is not even limited to) the corporation issuing the stock, a related corporation of the corporation, and any party in control of the payment of remuneration for employment to the employee. The box itself on the form is labeled “Corporation,” not “Transferor,” as on Form 3921. These instructions seem to allow some leeway for companies to make their own determination as to which corporate entity should be indicated on the form.

What Does the IRS Say?

Given the confusion on this matter, I contacted the IRS for guidance. Just yesterday, I received an informal response from the IRS Chief Counsel’s office that the corporation listed on Form 3922 must be the corporation whose stock was purchased/transferred. The Chief Counsel recognizes that this could cause some problems with foreign corporations, but is nevertheless sticking to what the final regs say.

What Do You Say?

I’m curious to know what our members think about this and how much of a concern it is for you. It has been suggested to me that if we approached the IRS reasonably about this, we might get some additional relief. If you send me your carefully considered and professionally presented concerns, including the reasons why you would like to have the employer corporation listed on Form 3922 instead of the corporation whose stock was purchased/transferred, I will present those comments to the IRS. You can send your comments to me at bbaksa@naspp.com.

I wouldn’t count on getting any relief by the end of March, however.  So, for this year filings, I would include the corporation whose stock was transferred on Form 3922.

Register Now for Early-Bird Savings on the NASPP Conference
I’m excited to announce that the 19th Annual NASPP Conference will be held in San Francisco from November 1-4, 2011.   Register by May 13 to receive the special early-bird rate!

NASPP “To Do” List
We have so much going on here at the NASPP that it can be hard to keep track of it all, so I keep an ongoing “to do” list for you here in my blog. 

– Barbara

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