IRS Digital Dispatch

May 21, 2004

In this Issue:

1. Jenkens & Gilchrist Ordered to Comply with IRS Summonses

2. IRS Offers Small Businesses New Tools to Help Manage Retirement Plans

3. Examination Program Changes Featured on May Tax Talk Today Program

4. Recent Technical Guidance

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1. Jenkens & Gilchrist Ordered to Comply with IRS Summonses

On May 14, 2004, the Honorable James B. Moran of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, ordered the law firm of Jenkens & Gilchrist to comply with the IRS summonses seeking the identity of taxpayers who may have invested in listed transactions or other potentially abusive transactions organized or sold by the firm's Chicago Office. See: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/May/04_tax_338.htm

2. IRS Offers Small Businesses New Tools to Help Manage Retirement Plans

The Internal Revenue Service has introduced two new tools to help small businesses keep their employee retirement plans compliant with federal tax law. See: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=123294,00.html

For a list of other free tax services available to small businesses on IRS.gov, see: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=123292,00.html

3. Examination Program Changes Featured on May Tax Talk Today Program

During the May 11 Tax Talk Today program, IRS managers and practitioners addressed the new procedures for determining the scope of the examination, practitioner involvement in setting the schedule for conducting the exam and the increased role IRS managers play in the entire examination process.

Those who missed the program can view it in the Tax Talk Today archive, go to: http://www.taxtalktoday.org/

The next webcast will be June 15, 2004 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET and will focus on IRS Collection Program Changes. See https://www.taxtalktoday.tv/viewpage.cfm?pgname=8.736

4. Recent Technical Guidance

Revenue Ruling 2004-54 provides the Applicable Federal Rates (AFRs) for June 2004. See: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-04-54.pdf

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