IRS Form 8832 Instructions & FAQs

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Form 8832 is an IRS form that requires you to report capital gains and losses from selling investments. This guide will help answer your questions about filling out the form, including what kind of assets are covered and how much profit needs to be reported for each one.

The “form 8832 instructions pdf” is a PDF file that contains the IRS Form 8832 Instructions and FAQs. The form is used to report the sale of property in which you were not materially involved.

IRS Form 8832 Instructions & FAQs

Limited liability organizations (LLCs) that want to be taxed as C corporations must submit IRS Form 8832. (C-corps). If LLCs previously chose C corporation status, they must submit Form 8832 to return to being taxed as a single proprietor or partnership. If you don’t submit Form 8832, your LLC will be taxed as a sole proprietorship or partnership.

What does Form 8832 have to do with you?

LLCs utilize Form 8832 to choose how they want to be taxed. LLCs are formed under state law and are not recognized as a tax-exempt entity by the IRS. As a result, LLC owners must choose their company type for federal tax purposes.

Single-member LLCs, also known as sole proprietorships, may opt to be taxed as a sole proprietor, C corporation, or S corporation (S-corp). Multimember LLCs, which have more than one owner, may select between being taxed as a partnership, a C corporation, or a S company.

Partnerships, S-corporations, and C-corporations all have significant tax implications. At the corporate level, C firms must pay tax on their earnings. C company shareholders may have to pay tax on their individual returns if the business gives them a dividend. S companies and partnerships do not have to pay taxes on their earnings. Instead, even if no cash was delivered to the owner, all of their company profits is included in the owner’s personal return. The main distinction between partnerships and S corporations is that partnership income is subject to self-employment tax, but S company income is not.

Who is required to file Form 8832?

An LLC that elects to be regarded as a C corporation must submit Form 8832. A single-member LLC that wants to be handled as a sole proprietor or a multimember LLC that wants to be treated as a partnership doesn’t need to fill out any paperwork since these are the default practices. In order to be classified as a S company, an LLC must submit Form 2553 rather than Form 8832.

Here’s a rundown of LLC options and how they’re decided:

The way an LLC is taxed has long-term implications and is one of the most critical choices it will ever make. If an LLC wishes to modify how they are taxed, they may submit Form 8832 anew. An LLC, for example, may choose to revert to a partnership from a S company or a C corporation.

Changing from one form of organization to another once activities have commenced, on the other hand, is almost always a taxable event. Before deciding on your company’s tax status, we strongly advise you to get advice from a tax specialist. Bookkeeper360 provides tax and accounting specialists that can assist you in properly organizing your business.

When Should Form 8832 Be Filed?

Between one year before and 75 days after the effective date, Form 8832 must be submitted. Most LLCs want their Form 8832 to be effective for their first tax year, therefore it must be submitted within one year of starting business and no later than 75 days. For example, if your business begins operations on February 1, 2020, you must submit Form 8832 between February 1, 2019 and April 16, 2020.

The instructions for Form 8832 state that certain circumstances must be met in order for Form 8832 to be filed up to three years late. For further details, see the discussion of Form 8832 in step 10.

Where Should Form 8832 Be Filed?

It is not possible to file Form 8832 online. Depending on where the LLC is situated, the Form 8832 Instructions give two distinct mailing addresses.

IRS-Form-8832-Instructions-amp-FAQs

Where Should Form 8832 Be Filed?

In the year that the election is in effect, you should additionally attach a copy of Form 8832 to your federal income tax return.

Where Can I Get Form 8832?

Instructions and a fillable version of Form 8832 The IRS website has a PDF version of Form 8832. Before you start working, make sure you download the form to your computer and open it in a PDF program. Any data entered in the online browser prior to downloading the form will not be stored.

Instructions for Form 8832 in Step-by-Step Format

The IRS’s Form 8832 is a two-page, 11-question form. Here are the directions for filling it out step by step.

Step 1: Gathering Basic Business Data

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Basic business information (Form 8832)

Some essential company information is required at the start of Form 8832, including the following:

  • Name of the company
  • Address for a business
  • Phone number for a business
  • Number assigned to the employer (EIN). To file Form 8832, you’ll need an EIN (a company tax ID). If you leave this field blank or provide your Social Security number instead, the IRS will not process the request.

If you do not not have an EIN, you may apply for one on the IRS website for free. Check out our EIN guide for additional information.

Step 2: Election Type (Part I, Question 1)

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Type of election (Form 8832)

You’ll be prompted to pick your reason for filling out Form 8832 in Part 1, Question 1:

  • Initial categorization by a freshly established entity: Select this option if your company is brand new and you’re making your first tax classification decision. You may skip step 3 of our instruction and move straight to step 4 if you choose this option.
  • If you’ve previously filed a tax return under one classification and wish to switch, choose this option. Choose this option, for example, if you have a multimember LLC that was previously treated as a partnership but now wishes to be taxed as a C corporation. Similarly, if you have a multimember LLC that is presently taxed as a C corporation but would want to revert to default partnership status, choose this option.

Changing your categorization after you’ve started a firm might result in complicated tax situations. You’ll be regarded as though you’re liquidating your present company and transferring all of its assets to a new one. This usually has tax implications, so you should consult a tax specialist before making the adjustment.

Previous Elections, Step 3 (Part I, Questions 2a and 2b)

Every five years, the IRS permits you to amend your tax election. If the preceding election was for a newly established entity, and the election was effective on the business’s creation date, there is an exemption.

A second exemption applies if more than 50% of the company’s ownership interests have changed after the last election. To submit a new Form 8832 under this exemption, however, you’ll need a private letter ruling from the IRS, which comes with a substantial users charge as well as professional expenses for hiring a tax attorney.

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Previous elections (Form 8832)

If you respond yes to Questions 2a and 2b, you may be able to modify the tax status of your company. Answer “yes” to Question 2a and go on to Question 2b if you’ve submitted another Form 8832 within the previous five years. If you haven’t filled out another Form 8832 in the previous five years, skip to Question 3 and respond “no” to Question 2a.

Question 2b asks whether your prior election was for a newly created organization and if it was effective on the date of incorporation. If you answered “yes” to Question 2b, go on to Question 3. If you answered “no,” you are ineligible to complete Form 8832.

Step 4: Obtaining Owner Information (Part I, Questions 3 and 4)

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Ownership information (Form 8832)

Owner information is requested in questions 3 and 4. In Question 3, you must indicate if the company has one or numerous owners. If there is just one owner of the company, answer Question 4 with the owner’s name and “identification number.” In most cases, the identification number is the owner’s Social Security number. If the owner is a company, the identification number is likely to be an EIN.

Step 5: Affiliated Businesses (Part I, Question 5)

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Information about affiliated companies (Form 8832)

If your business’s owner or owners are a collection of linked firms that submit a consolidated return, you’ll need to answer Question 5 using the parent company’s EIN. This question is asked to verify that each of the group’s companies obtains the proper tax treatment.

Step 6: Determine the Type of Entity (Part I, Question 6)

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Choose your tax treatment on Form 8832.

This is the most important part of Form 8832. You may choose how you wish to be taxed in this section. Below is a list of your options, along with a short description of each:

  • If your company was founded in the United States and you wish to be taxed as a C corporation, choose (a). Fill out IRS Form 2553, not Form 8832, if you wish to be taxed as a S company.
  • If your company was founded in the United States and you wish to be taxed as a partnership, choose (b).
  • If your company was founded in the United States and you wish to be taxed as a sole proprietorship, choose (c).
  • If a business is a “foreign entity,” choose (d) if you wish to be taxed as a C corporation.
  • If a corporation is a “foreign entity,” choose (e) if you wish to be taxed as a partnership.
  • If a corporation is a “foreign entity,” choose (f) if you wish to be taxed as a sole proprietorship.

This is a critical choice with long-term tax implications that cannot be reversed. Before completing the form, we suggest speaking with your accountant or tax specialist. If you don’t have a tax professional, Bookkeeper360 offers a team of tax experts that can assist you in correctly organizing your firm.

Step 7: Entities from Other Countries (Part I, Question 7)

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Foreign entities (Form 8832)

If the company was not founded in the United States, state the nation where it was founded. For tax reasons, several US territories are considered foreign companies. If you’re uncertain, look at page 8 of Form 8832 for a list of nations.

Step 8: The Election’s Effective Date (Part I, Question 8)

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Select the election’s effective date on Form 8832.

Question 8 allows you to specify when your tax election will take effect. If you’re starting a new company, the effective date should be the first day of operations. A post-operations election generates a complicated tax situation, therefore you should get advice from a tax specialist.

Signatures (Step 9) (Part I, Question 9)

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Name and phone number of the contact person on Form 8832

Provide the name, title, and phone number of the person the IRS should contact if there are any problems about your form in this question. A business owner, manager, or official of the company should sign Form 8832.

Step ten: Election Day Relief (Part II)

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Late election relief (Form 8832)

75 days after the effective date, Form 8832 is due. If you match the following conditions, you may be eligible for late election relief:

  1. You’ve previously submitted a Form 8832, which was declined only due to its lateness.
  2. You’ve paid all of your taxes on time.
  3. There’s a good explanation for the delay.
  4. It’s only been three years since Form 8832 was filed.

If any of these situations apply to you, fill in the blank box on the form with a credible explanation for the delay.

Form 8832 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does Form 8832 have to do with you?

An LLC may choose whether it wishes to be handled as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or C corporation using Form 8832. The form is most often used by new LLCs, but it may also be used by existing LLCs to modify their tax status.

Is it necessary for a single-member LLC to submit Form 8832?

If a single-member LLC wishes to be classified as a C corporation, it just has to submit Form 8832. The LLC does not need to file anything if it wants to be recognized as a sole proprietorship. It should submit Form 2553 instead of Form 8832 if it wants to be classified as a S company.

When should you utilize IRS Form 2553 instead of 8832?

Form 2553 is used to elect S corporation status for a C company or LLC. Form 8832 is used by a limited liability company (LLC) to elect C corporation status. An LLC that previously filed Form 8832 to convert to a C corporation may now submit Form 2553 to convert to a S company.

Conclusion

An LLC may utilize IRS Form 8832 to choose or alter its federal tax classification, such as partnership, C corporation, or S corporation. The tax classification election and change are very significant, and we strongly advise you to get competent tax guidance before making any choices. Bookkeeper360 may assist you if you don’t currently deal with a tax expert.

The “form 8832 pdf” is a form that must be filed with the IRS. The instructions and FAQs are provided on the site.

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