The Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 (Surface Transportation Act) changed the date by which a partnership, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), or other entity must file its annual return. For calendar year filers, the due date for filing the annual return or request for an extension changed from April 15 (April 18 in 2017) to March 15. (Contact Paramount Tax & Accounting Pioneer Valley's CPA firm in Amherst, Ludlow & Belchertown to learn more.)

Many entities filed their returns or their extension request for tax year 2016 by the April deadline, and if not for the Surface Transportation Act, these returns and requests for extension of time to file would have been on time.

Fortunately, penalty relief is now available from the IRS for certain partnerships, real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), and other entities that did not file the required returns by the new due date for tax years beginning in 2016 provided that the following conditions are met:

• The partnership filed the returns (Forms 1065, 1065-B, 8804, 8805, 5471, or other returns) with the IRS and furnished copies (or Schedules K-1) to the partners (as appropriate) by the date that would have been timely before the amendment made by the Surface Transportation Act (April 18, 2017, for calendar year taxpayers); or
• The partnership filed Form 7004 to request an extension of time to file by the date that would have been timely before the amendment made by the Surface Transportation Act and files the return with the IRS and furnishes copies (or Schedules K-1) to the partners by the 15th day of the ninth month after the close of the partnership's tax year (September 15, 2017, for calendar year partnerships). If the partnership files Form 1065-B and was required to furnish Schedules K-1 to the partners by March 15, 2017, it must have done so to qualify for the penalty relief.

Notice 2017-71, which amplifies, clarifies, and supersedes Notice 2017-47, provides that additional acts, such as the making of various elections, of partnerships, REMICs, and certain other entities made by the date that would have been timely prior to amendment by the Surface Transportation Act are treated as timely.

An earlier release provided this relief only to taxpayers whose taxable years began and ended in 2016, but the revised guidance also applies to fiscal-year filers whose taxable years began in 2016 but did not end until 2017.

Please contact Paramount Tax & Accounting Pioneer Valley to learn more.