If you feel punch-drunk from the rapid-fire updates to the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), you are not alone. It is hard to keep up with the madness surrounding this law.
Hoping not to stupefy readers, I will address what I believe is the latest major development in the life of the CTA. The Treasury made an earth-shattering announcement this past Sunday that can be broken down into the following two bite-size components:
On Thursday, February 27, 2025, FinCEN announced that it will not issue any penalties or pursue enforcement action against reporting companies for the mere failure to meet the current filing deadlines. That news for many is like the title to British songwriter and singer Zoë’s hit song Sunshine on a Rainy Day!
Be aware, this reprieve only lasts until FinCEN issues its interim final rules and they become effective. These rules are expected to be issued on or before March 21, 2025. Consequently, for those reporting companies that have not registered yet, they need to keep a keen eye on the ball. Alternatively, those companies may want to consider filing before the extended deadline to avoid a foot fault.
Larry J. Brant
Editor
Larry J. Brant is a Shareholder and the Chair of the Tax & Benefits practice group at Foster Garvey, a law firm based out of the Pacific Northwest, with offices in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Washington, D.C.; New York, New York, Spokane, Washington; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Beijing, China. Mr. Brant is licensed to practice in Oregon and Washington. His practice focuses on tax, tax controversy and transactions. Mr. Brant is a past Chair of the Oregon State Bar Taxation Section. He was the long-term Chair of the Oregon Tax Institute, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Portland Tax Forum. Mr. Brant has served as an adjunct professor, teaching corporate taxation, at Northwestern School of Law, Lewis and Clark College. He is an Expert Contributor to Thomson Reuters Checkpoint Catalyst. Mr. Brant is a Fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel. He publishes articles on numerous income tax issues, including Taxation of S Corporations, Reasonable Compensation, Circular 230, Worker Classification, IRC § 1031 Exchanges, Choice of Entity, Entity Tax Classification, and State and Local Taxation. Mr. Brant is a frequent lecturer at local, regional and national tax and business conferences for CPAs and attorneys. He was the 2015 Recipient of the Oregon State Bar Tax Section Award of Merit.