2020-15829. Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal Procurement Payments

AGENCY:

Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Internal Revenue Service, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal Procurement Payments.

DATES:

Written comments should be received on or before September 21, 2020 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Chakinna Clemons, Internal Revenue Service, Room 6526, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224. Requests for additional information or copies of the form and instructions should be directed to LaNita Van Dyke, at [phone], at Internal Revenue Service, Room 6526, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224, or through the internet at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 

Title: Certificate of Foreign Contracting Party Receiving Federal Procurement Payments.

OMB Number: 1545-2263.

Form Number: Form W-14.

Abstract: Tax on Certain Foreign Procurement, Notice of Purposed Rulemaking, contains proposed regulations under section 5000C of the Internal Revenue Code. The proposed regulations affect U.S. government acquiring agencies and foreign persons providing certain goods or services to the U.S. government pursuant to a contract. This document also contains proposed regulations under section 6114, with respect to foreign persons claiming an exemption from the tax under an income tax treaty. Section 5000C imposes a 2% tax on foreign persons (as defined in section 7701(a)(30)), that are parties to specified Federal procurement contracts with the U.S. government entered into on and after January 2, 2011. This tax is imposed on the gross amount of specified Federal procurement payments and is generally collected by increasing the amount withheld under chapter 3. A Form W-14 must be provided to the acquiring agency (U.S. government department, agency, independent establishment, or corporation) to: Establish that they are a foreign contracting party; and If applicable, claim an exemption from withholding based on an international agreement (such as a tax treaty); or Claim an exemption from withholding, in whole or in part, based on an international procurement agreement or because goods are produced, or services are performed in the United States. A Form W-14 must be provided to the acquiring agency if a foreign contracting party has been paid a specified Federal procurement payment and the foreign contracting party is seeking to claim an exemption (in whole or in part) from the tax imposed by section 5000C. Form W-14 must be submitted when requested by the acquiring agency, whether or not an exemption (in whole or in part) is claimed from withholding under section 5000C.

Current Actions: There are no changes being made to the form at this time.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Federal government.

Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,000.

Estimated Time Per Response: 5 hrs., 55 mins.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,840.

The following paragraph applies to all of the collections of information covered by this notice:

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a collection of information must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any internal revenue law. Generally, tax returns and tax return information are confidential, as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.

Request for Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

Approved: July 9, 2020.

Chakinna B. Clemons,

Supervisory Tax Analyst.