What’s New

Electronic payments. The United States is transitioning from the paper-based payments (including checks and money orders) to and from the federal government to electronic payments, to improve efficiency and prevent delays, risks of fraud, lost payments, and theft.

Making a payment. If there’s a balance due on line 31, go to IRS.gov/Payments . See the instructions for line 31, later, for more details.

Direct deposit. To implement Executive Order 14247, we have added direct deposit fields on lines 32b, 32c, and 32d. If there’s an overpayment on line 32a, enter your direct deposit information on lines 32b, 32c, and 32d.

Domestic research or experimental expenditures. P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, added section 174A, domestic research or experimental (R&E) expenditures. Under section 174A, domestic R&E expenditures paid or incurred in tax years beginning after 2024 are allowed as current-year expense deductions. Alternatively, under section 174A(c), taxpayers may elect to charge the expenditures to a capital account and amortize over a period of at least 60 months. Certain small businesses may apply the provisions of section 174A retroactively. See Rev. Proc. 2025-28 for more information.

Schedule B, question 19. Question 19 has been updated to include payments received that are allocable to foreign partners.

Schedules K and K-1, line 13, code X. P.L. 119-21 amended section 181 to include qualified sound recording production costs as an elective expense deduction. Taxpayers can elect to deduct certain costs of qualified sound recording productions that commence in a tax year ending after July 4, 2025, and before 2026. See Code X under Line 13e, later, for more information.

Schedules K and K-1, line 19, distributions. Additional codes have been activated and the instructions have been updated to explain where to report different categories of distributions. See Lines 19a and 19b, later, for more information.

Schedules K and K-1, line 20, code AR. Line 20, code AR, has been updated to notify partnerships that an employee identification number (EIN) will be required after 2025 for IRA partners receiving an unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) allocation. See Code AR under Line 20c, later, for more information.

Schedules K and K-1, line 20, code AZ. Code AZ was added to report reimbursement of preformation expenditures. See Code AZ under Line 20c, later.

Schedules K and K-1, line 20, code ZZ. P.L. 119-21 added section 1062, regarding the gain from the sale or exchange of qualified farmland property to qualified farmers. For tax years beginning after July 4, 2025, taxpayers can elect to pay the net income tax attributable to the gain on the sale or exchange of qualified farmland property in four equal installments. Partnerships must provide partners adequate information and a copy of the covenant needed to file Form 1062, Deferral of Tax on Gain From the Sale or Exchange of Qualified Farmland Property to Qualified Farmers, and its Schedule A to help partners who make the section 1062 election. See Code ZZ under Line 20c, later, for more information.