Puerto Rico Supreme Court Issues Opinion on Taxation Severance Payments - Treasury Issues Related Guidance

AutorJuan L. Alonso
CargoVice Chair, Tax Practice Group, McConnell Valdés LLC
Páginas171-175
171
PUERTORICOSUPREMECOURTISSUESOPINIONONTAXATION
OFSEVERANCEPAYMENTSTREASURYISSUESRELATED
GUIDANCE
COMMENT
JUANLUISALONSO*
I. TheFacts............................................................................................................ 171
II. AndNow,What? .............................................................................................. 173
III.WhatAboutFICA? ...........................................................................................174
IV.ReductioninForceProgramsAfterOrsini .....................................................174
V.Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 175
NDECEMBER18,2009,THEPUERTORICOSUPREMECOURTISSUEDA57
pageopinion(excludingtwoconcurringopinions)inthecaseof
OrsiniGarcíav.SecretariodeHacienda.1InOrsini,theSupreme
Courtheld,thatseverancepaymentsmadetodischargedemployeespursuantto
PuertoRico’sUnjustDismissalAct(ActNo.80)2arenotsubjecttoPuertoRico
incometax,andassuch,notsubjecttoPuertoRicoincometaxwithholding.
I.THEFACTS
Afterseveralyearsofemployment,in2003,Orsiniwasdischargedbyhis
Employerandwasofferedanamountinexchangeforsigningareleaseagree
ment,whichOrsiniaccepted.FollowingapplicableguidancefromthePuerto
RicoTreasuryDepartment(PRTreasury),theEmployerwithheldPuertoRico
incometaxfromthepaymentandreportedthepaymentandtaxwithheldtothe
PRTreasury.
OrsinioriginallyincludedthepaymentinhisPuertoRicoincometaxreturn
astaxablewages.Hesubsequentlyfiledanamendedtaxreturntoexcludesaid
amountfromincomeandtorequestarefundofthetaxwithheld,onthebasis
thattheseverancepaymentdidnotconstitutetaxableincome.ThePRTreasury
deniedtherefundrequest
OrsinifiledaclaimagainstthePRTreasurybeforethePuertoRicoCourtof
FirstInstanceallegingthattheamountreceiveddidnotconstitutetaxablein

*ViceChair,TaxPracticeGroup,McConnellValdésLLC.
1OrsiniGarcíav.SecretariodeHacienda,2009TSPR190,177DPR___(2009).
2PuertoRicoUnjustDismissalAct,ActNo.80ofMay30,1976,29L.P.R.A.§§185a185m(2009).
O

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