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• AICPA Forms Task Force on IRS Proposal

  February 8, 2010

  The Tax Division at the American Institute of CPAs has created a task force to respond to a recent IRS proposal that would require companies to disclose their uncertain tax positions.

• IRS Suspends CPA for Preparing False Tax Returns

  February 5, 2010

  A CPA has been suspended for 12 months from practicing before the Internal Revenue Service for providing false or misleading information when preparing his clients’ tax returns.

• PwC Hires Former IRS Acting Commish Linda Stiff

  January 27, 2010

  Linda Stiff, a former IRS acting commissioner, has now joined PricewaterhouseCoopers, along with some other former agency officials.

• IRS Commissioner Proposes Changes to Reporting Requirements on Uncertain Tax Positions

  January 26, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service is considering requiring some business taxpayers to report uncertain tax positions on their tax returns, according to Commissioner of Internal Revenue Douglas Shulman.

• IRS Spells Out Haiti Tax Deduction Rules

  January 26, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service listed the guidelines for the tax deductions that taxpayers can take for the contributions they make toward Haiti earthquake relief this year.

• IRS Drafts Compliance Checklist for Public Employers

  January 25, 2010

  An IRS advisory subcommittee is testing a compliance checklist for state and local government employers, asking questions about tax withholding, fringe benefits, retirement plans and other matters.

• COBRA Subsidy Eligibility Period Extended

  January 25, 2010

  The eligibility period for COBRA subsidies for laid-off workers has been extended through February, with 15 months of subsidy available now to those who qualify.

• IRS Says Haiti Earthquake Qualifies as a Disaster

  January 22, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service issued guidance that designates the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 as a qualified disaster for federal tax purposes.

• What to Do If Making Work Pay Tax Credit Comes Up Short

  January 22, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued advice on how to claim the Making Work Pay Tax Credit that was included in the Recovery Act if an employer has not provided the full credit.

• IRS Ups Vehicle Value Limits

  January 21, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service has increased its maximum value limits for employer-provided vehicles this year.

• IRS Names International Tax Deputy Commissioner

  January 20, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service has appointed tax attorney Michael Danilack as deputy commissioner (international) of the IRS’s Large and Mid-Size Business Division.

• IRS Wraps Up Private Collection Program

  January 15, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service took the right steps when it shut down its controversial private debt collection program last year, a government report concluded.

• IRS Releases New Homebuyer Tax Credit Form

  January 15, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service has released the new form that eligible homebuyers need to claim the First-Time Homebuyer Credit this tax season and said that processing of those tax returns will begin in mid-February.

• CCH Releases Briefing on Tax Preparer Regulations

  January 15, 2010

  CCH has published a Special Tax Briefing on the IRS’s new program for registering, educating and testing paid tax preparers.

• IRS Opens Free File to Most Taxpayers

  January 15, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service has opened its Free File service, which provides free tax software and electronic filing, to most taxpayers this year.

• Tax Preparer Testing May Discourage Registration

  January 15, 2010

  Although most observers are on board with the new proposals to register, test and license tax return preparers, some questions about the goals and the process remain.

• IRS Offers Online Small Business Tax Workshop

  January 13, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service has added a revised Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop to its Web site with updated content, interactive features and a new reference section.

• IRS to Audit Harvard in Nonprofit Probe

  January 12, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service plans to audit Harvard University and about 39 other colleges as part of an overall review of tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.

• IRS’s Refund Fraud Detection Abilities Questioned

  January 12, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service’s ability to detect fraudulent tax refund claims may have been weakened by a recent move to assign the task to a relatively inexperienced group of employees, according to a new report.

• GAO Wants IRS to Improve Phone Access

  January 11, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service needs to improve its telephone assistance level, as well as its taxpayer service and enforcement functions, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

• IRS Simplifies Taxpayer Notices

  January 11, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service will be sending out newly redesigned, less confusing notices to taxpayers that aim to improve the way it corresponds with its core constituency.

• IRS Puts Cell Phone Proposal on Hold

  January 11, 2010

  Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Doug Shulman has decided against coming up with rules on the taxation of employer-provided cell phones and said the IRS would instead wait for congressional legislation.

• Compliance tops list of IRS concerns for 2010

  January 11, 2010

  Tax return preparers who claim inflated personal or business expenses, false deductions, unallowable credits or excessive exemptions on returns prepared for their clients are a major concern for the Internal Revenue Service during the upcoming filing season, according to a spokesman for the service.

• Compliance tops list of IRS concerns for 2010

  January 11, 2010

  Tax return preparers who claim inflated personal or business expenses, false deductions, unallowable credits or excessive exemptions on returns prepared for their clients are a major concern for the Internal Revenue Service during the upcoming filing season, according to a spokesman for the service.

• New Tax Preparer Requirements Have Drawbacks

  January 8, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service proposals for registration, testing and continuing education of tax preparers has won praise from most stakeholders.

• IRS Ex-Employee Pleads Guilty to Receiving a Bribe

  January 7, 2010

  A former Internal Revenue Service employee has pleaded guilty to one count of receiving a bribe.

• IRS Imposes New Fees on Nonprofits

  January 6, 2010

  The Internal Revenue Service said new user fees now apply to exemption applications for tax-exempt organizations, ruling requests and other matters for 2010.

• Taxpayer Advocate Pushes for Fewer Tax Liens

  January 6, 2010

  National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson said the IRS needs to do better than answering only 71 percent of the calls it receives from taxpayers, and it should stop filing tax liens against people who don’t have the ability to pay.

• IRS Proposes Preparer Registration, Testing and Continuing Ed

  January 4, 2010

  Registration, testing and continuing education are at the core of the requirements proposed by the Internal Revenue Service in response to calls for greater oversight of paid tax preparers.

• IRS Expands Window for Disclosure Authorization

  December 31, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has expanded the time window to 120 days during which it may share a taxpayer’s tax return information with third parties, based upon a taxpayer’s written disclosure authorization.

• IRS Loosens Rules on Preparer Use of Taxpayer Info

  December 30, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued a set of proposed rules that would make it easier for tax preparers to contact clients about tax law developments, send out newsletters and deal with liability insurance claims.

• Biggest Tax and Accounting Stories of 2009

  December 30, 2009

  Everybody has to have a Top 10 list around the New Year, and looking back over the past year, we found that WebCPA readers clicked the most on stories about taxes and accounting firm rankings.

• Tax Refunds Can Go into Savings Bonds Next Year

  December 24, 2009

  H&R Block will be among the tax preparation businesses that will be taking advantage of a new IRS initiative aimed at helping taxpayers build their nest eggs by allocating a portion of their tax refund toward the purchase of U.S. savings bonds.

• IRS Extends Moratorium on Small Business Penalties

  December 24, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has extended its moratorium on collecting penalties on listed tax shelter transactions from small businesses after an influential senator threatened to block the nominations of key Treasury Department nominees.

• Air Transportation Tax Rates Go Up

  December 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service released its 2010 inflation adjustments to the excise taxes on airport transportation, with at least some of them ascending.

• IRS Can’t Verify Eligibility for Stimulus Tax Breaks

  December 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service is unable to verify taxpayer eligibility for the majority of the tax benefits and credits provided by the Recovery Act, according to a new report.

• Millions of IRS Tax ID Numbers Could be Fraudulent

  December 22, 2009

  A new report by the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration found that millions of people may have improperly received Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers from the IRS that could be used to fraudulently claim tax refunds.

• IRS Picks CCH TaxWise Again for Tax Help Sites

  December 17, 2009

  The IRS has chosen to use TaxWise software from CCH Small Firm Services at its tax assistance sites for the 15th consecutive year.

• IRS Proposes Regulations on Stock Basis Reporting

  December 16, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued proposed regulations under a new law that will require reporting of basis and other information by stock brokers and mutual fund companies for most stock purchased in 2011 and all stock purchased in 2012 and later years.

• Look Before Rolling Over a Business Startup

  December 15, 2009

  Promoters have been marketing on the Internet the use of 401(k) funds to purchase franchises or startup businesses, which normally require up-front material sums of monies to launch.

• IRS Names New Criminal Investigation Chief

  December 7, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has appointed Victor Song as the new chief of its Criminal Investigation division, replacing Eileen Mayer, who is retiring next month.

• IRS Publishes Guide to Latest Tax Breaks

  December 4, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued a new tax guide to help taxpayers and tax preparers get the most out of new recovery tax breaks and get a jump on preparing 2009 income tax returns.

• IRS Lowers Standard Mileage Rates

  December 3, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued its 2010 optional standard mileage rates for calculating the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

• IRS and DOJ Aim to Identify Stanford Clients

  December 2, 2009

  The Justice Department has filed papers seeking a federal court order to authorize the IRS to serve a “John Doe summons” on Ralph Janvey, the court-appointed receiver of accused fraudster R. Allen Stanford’s investment companies, in an effort to identify Stanford’s clients.

• IRS Extends Tip Income Reporting Program

  December 1, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has extended for another two years the Attributed Tip Income Program, which makes it easier for workers in the food and beverage industry to report the money they earn from tips.

• IRS to Begin Employment Tax Study in February

  November 30, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service plans to conduct a three-year research study on employment tax compliance starting in February.

• Partnership Returns on the Rise

  November 25, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has found that the number of partnership returns increased 5 percent between tax years 2006 and 2007, from more than 2.9 million to over 3 million.

• IRS to Temporarily Stop Accepting Form 5307

  November 24, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service said it is temporarily closing its determination letter program for adopters of pre-approved defined-benefit plans.

• Homebuyer Tax Credit Spurs Home Sales in October

  November 24, 2009

  The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit helped spur a 10.1 percent jump in sales of existing homes in October.

• Tensions Are Rising from IRS Victory in Textron Case

  November 24, 2009

  The First Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling in U.S. v. Textron is creating a lot of uncertainty.

• IRS Pilot Program Allows Truncating Payee Numbers

  November 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service plans to test a pilot program that would permit filers of information returns to truncate an individual payee’s nine-digit identifying number on paper payee statements for calendar years 2009 and 2010 to protect against identity theft.

• IRS Interest Rates Remain Unchanged in Q1 2010

  November 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service said that interest rates would remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning Jan. 1, 2010, as they were in the prior quarter.

• IRS Proposes New Rules on Credit Card Reporting

  November 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued a set of proposed regulations for reporting on credit and debit card transactions starting in 2011.

• More Businesses Can Use 5-Year NOL Carryback

  November 23, 2009

  Large and midsized companies can now take advantage of expanded net operating loss carryback rules to use the losses they incurred during the economic downturn to reduce their income from prior tax years.

• Over $532M Wrongly Claimed for Education Tax Credits

  November 19, 2009

  Approximately 203,000 taxpayers erroneously claimed a total of over $300 million in Hope Credits for higher education in 2006, and over 169,000 claimed over $232 million in credits, according to a new report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

• 14,700 Taxpayers Voluntarily Disclosed Foreign Accounts to IRS

  November 17, 2009

  Over 14,700 holders of foreign bank accounts told the Internal Revenue Service about the existence of the accounts under a voluntary disclosure program.

• Congress Introduces Bill to Curb Tax Shelter Penalties on Small Business

  November 16, 2009

  A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate and House would reduce the penalties assessed by the IRS on tax shelter investments by small businesses to put them in proportion with the tax benefits received.

• Making Work Pay Credit May Cause Millions to Owe More Taxes

  November 16, 2009

  The Making Work Pay Credit, a tax credit that was a signature part of President Obama’s economic stimulus package in February, could lead to more than 15.4 million people owing additional taxes, according to a new government report.

• TAX NEWS

  November 16, 2009

  Manual refunds error-prone; judge backs GE in IRS dispute; IRS ID prevention efforts fall short; IRS issued over $20 million in erroneous refunds.

• IRS mulls limiting sole-proprietor loss deductions

  November 16, 2009

  About a quarter of all sole-proprietor businesses report losses on their tax returns, but many are doing so by understating their income or overstating their expenses, leading to billions of dollars in lost tax revenue, according to a new government report.

• Low inflation eases tax bracket changes

  November 16, 2009

  Tax rate brackets and various tax benefits will remain unchanged or change only slightly in 2010 due to low inflation, and many pension plan limitations will remain unchanged, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

• IRS Won’t Assess Extra Employment Taxes on FedEx

  November 13, 2009

  The IRS has decided not to assess extra employment taxes for 2004 to 2006 on FedEx for the delivery drivers that the company considers to be independent contractors.

• IRS Issues Guidance on Nonresident Alien Wages

  November 13, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has released guidance to employers paying wages to nonresident alien employees for services performed within the U.S.

• Tips for Small Businesses on Avoiding an IRS Audit

  November 11, 2009

  Shwiff, Levy & Polo, a boutique CPA firm in San Francisco, has listed its top five tips for small business owners to help them avoid an IRS audit.

• IRS Leaves ACORN Off VITA Grant List

  November 10, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has published its list of recipients of matching grants for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, and not surprisingly it omits the controversial community organizing group ACORN.

• IRS Picks New ETAAC Members, Chairman

  November 9, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has selected four new members and a chairman for the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee.

• ‘Unreasonable’ IRS Demands Squash Bunnymen Tour

  November 9, 2009

  British rock band Echo & The Bunnymen have canceled their U.S. tour, citing “unreasonable demands” from the IRS.

• Rangel Bill Clamps Down on Unreported Foreign Income

  November 9, 2009

  Tax accountants who help U.S. taxpayers hide their income in foreign banks are in the crosshairs of a new push by Congress and the Obama administration to crack down on offshore tax haven cheats.

• An Alternative Approach to Regulating Tax Preparers

  November 6, 2009

  A letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman may hold the key to the shape of the recommendations to be proposed before the end of the year on tax preparer registration.

• IRS Has $123.5 Million in Undeliverable Refunds

  November 5, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service is looking for taxpayers who are due to receive a combined $123.5 million from 107,831 refund checks that were returned to the IRS by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors.

• Report Finds $1.8M in Erroneous Health Tax Credits

  November 5, 2009

  At least 1,260 individuals appear to have erroneously claimed about $1.8 million in Health Coverage Tax Credits on their 2007 returns.

• IRS Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Mail

  November 4, 2009

  An IRS employee has admitted to stealing money from the mail that had been sent to the facility where she worked.

• IRS High-Income Audits Could Bring in More Clients

  November 4, 2009

  The IRS’s plans to create a new unit to examine high-income taxpayers with complex offshore tax structures could prove to be a boon to both accounting firms and tax attorneys.

• IRS Issues Guidance on Minimum Distribution Waiver

  November 3, 2009

  Congress decided last year to waive required minimum distributions from retirement savings plans for 2009, but there is still some confusion about how to apply the waiver.

• Tax Return Transcripts Expose Personal Information

  November 3, 2009

  Forty-three percent of taxpayer requests for copies of tax returns or transcripts were processed incorrectly or not in accordance with IRS guidelines, according to a new report.

• IRS Won’t Assess Extra ’02 Taxes on FedEx

  November 2, 2009

  FedEx said the IRS’s audit team has decided not to assess federal employment taxes on FedEx Ground’s home delivery drivers, whom the company considers to be independent contractors.

• Two-Thirds of Individual Taxpayers Now E-file

  November 2, 2009

  Electronic tax filing set a new record this year, with 95 million individual federal income tax returns e-filed, up nearly 6 percent from last year’s total of nearly 90 million.

• TAX NEWS

  November 2, 2009

  TIGTA says the IRS is mostly accurate on the recovery rebate

• Preparing for the inevitable

  November 2, 2009

  Tax preparer registration looms on the horizon

• TAX NEWS

  November 2, 2009

  IRS drops ACORN and Minnesota ends tax reciprocity with Wisconsin

• Inspector General Cites Costs, Delays in IRS Systems Modernization

  October 30, 2009

  The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has concluded that cost overruns and schedule delays with the Internal Revenue Service’s Business Systems Modernization Program have increased during 2009.

• IRS Has Trouble Tracking Debt Collection Notices

  October 30, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service needs to better manage the collection notices it sends to individuals, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

• Inspector General Calls for Better Oversight of IRS Contracts

  October 29, 2009

  The Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration said the Internal Revenue Service should increase the effectiveness of its contract oversight, in a new report.

• IRS Advisory Committee Issues Recommendations

  October 28, 2009

  The IRS’s Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee has released a report outlining recommendations on a wide range of tax administration issues, including creating new forms and instructions, and reporting of a customer’s basis in securities transactions.

• IRS Steps Up Enforcement on the Rich

  October 28, 2009

  IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman had some news for CPAs gathered to hear him speak at an AICPA conference on Monday: high-income individuals are going to be in the agency’s cross-hairs now.

• Congress Clamps Down on Foreign Tax Evasion

  October 27, 2009

  Democratic leaders of key House and Senate committees have introduced legislation to force foreign financial institutions, trusts and corporations to provide information about their U.S. account holders, grantors and owners.

• Shulman Has ‘Some Sympathy’ for CPA Concerns

  October 26, 2009

  IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told a gathering of CPAs that he had heard their concerns about the IRS requiring extra testing of CPAs who prepare taxes, and announced that the IRS would be expanding its probe of overseas income while targeting new enforcement efforts at high-wealth individuals.

• New Form Helps with Ordering Tax Transcripts

  October 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued a new form that will make it easier to order tax transcripts and help process mortgage modification applications.

• Audit Finds $636M in Bogus Homebuyer Credits

  October 22, 2009

  The First-Time Homebuyer Credit program that kept the housing industry afloat this year also led to hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent or erroneous claims.

• IRS's Shulman Warns Board Directors on Compliance

  October 20, 2009

  IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told a group of board directors attending a business conference that they need to hire outside tax advisors to help with tax risks and FIN 48 compliance.

• IRS Issued over $20 Million in Erroneous Refunds

  October 20, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has inadequate controls over dishonored checks from taxpayers, putting millions of dollars at risk, according to a new report.

• IRS Employees Took Unauthorized First-Class Flights

  October 16, 2009

  Nearly a dozen IRS employees took unauthorized first-class and business-class flights in the past two years that cost taxpayers over $50,000, according to a new report.

• Low Inflation Eases Tax Bracket Changes for 2010

  October 15, 2009

  Tax rate brackets and various tax benefits will remain unchanged or change only slightly in 2010 due to low inflation, and many pension plan limitations will remain unchanged, according to the IRS.

• First-Time Homebuyer Credit Challenged IRS

  October 15, 2009

  The IRS had a successful filing season this year, according to a new report, despite the challenges of dealing with economic stimulus provisions passed in the midst of tax season, such as an expanded First-Time Homebuyer Credit.

• IRS Employee Indicted in Bribery Case

  October 15, 2009

  An Internal Revenue Service employee was arrested at the IRS offices in Dallas after a grand jury indicted him on a felony bribery charge.

• IRS Mulls Limiting Sole-Proprietor Loss Deductions

  October 13, 2009

  About a quarter of all sole-proprietor businesses report losses on their tax returns, but many are doing so by understating their income or overstating their expenses, leading to billions of dollars in lost tax revenue, according to a new government report.

• IRS Creates Retirement Plan Tool for Small Business

  October 13, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has created a new Web-based tool to help small-business owners determine which tax-favored pension plan best suits their needs and how to keep their plans in compliance.

• IRS Identity Theft Prevention Efforts Fall Short

  October 8, 2009

  The IRS’s ability to detect identity theft-related refund and employment fraud is limited, but by the end of 2008, the IRS had cataloged over 50,000 incidents, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.

• Manual Tax Refunds Prone to Error

  October 8, 2009

  The IRS is unable to determine if it is issuing erroneous or fraudulent manual refunds to taxpayers, according to a new report.

• Tax Whistleblowers Encounter Obstacles at IRS

  October 7, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service’s Whistleblower Office is having trouble managing the growing number of claims it has been receiving from informants telling the IRS about tax dodgers.

• Hold Times Get Longer for IRS Callers

  October 7, 2009

  Taxpayers calling the IRS for help last tax season endured longer hold times and more disconnected phone calls than in the past, according to a new report.

• IRS Gets Recovery Rebate Credit Right Most of the Time

  October 6, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service correctly calculated the recovery rebate credit on the vast majority of tax returns it processed this year, but it still missed out on tens of millions of dollars.

• Informant Program Spurs IRS Whistleblower Tips

  October 2, 2009

  The IRS’s paid informant program yielded 476 tips last fiscal year about 1,246 tax evaders after Congress substantially revamped the program in 2006.

• IRS Warns Tax Procrastinators

  October 1, 2009

  The time is nigh, saith the IRS, for millions of taxpayers who have filed for extensions to send in their 2008 returns by Oct. 15.

• IRS Revamps Travel Expense Rules

  October 1, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued new rules for travel, lodging, meals and other expenses, including a new optional method for computing the deductible costs.

• IRS Offers Options on Retirement Plan Distributions

  September 30, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has provided guidance for retirement plan administrators, plan participants and retirees on some recent changes from legislation affecting required minimum distributions.

• IRS Extends Moratorium on Small Business Tax Shelter Penalties

  September 25, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has agreed to extend until the end of the year a grace period for collecting penalties from small businesses accused of engaging in certain types of tax shelters.

• IRS Drops ACORN

  September 24, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has severed ties with ACORN, the controversial community-organizing group that was recently the subject of a series of hidden camera videos.

• IRS to Require 1040 E-filing by Tax Preparers

  September 22, 2009

  The Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration has released a report recommending that the IRS seek mandatory electronic filing of individual tax returns by paid preparers, and legislation is being readied to write such a requirement into law.

• IRS Extends Offshore Account Disclosure Deadline for the Last Time

  September 21, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has again extended the deadline for taxpayers to make voluntary disclosures of the unreported income they have stashed in hidden offshore accounts, but warned this would be the final extension.

• Tax Preparer Registration is Inevitable

  September 18, 2009

  In recent months, the IRS has taken a more serious look at the long- talked-about subject of professional tax preparer registration.

• CCH Sees Little Help from 2010 Tax Inflation Adjustments

  September 17, 2009

  Taxpayers will reap little benefit next year from the indexing of many features of the Tax Code, according to CCH, which released estimated income ranges for each 2010 tax bracket.

• IRS Pays Millions in Interest on Frozen Tax Refunds

  September 17, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service is spending millions of dollars in interest on tax refunds that have been improperly frozen, according to a new report.

• IRS Eases Rules on Commercial Mortgage Loan Modifications

  September 16, 2009

  The IRS has issued a new tax rule that will allow commercial real estate borrowers to proactively discuss possible modifications to securitized loans that are at risk of default without triggering tax penalties.

• IRS Plans Final Forum on Tax Preparer Standards

  September 14, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service plans to hold the last of its public forums on improving tax preparer standards at the end of the month, featuring panelists from the tax software industry and unenrolled preparers.

• Linda Stiff Retires from IRS

  September 11, 2009

  Linda Stiff, the former acting commissioner of the IRS, plans to retire this fall.

• IRS Site Highlights Education Tax Breaks

  September 10, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has opened a new section of its Web site dedicated to various back-to-school tax breaks for college savings and tuition credits.

• Computer Formulas Help IRS Find Fishy Returns

  September 10, 2009

  The IRS’s use of computer formulas is paying off for the agency, improving productivity and picking out returns that taxpayers agree to settle for the recommended additional amounts.

• IRS to Focus on Filling Vacancies

  September 8, 2009

  The IRS faces challenges in recruitment, training and retention of employees to replace the increasing number of employees who are eligible to retire, according to a new report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

• Wireless Industry Wants Cell Phone Tax Rules Ended

  September 3, 2009

  The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association has asked the IRS to repeal an old tax rule that required employees to maintain logs detailing their business usage of mobile phones.

• Tax Preparer Said IRS ‘Pre-Audited’ Clients’ Returns

  September 3, 2009

  A Florida tax preparer has been barred by a federal judge after he falsely told clients he was a former IRS employee and that the IRS had “pre-audited” their tax returns.

• AICPA Advises IRS to Stick to Circular 230 for CPAs

  September 1, 2009

  The American Institute of CPAs has written to the IRS asking the service to rely on the existing Circular 230 penalty structure for regulating CPA tax preparers rather than impose a new one.

• IRS to Assign Corporate Auditors to Swiss Bank Cases

  September 1, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service plans to reassign many of the auditors from its corporate division to a newly created office that will deal with wealthy tax evaders, including those with UBS bank accounts.

• IRS Managers to Get More Involved in Tax Audits

  August 31, 2009

  IRS managers may start supervising tax audits more closely to help resolve disputes between taxpayers and tax examiners.

• IRS Could Use Mortgage Data to Pursue Tax Evaders

  August 31, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service should check Form 1098 mortgage interest statements to catch tax dodgers, recommended a new report.

• AICPA Complains to Washington about Tax Penalties

  August 31, 2009

  The American Institute of CPAs criticized overly broad and disproportionate tax penalties levied on both tax preparers and taxpayers in a report submitted to Congress’s tax-writing committees, the Treasury Department and the IRS.

• Taxpayer Advocates Recommend IRS Improvements

  August 27, 2009

  The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, a federal advisory committee of 99 citizen volunteers, made a series of recommendations to the IRS on improving payment installment agreements, the scheduling of audits, fixing problems in 1009 forms and other areas.

• Sole Proprietorships on the Rise

  August 26, 2009

  IRS data shows an increase in the number of sole proprietorships and S corporations in recent years.

• Report Faults IRS Research Efforts

  August 20, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service does not have a standardized process for monitoring the progress of its research projects, nor a way to validate the results or measure the impact of its research efforts on tax administration.

• Deadline Nears for Small Biz Stimulus Tax Breaks

  August 19, 2009

  The IRS said that time is running out for many small businesses that wish to take advantage of the tax breaks in the stimulus bill.

• IRS Plans Next Forum on Tax Preparer Standards

  August 18, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has set Wednesday, Sept. 2, as the second date in a series of public forums to discuss performance standards for tax preparers.

• Shulman to Chair International Tax Forum

  August 17, 2009

  IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman has been chosen as the new chairman of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Forum on Tax Administration.

• Shulman to Chair International Tax Forum

  August 17, 2009

  IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman has been chosen as the new chairman of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Forum on Tax Administration.

• Tax Preparer Regulation Stirs Up Hornets’ Nest

  August 17, 2009

  With trillion-dollar deficits, cap-and-trade and nationalized health care on the horizon, the issues involving the possible registering and licensing of tax preparers seem trivial.

• Offshore Accounts and Payments Gain IRS Attention

  August 11, 2009

  The IRS is increasing its audit activity involving payments to foreign persons and U.S. taxpayers' offshore financial accounts.

• IRS to Step Up Tax-Exempt Fraud Enforcement

  August 10, 2009

  A report from the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration recommends that the IRS adopt a centralized approach to crack down on fraud at nonprofit organizations.

• IRS Extends FBAR Filing Deadline Again

  August 7, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has extended the filing deadline yet again for people to report on foreign tax accounts, giving them until June 30 of next year, but only under certain circumstances.

• IRS Warns of New ID Theft Scams

  August 4, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service issued an alert about new identity theft scams from fraudsters using the IRS’s name, logo and Web address.

• IRS Looks for Issues to Resolve

  August 3, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service wants to hear from taxpayers, associations and other interested parties about any business tax controversies or disputes that its Industry Issue Resolution program can resolve.

• NSA Supports Tax Preparer Registration

  July 30, 2009

  National Society of Accountants president James H. Nolen testified at an Internal Revenue Service hearing that his group supports the registration of tax preparers, penalties for non-registrants and continuing education requirements.

• IRS to Issue Guidance on Failed Treasury Trades

  July 29, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service plans to issue guidance on the taxation of “fails charges” for failed deliveries of U.S. Treasuries.

• Contractor Billed IRS for Questionable Charges

  July 27, 2009

  An IRS contractor billed the agency $782,000 in dubious labor and travel charges between 2001 and 2006, according to a report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

• IRS Asks Public for Ideas on Tax Preparer Standards

  July 27, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service wants ordinary taxpayers to offer suggestions on how to improve tax preparer performance.

• Jury Indicts IRS Officer in Mortgage Refi Scheme

  July 24, 2009

  A federal grand jury has indicted an IRS revenue officer for pressuring delinquent taxpayers to refinance their mortages with a company for which he worked on the side so they could pay their outstanding tax debts.

• IRS Publishes Final e-Postcard Regulations

  July 23, 2009

  The IRS and the Treasury Department have issued final regulations clarifying how and when certain small tax-exempt organizations must file an annual electronic notice.

• IRS Revises Offer-in-Compromise Forms

  July 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has released a new version of Form 656-B, “Offer in Compromise Booklet,” and a revised Form 656, “Offer in Compromise.”

• TIGTA Wants Tips on Rogue Tax Preparers

  July 22, 2009

  Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George asked tax professionals to provide his office with information on other preparers who are acting unethically or illegally as the IRS prepares to overhaul regulations for practitioners.

• IRS Has Trouble Tracking Paid Tax Preparers

  July 20, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service cannot easily keep track of the activities of paid tax preparers, nor of their compliance with tax laws, according to a new report by the Treasury Inspector of Tax Administration.

• IRS Agent: ‘I’m Going to Kill All of You!’

  July 17, 2009

  IRS agent Albert Bront threatened to kill a group of U.S. Treasury agents when they tried to search his home earlier this week.

• State Licenses May Hinge on Federal Tax Compliance

  July 16, 2009

  Many businesses may soon find they cannot obtain or renew a license unless they are current with both their state and federal taxes.

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