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• 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.

• DOJ Sues to Stop $562 Million Tax Fraud Scheme

  October 29, 2009

  The Justice Department has filed seven lawsuits around the country to stop a massive tax refund fraud scheme based on claims of large tax withholding.

• Homebuyer Tax Credit Claims Lead to Fraud Probe

  October 21, 2009

  The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit program may have helped boost the sagging housing market this year, but it also seems to have encouraged a lot of fraudulent activity.

• CPA Gets 18 Months for Filing False Return

  October 16, 2009

  Arnold C. Libman, a licensed California CPA, has been sentenced to a year and a half in federal prison, and a year of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return.

• 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.

• Judge Backs GE in IRS Dispute

  October 9, 2009

  A federal court judge ruled in favor of General Electric in a tax case involving $62 million in tax benefits from a partnership arrangement that the IRS had claimed was a sham.

• Tax Preparers’ Daughters Get 6 Years in Prison

  October 9, 2009

  The daughters of the patriarch of an income tax preparation business were sentenced to six years in federal prison for filing false tax returns after their father received a 10-year sentence.

• Sixth UBS Client Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges

  October 6, 2009

  A retired Boeing sales manager is the latest UBS client to plead guilty to filing a false tax return after the Swiss bank agreed to disclose the identities of some of its U.S. clients.

• Hair Salon Owners Sent to Jail for Payroll Tax Fraud

  October 5, 2009

  A husband and wife who owned and operated hair salons in Southern California were sentenced to prison for failing to pay payroll taxes.

• Camico Expands CalCPA Insurance Offerings

  October 5, 2009

  Camico is expanding the range of insurance options it is offering to members of the California Society of CPAs.

• DOJ Asks Court to Bar CPA from Preparing Returns

  September 29, 2009

  The Justice Department has asked a federal court in Lincoln, Neb., to bar Donald Ondrak, a Lexington, Neb., CPA, from preparing tax returns.

• Court Refuses to Force Disclosure Against Deloitte

  September 28, 2009

  Rulings Protect Documents From Disclosure in Tax Refund Case

• UBS Client Pleads Guilty to Hiding $6.1 Million

  September 25, 2009

  A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to failing to report $6.1 million that he had hidden in secret Swiss bank accounts.

• Fake CPA Faces Up to Six Years in Jail

  September 23, 2009

  A California tax preparer who falsely claimed to be a CPA and former IRS employee could receive up to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty this week to aiding and assisting others in preparing false tax returns.

• Tax Preparer Convicted After Violating Injunction

  September 18, 2009

  A man who had been barred five years ago from preparing tax returns and representing clients before the IRS was convicted of violating the injunction by continuing to do so.

• Court Cracks Down on Stock-Loan Tax Fraud Scheme

  September 16, 2009

  A federal judge in San Francisco has issued permanent injunctions barring four individuals from promoting what a government lawsuit describes as a complex tax-fraud scheme involving several entities located around the globe.

• IRS Employee Indicted for Stealing Mail

  September 15, 2009

  An IRS employee has been indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing mail that had been delivered to an IRS service facility.

• Tax Court Denies Medical Deduction for Prostitutes, Porn

  September 15, 2009

  The Tax Court has denied a Brooklyn tax lawyer’s attempt to claim over $100,000 in payments for prostitutes and pornography as medical expense deductions.

• CPA and Attorney Indicted in Offshore Tax Scheme

  September 14, 2009

  A federal grand jury has indicted an Arizona accountant and an attorney for participating in an offshore tax shelter scheme.

• Pitcher Koosman Gets 6 Months for Tax Evasion

  September 4, 2009

  Former All-Star baseball pitcher Jerry Koosman received a six-month sentence for not paying his federal income taxes for 2002-2004.

• 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.

• Court Rejects Schering-Plough $473M Tax Refund

  September 2, 2009

  A federal court has denied a $473 million tax refund to Schering-Plough after the drug maker sought to avoid taxes on $690 million in profits it repatriated from offshore subsidiaries into the U.S. through some dubious transactions.

• 'Girls Gone Wild' Founder Accuses CPA of Going Wild

  September 2, 2009

  Mantra Films, the company that produces the racy 'Girls Gone Wild' video series, has filed suit against the company’s former CFO, accusing him of conspiring with two other former executives to embezzle millions of dollars.

• Former IRS Employee Pleads Guilty to Accepting a Bribe

  August 28, 2009

  A former IRS compliance officer in Las Vegas has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe in exchange for preparing a false audit report for a taxpayer.

• Ex-IRS District Director Gets 2 Years for Tax Fraud

  August 28, 2009

  A former IRS district director who worked for a company that promised to reduce the tax liabilities of home-based business owners has been sentenced to two years in prison.

• Tax Preparer Gets 18 Months for Filing False Returns

  August 26, 2009

  A California tax preparer has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and one year of probation for preparing and filing false tax returns with the IRS.

• Government Indicts Seven for Tax Defier Schemes

  August 21, 2009

  Seven New Englanders have been indicted in Boston for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government after they were accused of promoting multiple tax fraud schemes.

• Former UBS Banker Sentenced to 40 Months

  August 21, 2009

  A former UBS banker who cooperated with the U.S. investigation of the Swiss bank was sentenced to over three years in jail for helping a billionaire real estate developer evade $7.2 million in taxes.

• Former Publishing CFO Sentenced for Tax Evasion

  August 21, 2009

  A former CFO who embezzled money from the magazine publishing company he helped run has been sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release.

• Swiss Tax Indictments Widen Beyond UBS

  August 20, 2009

  A Swiss banking executive and lawyer have been indicted on charges of conspiring to defraud the U.S. in a sign that the IRS is now looking beyond UBS in its international tax enforcement efforts.

• Accountant Pleads Guilty in Shell Company Tax Case

  August 19, 2009

  A California accountant has pleaded guilty in a case in which he and an attorney have been charged with evading millions of dollars in taxes earned from the sale of public shell companies.

• UBS Agrees to Disclose 4,450 Bank Account Names

  August 19, 2009

  Swiss bank UBS will turn over the names behind 4,450 accounts as part of an agreement announced Wednesday between the U.S. and Swiss governments.

• California Fights Frivolous Tax Arguments

  August 18, 2009

  In an effort to reduce the state’s monstrous budget shortfall, revenue officials in California have begun slapping stiff new fines on income tax scofflaws who use frivolous tax arguments to avoid paying their share.

• ‘Global Prosperity’ Tax Scheme Promoter Banned

  August 17, 2009

  A federal court in Seattle has permanently barred a prison inmate from promoting a tax avoidance scheme that attracted over 44,000 customers and earned over $50 million.

• U.S. Swiss Banking Deal Yields First Guilty Plea

  August 17, 2009

  A California man has agreed to plead guilty to a scheme to move over $1 million into secret Swiss bank accounts at UBS via a fake business the bank helped him set up in Hong Kong.

• Court Orders Textron to Give Tax Papers to IRS

  August 14, 2009

  In a decision that could have major implications for accountant work-product privileges, a federal appeals court has reversed a lower court decision and ordered aerospace and defense contractor Textron to hand over tax accrual work papers to the IRS as part of an investigation of tax shelters.

• Swiss and U.S. Governments Make a Deal on UBS

  August 12, 2009

  The U.S. and Swiss governments have reached an agreement on a lawsuit in which the IRS had been seeking the identities of the U.S. taxpayers behind 52,000 secret accounts at the Swiss bank UBS.

• Ex-IRS Agent Sentenced to 46 Months for Tax Fraud

  August 11, 2009

  A retired IRS agent who worked for a company that claimed to cut customers’ taxes has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for taking part in a tax fraud scheme.

• 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.

• Appeals Court Reinstates IRS Phone Tax Refund Suit

  August 10, 2009

  A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit charging the IRS with depriving taxpayers of billions of dollars in refunds on long-distance telephone excise taxes.

• Tax Preparer Set up Fake ‘IRS’ Bank Account

  August 7, 2009

  Tax preparer David Canales was arraigned in a San Diego federal court on an 18-count indictment charging him with mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion after he created checking accounts named after the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board.

• Former Rabbi Charged in $35M Tax Fraud Scheme

  August 6, 2009

  A former Chicago rabbi and nine others were charged in a $35 million tax fraud conspiracy, accused of filing 3,300 false tax returns in the names of federal prison inmates.

• U.S., Swiss Reach Accord on Secret UBS Accounts

  August 3, 2009

  The U.S. and Swiss governments have reportedly reached an agreement on the secret bank accounts of U.S. citizens that the IRS has been seeking from UBS.

• Toy Exec Pleads Guilty in UBS Tax Case

  July 30, 2009

  Toy industry executive Jeffrey P. Chernick has pleaded guilty to charges of filing a false tax return, the third U.S. client of Swiss bank UBS to plead guilty to tax charges.

• IRS Warns of Homebuyer Credit Fraud

  July 29, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has prosecuted a tax preparer who used the First-Time Homebuyer Credit in a fraud scheme that appears to be an increasing trend.

• Henry Louis Gates’ Foundation to Revise Tax Return

  July 28, 2009

  A nonprofit foundation run by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. is filing an amended 2007 tax return after it was found to have mischaracterized $11,000 in payments to officials as research grants.

• 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.

• 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.

• DOJ Tries to Work out Deal with UBS and Swiss

  July 13, 2009

  The U.S. and Swiss governments have requested a stay on the court hearings that were set to begin Monday on whether UBS could be forced to divulge the names and bank holdings of 52,000 U.S. taxpayers.

• Another Former BDO Exec Pleads Guilty in Tax Case

  July 10, 2009

  A fourth former partner at BDO Seidman has pleaded guilty in a tax shelter case.

• Switzerland Threatens to Seize UBS Client Info

  July 8, 2009

  The Swiss government said it is ready to confiscate UBS client information to prevent the bank from violating secrecy laws by handing documents over to the U.S. government.

• Court Bars CPAs from Promoting Tax Fraud Scheme

  July 6, 2009

  A federal judge has permanently barred eight men — including two CPAs and five tax preparers — from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme involving bogus income tax credits based on fictitious methane production at landfills.

• GAO Says IRS Should Re-evaluate Taxpayer Penalties

  July 6, 2009

  The IRS needs to create a plan to comprehensively evaluate the administration of civil tax penalties and their impact on voluntary compliance, recommended a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

• M&A Business Charged with Tax Evasion

  July 2, 2009

  A federal grand jury has returned an 11-count indictment charging four Salt Lake City residents with conspiring to conceal profits stemming from their mergers and acquisition business from the IRS and under-reporting or not reporting income over a span of approximately seven years.

• Feds Break up ID Theft and Tax Fraud Scheme

  July 1, 2009

  Eleven defendants have been charged in a massive scheme to file fraudulent tax returns using the stolen identities of Puerto Rican residents in an attempt to collect more than $18 million in tax refunds.

• D.C. Tax Scam Ringleader Sentenced to 17 ½ Years

  June 30, 2009

  Harriette Walters, the former tax office manager for the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison for masterminding a tax scam estimated to have cost the district $48.1 million.

• Accountant Pleads Guilty in UBS Tax Case

  June 29, 2009

  A UBS client and chartered accountant has pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return for his 2004 taxes in the latest sign of the IRS’s stepped-up enforcement efforts against the Swiss bank’s U.S. customers.

• Taxpayer Representatives Often Not Notified of Liens

  June 26, 2009

  The IRS often fails to send notices of federal tax liens to taxpayer representatives such as accountants, according to a new report.

• Law Proposed to Ease Home Office Tax Deduction

  June 25, 2009

  Proposed legislation would make it easier for small businesses to qualify for the home office tax deduction.

• Can Jon & Kate Split 8?

  June 24, 2009

  Just in time for Jon and Kate Gosselin’s impending divorce, the IRS has released a very helpful form.

• Liberty Tax Service Loses Deceptive Ad Suit

  June 22, 2009

  Liberty Tax Service, the third largest tax preparer in the U.S., has lost a lawsuit over deceptive ads that California Attorney General Jerry Brown claimed blurred the line between free tax refunds and expensive refund anticipation loans.

• Tax Preparer Charged with Threatening Assistant DA

  June 18, 2009

  A tax preparer has been arrested for stalking and threatening to harm an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office.

• Court Ruling Could Ease R&D Tax Credit Claims

  June 12, 2009

  A new appeals court ruling could make it easier for companies to claim research and development tax credits from the IRS by allowing them to rely on oral testimony instead of a project expense-tracking system.

• Former BDO CEO Indicted for Tax Shelters

  June 10, 2009

  Former BDO Seidman Chairman and CEO Denis Field, and a former BDO tax partner, along with five other lawyers and bankers from outside the firm, have been indicted in a tax fraud case involving tax shelters marketed by the firm that allegedly generated over $7 billion in fraudulent tax losses,

• Ex-CPA Pleads Guilty in $1.4M Embezzlement Scheme

  June 9, 2009

  Former attorney and CPA Steven Krell has pleaded guilty to a tax charge in connection with the embezzlement of approximately $1,476,900 from two of his clients.

• Ex-Quellos CEO Indicted in Tax Shelter Scheme

  June 5, 2009

  The former chief executive of the investment company Quellos, along with two attorneys, have been indicted in a tax fraud and kickback scheme.

• Former BDO Vice Chair Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

  June 4, 2009

  Former BDO Seidman vice chairman Charles W. Bee Jr., has pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges stemming from tax shelters marketed to the firm’s wealthy clients.

• Judge Blasts Tax Defier During Sentencing

  June 1, 2009

  A California businessman was sentenced to a five-year jail term for tax evasion and ordered to pay a $75,000 fine, as well as given a tongue lashing by the judge, after he failed to report the profits from his marble tile company on his personal income tax return, claiming the business was owned by a “pure trust.”

• IRS Wins Transfer Pricing Tax Dispute Against Chip Maker

  May 29, 2009

  Silicon Valley chip manufacturer Xilinx has lost an appeals court ruling in a tax dispute with the IRS that could have implications for other multinational companies that use transfer pricing.

• IRS Agent Refuses Pizza Bribe

  May 26, 2009

  A Texas restaurant owner has been sentenced to two years in jail after he was convicted of trying to bribe an IRS agent by offering her free pizza and a job.

• Ernst & Young Partners Convicted of Tax Fraud

  May 11, 2009

  Two current and two former Ernst & Young partners were found guilty of tax fraud and conspiracy charges related to tax shelters.

• Massachusetts Tax Auditors Foiled in IDG Ruling

  May 8, 2009

  A recent decision by the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board related to inter-company pricing may put state tax auditors on notice not to overreach when assessing the value of services and products provided between companies and their out-of-state affiliates.

• Oh No! Mr. Bill’s Tax Office Raided by Feds

  May 7, 2009

  Internal Revenue Service agents raided a local tax practice in Central Florida known as Taxes by Mr. Bill and accused the firm of stealing its clients’ tax refunds.

• Gambling Tax Commissioner Replaced

  May 6, 2009

  A county tax commissioner in New Jersey has been replaced after he was indicted last week for conspiring to embezzle $278,650 from his Elks Lodge to gamble in Atlantic City.

• Ex-Finance Director Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes

  May 5, 2009

  The former director of finance for packaging-machine maker Winpak Lane’s California office has pled guilty to tax and embezzlement charges.

• Man Arrested for Setting up Fake IRS Free File Sites

  May 4, 2009

  A 23-year-old Russian has been arrested for stealing about $105,000 in tax refunds after he set up fraudulent Web sites that claimed to prepare taxes for free.

• Couple Claimed Over $300,000 in Fake Tax Refunds

  April 30, 2009

  A Southern California couple has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to file false tax returns, mail fraud and identity theft after they were found to have filed for refunds of over $300,000 using stolen identities.

• IRS issues guidance for Ponzi victims

  April 19, 2009

  In the wake of several high-profile Ponzi schemes - most notably, the $65 billion fraud perpetrated by the now-jailed Bernard Madoff - the Internal Revenue Service has issued new guidance for victims of these types of schemes and their tax preparers.

• In brief

  April 19, 2009

• Tax strategy: Ponzi scheme guidance: More details

  April 19, 2009

  The Bernard Madoff situation is just the most notorious of dozens of Ponzi schemes that have surfaced since the current recession made it more difficult for the operators of those schemes to keep covering payouts and redemptions with money from new investors.

• Shooting for the stars

  April 19, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service now has a new interest in sports and entertainment - and not just as a spectator.

• Yacht Exec Pleads Guilty in UBS Tax Shelter Case

  April 16, 2009

  Robert Moran faces up to three years and a fine of $250,000 for sheltering over $3 million offshore.

• IRS Makes Some Card Fees Deductible

  April 9, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service said that it would make some credit and debit card convenience fees tax-deductible, but only under certain circumstances.

• States Hike Sales Tax Rates to New Records

  April 9, 2009

  The economic crisis is forcing many states and cities to increase their sales tax rates to the highest average level ever, according to a new report.

• IRS Offers New Free Way to File for Extensions

  April 8, 2009

  This year, the Internal Revenue Service is offering a new way to file an extension request for free.

• Grassley Praises IRS for Hiring Veterans

  April 8, 2009

  Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has commended the Internal Revenue Service for hiring more than 1,000 veterans last year.

• Buddy Systems Created By Youth

  April 7, 2009

  Like many good ideas, Weiser's Buddy System started over drinks.

• IRS Takes Slow Train to Security Fixes

  April 7, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has made slow progress in implementing federally required security settings on nearly 100,000 desktop and laptop computers, said a newly released audit.

• BDO Partner Charged with Tax Crimes

  April 7, 2009

  A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a BDO Seidman partner with tax charges for attempting to help one of his clients evade income taxes.

• CPAs and Tax Preparers Charged in Methane Scam

  April 7, 2009

  The Justice Department has filed suit against four CPAs, 27 tax preparers and another individual, accusing them of promoting a tax scam that claimed bogus income tax credits for sham sales of methane from landfills.

• Estate Tax Planning for 2009 and Beyond

  April 7, 2009

  With the repeal of the federal estate tax set for 2010 and its reinstatement scheduled just one year later, estate tax planning has become more complicated than ever.

• U.S. and Swiss to Share More Tax Information

  April 7, 2009

  The U.S. Treasury Department said that it plans to begin negotiating a protocol with the government of Switzerland to exchange more tax information, opening a window on formerly secret Swiss bank accounts.

• Practitioner Suspended for Bilking Taxpayers

  April 7, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has suspended an enrolled agent from practicing before the agency after his clients complained that he did little to help them settle their tax disputes.

• Buddy Systems Created By Youth

  March 31, 2009

  Like many good ideas, Weiser's Buddy System started over drinks.

• Off to a running start

  April 5, 2009

  An early-season surge in tax filing - attributed by most observers to the declining economy - has thus far characterized this year's filing season.

• IRS nixes private collection

  April 5, 2009

• Lawmakers petition IRS for greater leniency

  April 5, 2009

  Washington, D.C.-With millions of Americans needing help to survive the recession, job losses and home foreclosure, Congress is urging the Internal Revenue Service to cut some slack for taxpayers who are "struggling to stay afloat while their debts increase."

• Madoff investors: Tax victims, too?

  April 5, 2009

  Many are surprised to learn that while it sometimes appears that the Internal Revenue Code reaches into every aspect of our lives, it lacks focus in addressing the complex tax consequences that face the unfortunate victims of Ponzi schemes.

• In brief

  April 5, 2009

• Tax strategy: Maximizing small-biz incentives in the Recovery Act

  April 5, 2009

  he $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5, Feb. 17, 2009) provides almost $300 billion in tax relief. As a stimulus package, the bill makes available over $280 billion in tax relief in the short term in 2009 and 2010.

• IRS Copes with Challenging Tax Season

  April 6, 2009

  Despite all the tax changes in the past year to stimulate the economy, the Internal Revenue Service appears to be weathering the tax season well so far.

• Video: Joe the Plumber Takes on the IRS

  April 6, 2009

  Joe the Plumber has made his next mission the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service.

• Companies Foresee More Tax Audits

  April 6, 2009

  As governments desperately seek all kinds of additional revenue, senior business professionals see the increased possibility of an audit by taxing authorities as the most significant tax risk facing their organizations today, according to a new survey.

• IRS to Assess Risks of Tax Software

  April 3, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service should determine whether using tax software creates any security and compliance risks, recommended the Government Accountability Office in a new report.

• Former KPMG Execs Sentenced in Tax Case

  April 3, 2009

  Two former KPMG managers received prison terms and multimillion-dollar fines in a long-running tax shelter case.

• IRS Grants Relief to Flood Victims

  April 3, 2009

  Victims of severe flooding in Minnesota and North Dakota have an extra 30 days, until May 15, to file their 2008 individual tax returns and pay any taxes due.

• Congress Passes Budget Plan

  April 3, 2009

  Both the House and Senate approved the Democrats' version of a $3.5 trillion budget plan for fiscal year 2010, but without a single Republican vote.

• Accountant Arrested for UBS Tax Shelters

  April 3, 2009

  The first U.S. client of Swiss bank UBS has been arrested on tax evasion charges by federal authorities, and he's an accountant.

• Congress to IRS: Go Easy on Small Biz

  April 2, 2009

  Lawmakers at a congressional hearing Wednesday pressed Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman to ease up on audits of small businesses.

• CCH Revamps Tax Research Service

  April 2, 2009

  CCH has introduced IntelliConnect, the next generation of its widely used online information service, Tax Research NetWork.

• U.S. Signs Tax Deal with Gibraltar

  April 2, 2009

  Just in time for the G20 economic summit in London, the U.S. Treasury Department has signed a tax information exchange agreement with the government of Gibraltar.

• Tax Tips for Individuals and Businesses

  April 2, 2009

  As the tax deadline looms in two weeks, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has some advice for businesses and individual taxpayers.

• Beware the Taxman (or Student)

  April 2, 2009

  Tax evaders beware. Pittsburg State University students are coming to get you.

• Tax Strategies for IRA Owners Affected by the Market

  March 31, 2009

  The sharp stock market decline we've experienced has no immediate tax effect on pre-retirement-age taxpayers who invested their traditional IRAs or Roth IRAs in stocks and mutual funds, since losses as well as gains are not recognized within either type of IRA.

• Tax & Financial Planning News

  March 31, 2009

• Tax Research Comes in Many Flavors

  March 31, 2009

  Accountants gain an appetite for Google-like search.

• Tax Season Essentials

  March 31, 2009

• Tax Briefs

  March 31, 2009

• New Budget, New Tax Scene

  March 31, 2009

• Tech Bulletin Briefs

  March 31, 2009

• Recovery Act Moves

  March 31, 2009

• IRS Announces Tax Break on New Car Purchases

  April 1, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has begun spreading the word about a special incentive for taxpayers to buy a new car this year: a hefty deduction next year.

• HHS Nominee Pays $7,040 in Back Taxes

  April 1, 2009

  Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius became the latest prospective Cabinet member to run afoul of the Tax Code after she admitted to recently paying $7,040 in back taxes and $878 in interest.

• Thomson Reuters Updates Tax Planning App to Include Stimulus

  March 31, 2009

  In order to include provisions in the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has updated its Planner CS program.

• Bonus Tax Bills May Be Unconstitutional

  March 31, 2009

  The Congressional Research Service has found that both the Senate and House bills that seek to tax bonuses paid to employees of entities receiving assistance from the federal government under the Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 may have constitutional problems.

• Obama Nominates Tax Policy Head

  March 31, 2009

  President Barack Obama has nominated a California professor, Helen Elizabeth Garrett, as his Assistant Treasury Secretary for Tax Policy.

• IRS Employee Stole Taxpayer Identities

  March 31, 2009

  An Internal Revenue Service employee has been charged with illegally accessing IRS computers to obtain information on taxpayers and filing false tax returns in their names.

• Baucus Introduces Middle-Income Relief Legislation

  March 30, 2009

  Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., has announced legislation that would make existing tax breaks permanent for working families and individuals.

• IRS to Offer Leniency to Offshore Evaders

  March 30, 2009

  As part of its plan to generate intelligence on accountants, bankers and lawyers who help clients evade U.S. taxes by hiding money in offshore accounts, the Internal Revenue Service will grant leniency to those who volunteer to pay taxes on overseas accounts in exchange for information on who aided them in hiding the money.

• Prosecutors Ask for the Max for Tax Shelter Execs

  March 27, 2009

  Prosecutors maintain that two former executives of Big Four firm KPMG should be sentenced as much as 24 years in prison for their part in marketing illegal tax shelters.

• Volcker to Lead Tax Reform Effort

  March 26, 2009

  The Obama administration will ask the Economic Recovery Advisory Board, led by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, to form a task force to recommend an overhaul of the tax code, according to reports.

• IRS Recruiting for TAP Panel Members

  March 25, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service is looking for civic-minded volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, which listens to taxpayers, identifies key issues and makes recommendations for improving IRS service.

• IRS Employees Abuse Phone Cards

  March 24, 2009

  Employees at the Internal Revenue Service are running up millions of dollars in charges on agency-issued telephone calling cards with little control over their spending.

• CCH Adds More Audit Guidance to ARM

  March 24, 2009

  CCH has expanded the audit modules in its Accounting Research Manager database with expert guidance on topics such as construction and not-for-profit accounting.

• IRS Audit Rates for Millionaires Plummet

  March 23, 2009

  Audits by the Internal Revenue Service of the tax returns of millionaires nosedived in the just-ended fiscal year, according to a new report.

• Judge Dismisses Suit Against Tax Software Vendors

  March 20, 2009

  A federal judge has for the second time rejected a class action lawsuit against the Free File Alliance, the group of tax software vendors who provide free software and electronic filing to low-income taxpayers.

• Tax Season Essentials: IRS Intros Employment Tax Adjustment Forms

  March 20, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has added three new forms for correcting errors on employment tax returns.

• PayCycle Adds Stimulus Payroll Tax Deductions

  March 19, 2009

  PayCyle said that it has implemented the payroll tax reduction included in the recently passed economic stimulus bill.

• IRS to Offer Free Tax Prep on Saturday

  March 19, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service and a group of community partners plan to open their doors on Sat., March 21, to help people who need free tax preparation services, a question answered or a payment schedule arranged.

• House Votes to Tax AIG Bonuses

  March 19, 2009

  In response to public outrage over the $165 million in bonuses awarded to AIG executives, the House voted 328 to 93 to levy a 90 percent tax on the money.

• IRS Will Accelerate NOL Refunds Under New Provision

  March 18, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service says that small businesses with deductions exceeding their income in 2008 can use a new net operating loss tax provision to get a refund of taxes paid in prior years. The IRS says it will work to issue refunds within 45 days or less "to the degree possible."

• Taxing Health Care Benefits Won't Be Easy

  March 18, 2009

  The question of how to pay for universal health care could lead to a troubling answer: taxing health benefits.

• Tax Talk Today to Go Silent (For Now)

  March 18, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service plans to discontinue live programming of its Tax Talk Today webcasts on May 12, leaving accountants worried about their continuing professional education credits.

• Former BDO Partner Pleads Guilty in Tax Shelter Scam

  March 18, 2009

  A chartered accountant from the U.K. who served as a former board member and vice chairman at global audit firm BDO Seidman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with tax shelter promoters while claiming roughly $1 billion in fraudulent losses.

• Testing your tax-time temps

  March 15, 2009

  Despite the current economic slowdown, the busy season is well underway as firms across the country are preparing the onslaught of returns that roll in during the weeks and months prior to April 15. The increased workloads during this period create the need for more workers to assist with the rush, and temporary employees are an effective resource during these times.

• Tax strategy: Finding the silver lining to capital losses

  March 15, 2009

  2008 was a tough year for investors and 2009 so far is shaping up to be more of the same. Nevertheless, investors should not lose sight of the value of capital losses for tax purposes.

• Man Indicted for Posing as Enrolled Agent

  March 16, 2009

  A federal grand jury has indicted a California tax preparer for claiming he was an enrolled agent with the Internal Revenue Service.

• Treasury Tries to Jumpstart Small-Business Lending

  March 16, 2009

  President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled a new effort aimed at unlocking the tight credit market for small businesses.

• Swiss to Relax Bank Secrecy Laws

  March 16, 2009

  Switzerland's longstanding banking secrecy laws are about to become as holey as Swiss cheese after authorities caved in to pressure from international tax authorities.

Related Articles

• IRS Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Mail

• IRS High-Income Audits Could Bring in More Clients

• DOJ Sues to Stop $562 Million Tax Fraud Scheme

• Homebuyer Tax Credit Claims Lead to Fraud Probe

• CPA Gets 18 Months for Filing False Return

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Editors' Picks

• 

  Full agenda at Council

  The road to IFRS, ongoing regulatory reform and sustainability headline AICPA confab

• 

  How to Be a Hero to Clients

  Barry Schimel, CPA, gave some thought-provoking tips on how to stay in clients’ good graces during a keynote address this morning at Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting’s user conference in Orlando.

• 

  LAUNCHING A PRACTICE: Removing the Barriers to Entry

  CPAs are brilliantly positioned to become successful and profitable wealth managers, yet they often face barriers that, without proper planning, can keep them from taking the necessary steps to create an additional profit center.

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