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• State and Local Tax Revenue Plummets Further

  December 30, 2009

  Tax revenue for state and local governments fell 6.7 percent in the third quarter, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of negative growth.

• Paychex Offers Year-End Payroll Tax Resources

  December 21, 2009

  Payroll services provider Paychex has published four online tax resources for CPAs and small businesses free of charge on its Web site.

• CCH Ships 2009 ATX and TaxWise Software

  November 23, 2009

  CCH Small Firm Services has begun shipping its ATX and TaxWise lines of software for tax year 2009, with links to tax research from CCH.

• Study Identifies Most Regressive State Tax Systems

  November 20, 2009

  Most states tax their middle- and low-income families far more heavily than the wealthy, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy.

• Discover New Innovations in Tax Prep

  November 17, 2009

  Software as a Service (SaaS) has become popular in today's business environment. But what exactly does SaaS mean and how can it play an integral part in your operation? After completing the session, you will be able to:

  • Recognize the significance of SaaS in an increasingly complex world.
  • Build your practice become more efficient and profitable.
  • Identify ways to improve workflow and your bottom line.

  Don't miss this chance to learn more about a tool that can help your practice be more successful!

• Thomson Reuters Adds State Apportionment Planning

  November 12, 2009

  The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has released a state apportionment planning tool on its Checkpoint online research service.

• Sabrix Updates Tax Management Service

  November 12, 2009

  Sabrix has released the fall 2009 version of its outsourced sales tax system.

• CCH Enhances Business Entity Planning Library

  November 11, 2009

  CCH has added Smart Charts, checklists and decision trees to its Business Entity Planning Library to provide further guidance to tax practitioners analyzing and comparing the entities used by small- and midsized businesses.

• CCH Expands Tax Prep Partner

  November 10, 2009

  CCH’s Tax Prep Partner series has expanded to cover nonprofit, estate tax and payroll forms.

• CCH Improves IntelliConnect Research Service

  October 28, 2009

  CCH plans to enhance its IntelliConnect research service with new filtering and interface features.

• Tax and Accounting Research

  September 30, 2009

  The growing complexity of the Tax Code and returns, as well as penalties for getting the wrong answer, makes tax research a necessity.

• Seeking to Justify the Tax Research Librarian

  September 22, 2009

  Remember when the hefty three-ringed tax research guides required a whole room set aside as a library?

• CCH Offers International Corporate Tax Calculators

  August 31, 2009

  CCH has introduced Worldwide Tax Rates and Answers: Calculators, a set of software calculators that help accountants calculate corporate income tax and withholding tax liabilities in 90 countries around the world.

• Intuit Offers Tax Research

  August 11, 2009

  Intuit has introduced Intuit ProLine Tax Research, powered by BNA, a Web-based service that integrates directly with Intuit’s Lacerte and ProSeries professional tax software.

• PDI Offers Online Tax Guide

  July 16, 2009

  PDI Global has introduced an online version of its 2009-2010 Tax Planning Guide that accounting firms can put on their Web sites and market to clients.

• BizActions Offers Online Tax Guide

  June 30, 2009

  E-mail newsletter provider BizActions has introduced an Online Tax Guide that CPAs can link to from their own Web sites and brand with their own firm’s name and logo.

• Thomson/Reuters Developments

  May 20, 2009

• TAX BRIEFS

  May 20, 2009

• You have tax questions? They have answers

  May 18, 2009

  Providers unveil new online tax research apps

• Economy, legislation threaten to impact S corps

  April 19, 2009

• 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.

• Thomson Reuters Buys WTE

  April 19, 2009

  The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has acquired World Trade Executive Inc., a provider of international tax, accounting, finance and energy content.

• 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.

• 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 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.

• More Tax Havens Disclose Secret Information

  March 13, 2009

  The tiny European countries of Liechtenstein and Andorra are two of the latest tax havens to succumb to pressure from international authorities to share information about assets hidden in bank accounts.

• Home Computer Tax Filings Spike 20 Percent

  March 13, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service reported that taxpayers are electronically filing their federal tax returns in record numbers this year.

• IRS: 2008 Was a Big Year

  March 13, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service released its 2008 IRS Data Book showing big increases last year in tax filings and revenue.

• IRS Audits Credit Card Counseling Industry

  March 13, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has been spending tens of thousands of hours auditing nonprofit credit counseling agencies and ordering changes at the vast majority of them, according to newly released data.

• Spending Bill Boosts IRS Funding

  March 12, 2009

  The $410 billion spending bill approved Tuesday evening by the Senate to help fund the federal government for the rest of the year includes funding for some nine federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service.

• SpeedTax and Wipfli Team in Saas Delivery for GP Users

  March 12, 2009

  Automated sales tax solutions provider SpeedTax and CPA and business advisory firm Wipfli have partnered in a venture to deliver SpeedTax's software-as-a-service sales tax applications to Wipfli's Microsoft Dynamics GP customers.

• Tax Preparer Indicted for Keeping Client Refunds

  March 12, 2009

  An Arizona tax preparer has been charged with diverting thousands of dollars' worth of his clients' tax refunds to his own bank account.

• IRS's Taxpayer Self-Assistance Concept Falls Short

  March 12, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has begun offering self-assistance options at some of its offices that give taxpayers limited access to computers and phones so they can reach the IRS's Web site and toll-free phone lines without waiting in a long line, but those efforts can still be frustrating.

• An Open Letter to Nina Olson

  March 10, 2009

  An Ohio CPA urges the National Taxpayer Advocate to lobby elected officials to do their own taxes.

• Frank & Freedman Merges with Hirsch Subelsky

  March 10, 2009

  Michigan CPA firms Frank & Freedman and Hirsch, Subelsky & Associates have merged to form Frank, Hirsch, Subelsky & Freedman.

• Tax Season Essentials: Additional Standard Deduction for Real Estate Taxes

  March 10, 2009

  There is an additional standard deduction for those who don't qualify to itemize their tax deductions, but who do pay state or local real estate taxes.

• IRS Reforms Contracting Practices

  March 9, 2009

  In the wake of its decision not to renew contracts with two private debt collection agencies, the Internal Revenue Service now appears set to review other types of outside contracts.

• CCH Integrates Sales Tax Software with Dynamics

  March 9, 2009

  CCH has closely integrated its CorpSystem Sales Tax Office software with Microsoft Dynamics GP.

• 30 Years in Jail for Attempted Hit on IRS Agent

  March 6, 2009

  A Florida man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for hiring a hit man to murder an Internal Revenue Service employee who was auditing him and his construction business.

• IRS Nixes Private Collection Contracts

  March 6, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has decided not to renew its contracts with two private debt collection agencies.

• IRS Sees Taxpayers Filing Earlier This Season

  March 6, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service said that taxpayers are filing their taxes earlier and receiving larger refunds so far this year, citing early filing season statistics.

• Tax Season Essentials: Avoiding a Tax Audit

  March 6, 2009

  All taxpayers dread the prospect of facing an Internal Revenue Service audit. Here is some advice from the New Jersey Society of CPAs on some steps taxpayers can take to minimize the likelihood they will be audited or ensure a more positive experience if they are.

• Geithner May Reconsider Tax Deductions

  March 5, 2009

  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told lawmakers that he was open to finding other ways to close the budget deficit besides limiting tax deductions for charitable contributions and mortgage interest for high-income taxpayers.

• Tax Reserve Disclosures Fall Short

  March 5, 2009

  One third of public companies did not satisfy the minimum requirements of disclosure of their tax reserves last year as required by new rules put in place by the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

• Sage Sells Tax Compliance Services Business

  March 5, 2009

  Sage North America has sold its tax compliance services business and enterprise-level customer base to Empower Corp.

• UBS Refuses to Disclose Tax Shelter Accounts

  March 5, 2009

  A UBS executive told a congressional committee probing tax shelter abuses that approximately 47,000 U.S. customers had accounts with the Swiss bank, but declined to release the names of the vast majority of them.

• Tax Season Essentials: Mortgage Debt Forgiveness

  March 5, 2009

  If your mortgage debt is partly or entirely forgiven during tax years 2007 - 2012, you may be able to claim special tax relief and exclude the debt forgiveness income, said the IRS.

• Sabrix Intros Sales and Use Tax Service

  March 5, 2009

  Sabrix has debuted Taxcast, an online, interactive tool to help businesses stay on top of the latest sales and use tax obligations from 13,253 U.S. taxing jurisdictions.

• AIG Sues over Taxes and is Sued for Fraud

  March 4, 2009

  American International Group, which is receiving between $152 billion and $163 billion so far in taxpayer bailout funds, has sued the federal government to recover over $306 million for 1997 taxes, penalties and interest that the insurance company claims it was illegally charged.

• Fewer Tax Returns Expected This Year

  March 4, 2009

  Taxpayers will file 240 million federal tax returns and supplemental documents during calendar year 2009, according to projections from the IRS Office of Research, but that's down 4.3 percent from estimated return filings of 250.8 million for 2008.

• IRS Has $1.3 Billion to Distribute from 2005

  March 3, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service said it has approximately $1.3 billion in unclaimed refunds waiting for people who did not file a federal income tax return for 2005.

• U.S. Trade Rep Nominee to Pay Back Taxes

  March 3, 2009

  Ron Kirk, the Obama administration's nominee for U.S. Trade Representative, has agreed to pay $9,975 in back taxes he owed on $37,750 in speaking fees.

• Geithner Defends Budget and Tax Policies

  March 3, 2009

  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner explained the Obama administration's budget and tax plans, and his handling of the financial industry bailout, to wary lawmakers in a congressional hearing.

• IRS to Push 1099-MISC Compliance

  March 2, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service could be doing more to encourage businesses to report miscellaneous income payments on 1099-MISC forms, according to a new report.

• Tax Season Essentials: Five Important Changes for Taxpayers

  March 2, 2009

  Here are a few tax law changes that taxpayers may want to note before filing their 2008 federal tax returns, according to the IRS.

• Tax & Financial Planning News

  March 1, 2009

  Crisis center launched; Avalara launches blog; Copanion names CFO; Morningstar ponders credit ratings; CCH names sales tax team; Advent net jumps; ADP net and sales rise; and SpeedTax starts channel program.

• Donde Speeds Sales Tax Compliance

  March 1, 2009

  Anton Donde grew PayUSA to a $15 million payroll processing and tax filling business with 200 employees, acquiring three other payroll companies along the way and selling it after taking it public.

• These Ladies Are Savvy

  February 27, 2009

  Although admittedly many people look upon January 1st as the trigger-point for resolutions, an organization known as Savvy Ladies figures that April 15th is really the better date.

• Bankrupt Taxpayers Need Better Protection from IRS

  February 27, 2009

  Taxpayers' rights were violated when the Internal Revenue Service filed liens on their accounts while they were in bankruptcy, according to a new report by a government watchdog.

• Congressman Asks IRS for Tax Relief of Madoff Victims

  February 27, 2009

  Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., has written to Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman asking him to provide tax relief to investors who were swindled by Bernard Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

• More Taxpayers Expect to File Online This Season

  February 27, 2009

  Approximately 40 percent of online households plan to file their federal taxes via the Internet this year, up from less than 34 percent four years ago, according to a new report.

• Court Bars 'Tax Doctor' from Preparing Returns

  February 27, 2009

  A federal court has permanently barred a Florida tax preparer who called himself "The Tax Doctor" from doing other people's returns after he allegedly cost the Treasury at least $750,000 in bogus claims.

• Obama Budget Includes Tax Increases on Wealthy

  February 26, 2009

  President Barack Obama presented his budget for fiscal 2010, including about $318 billion in tax increases mainly targeted at the wealthy.

• IRS Lax in Enforcement Against Tax Preparers

  February 26, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service is not doing enough to crack down on tax preparers who use illegal tax shelters and to keep track of complaints against them by clients, according to two new reports.

• CPAs Ponder Madoff Strategies

  February 26, 2009

  More than two-thirds of the 100-plus CPAs present at a New York State Society of CPAs breakfast indicated they had clients affected by the Bernard Madoff scheme.

• IRS Offers Information on COBRA Subsidies

  February 26, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has issued information to help employers claim credit for the COBRA medical premiums they pay for former employees under provisions of the recently passed stimulus bill.

• UBS Sued over Revealing Bank Accounts

  February 26, 2009

  Swiss bank UBS has been sued by a group of wealthy U.S. account holders who want to keep their identities and accounts from being revealed to the Internal Revenue Service.

• Tax Season Essentials: Children's Investment Income

  February 26, 2009

  Children with investment income may have part or all of this income taxed at their parent's tax rate rather than at the child's rate, according to the IRS.

• Tax Return Preparer Sentenced

  February 24, 2009

  A former tax return preparer who worked from an office at a local gym has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for preparing false tax returns for customers.

• Obama Wants to End Tax Loopholes

  February 24, 2009

  During his Fiscal Responsibility Summit on Monday, President Barack Obama discussed the possibility of lowering the statutory corporate tax rate while also closing tax loopholes that allow companies to reduce taxes.

• Free Webcast: Critical Issues for the Tax Preparer

  February 24, 2009

  This past year has produced an unprecedented amount of new tax legislation and regulations affecting preparers and taxpayers.

• International tax: The new hunt for tax havens

  February 23, 2009

  Congressional leaders are looking to clamp down on offshore tax havens after a Government Accountability Office report found that 83 of the 100 largest publicly traded U.S. corporations have subsidiaries in jurisdictions listed as tax havens or financial privacy jurisdictions, while 63 of the 100 largest publicly traded federal contractors reported having subsidiaries in such jurisdictions.

• Olson calls for simplification aid to taxpayers

  February 23, 2009

  National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson urged Congress to simplify the U.S. Tax Code and recommended measures to reduce the burden on taxpayers who are struggling to pay their bills.

• Maximizing cash flow by accelerating refunds or even (gasp!) preventing them

  February 23, 2009

  When every dollar counts a bit more dearly, a greater number of taxpayers are taking a closer look at ways to improve cash flow. Increasing (or at least accelerating) tax refunds for past years while lowering estimated tax and withholding payments for this year are two areas of growing interest.

• In brief

  February 23, 2009

• IRS Releases New Withholding Tables

  February 23, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has published new tax-withholding tables as a result of the economic stimulus bill that should give most workers a bigger paycheck this spring.

• Obama Budget to Include Tax Increases

  February 23, 2009

  President Barack Obama is expected to release his budget proposal this week, and he reportedly plans to include tax increases to close the deficit.

• IRS Not Prepared for Disaster

  February 23, 2009

  Many of the Internal Revenue Service's plans to protect its employees and provide service to taxpayers during and after a major disruption are not up to date, have not been adequately tested and do not contain sufficient detail to be effective, warned a government watchdog.

• Palin Owes Taxes on Per Diem Payments

  February 20, 2009

  Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will have to pay taxes on $16,951 in travel allowances that she billed the state for days she worked from home in Wasilla.

• Stimulus Provides Boost to Mass Transit Riders

  February 20, 2009

  The stimulus bill signed into law this week includes significant tax savings of up to $1,000 per year for workers who commute by mass transit.

• IRS Examiners Picked the Wrong Year's Tax Returns

  February 20, 2009

  Tax return examiners at the Internal Revenue Service often select the wrong prior or subsequent year's tax return when looking for inconsistencies with the current tax return.

• Tax Facts About Capital Gains and Losses

  February 20, 2009

  Here is some advice from the Internal Revenue Service about reporting gains and losses on tax returns.

• UBS Agrees to Reveal U.S. Tax Shelter Clients

  February 19, 2009

  Swiss bank UBS has worked out a deal with the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission to reveal the identities and account numbers of U.S. citizens who have been stashing their money in previously secret bank accounts.

• Intuit Updates Payroll Service for Stimulus

  February 19, 2009

  Intuit has updated its payroll service with the latest tax changes, forms and credits to comply with the newly passed economic stimulus bill.

• President to Sign Stimulus Package

  February 17, 2009

  President Barack Obama plans to sign the stimulus bill into law in Denver on Tuesday after Congress passed the massive $787 billion bill.

Related Articles

• State and Local Tax Revenue Plummets Further

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• Study Identifies Most Regressive State Tax Systems

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  Should 401(k) plans be scrapped?

  Some have bemoaned the failure of 401(k) plans to provide for our retirement.

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