Tax practice

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday they are issuing initial guidance regarding qualification requirements for tax-exemption as a social welfare organization under Section 501(c)(4) of the Tax Code after a scandal erupted earlier this year over claims that the IRS was targeting Tea Party groups applying for tax-exempt status.

House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee chairman Charles Boustany, R-La., has introduced legislation to reform the Internal Revenue Service’s review of applications for tax-exempt status to avoid unfair targeting of some groups.

Preservation of an unlimited charitable deduction garnered wide support from Senate leaders after more than 200 officials from various nonprofits paid a visit to Capitol Hill last week to lobby lawmakers.

The Internal Revenue Service is making steady progress toward complying with an initiative from the federal government to improve the security of external computer network connections, according to a new government report, but further improvements could still be made.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is asking the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee to avoid enacting any proposed tax reforms that would limit accounting flexibility for small businesses.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development announced some new steps that the international community is taking toward automatic exchange of tax information between governments worldwide and published ratings of how well countries are complying with demands for greater transparency.

The IRS is starting this year's Earned Income Tax Credit due diligence compliance audits of return preparers.

The Internal Revenue Service needs to increase its oversight over its technology hardware maintenance contracts to ensure it isn’t paying for unnecessary services, according to a new government report.

Last week I moderated an Accounting Today Webinar, sponsored by SurePayroll, on the 2014 Tax Season Toolkit.

Corporate capital expansion plans present opportunities for companies to leverage tax credits and incentives, according to a new study by Ernst & Young that found such plans driving activity in this area.

The on-again, off-again nature of the federal tax provisions traditionally known as tax extenders is leading to uncertainty and unnecessary complexity, according to tax policy experts at the American Institute of CPAs.

The Internal Revenue Service needs to do a better job of tracking its efforts to eliminate identified flaws in the security of systems involving taxpayer data, according to a new government report released to the public on Thursday.

Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., released a third set of proposals Thursday to overhaul America’s tax code, this one focusing on reforms to tax accounting and cost recovery rules.

A pair of congressmen who are also physicians, Ami Bera, M.D., D-Calif., and Charles Boustany, M.D., R-La., introduced a bipartisan bill late last month to make health care more affordable for working families, small businesses and seniors.

With only weeks remaining in 2013, many Americans have finalized their financial planning for the year, thinking they’ve done all they can to maximize tax savings. But many do not know there are still a number of opportunities to do some last-minute finagling to save as much as possible.

The Internal Revenue Service needs to improve its use of return on investment data in managing tax enforcement resources, according to a new government report.

The Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council has released its annual report featuring recommendations on a wide range of tax administration matters, including a suggestion that the IRS expand its voluntary correction programs to make it easier for taxpayers to self-report any prior year non-compliance.

Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., unveiled a series of proposals Wednesday to combat tax fraud and make the tax-filing process simpler and more efficient.

Some big-dollar tax deductions that affect businesses are set to expire in 2013, so now’s the time to make sure your company considers taking advantage of them for the current tax year. Doing so may allow you to buy more equipment, send less to the IRS, or both.

At a hearing Monday before the IRS, a number of employer groups urged the agency to alleviate the burdens and costs to employers of health care coverage reporting under the Affordable Care Act by allowing for greater flexibility and simplification in the reporting requirements.