Tax practice

Congressional Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee have introduced a pair of bills to extend the production tax credit for wind energy manufacturers through the end of 2013 and provide a 10 percent income tax credit for employer payroll increases this year.

The Supreme Court has upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

On the eve of the Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, a new report on the Internal Revenue Service’s readiness to handle some specific aspects of the law has been released.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson has identified the priority issues the Taxpayer Advocate Service will focus on during the upcoming fiscal year.

The Federal Housing Administration insured over $1.44 billion in mortgages for 6,327 borrowers with $77.6 million in federal tax debt who benefited from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Of these borrowers, 3,815 individuals claimed and received $27.4 million of First-Time Homebuyer Credits from the Recovery Act.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has a novel idea. Instead of allowing $500 billion of cuts in the defense budget to go forward as part of last year’s deficit reduction deal, he wants to use money saved from closing tax loopholes.

The Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday that its Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Programs have exceeded the $5 billion mark and released new details on the latest iteration of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program that began in January, including tightening the eligibility requirements.

The Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday that it plans to help U.S. citizens who reside in foreign countries, catch up with their tax-filing obligations and offer assistance to those with foreign retirement plans.

KPMG LLP has launched a new service, Operational Transfer Pricing, to help multinational companies better navigate the growing risks they face with intercompany transactions internationally.

Students and their families do not always select tax breaks that could help them afford the cost of college tuition, possibly because tax filers are unaware of their eligibility for the tax credit or deduction or are confused about their use, according to a government report.

A California tax preparer who submitted false tax forms and promoted a tax fraud scheme in the U.S. and Canada was sentenced Friday in a Seattle federal court to 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and over $6.2 million in restitution for conspiracy and wire fraud.

The Internal Revenue Service cautioned tax professionals Friday that their clients need to submit reports of any foreign bank accounts by the June 30 deadline.

Leaders of the Senate and House committees charged with tax policy plan to hold a rare joint hearing next Thursday on tax reform and the tax treatment of capital gains.

The Internal Revenue Service said it plans to improve the timeliness and responsiveness of its Whistleblower Office to claims of tax underpayments.

The Internal Revenue Service said Friday that it is making important interim changes to strengthen its procedures for issuing Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers from now through the end of the year.

The U.S. Treasury Department said it reached agreements with both Switzerland and Japan to cooperate on a framework for sharing financial information on bank accounts under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

The Internal Revenue Service needs to do a better job of estimating its staffing needs for implementing the Affordable Care Act, according to a new government report.

A group of Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee have introduced a bill to extend 100 percent bonus depreciation through 2012 to encourage capital investments and job growth.

Securities and Exchange Commission Chief Accountant James L. Kroeker will leave his post in July to enter the private sector.

The IRS kicked off its series of forums in Orlando, Fla, on Tuesday with over 2,500 attendees. The three-day forums, held each year, cover a range of tax compliance and administrative topics, and feature speakers from academia and the private sector, as well as from the IRS.