Tax practice

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, at least in terms of the tonnage it adds to the Internal Revenue Code, is one of the biggest tax laws to come along since the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Some contend that it has no rival in terms of complexity.Its main focus is on business and, within that focus, many provisions require quick decisions to be made. Add to these deadlines the fact that another tax year is about to close for most taxpayers and the immediacy of this new law becomes even more urgent.

IRS INVESTIGATING OVER 60 CHARITIES ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES; FUROR OVER NAACP PROBE: More than 60 charities, churches and other tax-exempt groups have been contacted by the Internal Revenue Service about alleged improper political activities, the agency disclosed.

The Internal Revenue Service warned consumers against bogus claims by promoters that tax debts can be settled for "pennies on the dollar" through the Offer in Compromise Program.

With the dust finally settling on the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, tax professionals are studying its voluminous sections and clauses to map out optimum strategies.

Reminiscent of donor-advised funds, the Internal Revenue Service has ruled that contributions can qualify as charitable deductions for both income and gift tax purposes even if the donor retains the right to manage the investment for the charity.

The Internal Revenue Service has raised the standard business mileage rate for automobile expenses for 2005 by three cents -- the largest one-year rise ever.

Tax reform under a second Bush Administration will most likely take the form of piecemeal tax cuts, according to panel participants at a conference of the Council for Electronic Revenue Communication Advancement, a government-private industry trade association.

The Internal Revenue Service scored high marks for processing returns and issuing refunds smoothly during the 2004 filing season, but didn't fare as well on accuracy in answering tax law questions, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

The Internal Revenue Service has selected three new members for its Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee, the body that serves as a public forum for discussion of electronic tax administration issues.

The most radical revision of business taxes since 1986 - the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 - has passed both the House and the Senate by wide margins.

As of this writing, the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 has just passed Congress and is awaiting President Bush's expected signature. With 580 amendments to the Internal Revenue Code affecting 274 sections, including 34 brand-new sections, there is much for tax practitioners to ponder in this legislation.

UNDER FSC/ETI BILL, SUV WRITE-OFFS WILL GO: When President Bush signs the FSC/ETI bill, the days of small business owners and professionals such as doctors and lawyers expensing luxury SUVs are over.

The International Accounting Standards Board and the Accounting Standards Board of Japan announced that they have started talks about a joint project to minimize differences between international financial reporting standards and Japanese accounting standards.

As worldwide legislative and regulatory changes make tax risk planning a top priority, many companies are aligning their tax strategies with their organization's overall enterprise risk profile, according to a survey of corporate tax directors by Ernst & Young.

A Connecticut district judge ruled against the Internal Revenue Service and ordered the agency to refund more than $62 million to a General Electric subsidiary stemming from a transaction that the IRS said was a sham.

The Internal Revenue Service is co-sponsoring a Webcast to help tax practitioners and payroll professionals prepare year-end filings.

More than 60 charities, churches and other tax-exempt groups have been contacted by the Internal Revenue Service about alleged improper political activities, the agency disclosed.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is reportedly under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service for violating the terms of its tax-exempt status in a probe that the group's chairman says stems from comments he made that were critical of President Bush.

The Internal Revenue Service warned consumers against bogus claims by promoters that tax debts can be settled for "pennies on the dollar" through the Offer in Compromise Program.

Liberty Tax Service marked a milestone this week as the company officially welcomed its thousandth Liberty franchise entity. In the last two tax seasons, Liberty Tax Service has doubled the number of tax returns prepared in outlets throughout the U.S. and Canada. Less than 50 franchise companies have more than 1,000 franchisees on Entrepreneur magazine's list of top 500 franchise organizations in the world. "This year has been an exhilarating time of record growth in many areas for Liberty Tax. As we hit the mark of 1,000 franchisees in our operating system, we continue our quest and drive to be the No. 1 tax company in the industry," said John Hewitt, chief executive and founder of Liberty Tax Service. For the fourth consecutive year, Accounting Today named Hewitt one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the tax industry. This year, Entrepreneur magazine ranked Liberty Tax Service as the ninth fastest growing franchise opportunity, one of the top 20 low-investment opportunities, and No. 28 on its overall list of best franchises. In March, Accounting Today magazine ranked Liberty among the fastest growing on its list of the Top 100 Tax & Accounting Firms.