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IRS offers gift tax safe harbor for contributions to Trump accounts

June 29, 2026

The IRS on Monday issued Rev. Proc. 2026-25, which provides a gift tax reporting safe harbor for individual donors who make one or more contributions to Trump accounts under Sec. 530A and satisfy certain conditions.

  • personal financial planning
  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

IRS outlines AI risks, Circular 230 duties for tax practitioners

June 26, 2026

The IRS Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) issued guidance outlining how existing Treasury Circular 230 rules apply to tax practitioners’ use of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing that long-standing duties such as due diligence, competence, and confidentiality remain unchanged.

  • federal tax

National Taxpayer Advocate issues 2026 mid-year report to Congress; highlights a largely successful filing season and priorities for 2027

June 24, 2026

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her Fiscal Year 2027 Objectives Report to Congress, highlighting a largely successful 2026 filing season in which the IRS processed nearly 139 million individual tax returns, issued more than 90 million refunds, and successfully implemented extensive tax law changes despite significant operational challenges. The report also identifies areas where taxpayers experienced refund delays and service challenges, including returns suspended during processing for additional review, delays in receiving paper refund checks, and prolonged case resolution times for victims of identity theft, while outlining the Advocate’s priority recommendations as the IRS continues to modernize its technology systems.

  • federal tax

Supreme Court lets stand IRS power to assess tax anytime for preparer fraud

June 24, 2026

The Supreme Court’s decision Monday to deny certiorari in Murrin lets stand a Third Circuit holding that the Sec. 6501(c)(1) unlimited period for the assessment of tax applies when a fraudulent return is filed with the intent to evade tax, regardless of whether the intent is that of the taxpayer or another person, including the taxpayer’s return preparer.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

Advisory panel urges sustained IRS funding, expanded AI, tax simplification

June 18, 2026

The IRS’s outside technology advisory panel called on Congress to provide stable, multiyear funding; expand the use of artificial intelligence; and simplify tax administration. It also warned that resource constraints and complexity risk undermining recent modernization gains.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

About a quarter of callers to two IRS lines got poor service, TIGTA says

June 16, 2026

About one-fourth of callers to two IRS telephone lines during three months in 2025 did not receive quality customer service, a watchdog report dated June 10 said.

  • federal tax

TIGTA: IRS reassigned staff after layoffs for filing season

June 15, 2026

The IRS moved almost 1,200 workers to Taxpayer Services “to address critical staffing shortages and potential 2026 filing season backlogs” after more than 11,000 employees left the division as various buyouts were offered, a watchdog report said.

  • federal tax

IRS to merge tax practitioner offices despite AICPA opposition

June 09, 2026

The IRS will merge two offices that deal with tax practitioners — one that deals with misconduct and discipline and another that administers the preparer tax identification number (PTIN) program — a move the AICPA opposed.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

Blue J and CPA.com Survey Finds AI Adoption Among Tax Firms Has Nearly Doubled in One Year

June 08, 2026

Blue J, the leading AI-powered tax research solution, and CPA.com, the trusted partner in accounting and finance transformation, today released the second annual AI Tax Research Solution Outlook Report, examining how AI-powered tax research adoption is reshaping accounting firms and changing how practitioners work.

  • state tax
  • technology and cybersecurity
  • federal tax

IRS stops billions in identity theft refunds but needs data earlier, report says

May 21, 2026

The IRS stopped $7 billion in fraudulent refunds in calendar years 2024 and 2025, and it could prevent more fraud if it had earlier access to key information returns, according to an audit report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

  • federal tax

Worried about that CP53E QR code? IRS updates FAQs

May 20, 2026

The IRS updated its FAQs on Notice CP53E with answers to four more questions, including how to determine if the QR code on the notice is legitimate.

  • federal tax

AICPA submits nearly 200 recommendations for IRS guidance plan

May 16, 2026

The AICPA submitted almost 200 comments to the IRS this week regarding its 2026–2027 Priority Guidance Plan, encouraging the agency to concentrate on 10 areas and to continue pursuing tax simplification.

  • federal tax

Taxpayers advised they can ignore CP53E notice — after verifying error

May 16, 2026

Taxpayers who aren’t due a refund but received a CP53E notice anyway can ignore the notice after they confirm its validity online, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) said.

  • federal tax

Another settlement offer planned in IRS conservation easement cases

May 12, 2026

The IRS plans to issue a settlement offer to eligible partnerships involved in syndicated conservation easement transactions, which have long been a focus of enforcement operations, with hundreds of cases now in the courts.

  • federal tax

AICPA Urges IRS to Issue Guidance to Regulation Affecting Tax-Exempt Organizations

May 08, 2026

In a letter submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) requested Treasury and IRS provide guidance addressing Section 4960, which was amended last year by the OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act). Section 4960 imposes an excise tax on applicable tax-exempt organizations (ATEO) equal to 21 percent of the remuneration in excess of $1 million paid to “covered employees” of the ATEO.

  • accounting and auditing
  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

CP53E notice tied to paper-check transition causes confusion

May 08, 2026

Fraudulent or legitimate? In error or correct?

  • federal tax

IRS announces new option for certain taxpayers to request more time after ERC claim disallowance

April 27, 2026

The Internal Revenue Service today announced a new, streamlined way for taxpayers to extend the period of time for the IRS and the IRS Independent Office of Appeals to review a taxpayer’s response to a disallowance of an Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claim to avoid refund litigation.

  • federal tax

IRS launches online tool to help taxpayers manage tax debt

April 17, 2026

An online tool to help taxpayers understand and resolve tax debt is now available on the IRS website.

  • personal financial planning
  • federal tax

Tax Time Brings Surprises For Some Who Receive ACA Subsidies

April 06, 2026

Tax time can come with big surprises for some people who have Affordable Care Act coverage, including owing money back to the government for premium subsidies received during the previous year.

  • federal tax

IRS tapped Inflation Reduction Act funds to cover 2025 filing season, watchdog says

April 03, 2026

The IRS dipped into its supplemental funding from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, P.L. 117-169, to “deliver a successful filing season” in fiscal year 2025 because its annual appropriation was not enough, an IRS watchdog’s report said.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax