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Faulkender named fourth acting IRS commissioner this year

April 21, 2025

Michael Faulkender, who was confirmed as deputy Treasury secretary at the end of March, will serve as acting IRS commissioner — the fourth since President Donald Trump took office Jan. 20.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

Basis-shifting transaction-of-interest regulations to be removed

April 18, 2025

Treasury and the IRS, in Notice 2025-23, announced the intent to remove basis-shifting transaction-of-interest (TOI) regulations. The notice, published Thursday, also provides immediate relief from penalties under Secs. 6707A(a), 6707(a), and 6708 for any failure by participants or material advisers to file disclosure statements or maintain lists required by the regulations.

  • federal tax

Employee ownership and taxes: Why firms are choosing ESOPs

April 15, 2025

Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) have gained popularity among accounting firms in response to some of the profession’s biggest trends — the influx of private equity (PE), the struggle to recruit and retain staff, and the need to fund partner retirements.

  • practice management
  • federal tax

Tax season draws to a close amid uncertainty over IRS, tax cuts

April 11, 2025

In the final days of tax season, tax professionals have been grinding through their clients' tax returns while trying to reassure them in the midst of reports of layoffs and budget cuts at the Internal Revenue Service and the uncertain path of tax cuts legislation in Congress.

  • federal tax

Uniform nonresident state income tax, withholding rules get AICPA support

April 11, 2025

Whether you’re a digital nomad or someone who’s worked outside your home state for just one day, you might be aware that states can tax income that out-of-state workers earn within their borders.

  • state tax
  • federal tax

IRS offers 3 voluntary separation programs as RIF gains steam

April 09, 2025

As part of its reduction-in-force (RIF) plan, the IRS on Tuesday said it was offering three voluntary separation programs, including an early retirement program available to workers with the most seniority.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

IRS employees face further staff reductions

April 08, 2025

Internal Revenue Service employees are being offered a last opportunity to accept a voluntary buyout offer as the Supreme Court blocked a ruling requiring the Treasury Department and other federal agencies to rehire thousands of fired probationary employees. The acting commissioner of the IRS is reportedly among those who plan to accept the buyout offer after she was bypassed on an agreement to share confidential taxpayer data with the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

Pandemic-era ERC started with good intentions, ending with frustration

April 08, 2025

The pandemic-era employee retention credit (ERC) officially ends April 15, but its legacy will live on in delayed payments to the businesses it was designed to help, fraudulent activity related to its claims, and confusion not only for taxpayers and tax professionals but also for the IRS.

  • coronavirus
  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

IRS: 7,000 probationary workers will return to their jobs in next 10 days

April 04, 2025

About 7,000 probationary IRS workers who lost their jobs in February and were placed on administrative leave in March will return to work later this month, according to an email they received Tuesday.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

AICPA Applauds Passage of Bipartisan Bills to Improve Tax Administration and Offer Relief to Taxpayers, Practitioners

April 01, 2025

In a letter to the House of Representatives, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) endorsed four bipartisan bills, all of which have received overwhelming support in the House. These bills, which were also included in the recent Senate discussion draft, will improve transparency and fairness for taxpayers and are strongly supported by the AICPA.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

Earned Income Tax Credit celebrates 50 years of helping working families

March 28, 2025

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has played a crucial role in helping millions of low-to-moderate income workers out of poverty. Saturday, March 29, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of this important credit.

  • federal tax

Tax departments can avoid mistakes ahead of the TCJA sunset

March 28, 2025

As the expiration of key Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions looms, tax professionals are preparing for what could be another period of upheaval.

  • federal tax

IRS Adds New Answers to Employee Retention Credit FAQs in Response to Practitioner Questions

March 25, 2025

The Employee Retention Credit FAQs have been update and answer a number of questions that practitioners have been asking.

  • business and industry
  • coronavirus
  • practice management
  • federal tax

IRS underreported costs of Direct File: TIGTA

March 25, 2025

A new report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said that Internal Revenue Service claims regarding the Direct File pilot program last tax season omitted more than a third of costs.

  • federal tax

Follow key filing guidelines to speed refunds, avoid errors

March 24, 2025

The Internal Revenue Service issued a series of tips and reminders to speed taxpayer refunds and avoid errors on their federal tax returns as the April 15 filing deadline approaches.

  • federal tax

What happens next with the TCJA? Tax professionals are concerned

March 24, 2025

Tax professionals who have been in the business for several years know that the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, was time-consuming and stressful, so they are now concerned about what happens next since the act’s provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025, according to a report from Bloomberg Tax.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

7,000 IRS workers ‘reinstated’ — but not yet returning to work

March 19, 2025

The federal government will pay about 7,000 IRS probationary employees, who were laid off less than a month ago, not to work while lawsuits over layoffs wind their way through the court system, the agency said Tuesday in an email.

  • state tax
  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

No dumb questions: What clients are asking this tax season

March 19, 2025

Clients worry about crazy things every tax season, but this year their fears and obsessions and just-plain-odd ideas seem to be taken to a new level.

  • state tax
  • federal tax

Higher threshold for Form 1099-K reporting among AICPA priorities

March 18, 2025

The AICPA's 2025 tax priorities include increasing the reporting threshold for Form 1099-K to $10,000 from the $600 that would go into effect next year, according to a letter Monday to congressional finance leaders.

  • advocacy - federal
  • federal tax

SEC Accepts 2025 FASB Taxonomies

March 18, 2025

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) today announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has accepted the 2025 GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy (GRT), the 2025 SEC Reporting Taxonomy (SRT), and the 2025 GAAP Employee Benefit Plan Taxonomy (EBPT). The FASB also finalized the 2025 DQC Rules Taxonomy (DQCRT) and the 2025 GAAP Meta Model Relationships Taxonomy (MMT), which together with the GRT, the SRT, and the EBPT are collectively referred to as the “FASB Taxonomies.”

  • federal tax