News

The IRS budget would decline 37% from fiscal year 2025 to fiscal year 2026 and the number of IRS employees would decrease 20% over the same period, according to the annual Congressional Budget Justification released by Treasury.

Eliminating the state and local tax deduction for service-based passthrough entities would “result in a tax increase for accountants throughout the country,” according to a letter addressed to leaders of the Senate Finance Committee by the AICPA and CPA societies from 53 states and jurisdictions.

Following its continued opposition to the severe limitations on the deductibility of state and local tax (SALT) for specified service trades or businesses (SSTBs) included in recent tax legislation passed by the House of Representatives, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) sent a second letter to leadership of the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees urging modifications to troubling tax proposals in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by the House and being considered by the Senate.

The Internal Revenue Service today issued its annual Data Book detailing the agency's activities during fiscal year 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023 – Sept. 30, 2024). This year’s edition marks the publication’s 30-year anniversary; the first Data Book covered fiscal years 1993 and 1994 and was available in 1995. Prior to 1993, the IRS published annual reports, which date back to 1863. The Data Book provides a fiscal year statistical overview of the agency’s operations including returns received, revenue collected, taxpayer services provided, tax returns examined (audits), efforts to collect unpaid taxes and other details about the work of the IRS.

A higher percentage of AICPA members got questions answered quickly by the IRS Practitioner Priority Service (PPS) line during the 2025 tax filing season, according to an annual survey, but they have concerns about the future of the IRS.

The IRS issued interim final and proposed regulations Friday (T.D. 10031 and REG-107459-24) lowering the user fee for the Service to issue an estate tax closing letter from $67 to $56.

President Donald Trump is pushing lawmakers to increase tax rates on some of the wealthiest Americans as a way to offset other cuts in his signature economic package.

The IRS lost 11% of its staff through voluntary separations and terminations in the first three months of 2025, and the largest percentage of those who left were revenue agents who conduct audits, a government watchdog said in a report.

The AICPA on Thursday sent a letter to the IRS with recommendations to two areas of new instructions to Form 8971, Information Regarding Beneficiaries Acquiring Property From a Decedent. The AICPA understands that Treasury and the IRS are considering updating the form instructions for the final regulations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.