Roger Russell

As tax season kicks off, tax preparers are keeping their fingers crossed.

Given that tax prep businesses, like all businesses that depend on repeat customers, lose a portion of their client base each year, it is imperative they market themselves and attract new clients just to stay even.

While the passage of this season’s extenders bill was widely anticipated before the end of 2015, it nevertheless contained some surprises for many observers.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has reversed a judgment of the District Court for the Northern District of California in an income tax refund action brought by Al Davis, former principal owner of the Oakland Raiders, and his wife Carol Davis.

Tax reform is on the horizon, but the horizon likely extends beyond 2016, according to Marc Gerson, tax partner at Miller & Chevalier and former majority tax counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee.

It’s still not too late to make New Year’s resolutions, particularly for those who end up not keeping them. But anyone engaged in the tax preparation industry would do well to consider these suggestions.

Global tax services firm Ryan has won a lawsuit challenging the provisions of a regulation governing consultant fee arrangements, especially the limitation on contingent fee arrangements.

Having played golf once in my life during my days at Ft. Bragg, N.C., I’m not exactly an avid golfer. But as two golf courses in North Carolina discovered last month, it’s getting tougher for them to successfully claim a charitable contribution deduction for a conservation easement.

A recent case in Michigan has created an unexpected twist in the brave new world of taxing software and services online.

The Affordable Care Act will continue to provide new surprises for tax preparers and taxpayers for the foreseeable future.