WebCPA Staff

Fifteen of the largest U.S. states have forecast gains intax revenue for 2011, ending a two-year slide in tax collections, while all 50states expect to hike collections by about 3.5 percent.

The Senate has temporarily extended two provisionsenacted in the Recovery Act that increase government guarantees and eliminatefees on small-business loans through April 30.

Taxpayers may have to finish filing their taxes by April15, but they'll have earned enough to pay their share by April 9, according tothe Tax Foundation.

A federal judge here has ruled that a professionalliability insurer is not obligated to defend or indemnify an accounting firm inconnection with the recommendation by a firm member of a tax-sheltertransaction.In its ruling, thecourt held that the firm member was acting as an agent for the company thatmarketed the plan.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has proposed an auditing standard on “Communications with Audit Committees,” and a series of related amendments to interim standards.

The Internal Revenue Service has filed a tax lien for over $15,000 against former Washington, D.C., mayor Marion Barry, claiming he owes taxes for 2005 through 2008.

The Justice Department has asked a federal court to permanently shut down a Miami tax preparer who was falsely claiming the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit on his clients’ tax returns.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants has released a draft plan setting out a proposed strategy for the next three years on ways for accountants to deal with conflicts of interest, suspected fraud and other issues.

Small businesses have continued to hire more employees in March, extending a trend that began in mid-2009, according to a new payroll report by Intuit.

Clarity Systems has issued a downloadable guidebook to help companies comply with the SEC’s recent requirements for public companies to begin filing their financial statements in Extensible Business Reporting Language format.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged two former executives of a Maryland company, TVI Corp., and their personal accountant in a fraud scheme involving related-party transactions.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who has temporarily stepped aside as chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee amid ethics investigations of unpaid taxes and other matters, is now facing criticism for a recent mailing to constituents offering tax advice.

The state of California has joined a growing line of creditors seeking money from the late singer Michael Jackson’s estate.

Accounting software developer CYMA Systems is now offering a steep reduction in pricing to nonprofit and qualifying charitable organizations for its bundled accounting software.

The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has published a new guidebook to help nonprofit organizations meet the IRS’s new reporting requirements.

The Internal Revenue Service frequently establishes payment plans for delinquent taxpayers without considering whether taxpayers can afford to pay them, according to a new report.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of the Chief Accountant has selected eight professional accounting fellows for two-year terms beginning in 2010:

Greg Schwartz has joined LarsonAllen as a principal with the firm’s credit union practice, an industry the firm has been serving since the late 1970s.

The biggest takeaway from the recession for employers could be taking better care of their workers, according to a recent survey of chief financial officers.

Accounting and risk advisory services provider Jefferson Wells has established an alliance with Sawyer & Co., a specialist forensic and investigative accounting firm. The alliance agreement was completed on March 1, 2010.