Practice Management

The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee is asking the Internal Revenue Service why its Web site continues to provide confusing information about the IRS’s recently invalidated tax preparer regulation requirements.

Without some kind of accepted certification program, the taxpaying public has no way of knowing if a person who says that they are a professional tax preparer has any training or experience. The answer would be some kind of voluntary “certification program” where a tax preparer could receive a universally accepted professional designation based on testing or credentials.

Marcum LLP has merged the offices of Parent, McLaughlin & Nangle CPAs, Inc. into its New England practice, effective immediately.

The Internal Revenue Service is promising more video conferencing assistance for taxpayers, social media tools and an improved Web site as it launched tax season Wednesday, along with stepped-up efforts to protect taxpayers from tax refund fraud and identity theft.

A federal court has denied H&R Block’s effort to stop Intuit from continuing to air a pair of TV commercials for TurboTax that comically suggested tax prep franchise employees worked as plumbers and clothing store clerks outside of tax season.

Gary R. St. Pierre CPAs, a firm based in Mount Prospect, Ill., has merged with Michael Silver & Co.

Prager & Fenton LLP and Metis Group LLC, have merged. The two firms will now operate under the name Prager Metis International LLC.

Most former NFL players are bankrupt or under financial stress within two years of retirement. So why aren’t more athletes using financial advisors? A former Pittsburgh Steeler says ego and fear are often to blame, but there are ways for players and advisors to make a winning connection.

Armanino (formerly Armanino McKenna) has merged in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and SharePoint consulting services company Gradient Vision, in a move to strengthen its own Dynamics CRM

The Internal Revenue Service is scheduled to begin accepting individual income tax returns starting Wednesday.