Practice and client management

For the fourth year in a row, the whistleblower awards that the Internal Revenue Service pays to tipsters will be reduced.

In my early days I would get many leads for clients who told me they were switching accountants because they believed they were paying “too much tax.”

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., has introduced two pieces of legislation to combat corporate tax inversions and tax deferral.

Some of our favorite recent tax fraud cases.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting action plan is likely to have a major impact on tax planning at multinational corporations by both tax professionals and corporate treasurers.

A significant amount of planning is typically involved before most major events. For example, the D-Day invasion was planned and scheduled with extreme detail months before its execution on June 6, 1944. Likewise, accountants each year experience a tax season that requires detailed planning and precise execution.

A new Inspector General report faults the security of the computer connections at the Internal Revenue Service.

Rootworks CEO Darren Root describes how firms should develop more of an entrepreneurial mindset, in an interview with Accounting Today managing editor Danielle Lee.

St. Louis-based Regional Leader Brown Smith Wallace announced that co-founder Harvey Wallace will step down as managing partner at the end of the year, with the firm’s current partner-in-charge of audit, Anthony Caleca, stepping into the MP role on Jan. 1, 2016.

Highlights of some of our favorite tax-related blogs from the past week.

The sharing economy has created untold numbers of micro-entrepreneurs, who provide services through digital-age apps.

The House passed a highway funding bill Thursday that includes a provision reviving the use of private debt collectors by the Internal Revenue Service.

Sales tax technology provider Avalara is integrating with EPiServer, an ecommerce and digital marketing software provider that has become a certified solution partner for Avalara.

Wolters Kluwer, CCH Small Firm Services has added new features and integration to the 2015 edition of its professional tax preparation software products, ATX and TaxWise.

Too many firms are looking for value in all the wrong places

In his first big personnel decision, House Speaker Paul Ryan put the committee that writes U.S. tax law in the hands of Texan Kevin Brady, who agreed to stand aside last year when Ryan wanted that chairmanship.

One year after the announced closing off of the Double Irish tax arrangement, U.S. multinationals once again turned their attention to Dublin as Ireland announced details of the Knowledge Development Box, or KDB.

The American Institute of CPAs and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy have proposed to create a “Retired-CPA” status to deal with the wave of Baby Boom retirees in the profession.

Branding. Advertising. Sponsorships. Those three activities were once the heart of accounting marketing. While they are still important, they are not currently driving most marketing activity. Today, it’s all about growth.

Liberty Tax offices with onsite health insurance agents opened on November 1 to offer taxpayers help with Obamacare enrollment and plan renewals.