Practice management

The Internal Revenue Service said it would add distressed-asset trust transactions to its list of tax avoidance transactions, signaling that such transactions need to be disclosed and may be subject to penalties.

The House has again passed an energy tax bill that would increase taxes on major oil and gas producers by $18 billion while providing incentives for renewable energy.

The Internal Revenue Service said it is beginning enforcement actions against more than 100 U.S. taxpayers who have been sheltering their funds from taxes by depositing them in secret bank accounts in the tax haven of Liechtenstein.

The many Boomers partners of firms who are planning to retire or slow down is being viewed as generating firm succession and staffing issues. Similarly, another expressed concern is the declining number of Ph.Ds. in accounting, which hurts the pipeline of incoming accounting graduates to the profession. A partner in a national firm also commented that he was alarmed by the many college professors teaching accounting who don’t have a familiarity with U.S. businesses.

The Internal Revenue Service has introduced an electronic filing system that allows small tax-exempt organizations to file Form 990-N "e-Postcards" to report their annual income.

House Democrats plan to reintroduce a bill this week that would shift tax breaks from oil and gas to renewable energy sources.

Germany has committed to sharing tax evasion information as a widening tax scandal involving its citizens and the tax haven of Liechtenstein spreads to other parts of Europe.

Fox Coaching Associates has launched a business development Web site for accountants, lawyers and service professionals to help attract more clients and generate additional business.

It's no secret that creating a firmwide disaster recovery plan helps ensure business continuity in the face of crisis, but having one in place could ultimately affect your insurance premiums as well.Gary Marchitello, managing partner and property practice leader at New York-based Integro Insurance Brokers, said that disaster recovery plans are not mandatory when negotiating premiums. But presenting one to your insurer can save you between 25 and 50 percent -- particularly if you are located in a catastrophe-prone area.

A case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court could have huge implications for state tax law when it's decided in late spring.

IRS BOOSTS TAX AUDITS

IRS FILES OVERWHELM STORAGE SPACE

In speaking with CPAs from across the country, I've diagnosed many cases of marketing paralysis, or inactivity. The symptoms include:

The Internal Revenue Service has given some farmers, fishermen and other agricultural industry taxpayers until March 10 to electronically file the newly revised Form 4136, "Credit for Federal Tax Paid on Fuels."

The Marketplace provides you, the tax and accounting professional, a tool to help find the products and services you need to easily and efficiently run your practice or to recommend to your clients. Browse by category below or search by company name.

In November, we devoted a column to the issues surrounding the new return preparer penalty standards under Internal Revenue Code Sec. 6694 enacted as part of the Small Business and Work Opportunity Act of 2007. Those changes focused on the expansion of coverage of Code Section 6694 to tax returns beyond income tax returns; an increase in the penalties imposed, including penalties based on 50 percent of fees derived from return preparation; and an increase in the disclosure standard required to avoid penalties to more likely than not (greater than 50 percent) from a realistic possibility of prevailing on the merits (greater than one third).

The Congressional Budget Office has issued a report on the deductibility of state and local income taxes, looking at the benefits and drawbacks of the system.

Accounting firm Grant Thornton reported that its 2007 revenues increased 14.4 percent, to $1.075 billion.

The economic stimulus package that President Bush signed into law last week is drawing attention mostly to its tax rebates for individuals, but the bill also contains several provisions that should benefit small and midsized companies.

The Internal Revenue Service wants senior citizens, disabled veterans and retired railroad workers to make sure to file a tax return in order to receive a rebate, even if they don't normally do so.