Tax relief

Olson delivered what is likely to be her final public speech Friday before retiring at the end of July from nearly 19 years of running the Taxpayer Advocate Service.

A U.S. House committee approved a package of bills that provide tax breaks for a variety of select industries and constituencies, kicking off what’s likely to be a protracted negotiation with Senate Republicans over whether and how to pay for them.

Congress is considering plenty of bills -- how many will be passed is another question.

As long as the necessary payments or deposits were made on a timely basis, reporting deadlines will be extended, according to the IRS.

Some taxpayers affected by the severe winter weather and flooding in those states are being granted additional time to file.

The Internal Revenue Service issued a warning Friday to taxpayers who haven’t yet filed their 2018 tax returns.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate have introduced bipartisan legislation to give the Internal Revenue Service more authority to provide tax relief for taxpayers who have to make tax payments or file their taxes after a state-declared natural disaster occurs near the deadline.

The American Institute of CPAs dispatched hundreds of CPAs to lobby their state and local lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week in conjunction with the AICPA’s Spring Meeting of Council in Washington, D.C.

The service offered instructions on how to claim an extension, among other things.

The Internal Revenue Service is searching for a new National Taxpayer Advocate, who will be succeeding longtime Taxpayer Advocate Service leader Nina Olson.