Tax season

The Internal Revenue Service said Friday the annual period for renewing a Preparer Tax Identification Number is now underway for tax professionals.

For tax preparers getting ready for tax season, the environment has changed, according to Annie Schwab, tax manager at Padgett Business Services.

Tax pros discuss do-it-yourself filers

Inflation-adjusted tax brackets for the 2017 tax year, based on the average inflation index for the 12-month period ending on August 31, 2016, show a slight uptick for the year ahead, according to Wolters Kluwer’s George Jones.

For many preparers, checklists have replaced the cumbersome organizers, which most clients never completed anyway. But as we draw closer to year’s end, many preparers should be thinking about the things they need to pay attention to before filing season begins.

The American Institute of CPAs is appealing a court decision that upheld the Internal Revenue Service’s voluntary program for tax preparer education and testing.

There’s probably no one “right” time for tax preparers to start a newsletter, but the end of summer might be an optimum time. Vacation memories are beginning to fade, and people are gearing up to get back into the real world of work, busy schedules and tax.

Even as you woke up from that three-day nap after April 18, you knew you had to make money the rest of 2016, too. Lucky you’re in a field where that’s getting easier.

Yes, it’s summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to forget about your clients, or ease up on your plans to attract new ones.

The IRS shares some advice on fixing a return (text version)