Tax season

New York City officials are urging low-income and middle-class taxpayers to file their tax returns for free or low cost to claim their tax credits with one month to go in tax season, while cracking down on tax preparers.

Sales tax and compliance automation service provider Avalara has introduced AvaTax Consumer Use, its automated consumer use tax offering ,which will be integrated with most billing, financial and ERP systems – the first of which will be Microsoft Dynamics ERP products.

More than four out of 10 working Americans will have had an accountant prepare their taxes this year, primarily because they believe that that's the way to get the largest refund. More than half won't do their own taxes, instead going to an accountant, friend or family member.

The Internal Revenue Service has filed a sharply worded reply with a federal appeals court to a group of tax preparers who won rulings from a lower court striking down the IRS’s authority to regulate the tax preparation profession.

The IRS claims that refunds totaling just over $917 million may be waiting for an estimated 984,400 taxpayers who did not file a federal income tax return for 2009. The IRS estimates that half the potential refunds for 2009 exceed $500.

Tax software developer Greatland Corporation has outlined a plan to further accelerate growth through strategic acquisitions during 2013.

The Internal Revenue Service has found that changes in Form 8863, Education Credits, are delaying more than 600,000 tax returns, many of which appear to come from H&R Block.

A federal court has denied for a second time H&R Block’s attempt to prevent Intuit from airing two TV commercials for TurboTax that poke fun at part-time tax preparers who work for retail tax chains like Block.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue is advising the state’s tax payers not to use Intuit products to file their 2012 taxes electronically or on paper due to what it claims are “multiple issues” with their products, according to a recent Forbes article.

The Internal Revenue Service is reminding tax practitioners that they cannot electronically file Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses, this year, but instead must mail the forms to the IRS.

Check out the digital edition of the March 2013 issue of Accounting Today.

Like most of you, I’ve already experienced my fair share of stress this busy season, and it has barely begun. In addition to the shortened filing period, many practitioners are facing significant software glitches. Those are tough challenges for firms like my own, which consists of myself, a seasonal employee and an administrative person.

The Internal Revenue Service reminded practitioners that they should not include advertisements for their services when sending out W-2 forms.

The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation unit is issuing a stern warning to New Jersey tax preparers as it cracks down on preparers who falsify tax returns, while cautioning taxpayers to choose preparers carefully.

The Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday that its Modernized e-File Production system is taking longer to generate federal acknowledgments for tax return filings.

The Internal Revenue Service said Monday that its systems are operational for all remaining individual and business tax returns.

A late start to tax season leaves tax prep -- and planning -- in limbo

The Internal Revenue Service plans to allow more of the remaining tax forms that have not been available for electronic filing yet this tax season to go through during the first week of March.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, one of the Treasury Department’s lead agencies in the battle against money laundering and other crimes, has issued an advisory to financial institutions warning them to beware of tax refund fraud and identity theft, and to report such activity by filing Suspicious Activity Reports.

Free online bookkeeping and tax software maker Outwright.com is offering a new version of its mobile iPhone app with automated gas mileage tracking and receipt picture saving and storing capabilities.