Tax

Tax News & IRS Insights for Accounting Professionals

Accounting Today delivers news and analysis for accounting and tax professionals on federal and state tax developments, IRS guidance,information reporting, and operational implications for practices and clients. Our coverage focuses on legislative and procedural shifts that tax practitioners must monitor in planning, compliance, and advisory contexts.

  • Much of the election-year criticism of hedge funds misses the point when it focuses on the claim that hedge fund operators get unfair tax breaks, experts say.There is abuse in the current Tax Code when it comes to hedge funds, but it affects the investors, according to Alan Dlugash, a tax partner at New York-based CPA and business advisory firm Marks Paneth & Shron. They’re often subjected to taxes that wipe out nearly all — or more than all — of the income that they made from the fund, he observed.

    March 30
  • The Internal Revenue Service has begun posting tax advice videos on YouTube in an effort to get the word out about tax rebates and scams.

    March 27
  • A report by the Treasury Department's inspector general faults the Internal Revenue Service for its management of taxpayer records.

    March 27
  • Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has released seven years of tax returns, putting added pressure on rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., to release her tax returns.

    March 26
  • The Internal Revenue Service plans to open up hundreds of locations on Saturday, March 29, to provide advice to people who are eligible to receive an economic stimulus payment but who normally do not file tax returns.

    March 25
  • Spammers have begun sending e-mail messages purporting to come from TurboTax customer support encouraging recipients to download an updated version of the software from a fake Web site.

    March 25
  • The Internal Revenue Service has come out with its annual list of tax scams for this season, and it contains some alarming items.

    March 25
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Tax: Key Questions & Analysis:

What IRS guidance on forms and information reporting should practitioners prioritize?

The IRS continues to update thresholds and instructions for critical tax forms. This includes changes to information reporting requirements and guidance on evolving reporting standards, affecting 1099, W-2 and similar reporting obligations.

What procedural developments affect IRS automatic change consent for method changes?

Tax professionals must understand which accounting method changes qualify for automatic consent versus advance consent. This determines whether a Form 3115 must be filed with IRS National Office or via automatic procedures.

How are tip-related tax provisions evolving under current policy?

New tax provisions related to tip income will impact how service industry clients and payroll units handle tax reporting and compliance. This includes draft schedules and withholding considerations.

What IRS guidance will shape compliance for the 2026 filing season?

Practitioners will need to understand procedural updates, forms changes, and reporting shifts that will affect compliance workflows and client expectations for the 2026 filing season. This includes the implementation timeline for new schedules and reporting requirements as well as for emerging areas such as crypto broker reporting.