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.
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The Virginia Society of CPAs announced that its president and chief executive, Thomas M. Berry Jr., will retire at the end of April. He has led the organization for the past 30 years.The society’s board of directors has named VSCPA executive vice president Stephanie R. Peters as the 8,100-member group’s next president and chief executive. She has worked at the VSCPA for nearly a decade.
January 19 -
When it comes to the foreign earned income exclusion, a federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that Antarctica does not qualify as a foreign country.The Seventh Circuit court affirmed a U.S. Tax Court decision that the 2001 earnings of a U.S. citizen living in Ross Island, Antarctica, are subject to federal taxes.
January 18 -
The Internal Revenue Service announced that both its e-file and Free File programs are now accepting taxpayer returns.The agency is continuing its push to have taxpayers elect to file their returns electronically, boasting that users who e-file and choose direct deposit can receive their refund in half the normal time. All return information in protected through encryption and taxpayers will receive acknowledgement within 48 hours that the IRS has accepted the return.
January 17 -
The U.S. Tax Court will now require the Internal Revenue Service to file an answer in all small tax cases.The amendments to the court’s rules will apply to all petitions filed after March 13. Small tax cases are currently defined as cases where the amount of deficiency does not exceed $50,000.
January 17 -
Last week, it was again time for National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson to roll out yet another congressionally-mandated report detailing 20 of the biggest problems facing taxpayers.What’s impressive is that, for yet another year, her beefs were so fresh.
January 17 -
At times, taxing authorities give out surprising beneficial rulings. The only problem is, you must ask for the ruling. For example, there was my October 24, 2006, WebCPA column about an advisory opinion issued by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.It answered the following question: Are you taxed as a New York resident if you move into a New York nursing home for care because you are incompetent and in need of constant medical supervision? According to the opinion, the individual, lacking intent to move, remained a resident of Florida despite the move to a New York nursing home for care.
January 16 -
Two accountants have entered guilty pleas in connection with the sale of legally-questionable tax shelters.
January 16