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.

Practice and client management

Ethical wills can be a crucial tool for estate planning

They give advisors an opening into deeper conversations with clients, while their clients can express the larger vision behind their hopes for the future.

By Tobias Salinger
Chief Correspondent

January 27
Retirement

How HSAs pay off in retirement — with caveats

A client's immediate health needs make saving their accounts until they're 65 or over a difficult endeavor, and the accounts carry some highly specific rules.

By Tobias Salinger
Chief Correspondent

January 27
Tax fraud

Seven indicted in huge COVID-relief fraud

The charges include filing for over $600 million in false Employee Retention Credits and other funds.

By Jeff Stimpson
Freelance writer

January 27
IRS

IRS starts tax season with hiring freeze and rescinded job offers

The IRS kicked off tax season facing a hiring freeze imposed by President Trump in an executive order and uncertainty over $20 billion in budget cuts.

By Michael Cohn
Editor-in-chief, AccountingToday.com

January 27
Trump tax plan

Trump repeats pledge to eliminate taxes on tips

President Trump reiterated his pledge to eliminate taxes on income from tips during a rally in Las Vegas, where the hospitality and service industry is dominant.

By Bloomberg News

January 27
Tax season

H&R Block turns 70 in time for tax season

Tax prep giant H&R Block celebrated its 70th anniversary at an event Thursday in New York as it gets ready for the start of tax season on Monday.

By Michael Cohn
Editor-in-chief, AccountingToday.com

January 24
AT Think Tax planning in the Trump era: What accountants need to know

Following the Republican victory in the 2024 election, tax reform and political changes are at the forefront of every accountant's agenda.

January 24

Matt McKinney

Source Advisors

Resources

The latest Accounting Today research and discussion:

Special Report The Future of Tax Services

Tax compliance will never go away, but more and more it will only be the foundation of much more profitable tax planning and tax advisory offerings — provided they start taking the right steps to build up those services.

Sponsor Content from Accordance Aug 2026
On-Demand Web Seminar The most important supply for tax firms isn't found on shelves

In this webinar, we'll show you how tax and accounting professionals are leveraging new technologies to make their firms more efficient and to stay ahead of competitors.

Partner Insights from Thomson Reuters
On-Demand Web Seminar The psychology of a modern tax workflow: Reducing anxiety, decision fatigue & compliance risk

In this session you'll learn practical, firm-tested principles to reduce confusion, improve predictability, and strengthen both client and staff confidence.

Partner Insights from SmartVault

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.