By now, readers of this space are well aware of my skepticism about the efficiency of any program that is government-run. No matter how well-intentioned, they never turn out quite the way they're presented to those charged with initial approval.

The New York State Society of Public Accountants, the oldest state accounting association, representing approximately 30,000 CPAs, has offered certain suggestions regarding pending legislation in Congress affecting estate planning-- specifically emphasizing the pressing need for certainty and ease of administration with respect to the transfer tax.

A trio of state accounting boards have objected to the 'jointness' of a joint project from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the American Institute of CPAs to form a committee to look at the financial accounting and reporting standard-setting process for private companies.

A federal appeals court ruled that the government can't tax cash settlements plaintiffs receive for emotional distress and other "intangible injuries."

The trio of private debt collection agencies the Internal Revenue Service selected for a pilot program will soon be able to come knocking.

A Salt Lake City man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for a tax fraud scheme centered on a fraudulent trust scheme, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service announced.

Application service provider technology, once described as "the next big thing to still be coming," has turned the corner on acceptance, as its advantages are winning over converts from large firms to smaller tax prep shops.Once offered only by industry giants Wolters Kluwer and Thomson, models from a number of new software providers are either in beta testing or preparing to enter the market.