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.

  • As the Internal Revenue Service moves towards its goal of 80 percent e-filing for individuals, it is placing more emphasis on the e-filing of corporate returns.In 2005, over 200,000 corporations voluntarily e-filed, and beginning in 2006, many corporations will be required to file electronically. Recently issued regulations require corporations with assets of $50 million or more that file over 250 returns each year to file Forms 1120 and 1120S electronically, starting with tax periods ending on or after Dec. 31, 2005.

    January 9
  • In violation of a longstanding court order, the Internal Revenue Service has stopped providing detailed statistics about how the agency enforces the nation's tax laws, according to a motion filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.The legal challenge was brought by Susan B. Long, a professor of management information and decision sciences at Syracuse University's Martin J.Whitman School of Management.

    January 9
  • Treasury Secretary John Snow predicted that Congress would probably extend a number of tax cuts when it returns in session, according to reports.

    January 6
  • A recent claims study conducted by Camico Mutual Insurance Co. indicated that more than half of all claims reported by Camico-insured CPAs come from tax engagements.

    January 3
  • Americans avoided paying taxes on a record $1 trillion in income in 2003, according to a new federal government report.

    December 22
  • The Internal Revenue Service announced the release of the fall 2005 issue of the Statistics of Income Bulletin.

    December 22
  • The Congressional Budget Office recently released its long-term budget outlook. The report doesn't offer specifics in terms of a solution to the country's increasing debt burdens, but does point out a number of reasons why the current system won't be able to solve itself.

    December 21
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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.