Tax

Major tax prep chains Liberty Tax Inc. and H&R Block reported that the number of returns they prepared this tax season were flat or down slightly.

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is meeting with some success in prompting foreign banks to disclose the holdings of U.S. taxpayers to the Internal Revenue Service, according to a former IRS official.

Former pro football player Plaxico Burress has been indicted by a New Jersey grand jury in the first prosecution under a new statute that makes a failed electronic funds transfer the same as a bad check.

A roundup of some of our favorite recent tax fraud cases.

Highlights of some of our favorite tax-related blogs from the past week.

An Internal Revenue Service revenue officer has been indicted for committing mail and wire fraud, filing false tax returns, identity theft and perjury.

A convicted tax preparer who was sentenced to probation in 2012 has now received a prison sentence for continuing to prepare and file tax returns in violation of a court order.

Tim Loo learned early this year that his name and Social Security number had made their way onto a fraudulent tax return, and immediately wondered whether the identity thief might also have his bank-account details or his kids’ Social Security numbers.

In February, I wrote an article about the challenge I was about to embark on: tax season along with training for an Ironman competition.

Ideas for tax reform abound, though the prospects are not as bright as they once were.