Tax

The late start to this year's filling season has both good and not-so-good implications,

Some taxpayers seeking a quick refund may have to wait longer than usual this year as the Internal Revenue Service tries to stop criminals who steal others’ identities and file fraudulent returns.

Without some kind of accepted certification program, the taxpaying public has no way of knowing if a person who says that they are a professional tax preparer has any training or experience. The answer would be some kind of voluntary “certification program” where a tax preparer could receive a universally accepted professional designation based on testing or credentials.

The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters has introduced a transfer pricing software product that helps multinational corporations like Ford Motor Company cut their tax bills.

The Internal Revenue Service is promising more video conferencing assistance for taxpayers, social media tools and an improved Web site as it launched tax season Wednesday, along with stepped-up efforts to protect taxpayers from tax refund fraud and identity theft.

A federal court has denied H&R Block’s effort to stop Intuit from continuing to air a pair of TV commercials for TurboTax that comically suggested tax prep franchise employees worked as plumbers and clothing store clerks outside of tax season.

The Internal Revenue Service is scheduled to begin accepting individual income tax returns starting Wednesday.

CCH has introduced the CCH Code & Regs 2013 App, a mobile app for Apple iPhone and iPad and Google Android devices.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has asked the National Park Service to conduct an internal review of the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program to ensure the program is maximizing opportunities to use historic preservation to promote economic development and revitalization of communities, particularly in urban areas.

The Internal Revenue Service has joined the popular microblogging service Tumblr, expanding the IRS’s array of social media networks.