Tax

Senate Democrats and Republicans were unable to muster the necessary number of votes to pass two competing bills to extend the expiring payroll tax cut on Thursday night.

For those who had hoped that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, aka the Supercommittee, would find a way to reduce the deficit, the announcement that they had failed to reach an agreement came as a disappointment.

The National Society of Accountants has found that the cost of preparing an itemized tax return averaged $233 across the country, but there was still variation in different parts of the country.

Return preparers will have much to discuss with their clients about their 2011 returns, both before and after the year's end.

December represents one last chance to consider certain year-end tax strategies before the door closes on the amount of income, deductions and credits set for the year. Many traditional eleventh-hour techniques are applicable to this year-end 2011, with certain twists that recognize changes on the horizon for 2013. This column examines a handful of considerations especially useful to the individual taxpayer in these final weeks of 2011.

Senate Republicans are offering their own legislation to extend the payroll tax cut while avoiding an extra surtax on millionaires.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday that he plans to introduce legislation this week that would extend the payroll tax cut that is due to expire at the end of the year.

The congressional supercommittee called it quits this week only a couple of days before its November 23 deadline, unable to reach a consensus on either taxes or spending cuts.

President Barack Obama told an audience in New Hampshire on Tuesday that their taxes would go up an average of $1,000 to $1,500 unless the payroll tax cut were extended and expanded as part of his jobs bill.

The Internal Revenue Service sent the majority of claims for the adoption tax credit to auditors this year because they lacked the necessary documentation. However, the agency had options that could have enabled it to reduce the number of costly correspondence audits and issue refunds to parents faster while still maintaining a robust enforcement strategy, according to a new report.