Tax

The Internal Revenue Service's tough stance on settling the "Son of Boss" tax shelters matches the call by the IRS Oversight Board for increased compliance funding, as well as the tax gap findings of the National Research Program. Together, they signal a sea change from the kinder, gentler, post-1998 hearings IRS.

Washington - The Winter 2004-2005 Statistics of Income Bulletin, a quarterly compilation of information on various topics from federal tax returns and other documents, has been released by the Internal Revenue Service.

It's official: Taxpayers who file paper returns are in the minority, the Internal Revenue Service reported.

In a move that promises to have far-reaching consequences for global operations and international tax compliance, the Supreme Court ruled that defendants who evaded Canadian taxes by smuggling large quantities of liquor into Canada from the United States could be prosecuted in the U.S. under federal wire fraud laws.

The 2005 tax return season wound down with a larger-than-expected late surge of filers to make up for the slow start, according to preparers.

Baseball season got underway this spring with a new frustration for ball players.

As of this writing, bankruptcy reform legislation had passed the Senate and was expected to move quickly through the House and be signed by President Bush. The Bankruptcy Abuse and Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 may already be law as you read this column.

A district court judge has sentenced four defendants to prison terms ranging from eight to 20 years in what the Justice Department says is one of the "most far-ranging tax schemes ever prosecuted."

Complexity is eroding voluntary compliance with U.S. tax laws, a member of the American Institute of CPAs Tax Executive Committee told the House of Representatives Small Business Committee this week.

The Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with stakeholder groups, has set up a new Web-based list of frequently asked questions aimed at helping corporate taxpayers understand the requirements of the new Schedule M-3.