Tax Strategies

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.

Tax and accounting software provider Creative Solutions Inc. has acquired the tax software line of Cincinnati-based Accountware for undisclosed terms.

SurePrep, known for its outsourcing services, has developed a tax preparation workflow system to help firms maintain greater control over tax preparation decisions while reducing review and correction time. SurePrep Express is a Web-based system that categorizes scanned source documents to ease processing and data entry.

The implementing states of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement voted to create an associate membership, keeping the agreement on track toward its Oct. 1, 2005, interstate effective date.