October 4, 2015
The Easiest Way to Lower Income Tax Liability
With income tax planning now on the minds of many taxpayers and tax professionals, our year-end tax planning series looks at several methods to lower tax liability in the current year.
October 2, 2015
IRS failing in efforts to curb ID theft tax fraud
The IRS is running into problems as it struggles to get control over the wave of identity theft tax refund fraud that has engulfed the Tampa, Florida, area and spread to other parts of the country over the last three years.
October 1, 2015
CPAs in Illinois Reach Out for Community Action
More than 1,200 Certified Public Accountants in Illinois got out of their offices on Sept. 25 and participated in a coordinated effort to give back to their communities. The CPA Day of Service was sponsored by the Illinois CPA Society (www.icpas.org).
September 29, 2015
Thomson Reuters Adds Content on New York’s Corporate Tax Overhaul
New York’s latest tax system overhaul has brought about substantial changes and complex transitional rules. They affect New York-based corporations as well as companies that conduct business with New York corporations or have customers in the state.
September 29, 2015
It’s Time for a 4th Quarter Income Tax Tuneup
With summer vacation over and school back in session, it’s time to help those extreme tax procrastinators get their returns filed. But what about the rest of your clients − the “good” ones whose taxes you completed way back in April?
September 28, 2015
When Increasing a Taxpayer’s Alternative Minimum Tax Liability is the Best Strategy
Some taxpayers who have spent the last few years trying to avoid the alternative minimum tax (AMT) might try a novel approach in 2015: They might actually increase their AMT liability. This could be the optimal approach after you’ve conducted an ...
September 27, 2015
Harvest Time: Pick Up a Bushel of Capital Gains Tax Savings
The main attraction is the maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains. Typically, an investor will pay a long-term capital gains tax of 15 percent on a securities transaction. For someone in the top ordinary income tax bracket of 39.6 percent, the ...
September 23, 2015
New Inflation Estimates Give First Look at 2016 Tax Rates and Brackets
Because of the income ranges bracketing the marginal tax rates have increased, a single filer with taxable income of $50,000 should owe $22.50 less next year due to the adjustments to the income tax rate brackets between 2015 and 2016.
September 23, 2015
IRS Return Review Program Improves Detection of Fraud
“The RRP test results show potential improvements in the IRS approach to prevent, detect, and resolve pre-refund tax fraud,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “While these potential improvements are ..."
September 22, 2015
Halliburton Settles Labor Case: Will Pay $18.3 Million In Back Overtime Wages
Oil and gas service provider, Halliburton, has agreed to pay $18,293,557 to 1,016 employees nationwide. The department’s Wage and Hour Division investigated Halliburton as part of an ongoing, multi-year compliance initiative in the oil and gas ...
September 21, 2015
Average Income Tax Refund for 2015 Increased to $2,701 – IRS Caught $908 Million in Fraudulent Refunds
The IRS issued more than 100.3 million refunds totaling more than $270.9 billion, compared to nearly 101.2 million refunds totaling more than $272.4 billion in 2014. The average refund increased slightly to $2,701 in 2015, compared with ...
September 18, 2015
Thomson Reuters Launches New Tax Fundamentals Certificate Program
The Tax Fundamentals Certificate Program provides practitioners with the basic knowledge and tools they need to understand and confidently expand their practices to tax planning, compliance with tax return preparation, and reporting requirements for ...