June 10, 2014
IRS Adopts Taxpayer Bill of Rights
The Internal Revenue Service has created a "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" that will become a cornerstone document to provide the nation's taxpayers with a better understanding of their rights.
June 10, 2014
New Tax Research System Features Multi-Jurisdictional Content, Enhanced Search
Thomson Reuters has launched its next generation online tax research system, Checkpoint Catalyst, which features multi-jurisdictional content, embedded tools and an enhanced search engine. Catalyst is built on the Checkpoint platform, and is designed to help tax professionals more quickly find research results.
June 9, 2014
California Businesses Vie for $30 Million in GO-Biz Program Credits
With less than a month to go, California businesses are eager to qualify for a new state income tax credit. The "California Competes" program, administered by the state Office of Business and Economic Development, is handing out $30 million to encourage companies to grow here and not leave the state. The pot will expand to…
June 5, 2014
Summertime Tax Tip #10: Taking Business Clients to the Country Club? That’s Entertainment!
It all has to do with the current tax rules for business entertainment. To be deductible as entertainment that is “associated with” your business, the activity must take place immediately before or after a substantial business discussion. Usually, this means the discussion has to be on the same day as the entertainment, but it could…
June 5, 2014
Jesse Jackson Jr. Pays $550K Fine, Prison Sentence Reduced
Imprisoned former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s projected release date is now Sept. 20, 2015, more than three months earlier than listed previously, federal officials confirmed Monday.
June 5, 2014
Report: IRS Not in Compliance with Improper Payments Act, EITC
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has not made enough progress in reducing improper payments of Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), according to a new report by the Treasury Department agency that oversees the nation's tax collectors.
June 5, 2014
IRS Releases Final Guidance on Tribal Government Benefits Excluded as Income
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued final guidance specifying that a wide range of benefits and services provided by Indian tribal governments qualify for the general welfare exclusion from income. These include programs for housing, education, cultural and religious purposes, and the elderly and disabled, among others.
June 5, 2014
Americans Giving More to Nonprofit Charities
Based on data from 4,138 organizations that raised more than $13 billion in the prior 12 months, The Blackbaud Index reported that overall charitable giving grew 1.3 percent for the three months ending April 2014, as compared to the same period in 2013.
June 4, 2014
How Hiring Family Members Can Lower Your Taxes
For business owners, hiring family members as employees can lead to significant tax savings. And in many cases, those savings extend to the family members as well as the business owner. Sole proprietorships and corporations are both entitled to tax savings when they hire family members, but the amount of savings varies according to business…
June 4, 2014
June 16 Income Tax Deadline Approaches for Expat Taxpayers
American taxpayers living abroad generally qualify for an automatic two-month extension to their federal income taxes. Well, that time's almost up. Ex-pat taxpayers are required to file their 2013 federal income tax returns, or extension requests, by Monday, June 16, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
June 3, 2014
Summertime Tax Tip #9: Going Back to School? It Might Qualify as a Tax Deductible Business Expense
It’s smart to try to get ahead in your field or at least keep pace with the latest developments. So some of your clients may be planning to put down their work tools and pick up books again as another school year beckons. Can a taxpayer deduct any education expenses if he or she is…
June 3, 2014
Connecticut Bookkeeper Charged with Embezzling $800K from Veterans Organization
A Connecticut bookkeeper has been accused of embezzling more than $830,000 from a nonprofit veterans' organization, police said.