PCAOB updates general auditor responsibilities, quality control rules
AS 1000, General Responsibilities of the Auditor in Conducting an Audit, replaces AICPA-provided standards, and QC 1000, A Firm’s System of Quality Control, considers the AICPA’s new quality management standards.
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NPAG recommends solutions to the talent shortage
The National Pipeline Advisory Group will present an extensive draft of its findings to AICPA Council before publishing the final report over the summer.
Proposal from SEC, FinCEN calls for investment advisers to ID customers
The proposed rule would require SEC-registered investment advisers and exempt reporting advisers to establish customer identification programs aimed at curbing financial crimes.
HSA inflation-adjusted maximum contribution amounts for 2025 announced
After steep increases for 2024, the HSA maximum contribution amounts allowed by the IRS still increase for 2025, but not by as much, as the rate of inflation slowed.
Foreign trust transactions and large gifts addressed in proposed regs.
The proposed regulations implement Secs. 643(i), 679, 6039F, 6048, and 6677, which were added or modified to prevent efforts by U.S. taxpayers to use foreign trusts and offshore arrangements to avoid U.S. taxes.
Auditor resource: Considerations for commercial real estate
A PCAOB staff report considers the changing world of commercial real estate, offering advice for public company auditors that also applies to auditors outside of the PCAOB’s purview.
Prepare large estates for TCJA sunset now
Now is the time to talk with high-net-worth clients about using the temporarily doubled estate and gift tax exclusion before its sunset in 2026, Bob Keebler, CPA/PFS, stressed in a webcast.
Final regs. issued for new, previously owned clean vehicle credits
The final regulations, which the IRS issued Friday, also provide rules regarding the critical mineral and battery component requirements for the new clean vehicle credit, and they add a new test for mineral content.
Practitioner service improvements part of IRS strategic operating plan
The IRS aims to improve service on the tax practitioner phone line and build a better online account for tax professionals, Commissioner Danny Werfel said Thursday.
Automatic accounting method changes list updated by IRS
The IRS on Tuesday provided a comprehensive list of changes in tax accounting methods to which the automatic change procedures in Rev. Proc. 2015-13 apply. The list includes 21 changes described as significant.
Root cause analysis: Auditor tool gaining traction on multiple fronts
A new PCAOB report highlights how audit quality can be improved by root cause analysis — an approach the federal board eventually could require and one addressed in new AICPA quality management system standards.
Forgoing marriage? Estate planning for unmarried couples
Unmarried, cohabiting couples experience the same joys and challenges as married couples but without marriage’s legal entanglement. The lack of legal standing, however, means estate planning requires more thought and action.
Final regs. issued for clean energy credit transfers
The IRS issued final regulations regarding the election to transfer certain clean energy tax credits. The regulations include specific rules for partnerships and S corporations as eligible taxpayers and transferee taxpayers.
DOL finalizes broad ‘retirement security rule’
CPA financial planners need to be aware of the U.S. Department of Labor’s new rule, which is intended to protect retirement investors from receiving investment advice tainted by conflicts of interest.
Draft of Form 1099-DA for reporting digital asset transactions released
The draft form, which when finalized will be used by brokers to report digital asset transactions, reflects the language of the proposed regulations, including a broad definition of “broker.”
IRS has mixed results from ‘ghost employer’ enforcement efforts
The IRS had mixed success in its first efforts to find employers who evade taxes, doing better in its criminal pursuit than on the civil side, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said in a recent report.
Updated FAQs provide details on phase-in timing of BOI access
The FAQs from Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said access to beneficial ownership information will be phased in, beginning this spring with a pilot program for some federal agency users and concluding in spring 2025, when financial institutions with customer due-diligence requirements will be able to review BOI.
CFO optimism reaches 3-year high, new survey shows
More than one-third of CFOs are very optimistic about the economy, according to a quarterly survey by Grant Thornton, and most finance leaders project growth in net profits over the next 12 months.
AICPA letter to FinCEN supports small registered investment advisers
Proposed regulations could challenge small RIAs in particular to maintain compliance, according to an AICPA comment letter. The letter recommends that FinCEN reconsider how it determines who must report.
Despite moratorium, IRS gets 20,000 ERC claims weekly, Werfel says
IRS commissioner Danny Werfel told the Senate Finance Committee that a tax bill passed by the House in January would help the IRS combat fraud in employee retention credit claims.
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SPONSORED REPORT
Preparing clients for new provisions next tax season
As the 2025 filing season approaches, H.R. 1 introduces significant tax reforms that CPAs must be prepared to navigate. These legislative changes represent some of the most comprehensive tax updates in recent years, affecting both individual and corporate taxpayers. This report provides in-depth analysis and guidance on H.R. 1.
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