COVID-19 news and information for CPAs

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February 13, 2024

7 warning signs that an ERC claim is questionable, from the IRS

As the March 22 deadline for the ERC voluntary disclosure program approaches, the IRS alerted small businesses to seven red flags that it is focusing on when it reviews claims.

February 1, 2024

House OKs $78B tax bill with changes to ERC and child tax credits

The bill, which now goes to the Senate, also delays amortization of research or experimental costs and restores tax breaks for companies from 2017’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

January 29, 2024

IRS to hold ERC education sessions for tax pros in February

The sessions, which will be hosted by IRS Criminal investigation special agents at locations nationwide, are aimed at tax professionals who claimed ERCs for clients on previous years’ tax returns.

January 25, 2024

ERC, BOI, e-signature relief: 3 focus areas for tax advocacy

An AICPA tax leader discusses advocacy “wins” from 2023, focus areas for 2024, and explains why comment letters sent to legislators are just “the tip of the iceberg”.

January 10, 2024

Auditor options when finding ineligible ERC claims

With the IRS challenging the validity of many employee retention credit (ERC) claims, what should practitioners do if they come across questionable ERC claims during audit engagements? Experts Robert Durak and Michael Westervelt provide answers.

December 21, 2023

ERC voluntary disclosure program requiring 80% claim payback launched

The IRS announced the launch of a program that will allow businesses to repay money from questionable employee retention credit claims and avoid penalties and interest.

December 20, 2023

IRS announces penalty relief, resumption of collection notices

The relief will go to about 4.7 million taxpayers — most with income under $100,000 a year — who did not receive automated collection reminder notices during the pandemic.

December 6, 2023

ERC disallowance letters sent to 20K+ taxpayers

The letters are part of the wide-ranging IRS campaign to curb abuse in the pandemic-era employee retention credit.

November 30, 2023

Hear all about it: What’s in the December JofA

The JofA’s editor-in-chief highlights the news, features and advice that CPAs will find useful in the December issue of the magazine. Listen to the podcast or read the transcript.

October 25, 2023

COVID-19 changes allowing e-signatures made permanent

A temporary COVID-19 change to allow e-signatures on some forms, documents, and returns has been made permanent in the Internal Revenue Manual. The AICPA had advocated for making this change to the e-signature rules permanent.