Tax

A stopgap funding bill headed to the president would maintain the IRS’s $11.2 billion annual budget through Dec. 11 and prevent a second $11.6 billion funding rescission for now.

Individual audit starts fell 30% in fiscal 2025, including a 27% drop among taxpayers with income above $400,000, as IRS staffing levels declined, TIGTA said.

A new IRS Individual Online Account feature lets taxpayers download a digitally authenticated compliance report for use when applying for jobs, loans, government benefits, and other services.

The IRS proposed regulations that would limit Trump account investments to low-fee stock index funds and ETFs during the growth period.

The agency said it has ended its latest conservation easement settlement initiative and is creating a new office to coordinate strategy for such cases.

For most taxpayers, the 2026 filing season was normal, a government report says. Those who filed paper returns or relied on paper refund checks faced delays because of a smaller IRS workforce and technology problems.

The proposed regulations, which the IRS said would affect millions of children, families, and employers, also address self-employed owners, Sec. 125 cafeteria-plan contributions, and employer matching of the government’s $1,000 pilot-program contribution.