Ponzi schemes continue to come to light regularly. After 2008, when Bernard Madoff’s $65 billion Ponzi scheme was exposed, the SEC made comprehensive reforms to better detect fraud within the 11,000 regulated investment advisers and 8,000 mutual funds that it oversees, according to the SEC’s description of those reforms (tinyurl.com/2fu6eog).
Advertisement
TOPICS / TAX
Individual income taxation
IRS Targets 1040 Schedules, Procedures in Preparer Compliance Visits
In its current round of office visits involving tax preparer compliance, the IRS is targeting practitioners who prepare a high percentage of returns with certain Form 1040 schedules and is checking preparers’ procedures and recordkeeping. For a second tax season, the IRS has sent reminders to tax preparers of their
IRS Launches Smartphone App
The IRS on Monday announced the launch of a new application for smartphones: IRS2Go. The application will let taxpayers check on the status of their refunds and get tax tips. In a press release, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman described the application as showing the IRS’ “commitment to modernizing the agency
IRS Gives Relief to Return Preparers With Pending PTIN Applications
Because some return preparers are having trouble with the IRS’ new online preparer tax identification number (PTIN) application, the IRS on Jan. 24 announced that it is providing relief for preparers who make a good-faith effort to comply with the new PTIN requirement (Notice 2011-11). The IRS will permit preparers
IRS Announces Date to Start Processing Delayed Returns
The IRS announced that it plans to be able to start processing tax returns delayed by the late enactment of the 2010 Tax Relief Act on Feb. 14. On Dec. 23, the IRS warned that because of the late enactment of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation
Lack of Economic Substance Guidance May Chill Legitimate Planning, Organizations Warn
The AICPA and the American Bar Association (ABA) Tax Section jointly issued a comprehensive set of recommendations to the IRS to encourage the Service to quickly establish guidance for applying the economic substance doctrine. In the absence of specific guidance, the organizations warn in a 65-page report released Jan. 18
AICPA Offers Congress 13 Suggested Cleanups for the Tax Code
Noncontroversial and straightforward tweaks to a tax code that contains more than 3.5 million words are not easy to find, but the AICPA has several such proposals that, if enacted, could eliminate a few headaches for taxpayers and CPAs alike. The AICPA’s second annual compendium of legislative proposals, distributed to
IRS Will Not Meet 80% E-File Goal, Oversight Board Says
The IRS Oversight Board released its Electronic Filing 2010 Annual Report to Congress on Wednesday, including the news that its goal that 80% of all major tax return types be electronically filed will likely not be met by 2012. The 80% e-file goal was originally implemented by the IRS Restructuring
2011 Tax Filing Season Gets Under Way With Many Changes
The IRS started accepting e-filed and Free File returns on Jan. 14, marking the official start of the 2011 tax filing season. However, many taxpayers will not be able to file until some time in February while the IRS updates forms and reprograms its systems to account for legislative changes
Social Security “Do-Over” Now Limited
The Social Security Administration issued a final rule that limits beneficiaries’ ability to stop their Social Security retirement payments, repay their cumulative past benefits, and start receiving higher payments available to older applicants. The SSA said the restrictions were necessary to prevent abuse of the option, which has been called
Treasury Introduces Prepaid Debit Cards for Tax Refunds
The Treasury Department on Thursday announced a pilot program of prepaid debit cards to allow taxpayers without bank accounts to receive their tax refunds more quickly. The Visa debit cards will be available only to taxpayers who receive an offer letter from the Treasury Department. During the pilot program, the
IRS Oversight Board Releases Latest Taxpayer Attitude Survey Results
The IRS Oversight Board has released the results of its 2010 Taxpayer Attitude Survey showing that taxpayers feel that income tax cheating is unacceptable and are generally satisfied with their personal interaction with the IRS. The nine-member IRS Oversight Board was created by the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of
Automatic Procedures for Changing Accounting Methods Updated, Expanded
The IRS on Monday released updated procedures under which taxpayers can receive automatic consent to change their accounting methods (Revenue Procedure 2011-14). The revenue procedure updates prior guidance contained in Revenue Procedures 2008-52 and 2009-39 and gives additional accounting method changes for which taxpayers can obtain automatic consent. The revenue
PTINs a Pain for Some CPAs
As the start of tax filing season looms, some CPA preparers are reporting difficulties meeting the new IRS requirement to register and obtain or renew a preparer tax identification number (PTIN). All paid tax return preparers, including CPAs, now must use a PTIN when signing all tax returns, forms or
Establish a College-Based Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is an IRS program that provides free, reliable income tax return preparation to low- to moderate-income taxpayers. Many nonprofit organizations sponsor sites, including colleges and universities, which often integrate the program into teaching taxation to give students some practical experience. I was privileged to help
Maximizing Tax Season Efficiency
Run your firm’s tax season as if you were advising a client on a business. Whether you are a two-person operation or a giant national firm, you need procedures to facilitate the tax preparation part of your practice. The following best practices for tax season, adapted from my book Managing
Using Refund Splitting to Fund IRAs
Individual taxpayers have the option to split direct deposit federal tax refunds among up to three (open) accounts with up to three U.S. financial institutions that accept direct deposits. Refunds can fund several kinds of accounts, including checking, savings, individual development accounts, IRAs (traditional, Roth and SEP), health savings accounts,
Don’t Neglect to Elect, Part 2
In the hustle and bustle of tax season, practitioners may overlook some of the elective tax benefits available to clients. Although many elections can be made under extension or on amended returns, a little forethought can go a long way. Here’s a follow-up to our June 2010 JofA article (“Tax
Tax Season Brings New Twists
While 2010 featured an ample number of new tax breaks and revenue-raising measures, the filing season that starts this month (with an April 18 deadline for individual returns) is notable for tax practitioners also because of its new return preparer requirements. For the first time, paid return preparers including CPAs
Congress Enacts Tax Cut Extensions
Congress in December sent to President Barack Obama for his signature the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, HR 4853, which postpones the sunset of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, temporarily reduces the estate tax and extends a number of expired provisions. It also
Features
FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
How to craft the CPA career you want
Want to pursue a work life that brings you purpose and joy? Learn how in this article from the Journal of Accountancy’s November issue.
From The Tax Adviser
October 31, 2026
AI risks to the Sec. 7525 practitioner privilege
September 30, 2026
Navigating the QSBS rules in pass-through structures
September 30, 2026
Sec. 338(h)(10) elections in business acquisitions
August 31, 2026
