Drake Software blog for tax pros, covering tax, IRS news, and more

Ryan Norton

Whether designing superheroes, penciling caricatures, or just doodling, I always knew I was going to earn some sort of art degree while in college. That was my goal before I decided to trade Edgar Degas for Edgar Allan Poe during a Freshman English class. The BA in English soon morphed into a double-major in English and Philosophy, eventually becoming an MA in English. It only makes sense that I learned of a writing opportunity for a local marketing firm while teaching a first-year college English course. Before I knew it, I was writing and editing tax-related articles for Taxing Subjects, and this has been my home since 2014.

IRS Releases Scenarios for SALT Limitation

Ryan Norton - April 08, 2019

The IRS issued a revenue ruling that outlines how taxpayers should treat their now-limited SALT deductions on tax year (TY) 2018 returns and explains how those decisions could affect their tax return next year.…

Brady Lievens Explains ProtectionPlus - E24

Ryan Norton - March 28, 2019

Filing season starts in late January and end in mid-April, so some tax professionals look for ways to get clients back in their office the remainder of the year.…

GM Electric Vehicle Credit to Phase Out

Ryan Norton - March 27, 2019

Taxpayers interested in getting a Chevy Volt don’t have much longer to take advantage of the Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit. According to the Internal Revenue Service, General Motors officially hit the 200,000-vehicle threshold that triggers the phase out of the credit.…

IRS Lowers Withholding Penalty Threshold Again

Ryan Norton - March 25, 2019

In January, the IRS announced it was lowering the threshold for applying the estimated tax penalty from 90 percent to 85 percent. This change was designed to shield taxpayers who were already getting an unexpected tax bill due to tax reform from also owing a penalty. Last Friday, the IRS said they were lowering the threshold once again to provide penalty relief to even more taxpayers.…

Amanda Explains the Child Tax Credit and Other Dependent Credit - E23

Ryan Norton - March 22, 2019

With just a few weeks until the end of filing season, Drake Education Tax Team Lead Amanda Watson appeared on the Taxing Subjects Podcast to explain the Child Tax Credit and Other Dependent Credit. We discussed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act-related changes, due diligence requirements, and more.…

Taxpayer Advocate Says Shutdown Has Affected Filing Season

Ryan Norton - March 01, 2019

A recent IRS Newswire announced that the 2018 Annual Report to Congress finally arrived on lawmakers’ desks, one of two reports that National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson is required by law to submit each year.…

Jay Eager Answers Drake Accounting FAQs – EP22

Ryan Norton - February 28, 2019

Drake Accounting Development Manager Jay Eager swung by the Taxing Subjects studio to answer some frequently asked questions for Drake Accounting software.…

IRS Says Shutdown Affected EA Renewals

Ryan Norton - February 19, 2019

The IRS recently reminded enrolled agents (EAs) that the effects of the government shutdown didn’t suddenly come to an end on January 25 when the president signed a stopgap spending bill.…

“Are You Ready for Tax Season?” Survey Results

Ryan Norton - February 13, 2019

Since the majority of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changes went into effect in tax year 2018 and there’s a new Form 1040 and supporting schedules to learn, Drake Software wanted to see if preparers felt ready before the January 28 start date.…

IP PIN Program Expands

Ryan Norton - February 12, 2019

The IRS is expanding the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) pilot program, so taxpayers in seven additional states will be able to add an extra layer of security to their federal tax return.…