A new wave of advertising is churning up interest in a tax credit intended to help businesses and non-profits that tried to retain their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the ads on TV and radio, online, and even direct mail leave out a critical fact: most of the promoters’ clients won’t qualify for the credit.…

Read more about Real Facts About Bogus Claims for the Employee Retention Credit

The Internal Revenue Service is moving ahead with a program that will offer taxpayers a new option on for filing their 2023 returns next year. Dubbed “Direct File,” a scaled-down version of the full program will allow taxpayers to file online for free, using an IRS-run website.…

Read more about Direct File Pilot to Debut Next Tax Season

The Internal Revenue Service says it has almost $1.5 billion in leftover tax refunds for 2019 taxpayers who haven’t filed—but the time remaining to claim this money is slipping away.…

Read more about Time Running Out to Claim Tax Year 2019 Refunds

After severe thunderstorms and tornadoes raked parts of Tennessee on March 31, many of Volunteer State taxpayers could use a little good news. The Internal Revenue Service is doing its part, announcing tax relief for storm victims.…

Read more about Tennessee Storm Victims Have Deadlines Moved to July 31

The Internal Revenue Service has released its annual Dirty Dozen list of the top scams and schemes posing threats to taxpayers and tax pros, and this year sees some new schemes among the known scams from previous lists.…

Read more about 2023 Dirty Dozen Spotlights New Scams, Some Usual Suspects

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) updated the Clean Vehicle Credit to make US-manufactured electric and fuel cell vehicles more attractive to American car buyers. Since provisions in the legislation changed several qualifying requirements that take effect in 2023, the Internal Revenue Service has been steadily issuing guidance since January.…

Read more about IRS Clarifies Mineral, Battery Component Requirements for Clean Vehicle Credit

Identity theft usually takes center stage during most tax-scam discussions. After all, so much of our personal and professional lives take place online in emails, texts, and direct messages—all of which are ripe targets for phishing attacks. However, not all identity threats are limited to inboxes.…

Read more about 2023 Dirty Dozen: Ineligible Employee Retention Credit Claims

Paper returns have historically been slower to process due to the Internal Revenue Service having to manually transcribe information, leading taxpayers who want to more quickly receive their refund to electronically file. However, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for those who either prefer or are required to file paper returns.…

Read more about IRS Digital Intake Initiative Underway

The Internal Revenue Service recently extended tax relief for disaster victims in Alabama, California, and Georgia. Individuals and businesses in these federally declared disaster areas now have until October 16, 2023, to meet several filing and payment deadlines.…

Read more about Tax Relief Extended for Disaster Victims in Alabama, California, and Georgia

Taxpayers with foreign bank accounts who forgot to file an annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) received some good news at the end of February. In Bittner v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that the penalty for nonwillful failure to file an FBAR should be assessed on a per-report basis—capping fines at $10,000 per year, regardless of the number of accounts.…

Read more about SCOTUS Rules FBAR Penalty Determined on Per-Report Basis