The IRS issues final regulations that allow for the assessment of erroneous refunds of COVID-19 related paid sick leave, family leave, and employee retention credits.
IRS Practice & Procedure
IRS ends most unannounced revenue officer visits
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel on Monday announced an end to unannounced home visits by IRS revenue officers, except in a few cases. The change is effective immediately.
Scams are surging in the summer, the IRS says
The IRS issued a warning for taxpayers to be wary of offers promising tax refunds or to “fix” tax problems, saying these emails or texts are part of a summer surge in tax scams.
At the ripe old age of 21, he’s advising the IRS on change
Aidan Hunt was appointed at age 20 to the IRS Advisory Council, a panel that advises the IRS commissioner and recommends administrative and policy changes.
IRS provides transition relief for change in beginning date for RMDs
A notice provides transition relief for the change in the required beginning date for required minimum distributions (RMDs) under the SECURE 2.0 Act and guidance related to certain specified RMDs.
Commissioner: We are progressing toward a user-friendly IRS
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said the Service’s transformation is in full swing, thanks to new infusion of cash that he says needs to keep coming.
How the IRS can avoid tax deadline confusion in disaster areas
The national taxpayer advocate recommended changes that range from one simple one the IRS can handle on its own to congressional action.
Prop. regs. clarify tax treatment of certain health insurance payments
New proposed regulations clarify that accident or health insurance payments are not excludable from an employee’s income where the payments are made without regard to amount of medical expenses incurred by the employee under Sec. 213(d) and the premiums or contributions for coverage are paid on a pre-tax basis.
Study: Deterrence a major factor in bringing in more money from IRS audits
The paper by researchers at Harvard University, the University of Sydney, and Treasury finds that an additional $1 spent on marginal audits of top earners can get a return of $12 in revenue.
The IRM and more: A valuable resource
By being thoroughly familiar with the Internal Revenue Manual, tax practitioners can better provide tax services and representation.
Managing tax audits using sampling techniques
This article explores how adjustments in a tax audit using sampling can be overstated by the choice of statistical method and offers practical recommendations.
IRS cannot assess Sec. 6038(b) penalties
The IRS does not have statutory authority to assess Sec. 6038(b) penalties.
Tax Court holds firm to deadline for petition filed after midnight Eastern time
Tax Court petition filed electronically after midnight Eastern time on the last day for filing is not timely.
Considerations for IRS examinations of ERC claims
With an extended examination period for the employee retention credit and repeated IRS warnings of promoted schemes, practitioners and their clients should take care to document and support credit claims.
Threats to Appeals’ independence continue: Tips for representation
The national taxpayer advocate has repeatedly highlighted problems with Appeals’ independence.
Stock repurchase excise tax reporting and payment delayed by IRS
The IRS says covered corporations will not have to report or pay the new 1% stock repurchase excise tax until it issues forthcoming regulations.
Research finds algorithms, unscrupulous preparers behind audit bias
Subsequent research has replicated the racial gap in audit rates found in a study led by Stanford University and pointed to both unscrupulous tax preparers who submit EITC claims and algorithmic bias in the IRS’s audit selection process as causes.
Taxpayer advocate: 2023 tax season better at IRS; IT upgrades imperative
In her annual midyear report to Congress, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins says the difference between the 2022 and 2023 tax seasons was “like night and day.”
IRS updates list of automatic accounting method changes
The IRS on Thursday provided a comprehensive, updated list of changes in tax accounting methods to which the automatic change procedures in Rev. Proc. 2015-13 apply. The list includes 29 changes that the Service describes as significant.
IRS addresses whether college NIL collectives further an exempt purpose
A memo from the IRS Office of Chief Counsel advises that an organization that develops paid NIL opportunities for student-athletes will, in many cases, be operating for a substantial nonexempt purpose—serving the private interests of student-athletes—which is more than incidental to any exempt purpose furthered by the activity.
TAX PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
2025 tax software survey
AICPA members in tax practice assess how their return preparation software performed during tax season and offer insights into their procedures.
