IRS

The Internal Revenue Service announced on Tuesday that Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) will expire if not used on a federal income tax return for five consecutive years. The IRS will not begin deactivating ITINs until 2016, however.

Small charities have a new, simpler process for applying for tax-exempt status. The Internal Revenue Service has introduced Form 1023-EZ, a shorter application form to help small charities apply for 501(c)(3) recognition.

Although it’s been almost five years since the floodgates were opened, we’re still seeing a steady stream of conversions to Roth IRAs. As long as Congress doesn’t clamp down on the rules, you can expect for this trend to continue.

The IRS has started a new voluntary program that it says is intended to encourage education and filing season readiness for paid tax return preparers who are not credentialed. The program will be in place to help taxpayers during the 2015 filing season.

On Tuesday, July 15, CPA Practice Advisor is hosting a free webcast titled, "Electronic Signatures and the IRS ... Everything You Need to Know." Sponsored by Wolters Kluwer CCH, the CPE-eligible webcast will cover the latest changes to electronic filing, including topics that are especially important for tax professionals and their clients.

The Internal Revenue Service’s proposed voluntary certification program for tax return preparers “would cause significant legal problems that may ultimately frustrate the IRS’s goals, confuse the public, and lead to litigation,” according to the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

Are those generous Section 179 deductions for business clients a thing of the past? Under current law, the maximum deduction is just a fraction of the high-water mark that was allowed prior to its expiration after 2013.

The IRS Office of Professional Responsibility will be sending out letters asking practitioners to stop using disclaimers required under Circular 230 (Regulations Governing Practice Before the Internal Revenue Service).