Taxes

April 15 is a day away and for the millions of American taxpayers who expect or have already filed and received a refund there's some surprising news. More than two thirds have decided to save their refund.

In a move that will let accounting and tax professionals in Maryland have faster access to real-time sales and use tax information, cloud-based tax automation vendor Avalara has formed a strategic alliance with the Maryland Association of CPAs, a professional membership-based organization comprised of over 9,000 CPAs.

Russia has invaded the Ukraine; North Korea is firing on the South; Iran is about to develop nuclear weapons; terrorism is on the rise again; and the single most important thing to be afraid of is…

Before student athletes begin celebrating the recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that college football players should be classified as university employees, they might consider this extra point: Players could be hit with an unexpected tax bill on their scholarships.

The Internal Revenue Service has released the 2014 version of “The Truth about Frivolous Tax Arguments.” The document describes and responds to some of the common frivolous tax arguments made by those who oppose compliance with federal tax laws. The cases cited demonstrate how frivolous arguments are treated by the IRS and the courts. The 2014 version includes numerous recently-decided cases that demonstrate that the courts continue to regard such arguments as illegitimate.

The White House now says without equivocation that 7.1 million individuals signed up for Obamacare by March 31, the deadline for open enrollment in 2014. But how many of those people actually paid for health insurance coverage acquired through the marketplace? That’s where the “counting” gets a little trickier.

According to a new study by the American Health Policy Institute (AHPI), it could cost some businesses almost $6,000 extra per employee. The report, “The Cost of the Affordable Care Act to Large Employers.” draws on internal cost data shared with AHPI by over 100 large employers (10,000 or more employees each) doing business in the United States.

For many employers, a zero-tolerance approach to drug use and random drug testing helps to ensure a safe, productive work environment. Yet more states are legalizing medical marijuana, and recreational use is legal in two others. A tangle of federal laws adds to the confusion. Being aware of the legal issues involved and the changing legal landscape is important for employers to ensure that their drug testing polices are legal and enforceable.