The House passed the much anticipated 21st Century Cures Bill (HR 34) on November 30 by a 392 to 26 vote. The bipartisan measure now heads to the Senate for consideration. Among its provisions, HR 34 would essentially exempt certain small employers who operate qualified Health Reimbursement
Read more →As with prior years, 2016 year-end planning should start with data collection and a review of prior year returns. This includes losses or other carryovers, estimated tax installments, and items that were unusual. Conversations about next year should include review of any plans for significant purchases or
Read more →President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, has signaled in his first interview on polices under a Trump Administration, that taxpayers “should expect the largest tax change since Reagan.” Mnuchin, in his November 30 interview with CNBC, predicted that “we’re going to get to 15
Read more →In October, the Internal Revenue Service announced that U.S. taxpayers with maquiladora operations in Mexico will not be exposed to double taxation if they enter into a unilateral advance pricing agreement (APA) with Mexico’s national tax authority, the Large Taxpayer Division of Mexico’s Servicio de Administración Tributaria
Read more →The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that the maximum amount of earnings subject to OASDI Social Security tax will rise to $127,200, in 2017 after holding at $118,500 for 2016 and 2015. The SSA cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are based on the rise in the average Consumer
Read more →As international compliance efforts pass several new milestones, the Internal Revenue Service reminds U.S. taxpayers with undisclosed offshore accounts that they should use existing paths to come into full compliance with their federal tax obligations. Updated data shows 55,800 taxpayers have come into the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure
Read more →Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act. Enacted last December, the new law means employers need to file their copies of Forms W-2 by Jan. 31. These forms also go to the Social Security Administration. The new deadline also applies to certain Forms 1099. Those reporting
Read more →House Ways and Means Committee Republicans sent a letter dated October 5 to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew again voicing concerns about the Obama administration’s proposed Code Sec. 385 regulations. The letter comes on the heels of the Treasury delivering final regulations under Code Sec. 385 to the
Read more →The IRS has provided the 2016-2017 special per diem rates for taxpayers to use in substantiating the amount of ordinary and necessary business expenses incurred while traveling away from home, specifically: (1) the special transportation industry meal and incidental expenses (M&IE) rates; (2) the rate for the
Read more →The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has released a report regarding the implementation of new tax return-related data elements based on the 2015 Security Summit, Protecting Taxpayers from Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud. TIGTA has concluded that tax-related identity thefts adversely affect the ability of
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