TIGTA issues report on IRS spending

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration recently issued a report on IRS spending under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It found the IRS has spent nearly $6.9 billion of its approximately $57.8 billion in IRA funding through the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. Notably, the IRS has used supplemental IRA funding to fund […]

Will the R+D Credit be fixed?

For more than 70 years, the U.S. tax code allowed companies to currently deduct certain research and development (R&D) expenses. This benefitted manufacturers and businesses in other industries. However, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, since 2022, companies have had to amortize R&D costs over a period of years. Specifically, R&D expenses covered under […]

What is third-party representation?

If the IRS contacts you about a specific tax matter, you can authorize a third party to handle it on your behalf. It could be a relative, friend or a tax pro at our firm, as long as you grant formal permission. You can do this by assigning your power of attorney to a person […]

IRS warns on scam related to disasters

Americans are generous, especially when disasters strike. In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene, the IRS is cautioning taxpayers that this is a prime time for scammers to use fake charities to target the public. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel warned that “Too often, criminals take advantage of would-be donors’ kindness […]

IRS updates on the processing of ERTC claims

What’s new with the IRS’s Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) investigations? The agency has announced that it’s currently processing approximately 400,000 ERTC claims. This batch includes eligible and ineligible claims, with the eligible claims having an estimated value of $10 billion. Those filers deemed eligible can expect to receive refund checks in the mail in […]

Tax Gap estimate update provided by the IRS

The “tax gap” is the difference between what the IRS estimates as the U.S. tax liability and the amount of tax that’s actually paid on time. Recently, the IRS announced its tax gap estimate for tax year (TY) 2022 is $606 billion, less than the TY 2021 estimated gap of $617 billion. A majority of […]

IRS grants disaster relief extension to May 2025

In the wake of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, the IRS is reassuring storm victims that it stands ready to provide tax-related assistance needed to help recover from these disasters. The IRS automatically gives taxpayers located in federally declared disaster areas additional time to file tax returns and pay taxes. Currently, taxpayers in the states of […]

SSA announces increase in maximum earnings for 2025

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that for 2025 the maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax will increase $7,500, from $168,600 to $176,100. This is referred to as the “wage base.” In addition, the SSA announced that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will increase by 2.5%. These changes reflect cost-of-living […]

Health Savings account contribution limits increase for 2025

Are you familiar with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)? These are accounts that participants, their family members and employers can contribute to on a tax-advantaged basis. Such contributions are considered employer-provided coverage of medical costs and are therefore excludable from the employer’s income. The 2024 limit for employee and employer contributions combined is $4,150 for individual […]

Donating a Conservation easement?

Donating property for a conservation easement is a way to preserve land for the future. It can also bring the donor hefty tax breaks, which is why the IRS closely scrutinizes such donations. To qualify for tax deductions, donations must meet specific reporting and disclosure requirements and a qualified appraisal must establish the donation’s value. […]