An IRS Update: What Works and What Doesn’t During the Shutdown

  |  January 16, 2019

The IRS has announced that due to the lapse in appropriations that began on December 22, 2018, most IRS operations are closed during the shutdown.

Under a contingency plan covering the tax filing season, the IRS is recalling 57% of its workforce in order to handle some tax season duties. Their workforce will increase from 9,946 employees who have been working since the start of the shutdown, to 46,052 employees. This plan will allow the IRS to process tax returns and issue refunds, but limitations on other services remain remain.

Here is a list of the limited operations available during the appropriations lapse: Read more. Read More

Four States File Lawsuit to Nullify New Limit on SALT Deduction

  |  August 16, 2018

As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act), the limitation imposed on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has wreaked havoc in many states. In fact, four states – Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Maryland – have determined that the limitation is unconstitutional. On July 17, they filed a lawsuit in federal court that seeks to make the law unenforceable. Read more. Read More

Oral Argument Held in the Supreme Court of the United States in South Dakota v. Wayfair

  |  May 1, 2018

On April 17, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in South Dakota v. Wayfair, et al. South Dakota is challenging, and attempting to have overturned, the physical presence nexus standard for the collection of sales and use taxes that was re-affirmed 26 years ago in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota. While many believed the Court would never have accepted South Dakota v. Wayfair if it didn’t intend to overrule Quill, the questions from the highly engaged Justices could suggest a different outcome (one that will be anxiously anticipated, and possibly issued this summer). Read more. Read More

Ransomware on the Rise in Government Agencies

  |  April 24, 2018

There’s a serious wake-up call gaining notice within the offices and agencies responsible for protecting our public infrastructures. Cybercriminals are embedding ransomware in government email addresses in a “phish” for staffers who will unsuspectingly download their malware. Once unlocked, the malware encrypts the agency’s data and can disrupt the operations of whatever office it enters.

A March 2018 ransomware attack on the City of Atlanta shut down the operation of multiple city offices, locking out access to services and interrupting court cases and arrest warrants. Read more. Read More

2017 Proposed Tax Reform Legislation – Explained

  |  December 11, 2017

On December 2, 2017, the Senate passed its version of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act." This proposed tax reform will be reconciled with the House of Representatives' bill, which passed several weeks earlier. The final bill may become law by the beginning of the new year, and it is poised to make radical changes to the current tax code. To get a better sense of what each bill contains, including their differences from each other and the potential impact they could have on individual and business tax planning, view our guide here. Read More

GASB Financial Reporting Model “Improvements”

  |  August 23, 2017

When the Governmental Accounting Standards Board issued GASB Statement No. 34 in June 1999, it made drastic changes to how state and local governments, including tribal governments, did financial reporting. Now GASB is revisiting that statement and seeking input from stakeholders on how it can improve the model. This is an incredible opportunity to make your concerns known about the current GASB Statement 34 fund financial statements and the proposed changes to those statements.

The fundamental issue GASB is addressing is the form and content of governmental fund financial statements, including their measurement focus and basis of accounting. The objective is to make the statements more understandable for those making decisions based on a government’s fiscal health. Read more. Read More