ESG is becoming an increasingly familiar acronym, standing for environmental, social and governance. Similarly, ESG analysis has become an increasingly important part of the tax compliance process and, for CPAs, it’s a key area to understand as part of a taxpayer’s overall financial snapshot. On this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — Tax Practice & Ethics, AICPA & CIMA, chats with April Little, CPA, Partner, Tax Risk & Advisory Services — Grant Thor...
Feb 08, 2023•21 min
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, imposed a $10,000 limitation on individual taxpayers for the deduction of state and local taxes (SALT) for tax years 2018 through 2025. In response, many states enacted laws allowing (or mandating) passthrough entities (PTEs) to pay the taxes at the entity level instead. In November of 2020, the IRS issued Notice 2020-75 , which clarified that partnerships and S corporations may deduct their SALT payments at the entity level in computing nonseparate...
Jan 25, 2023•32 min
In December 2022, the IRS posted a revised draft version of the 2022 Partnership Instructions for Schedule K-2 and K-3 (Form 1065) and a similar revised version of the 2022 S Corporation Instructions for Schedules K-2 and K-3 (Form 1120-S). They were subsequently finalized. On this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — Tax Practice & Ethics, AICPA & CIMA along with Tim Chan, Managing Director, Washington National Tax — Passthroughs — KPMG LLP and David Site...
Jan 19, 2023•29 min
The end of the year is upon us. While the hustle and bustle of the holidays and winter hibernation sets in, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — Tax Practice & Ethics, AICPA & CIMA, fills you in on some quick updates about a few trending tax topics to keep you in the know, including Schedules K-2 and K-3, Form 1099-K, Payment Card and Third-Party Network Transactions and tax legislation developments What you’ll learn in this episode Second draft of Form 1065 Schedules K-2 and K-3 inst...
Dec 22, 2022•12 min
An engagement letter is an important written agreement that describes the business relationship and the types of services agreed upon by a client and a professional firm. The letter details the scope of the agreement, terms and costs and sets expectations for both sides of the arrangement. In this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — Tax Practice & Ethics, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, chats wit...
Dec 01, 2022•21 min
Knowing the right time to end a client relationship can be tricky. No matter the reason for termination, managing the practical components plus the human emotions can be difficult. In this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — Tax Practice & Ethics, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, chats with Daniel Moore, CPA, Owner — D.T. Moore & Company, LLC, and Brandon LaGarde, CPA, JD, LLM, Director — Post...
Nov 21, 2022•33 min
Managing a future-forward tax practice that is efficient, profitable and agile can be overwhelming. Meeting client expectations, streamlining workflows and handling staffing challenges are just some top-of-mind concerns. One resonating topic throughout this year, is also the debate regarding shifting the tax filing deadlines. Will they remain what they currently are or is there an appetite for change? The AICPA Tax Practice Resilience Task Force, composed of a diverse group of tax professionals,...
Nov 16, 2022•37 min
Statements on Standards for Tax Services (SSTSs) are the foundation for validating reputational integrity in the tax profession. The SSTSs are the enforceable tax practice standards for members of the AICPA. To keep pace with the evolving tax profession, the updates to the AICPA’s SSTSs will guide tax practitioners into the future, help them enhance their services and maintain their professional edge. On this Global Ethics Day , in collaboration with the Journal of Accountancy podcast, April Wal...
Oct 19, 2022•22 min
Securing data against bad actors is crucial to the long-term success of a business. The average cost of a data breach in the U.S. in 2022 was over $9 million . With proper planning the risk can be mitigated, and even if an incident occurs, the cost and the time to recover can be significantly reduced. In this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — Tax Practice & Ethics, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIM...
Oct 12, 2022•29 min
The employee retention credit (ERC) has been an important lifeline to many struggling businesses impacted by the economic uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERC has helped support many businesses through the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and taxpayers, many with the help of their CPA practitioners, have faithfully filed for refund claims. However, some taxpayers have been approached by firms or consultants who may promote an overly aggressive narrative with the promise that any and e...
Sep 22, 2022•19 min
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 increases the IRS budget by roughly $80 billion over 10 years. The funds are broken down into four main categories: taxpayer services, business system modernization, operations support and enforcement. On this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — AICPA Tax Section, talks with Gloria Sullivan, Managing Director, Tax Controversy & Regulatory Services — PwC, who spent 37 years with the IRS Large Business & International (LB...
Aug 31, 2022•36 min
President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, H.R. 5376 , into law on Aug. 16, 2022. Tax professionals must now undertake the task of quickly understanding the tax provisions, including the new corporate minimum tax, based on financial statement, or "book," income and various energy credits, which include several new credits for clean energy and fuels and clean vehicles and other transportation. The bill also extends several temporary existing credits. On this Tax Section Odyssey episode, ...
Aug 17, 2022•31 min
The tax ecosystem is in constant flux given the rotating release of legislation and regulations and reliance upon open communication with, and accessibility to, the IRS. On this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager – AICPA Tax Section, and Lauren Pfingstag, Director of AICPA Congressional & Political Affairs, review frequently asked questions (FAQs) that the AIPA Tax Section receives from members on topics such as the employee retention credit (ERC), tax-related...
Jun 30, 2022•29 min
The employee retention credit (ERC), the refundable tax credit designed to reward business owners for retaining employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was signed into law on March 27, 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and further significantly expanded in 2021. Eligible business owners can claim up to $5,000 in refundable tax credits for each employee on their payroll in 2020 and up to a $7,000 credit per quarter (excluding Q4) for each employee ...
Jun 07, 2022•31 min
In this episode of the Tax Section Odyssey, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — AICPA Tax Section, talks with brand, marketing and growth strategists, Manny Torres and Kenny Harper from Growth Amplifiers. Growth Amplifiers works with business advisors to help them increase their profits and the success of their businesses. The organization provides tips, tools and strategies to help advisory businesses elevate the value and experience they provide to their customers and/or clients. What you’...
May 25, 2022•35 min
Alternative work arrangements such as remote or hybrid options are becoming more prolific making it crucial for firms to fully leverage digital technologies. Mainstays like automation, e-marketing and employee engagement strengthen relevancy and future proof a business — especially with the “great resignation” looming and client interaction mechanisms evolving. In this episode of the Tax Section Odyssey, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — AICPA Tax Section, talks through these topics with C...
May 11, 2022•25 min
The April 2022 tax deadline has passed and many tax practitioners are soaking in a well-deserved respite. Now may be the opportune time to think about starting up your own tax practice. While the thought of being a successful entrepreneur may seem daunting, there’s some best practices to get you started. On this episode of the Tax Section Odyssey April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — AICPA Tax Section, talks with Kelly Rohrs, CPA, P.C., Owner — Kelly A. Rohrs, CPA , about her transition over t...
Apr 28, 2022•26 min
The homestretch of the tax season is drawing near. On this episode of the Tax Section Odyssey April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — AICPA Tax Section, highlights three top-of-mind items lingering on as we near the end of busy season 2022. What you’ll learn in this episode Status of relief around Schedules K-2/K-3 (0.50) Updates to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Safeguards Rule (3.45) Where to hear more about the “billionaire tax” and other proposed tax reforms related to the 2023 fiscal year budge...
Apr 06, 2022•10 min
At the end of 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97 delivered the $10,000 state and local tax (SALT) deduction limitation. Before passage of TCJA, individuals who itemized deductions could deduct their state tax payments in full using Schedule A, Itemized Deductions , of their federal Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return . Now that the amount of the deduction is limited, shifting the income taxes directly to the passthrough entity swings the deduction upstream. In theory, a...
Mar 22, 2022•25 min
Non-cash compensation has become more familiar in the workplace, with nearly one-in-five individuals holding some type of equity. As such, taxpayers need to have the right mix of tax, financial and legal advice, as well as appropriate technology solutions, to confidently make critical decisions around wealth management. On this episode of the Tax Section Odyssey, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — AICPA Tax Section, talks with guest David Snider, Founder and CEO — Harness Wealth , about his...
Mar 09, 2022•28 min
The new Schedules K-2 and K-3 aim to improve reporting by standardizing international tax information to partners and flow-through investors, making it easier for them to report these items on their individual tax returns. However, implementing the required changes continues to cause transitional challenges for the tax community. Although the IRS has released IR-2022-38 and a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs), more guidance is needed. On this episode of the Tax Section Odyssey, April W...
Feb 24, 2022•20 min
According to the FBI, cybercrime has increased by 300% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more crucial than ever, tax practitioners need to remain vigilant and one step ahead of cybercriminals in the everchanging world of data security. Listen in to a frank discussion on cybersecurity with April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — AICPA Tax Section and special guest Byron Shinn, CPA, Partner — Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC, on this episode of The Tax Section Odyssey. What you’ll learn ...
Feb 09, 2022•28 min
From a record number of unprocessed returns to the inability to contact the IRS, these ongoing issues continue to be a problem for taxpayers and tax practitioners. The Tax Professionals United for Taxpayer Relief Coalition — a diverse group of stakeholders from the tax community including the AICPA — is taking steps to help by providing recommendations the IRS can implement now and raising the profile of the systematic issues. Hear how the IRS can do more on this Tax Section Odyssey episode wher...
Feb 03, 2022•24 min
The IRS is now accepting and processing 2021 tax returns — a signal that the official start of the busy tax filing season is here. While it’s a new year, this tax season has similar vibes as the past two years but with some new obstacles as well. On this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager – AICPA Tax Section sits down with Daniel Moore, CPA, Owner — D.T. Moore & Company, LLC, to discuss issues tax practitioners may encounter this season, as well as provide som...
Jan 26, 2022•39 min
A new year has arrived, and it’s an opportune time to pause and take some time to reflect on new goals and consider what’s possible. It’s been a rough 18 months since the start of the pandemic, and tax practitioners continue to brave the storm of seemingly never-ending tax legislation, related guidance and client mentoring. April Walker, CPA, CGMA, from the AICPA Tax Section and host of the Tax Section Odyssey podcast, reached out to tax practitioners to find out if they have goals for the upcom...
Jan 12, 2022•11 min
The IRS recently released long-awaited guidance related to PPP forgiveness with three revenue procedures — Rev. Procs. 2021-48 , 2021-49 and 2021-50 . Earlier in the year, the AICPA submitted a letter to the IRS requesting guidance for a range of issues which are addressed in the revenue procedures. These include: The timing for tax purposes of when PPP loan forgiveness is received or accrued How partners and partnerships may allocate PPP forgiveness as exempt income and allocate deductions resu...
Dec 14, 2021•22 min
In these challenging times, many CPAs may be contemplating if working in the profession among constant chaos is worth it. In this Tax Section Odyssey episode, Tony Nitti, CPA chats with April Walker, CPA, CGMA, from the AICPA Tax Section, about the current state of the profession and its future. Professionals at all levels of their careers will find something they can relate to and perhaps hear some insights worth considering. Tony also discusses what’s next for him in his career and gives a sne...
Dec 01, 2021•32 min
In June 2021, the IRS released final versions of two new international-related schedules that are being added to passthrough entity returns: Schedule K-2, Partners' Distributive Share Items — International Schedule K-3, Partner's Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc. — International The new international-related schedules will be required for 2021 partnership and S corporation returns and 2021 Schedules K-1, Partner's Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc. In this Tax Section Odyssey ep...
Nov 17, 2021•26 min
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was approved in the House of Representatives on Nov. 5, 2021 and is headed to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law. The House passed the legislation by a 228–206 vote after it passed the Senate by a 69–30 vote in August. In this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, from the AICPA Tax Section, highlights major tax-related items contained in the bill and shares several resources available for practitioners to navigate the prov...
Nov 12, 2021•7 min
Many tax practitioners think their clients are insulated from the world of international tax issues. However, as the business environment continues to evolve globally, tax practitioners need to make sure they are taking inventory of various international tax matters. International tax policies can dramatically affect business decisions, job creation and retention and office and plant locations. Having exposure to international tax issues will allow tax practitioners to spot potential issues and ...
Nov 03, 2021•21 min
