Notes for US CPA firms & UK accountants
Practical writing on bookkeeping, cleanup, tax season capacity and Making Tax Digital, by Keshav Bansal. RSS feed
Section 1062 Farmland Election (OBBBA): Proposed Regs IR-2026-115 and a Tax-Payment Installment Guide for US CPA Firms
Section 1062 farmland election (OBBBA): IR-2026-115 proposed regs — four 25% tax installments on qualified farmland gain for CPA firms.
IRS Collection Alternatives After You Owe: Payment Plans, Offers in Compromise and Automatic Exemption from Penalty for US CPA Firms
IRS Tax Tip 2026-73 collection alternatives: installment agreements, offers in compromise, levy exemptions and Automatic Exemption from Penalty for CPA firms.
IRS Whistleblower Program and HMRC’s Strengthened Reward Scheme: What US CPA Firms and UK Accountants Should Know
IRS whistleblower program meets HMRC’s Strengthened Reward Scheme (IR-2026-120): awards, FBAR risk and what US CPA firms and UK accountants should do.
State Millionaire Tax 2027: Rhode Island Surtax, Washington’s 9.9% Tax and North Carolina’s Rate Cut — What US CPA Firms Should Tell Clients
State millionaire tax 2027: Rhode Island’s 1% surtax, RI amnesty, Washington’s 9.9% tax vote and NC’s 3.49% rate, for US CPA firms.
Draft 2027 Form W-4: OBBBA Tips, Overtime, Car-Loan and Senior Lines for US CPA Firms
Draft 2027 Form W-4 keeps OBBBA tips, overtime, car-loan and senior lines. Withholding checklist for US CPA firms.
Education Freedom Tax Credit (§25F): State Opt-In, SGO Lists and What US CPA Firms Should Tell Clients
Education Freedom Tax Credit (§25F): state opt-in, SGO lists, $1,700 credit vs deduction, and SC EO 2026-23 for US CPA firms.
Draft Schedule 3-A and Refundable Credits as a "Federal Public Benefit": What US CPA Firms Should Prepare For
Draft Schedule 3-A would treat refunded EITC, ACTC, AOTC and adoption credits as a federal public benefit. What US CPA firms should prepare for.
IRS Free File Closes October 15, 2026: What US CPA Firms Need to Know About Free File, Fillable Forms and Direct File
IRS Free File for 2025 returns closes Oct 15, 2026 ($89k AGI cap). Free File vs Fillable Forms vs Direct File — guidance for US CPA firms.
IRS Audit Rates in the FY2025 Data Book: What CPA Firms Should Tell Clients About CP2000s and Audits
FY2025 IRS Data Book audit rates (0.32% overall, 6.6% for $10M+), CP2000 vs audits, and a notice-response checklist for US CPA firms.
October 15, 2026 Extension Deadline: A Final-Day Checklist for US CPA Firms
The October 15 extension deadline covers more than Form 1040: FBAR, Form 3520, SEP and Solo 401(k) funding, IRA fixes and e-file rejects. A CPA checklist.
IRS Disaster Relief Under §7508A: What US CPA Firms Should Do Before and After the Announcement
How IRS disaster deadline postponements under §7508A work, why a governor's declaration alone doesn't move a deadline, and a practical process for CPA firms.
The 1099-NEC Threshold Rises to $2,000 for 2026 Payments: What CPA Firms Should Change
The IRS's revised 1099-MISC/1099-NEC instructions raise the reporting threshold from $600 to $2,000 for 2026 payments. Workflow changes for CPA firms.
AI Tools, Offshore Teams and Section 7216: A Compliance Checklist for US CPA Firms
Circular 230 responsibility and IRC §7216 consent when CPA firms use AI tools or offshore and outsourced preparers: a practical checklist.
Your Firm's WISP: A Practical Guide to the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Security Six
Why tax firms need a written information security plan under the FTC Safeguards Rule, what it should cover, and IRS Pub. 4557 and Pub. 5708 basics.
Ghost Preparers and Preparer Responsibility: Lessons for CPA Firms from Recent IRS-CI Cases
What recent IRS Criminal Investigation preparer cases show about ghost preparers, client responsibility, due diligence and review standards for CPA firms.
Outsourcing MTD and Self Assessment Work: A Client Records Handoff Checklist for UK Practices
8-step checklist for UK practices preparing client records for Making Tax Digital bookkeeping and Self Assessment work with an outsourced team.
How to Hand Off a QuickBooks Online Cleanup to an Outsourced Team: A Checklist for US CPA Firms
A practical 8-step checklist for US CPA firms preparing a QuickBooks Online catch-up or cleanup handoff to an outsourced or offshore bookkeeping team.