staff woes contribute to major tax season problems
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
the 2015 busy season may be one for the records. according to this year’s 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season survey, more than a third of the nation’s tax preparers report a busy season that was much worse or somewhat worse than last year, and it wasn’t just the cold and the snow. read more →
tax code changes emerge as prime cause of ‘worse’ tax seasons for many professionals.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
a fresh analysis of the data from the 2015 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season survey turns up several worsening situations in american tax preparation.
among those who report a “much worse” tax season, the worst-and-getting-worse cause of aggravation is the u.s. tax code and changes—especially mid-season changes—to the tax code.
but the worst among all respondents is their clientele, or more specifically, clients who are late or unprepared. a staggering 49% of respondents report client problems, a 7% increase over last year. and the percent is nearly the same for those who report a much worse season—51%—and those who had a “much better” season, 45%.
…the irs says 2016 could be even worse.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
the 2015 filing season was akin to a tale of two cities, according to the irs’s own watchdog.
“for the majority of taxpayers who filed their returns and did not require irs assistance, the filing season was generally successful,” according to the report issued to congress by the national taxpayer advocate’s office headed by nina olson. “for the segment of taxpayers who required help from the irs, the filing season was by far the worst in memory.”
meanwhile, olson urges congress to undertake “fundamental tax reform,” pass a “taxpayer’s bill of rights” law, and boost irs funding.
“everyone is in collective denial about what inadequate funding for the irs means to taxpayers,” olson says. read more →
analysis shows smaller firms having the most trouble.
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间’ surveys reveal a panoply of gripes from sea to shining sea about tax season: affordable care act. new regulations. computers. clients. even health problems and weather problems can seem worse.
and who are suffering the most? solo practitioners, the ones with the gumption to go it alone, the ones who can’t stop working on tax returns to fix a computer, go to a doctor, shovel some snow, or explain federal forms to a client.
then again, there’s john briggs, president of incite tax, a small but growing firm in sandy, utah, reporting a 2015 season of glee. “referrals keep pouring in. we took on 92 new clients just during the tax season. add that to 81 new clients we added between last busy season and january 2015, and we have a total of 173 new clients. regulatory issues lead to opportunities.”
multi-partner firms show bullish signs. soloists turn bearish on the u.s. economy.
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
cpas aren’t economists, but they do know numbers, and they have their fingers on the pulse of the flow of money in their local areas. they know how their own businesses and their clients’ businesses are doing, and they have at least an inkling of the causes. remembering 2014 and living through the 2015 busy season, they are well placed to prognosticate on financial flows over the next 12 months.
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey research detects a certain optimism, but it seems to be a bit more cautious among solo practitioners. read more →