Tax Planning

The impact of the recent federal government shutdown is being felt by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which announced that the beginning of the 2014 tax filing season will be delayed by up to two weeks.

The dawn of 2013 brought the biggest tax changes in more than a decade and this dramatic reshaping of the tax code will change tax planning according to Grant Thornton LLP.

Preparing for tax season is something individuals need to think about more than just once a year, especially since it seems that every year brings with it new changes related to W-2 and 1099 forms and reporting requirements. For Tax Year 2013, which most Americans will file by April 15, 2014, there are several important changes this year in the wake of the new Affordable Care Act, making it imperative for businesses to understand the changing W-2 and 1099 reporting environment.

New tax and legal briefings from CCH, a part of Wolters Kluwer, are now available to help tax and accounting professionals prepare clients for potential impacts from the government shutdown as well as recent tax law changes.

On the conference room shelf of a CPA’s office I visited recently, I noticed a Magic 8-Ball with the label “free tax answers.” When turned, the die floating in colored liquid inside the ball presses against the window to reveal an affirmative, negative, or non-committal answer such as “cannot predict now.”

Best Fit: Firms using the Thomson Reuters CS Professional Suite that can benefit from the integration between Planner CS and the suite’s tax preparation and document management products. Strengths Capable to producing projections for an unlimited number of years Integration with several components of the CS Professional Suite Many options for customizing reports and graphs […]

Best Fit: Firms using other components of the ProSystem fx Suite or CCH Axcess Tax that take advantage of the direct integration. Strengths Imports tax data from ProSystem fx Tax and CCH Axcess Tax The license allows for an unlimited number of users at a firm location Interactive tutorial and ample help resources Potential Limitations […]

Best Fit: While firms using Lacerte Tax and DMS will benefit with the direct integration, it may also be considered as a standalone product because it is easy to use and a lower cost alternative than the products reviewed. Strengths User-friendly interface similar to that of the tax program. Easily imports client tax data from […]