lessons learned: how the federal shutdown hit busy season 2019

broken system. broken trust. broken tax season.

selected irs inventories and levels of service pre-shutdown and post-shutdown

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

the government shutdown of 2018-19 was a traumatic experience that cpas and tax preparers will remember, with a shudder, for years to come.

more on busy season: the irs mess: taxpayer’s roadmap is a plumber’s nightmarefixing the irs: tax professionals speak out |  refunds rebound, up 1.3% from last year  | tax refund fury roils busy season |  irs in crisis: tax professionals bear the brunt  |  the tax season funnies: worst video game ever  |  taxpayer advocate slams congress over funding  |  1.6 million tax clients gone missing?  |  busy season: fear, hope & frustration  |  alternative minimum tax: what’s it like today? |  clients’ top worry: going broke  |  the latest rules on charitable donations |

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it was the longest shutdown in history, and it hit precisely at crunch time for the tax cuts and jobs act and just as tax season was getting underway.

look at some of the stats from the taxpayer advocate service for service just before and just after (not during) the shutdown: read more →

fixing the irs: tax professionals speak out

what accountants are saying, in a word cloud

“all it takes is money.” sounds easy? except for the politics.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

wow! we asked for it, and we got it: an avalanche of advice on how to fix the irs.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 has always received smart, candid, and often outspoken responses to our busy season survey—  thousands of tax preparers from sea to shining sea telling us what’s happening in their offices.

click here to open survey

more on busy seasonrefunds rebound, up 1.3% from last year  | tax refund fury roils busy seasonirs in crisis: tax professionals bear the brunt  |  the tax season funnies: worst video game ever  |  taxpayer advocate slams congress over funding  |  1.6 million tax clients gone missing?  |  busy season: fear, hope & frustration  |  alternative minimum tax: what’s it like today?clients’ top worry: going broke  |  the latest rules on charitable donations  |  busy season: accountants worry for u.s. economy  |  tax shops bulk up for big busy season  |  busy season: the busiest ever?more real-time busy season coverage here

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but this year, halfway through the season, we asked a loaded question: how would you fix the irs? the professionals in the trenches of tax prep know what the problems are and what to do about them. they also seemed a bit miffed (to put it mildly) that the solutions seem so obvious, yet the problems keep compounding. read more →

refunds rebound, up 1.3% from last year

blanton

but filing remains sluggish and tax pro market share loses 1.5 million filers.

busy season barometer
today’s bonus question: how to fix the irs?
join the survey. get the results.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

four weeks into tax filing season, we’re seeing some positives.

more: tax refund fury roils busy season | tax pro efiling drops 12.5% after shutdown  | tax shops bulk up for big busy season | 16 big questions for tax season
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is it a misleading positive because we’re just now seeing refunds that include the eitc and child tax credit? mmm, maybe. but after a gloomy first few weeks, we might be willing to take whatever good news we can get.

“we’re definitely off to a slower start this year.,” cpa and financial planner brian blanton in carmel, ind., tells the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer. “clients are behind in sending in tax information compared to last year.”
read more →

1.6 million tax clients gone missing?

chart of tax filing data for the week ending feb. 8, 2019
^ tax filing data for the week ending feb. 8, 2019

opening days show accountants filed only 40% of irs intake. blame the shutdown.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

the irs might have rushed into action as soon as the government shutdown ended, but it still is feeling the effects as all filing statistics remain on the downside two weeks in.

more: busy season: accountants worry for u.s. economy | tax shops bulk up for big busy season | busy season: the busiest ever? | survey: tax season launches with a whimper | 16 big questions for tax season | survey: tax accountants alarmed by tcja & shutdown

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as of the week ending feb. 8 – the latest data available – the internal revenue service had received 28.8 million returns, down 6.9 percent from the same week in 2018. it had processed 27 million returns, down 10.2 percent, for a processing rate of 93.8 percent.

read more →

busy season: fear, hope & frustration

how's busy season so far? join the survey. get the results.
join the survey. get the results.

accountants face angry, confused clients.

next question: what to tell clients?
join the survey. get the answers.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

america’s tax practitioners are in a swirl of fear, hope, and frustration as they recover from the irs shutdown, present their clients with the realities of the tax cut and jobs act, and scramble to deal with new regulations, unobtainable irs forms, obsolete software, and inevitable filing extensions.

more on busy season: accountants worry for u.s. economy  |  tax shops bulk up for big busy season  |  busy season: the busiest ever?  |  survey: tax season launches with a whimper16 big questions for tax season   |  survey: tax accountants alarmed by tcja & shutdown | shutdown: what to tell tax clients during “the lapse” | beware the leeches and consultants | charitable giving under tcja | why padding tax deductions is a risky proposition |  handling the delay in 199a regs |  survey: clients rush for tcja answers|

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free to pro membersbusy season 2019 trend report (log-in required)

the 2019 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer is forecasting a profitable year, but the higher revenues are coming with higher anxiety. read more →

clients’ top worry: going broke

survey shows healthcare costs and market volatility drive client fears.  

of all the concerns impacting americans’ retirement today, running out of money, maintaining their lifestyle and rising healthcare expenses continue to top the list, according to a new survey of cpa financial planners.

more on client management: busy season: accountants worry for u.s. economy   |   tax season launches with a whimper  |  when to keep some plans to yourself   |  shutdown: what to tell tax clients during “the lapse”  |  how clients should gather their papers for taxes  |  staffers need to speak up with clients

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read more →