Two sisters, who operated a tax preparation firm in Rialto, Calif., have been permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns. A federal court took the action against  Karen Berry, Carla Berry and their tax preparation business, N.C.K. Services. The case goes back to a 2004 indictment of five individuals including the sisters and their father Matthew. Carla and Karen Berry were sentenced to six years of prison each in October 2009.

Sage North America has created a program that authorizes independent companies to host its Peachtree and Simply Accounting applications. For the launch of the Small Business Accounting Hosting Provider program Sage also announced four hosting companies that have been approved for participation.

A mobile product campaign that include some applications being introduced this year and numerous "proof of concept" versions of CCH's software offerings was outlined today at CCH's user conference by Kevin Robert, CEO of Wolters Kluwers Tax & Accounting. That includes proof-of-concept mobile versions of ProSystem fx  and an application for checking filing status of electronic returns that will be delivered in 2012.

Two preparers face a possible 80 years in prison each and maximum fines of $6.6 million after being convicted of conspiring to defraud the United States and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama convicted James E. Moss and Avada L. Jenkins for crimes related to preparation of returns at Flash Tax, a Montgomery, Ala.-based business owned by Moss.