The number tax returns filed continued to rise as tax season ended.  For the season through April 27, the Internal Revenue Service received 139,903,000 returns, an increase of 1.7 percent 137,496,000 for the period ended April 28, 2017. That was a noticeable acceleration for the period ended April 20, when the number of returns received were .9 percent over the corresponding period in 20

Liberty Tax founder John Hewitt, fired as CEO in September, has begun a new business venture, Loyalty Brands. Hewitt hosted a Loyalty Brands Discovery Day on April 26 in Virginia Beach, Va., with the evite for the event providing little information about the new line of business.

Thomson Reuters has begun requiring multi-factor authentication for efiling tax returns. The company recommended the security measure during tax season but as of May 1 is requiring the technique.

The Internal Revenue Service is offering relief to small employers that wish to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. The guidance for 2017 and later years applies to those who first claim the credit for 2016 or later years through a Shop Marketplace but do not have marketplace plans available to employees.