The Internal Revenue Service plans to inform preparers who have been identified as "high risk" that it has noticed questionable traits on a number of the Schedules A, C or E that they have prepared. The IRS will send letters to these preparers and will also contact those whose clients' returns have traits associated with questionable Earned Income Tax Credits. Read more...

CCH has renamed SpeedTax, the web-based sales-and-use tax line that it acquired in July. The three editions of that acquired company's software are now known as CorpSystem Sales Tax SaaS Core, Plus and Pro, joining the rest of CCH"s offerings in this arena, CorpSystem Sales Tax Office and CorpSystem Sales Tax Rates and Taxability Database. Read more...

A federal court has permanently barred two Louisiana residents from preparing federal tax returns for others. The court in the Middle District of Louisiana has permanently barred Cynthia Peters and Melissa Edwards after finding that the women and their business, Jasmine's and Melissa's Tax Service, prepared returns that fabricated income and created bogus losses and expenses so that their customers would qualify for the earned income credit.

H&R Block is going to provide tax preparation services in about 300 Walmart stores starting next month. The company made the announcement that it is moving into a chain where Jackson Hewitt has provided such services. Jackson Hewitt had replaced Block at the giant chain to get the tax preparation franchise there. Meanwhile, Jackson Hewitt says it is expanding its operations in Walmart stores.