#cpa
Guidance on choosing, working with, and understanding Certified Public Accountants
Form 8275 is a one-page disclosure statement that, when attached to a tax return, can neutralize the 20% Section 6662 accuracy-related penalty and the Section 6694 preparer penalty for gray-area positions that have a reasonable basis.
Form 8275 lets taxpayers disclose debatable tax positions with the IRS to defeat the 20% Section 6662 accuracy-related penalty when a position has at least a reasonable basis. Covers when to use Form 8275 versus Form 8275-R, what counts as adequate disclosure, timing rules, and Section 6694 preparer-penalty protection.
A practical guide to AR-C 70 preparation, AR-C 80 compilation, and AR-C 90 review engagements — what each delivers, typical fee ranges, and how private companies match the right tier to lender, surety, and investor requirements without paying for unused assurance.
How private-company controllers build the ASC 740 income tax provision—current and deferred components, valuation allowances, UTBs, and the new ASU 2023-09 disclosures that take effect for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2025.
How private company controllers can build a clean ASC 740 income tax provision in 2026 — current and deferred tax, Schedule M-1 reconciliation, valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions, and the new ASU 2023-09 disaggregated income-taxes-paid and qualitative rate disclosures.
Form 8886 discloses reportable transactions to the IRS. Missing it triggers a Section 6707A penalty up to $200,000 per year for entities and keeps the assessment statute open indefinitely on listed transactions under Section 6501(c)(10). This guide breaks down the five categories, the penalty math, filing mechanics, and the foreign currency loss trap that catches accidental filers.
A statutory notice of deficiency gives a small business owner exactly 90 days to petition the U.S. Tax Court — the only path to challenge an IRS adjustment without paying first. This guide explains CP3219A, the Section 6213 deadline, the $50,000 small tax case election, and the records that decide outcomes.
A 2026 guide for solo tax preparers and small bookkeeping firms to build a Written Information Security Plan that satisfies the FTC Safeguards Rule's nine elements, the IRS PTIN attestation, and the 30-day breach notification requirement — using IRS Publication 5708 as the scaffold and a 90-day rollout.
A practical guide to building a Written Information Security Plan that satisfies the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 5708 — covering the nine required elements, technical controls like MFA and encryption, penalty exposure up to $46,517 per violation per day, and a six-week roadmap for tax preparers, CPAs, and bookkeepers.
Section 41 lets a qualified small business apply up to $500,000 of R&D credit per year against employer Social Security and Medicare taxes via Form 6765 and Form 8974. This guide explains the QSB tests, the four-part research test, the redesigned Section G that becomes mandatory in 2026, and how OBBBA's Section 174 reset changes the timing math.
Form 8867 due diligence carries a $650 penalty per credit in 2026 — up to $2,600 per return — plus EFIN, PTIN, and OPR risk. A practical breakdown of the four IRC §6695-2 duties, the red flags IRS examiners hunt for, and the file structure that survives a 25-return due diligence visit.
Schedule M-3 kicks in at $10 million of year-end total assets and demands four-column detail on every book-tax difference; M-1 stays single-page below that line. A CFO walkthrough of how the reconciliation works, the recurring permanent and temporary differences, and the habits that keep the schedule clean.
