Elective Pay: How Your Nonprofit Gets an IRS Cash Refund for Clean Energy
Section 6417 elective pay lets nonprofits and governments get clean energy credits as an IRS cash refund — register first, then file Form 990-T on time.
#irs-requirements
Irs Requirements
Meet IRS requirements for business tax compliance
Ordinary and Necessary: The Two-Word Test Behind Every Business Tax Deduction
An IRS business expense must be ordinary (common in your industry) and necessary (helpful to it) under Section 162 — plus the records to prove it.
Are Your Emails With Your CPA Privileged? Kovel Agreements, Section 7525, and Where Protection Stops
There is no US accountant-client privilege: Section 7525 shields only civil IRS tax advice, while a Kovel arrangement via counsel also holds in criminal cases.
Prove You're Tax Compliant in Minutes: The IRS's New Digitally Authenticated Tax Compliance Report
The IRS Tax Compliance Report (Letter 6201/6574) proves you filed and paid on time with an embedded digital certificate — no income details shared.
The Section 444 Election: How Seasonal S Corporations and Partnerships End Their Tax Year in the Slow Season
Section 444 lets an S corp or partnership elect a Sept 30, Oct 31 or Nov 30 year end with Form 8716 — in exchange for a Form 8752 deposit due every May 15.
The 20% Accuracy Penalty: What Counts as a Substantial Understatement — and the Reasonable-Cause Defense That Removes It
The IRS adds a 20% penalty when you understate tax by more than $5,000 or 10% — substantial authority, Form 8275 disclosure, or reasonable cause removes it.
From CP501 to CP504: What Each IRS Balance-Due Notice Means and How to Stop the Ladder
IRS CP501, CP503 and CP504 arrive in a fixed sequence — CP504 is the Notice of Intent to Levy, and the final notice gives 30 days to file Form 12153.
The Auditor Just Handed You Form 4564: How to Respond to an IRS Information Document Request
An IRS Form 4564 Information Document Request is a request, not a court order — answer only what's asked, keep a copy of everything, and ask for time early.
Behind on Payroll Taxes? How Pyramiding Turns One Missed 941 Deposit Into a Multi-Quarter Trust-Fund Debt
One missed Form 941 deposit draws a 2–15% IRS failure-to-deposit penalty, and unpaid trust fund taxes can become 100% personally yours under the TFRP.
You Volunteer Every Weekend. Here's What the IRS Actually Lets You Deduct
Volunteer hours are worth $0 on your return, but the IRS lets you deduct 14 cents a mile, supplies, and uniforms — and two 2026 changes shrink who benefits.
Starting a Tax Preparation Business: The PTIN, the EFIN Suitability Check, the E-File Mandate, and the Due-Diligence Rules You Need Before Taking Your First Paying Client
A PTIN, an EFIN after a 45-day IRS suitability check, and Form 8867 diligence on every credit return — the federal startup checklist for paid preparers.
The IRS Lost 27% of Its Staff: What Small Businesses Should Do Differently in 2026
After the IRS cut 28% of its workforce, phone waits doubled to 14 minutes, paper processing slowed to 36 days, and audit revenue fell 35%. The small-business playbook is to e-file everything, use the Business Tax Account, respond to notices online, and keep audit-ready books.