BOI is back; phantom stocks; continuous compliance; and other highlights from our favorite tax bloggers.

Just in time

• Tax Vox (https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox): Who benefits and who loses from extending major provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act?
• Taxing Subjects (https://www.drakesoftware.com/blog): The Republican party can shape legislative priorities for the next two years, setting the stage for long-term policy changes. A downloadable resource offers a breakdown of key policy areas and action steps for tax pros and small businesses. 
• AICPA & CIMA Insights (https://www.aicpa-cima.com/blog): How the IRS and tax pros can both start prepping for any government shutdown.
• Eide Bailly (https://www.eidebailly.com/taxblog): “Just in time for the holidays,” a federal appeals court has restored the Corporate Transparency Act requirement for businesses to disclose their beneficial owners.
• Taxable Talk (http://www.taxabletalk.com/): And just like that, yet again, with an injunction’s stay, course is reversed.
• Current Federal Tax Developments (https://www.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com/): At least they extended the deadlines a whisker.
• The Tax Times (https://www.thetaxtimes.com): The IRS continues to claw back from non-filers, to the tune of 10 figures and counting.
• The National Association of Tax Professionals (https://blog.natptax.com/): Favorite headline of the week: “The best gifts for the tax pro in your life this holiday season.”
• National Taxpayer Advocate (https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/taxnews-information/blogs-nta/): “‘Twas the night before tax season, and all through the land; Tax professionals were working, each with pen in hand; The forms were all sorted with numbers just right; who says tax accounting can’t thrill and excite?”

2025

Continuity

Size matters

H&R Block has given the world just what it wants to see this holiday season: Santa Claus’s tax return.

Santa has a lot of itemizations to consider. Eight tiny reindeer depend on him for food and shelter, for instance, but are they dependents? How much can you give to one person before reporting it? Does Santa keep good mileage records for his 41.5 million miles? Santa isn’t an employee, so compensation (even in cookie form) over the threshold may create a 1099-NEC.

Old St. Nick, who files MFJ with Mrs. Claus, did all right on 1040 Line 34, but some of his numbers do bear examination: 6.3 million cookies and 2 million gallons of milk means a third of a gallon of milk per cookie. Will the deduction of coal, magic dust and sleighbells stand up to audit? At least Santa has plenty of time on his hands between January and April to find a good preparer.

“Even the jolly man in red takes time to report taxes,” reads the announcement from the tax prep giant. “He’s probably the world’s most famous small-business owner, running a gift-giving workshop and distribution network across the globe … Santa is giving us the first ever peek at his tax return and showing us how he used H&R Block Online and AI Tax Assist to get his maximum refund.”

The SECURE 2.0 Act contained several changes to traditional and Roth individual retirement accounts and 401(k) plans that are being phased in over the coming years, with several notable changes coming in 2025. The Illinois CPA Society highlighted five changes coming to IRAs and 401(k)s in 2025: