Tax filing season can be a marathon, or it can be a sprint to the finish. Either way, the collective sigh of relief is real. Melanie Lauridsen, vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy for the AICPA, reflected on the last filing season and addressed advocacy items to watch in this episode of the Journal of Accountancy podcast.

Lauridsen, in her third tax advocacy update of 2024, discussed the latest on employee retention credit (ERC) claims, including an eye-popping cost estimate. She also shared advocacy updates and looked ahead to the rest of 2024.

In her previous podcast update, Lauridsen focused on clearing up confusion related to beneficial ownership information reporting.

What you’ll learn from this episode: 

·         The comparison of tax season to a two-hour marathon.

·         Why this was the first tax season in many years with “a smooth runway” for filing.

·         Lauridsen’s reaction to the comment by IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel about receiving 20,000 ERC claims per week.

·         Advocacy topics of note for this year and beyond.

·         Lauridsen’s analysis of a tax bill now in the Senate.

·         Why it is nearly guaranteed that tax changes are coming, even if the current bill never makes it out of committee.