Federal Tax Updates

Roger and Annie lay out what tax pros should tackle between the October 15 extension deadline and next tax season, from IRS online accounts, WISP updates, and adding a second principal to your EFIN to pricing, hiring, and letting go of problem clients. They also cover what changes for year-end 2026 information returns, including the retirement of the FIRE system in favor of IRIS, higher 1099-NEC and 1099-K thresholds, and new W-2 codes for tips and overtime with no transition relief this time. Plus, an update on the Taxpayer Assistance and Service (TAS) Act, which passed the Senate and now needs the House to act before this Congress ends.

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Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Links mentioned in this episode

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome Back Annie

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger Harris is joined by Amanda Aguillard, COO of Padgett, to share what they heard from accounting firm owners on this summer's IRS and association conference tour: owners are tapped out and don't know where to start. Amanda walks through Padgett's right-sizing framework (the right work, for the right clients, at the right price, with the right staff). She covers why a "simple" $1,000 business return can hide $7,000 to $8,000 of unbilled cleanup, how to grade every client A through F, and why fewer than 10% of clients walk away from a price increase. With next tax season approaching, she argues that pricing is the one fix that makes everything else possible, from hiring to advisory work.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Link to Resource
https://www.padgettadvisors.com/join/the-rightsizing-playbook/

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Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome and Guest Intro

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger and Annie tackle a topic they've never covered before: the tax issues that come with aging, for clients and preparers alike. They break down the new senior deduction, Social Security claiming strategies across the 62/67/70 timeline, IRMAA appeals, RMD rules, and when long-term care costs are actually deductible. They close with a cautionary tale about gifting appreciated property too early and the recordkeeping every family should have in place before it's needed.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Links mentioned in this episode

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome and Forum Travel

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger and Annie broadcast live from the IRS Tax Forum in New Orleans, pulling four guests off the exhibit hall floor for individual segments. Larry Gray breaks down how he teaches digital assets and 1099-DA reporting to practitioners who've never touched crypto, and Alan Pinck talks through the "no tax on tips/overtime/social security/car loan interest" provisions and where AI fits into practice management. Kelly Myers (incoming NSA president) and returning guest Maggie Romanello close things out with career news and a look at how the IRS stakeholder liaison role actually works.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Links mentioned in this episode
NATP (National Association of Tax Professionals)
https://www.natptax.com/

Tax Talk Today
https://www.taxtalktoday.com/

Alan Pinck's practice
https://apincktax.com/

NSA (National Society of Accountants)
https://www.nsacct.org/

IRS Stakeholder Liaison Contacts (
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/stakeholder-liaison-contacts

Chapters

• (00:00) - Live From Tax Forum

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger and Annie take a midyear look at how the IRS is holding up: call center struggles, a wave of CP2000, CP05, and CP14 notices, and the sudden departure of top Treasury tax official Ken Kies. They break down the new automatic penalty abatement replacing the old first-time abatement process, updates to Trump accounts, and a long list of OBBBA provisions kicking in for 2026, from the educator expense deduction to a higher 1099-K threshold. They close with practical tips for managing the fall extension crunch and a prediction on whether the TAS Act clears its Senate Finance Committee markup.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Links mentioned in this episode

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome and Catch Up

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger and Annie cover a mid-year batch of tax updates: new Trump account reporting rules and gift tax relief, the tangled world of NIL taxation (including a court case over an influencer's courtside Lakers tickets and concert deductions), a new automatic penalty relief program, IRS online account updates, practitioner succession planning requirements, and fresh AI guidance for tax practice.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Links mentioned in this episode

Chapters

• (00:00) - Podcast kickoff and travel

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger and Annie preview Roger's upcoming NATP presentation, using ERC and the Kwong case as case studies for how firms can turn disruptive tax changes into revenue rather than just extra work. They walk through the mistakes made during ERC (delayed action, existing-clients-only focus, missed growth opportunity), the closing window on Kwong refund claims, and what firms need in place internally and externally to capitalize on the next unexpected change. The conversation closes with a candid take on AI's role in reshaping the profession, and why proactive communication, not tax return production, is where firms will keep their value.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome Back Annie

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger Harris is solo while Annie Schwab is on sabbatical, joined by John Lipold of the IRS Office of National Public Liaison for a look at this summer's IRS Nationwide Tax Forums, including the brand-new Day Zero sessions, the return of case resolution, early-bird pricing, and the cities likely to sell out first. The episode also covers an OPR alert urging every firm to build a succession plan, the IRS appeal in the Kwong case and the July 10 refund deadline it does not extend, renewed seasonal hiring, the new Tax Professional Management Office, and the bipartisan Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act moving through the Senate.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Links mentioned in this episode
https://www.irstaxforum.com/

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome and Guest Intro

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Bob Kerr returns to break down his Tax Notes article on the IRS's Centralized Authorization File, the decades-old system that processes Forms 2848 and 8821 almost entirely by hand, now buried under 7 million forms a year at roughly 500 staff years and $50 million to run. He, Roger, and Annie get into why the backlog keeps growing, how practitioners can get ahead of it by putting 8821s on file early, and why transcripts belong in your current-year filing, not just your representation work.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Read Bob's Article
https://www.taxnotes.com/tax-notes-federal/practice-and-procedure/high-costs-irss-centralized-authorization-file-system/2026/04/06/7vjcc

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome and Setup

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.

Roger and Annie catch up on everything that shifted while practitioners were buried in returns: a leaner, digital-first IRS under new CEO Frank Bisignano, a bumpy phase-out of paper checks, and stricter e-file matching that tripped up routine returns. The Kwong decision has handed taxpayers a hard July 10 deadline to claim refunds on COVID-era penalties and interest, with new ERC extension options and a possible conservation easement settlement adding to the summer to-do list.

Sponsors
Padgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips

Links mentioned in this episode

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome Back From DC

This podcast is a production of Earmark Media

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

All content from this podcast by SmallBizPros, Inc. DBA PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES is intended for informational purposes only.