In the blogs: Thought, politics, repeat

Relative accuracy; biggest cyberthreats; end-of-year meetings; and other highlights from our favorite tax bloggers.

Thought, politics, repeat

• Taxable Talk (http://www.taxabletalk.com/): Why the IRS computer systems need duct tape.
• The Wandering Tax Pro (http://wanderingtaxpro.blogspot.com/): We're getting nowhere if the blogger keeps holding back: "There have been several tax proposals put forth by the presidential candidates, mostly from Trump, that are bad and illogical tax and economic policy (though tax law often seems to be devoid of logic) and are just gimmicks to 'buy' votes made without any real thought or research." 
• Tax Vox (https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox): No taxes on tips might be good politics but bad tax policy.
• Virginia – U.S. Tax Talk (https://us-tax.org/about-this-us-tax-blog/): A look at a new and promising IRS tax-fraud weapon — CASST.
• National Taxpayer Advocate (https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/taxnews-information/blogs-nta/): Taking Your Medicine Dept.: TAS frankly acknowledges a recent TIGTA report of shortcomings. Maybe other federal agencies should read this.

Generally favorable

• HBK (https://hbkcpa.com/insights/): A look at final regs addressing basis consistency for certain inherited property. They "address a number of concerns from practitioners and are generally viewed as favorable."
• TaxProf Blog (http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/): The end of multinationals' tax avoidance may be in sight (maybe) after reform spearheaded by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development under its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project. BEPS began as a technical project to identify and propose remedies for many complex planning techniques in cross-border taxation, but its scope has become more ambitious.
• Tax Notes (https://www.taxnotes.com/procedurally-taxing): The Fifth Circuit has issued a per curiam opinion on Johnson v. Commissioner that, among other points, addressed the requirement for supervisory approval of penalties with an exception for penalties that are "automatically calculated through electronic means." Seems the IRS doesn't always have to be as accurate as the rest of us.
• Avalara (https://www.avalara.com/blog/en/north-america.html): A look at the new sales tax amnesty program in Massachusetts.
• Marcum (https://www.marcumllp.com/insights): Awful colorful names highlight the past month's big cyberthreats.
• Tax Foundation (https://taxfoundation.org/blog): Favorite headline of the week: "Why Should I Care About the Corporate Tax Rate?"

Surprises expected and otherwise

• TurboTax (https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com): New businesses come with a ton of surprises — especially in the age of the Corporate Transparency Act and beneficial ownership information reporting. What to remind them about both.
• Sikich (https://www.sikich.com/insights/): Once your client's payroll system is implemented, challenges will still pop up if the tool isn't carefully monitored and improved. Steps and best practices to minimize risk.
• CLA (https://www.claconnect.com/en/resources?pageNum=0): When is a client ready to upgrade to an ERP accounting system?
• Armanino (https://www.armanino.com/articles/): Five best practices for construction clients' cash flow.
• Parametric (https://www.parametricportfolio.com/blog): Rate differentials, treatment of losses, events: Don't assume they know a lot about tax management of their portfolios.
• TaxConnex (https://www.taxconnex.com/blog-): What e-commerce clients might have been wondering (taxwise and otherwise) about marketplace facilitators.
• Canopy (https://www.getcanopy.com/blog): What you need to know about the latest in client relationship management software, and why.
• University of Illinois Tax School (https://taxschool.illinois.edu/blog/): Since the creation of tax prep firms' requirement for a written information security plan, we've seen big improvements in computer security and, unfortunately, big improvements in scammers' techniques. A look at recent IRS updates to a WISP template, and how tax pros should note two changes.
• Wolters Kluwer (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/tax-accounting-us/industry-news): Now's the time to get ready for end-of-year client meetings, the kind of chinwags valuable to your clients and to your bottom line.