Louisiana Tax Rewrite Officially Dead

Any chance that Louisiana legislators would make substantive changes to the state’s tax system before their lawmaking session ends was snuffed out over the weekend Representatives Barry Ivey and Julie Stokes shelved their tax reform proposals in the Senate tax committee, rather than face certain rejection of them. The pair was proposing a flat tax plan they said would improve …

Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Includes Proposals on Several Tax Items

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released President Donald Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget for the federal government on Tuesday May 23rd. Included in the proposals were several tax items, including a proposal to authorize the IRS to regulate all paid tax return preparers. The budget also calls for giving the IRS more flexible authority to address correctable …

New Accounting Rules Issued for Certain Debt Extinguishment

The GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board) has issued a new standard Monday for state and local government to apply when accounting for extinguishment of debt prior to its maturity. In Statement No. 86, Certain Debt Extinguishment Issues, GASB establishes rules for accounting for transactions in which cash and other monetary assets acquired with only existing resources are place in an …

Louisiana Individual Income Tax Return Filing and Extension Deadline TODAY

Louisiana Individual Income Tax Returns Are Due TODAY Today(Monday, May 15) is the deadline for filing 2017 Louisiana Individual Income Tax returns. Taxes can still be electronic filed with The Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana File Online is the state’s free tax filing web application which can be reached at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/fileonline. Last Chance For Filing Extensions If you need more …

Health Savings Account Limits Slightly Increased

The IRS has issued the 2018 calendar year inflation-adjusted figures for the annual contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), as well as the minimum deductible amounts, and maximum out-of-pocket expense amounts for high-deductible health plans. Under Sec. 223, individuals who participate in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) are permitted a deduction for their contributions to HSAs set up to …

Temporary extension of Louisiana’s temporary sales tax might be temporary fix

No one in the State Capitol says they want to renew a temporary 1-cent increase in the sales tax that is scheduled to expire in mid-2018. “I continue to believe that (it) should roll off the books,” Gov. John Bel Edwards told reporters on Tuesday, in a comment echoed by state legislators of both parties. Avoiding the Fiscal Cliff But …

White House Unveils Tax Reform Priorities

The White House last Wednesday (April 26th) issued President Trump’s goals and key features for tax reform, which include slashing corporate tax rates, flattening individual marginal income tax brackets, and repealing of the estate and alternative minimum taxes. Trump outlined these proposals in a one-page sheet of bullet points headed “2017 Tax Reform for Economic Growth and American Jobs” and …

Fake News: a Threat to Americans Financial Decision Making

A Serious Threat to Financial Decisions The threat of fake news reaches far beyond just politics. Americans say that fake financial news is affecting their ability to make retirement, investment, and health care decisions. In a recent AICPA survey of 1,018 adults, 58% of respondents said that fake financial news is a serious threat to their financial decision-making. One-third of …

Deadline Closing in Fast Monday May 15 is the deadline for filing 2017 Louisiana Individual Income Tax returns. Taxes can be electronic filed with The Louisiana Department of Revenue for the fastest, most error-free tax return and refund processing. Louisiana File Online is the state’s free tax filing web application which can be reached at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/fileonline. Filing Extensions Available until …

State tax filing & payment extensions available for tornado-affected areas

Severe Storm Tax Relief Tax relief is available to Louisiana taxpayers affected by severe storms and tornadoes that struck the state on February 7, 2017. The Louisiana Department of Revenue is offering filing and payment extensions to residents whose homes, critical tax records or principal places of business are located in the following ZIP codes in Livingston and Orleans parishes: …