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CSTC Newsletter

August 2023

In This Issue...

  1. Congratulations to the 2023-2024 Board of Directors
  2. Member of the Year
  3. Chapters of the Year
  4. August Events
  5. Welcome New CSTC Members
  6. Legislative Advocacy
  7. News from the IRS
  8. Join CSTC!

CSTC Member Benefits

CSTC members have access to benefits such as free payroll processing services for your tax practice, and the opportunity to earn new revenue through their flexible partnership options.

CSTC is pleased to include the VeriFyle ProTM premium secure online document and message sharing service at no cost to CSTC members!

Wolters Kluwer: Discounts on Tax, Accounting & Audit Resources, Software, Information & Services. 

 CSTC members receive the TaxBook WebLibrary at a special price

Other Member Benefits Include:

$ Savings on all Society Educational Events

$ Savings on Contact, Correspondence & Self Study Education

$ Savings with member specialty CSTC Connects (previously yellow Pages) list

$ Savings with E & O Insurance, plus specialty coverage relevant to your profession

$ Online CSTC Find-a-Tax Consultant search to help promote your business!

$ CSTC Member Listserv

Office Depot has partnered with us to provide exclusive savings in-store and online, plus fantastic additional benefits. This program is all about providing preferred pricing to our clubs, and the savings extend to almost every item.

Savings include 20% to 55% off item office supply core list, 20% to 55% off retail on cleaning  & break room items, 10% off branded; 20% off private brand  ink & toner core list, Average 10% off  retail on 200 technology core items, Free next-day shipping on orders of $50 or more, and SIGNIFICANT savings on copy & print. Become a CSTC member to sign up for our Office Depot Small Business Savings Program, administered by Excelerate America.


We are a professional full-service tax advisory firm in San Diego. Our goal is to provide a level of service for our clients that will exceed expectations in every possible way. We strive to offer a diverse level of services to meet the needs of the diverse community we have been working in for more than 30 years.

TaxMama's® EA Exam Course prepares tax professionals to do so much more than just pass the IRS' Special Enrollment Examination. This is an in-depth course that teaches tax law from the ground up. It explains how tax returns work, with examples of basic 1040s, Schedule Cs, 1065s, 1120s, and 1120Ss; you learn tax law, tax research, client representation for audits, appeals and collections. 

 

If you are interested in buying or selling a practice, contact us today! ATB is operated by Enrolled Agents ensuring a complete understanding of our profession. Please give us a call at (855) 428-2225 or visit us online at www.ATBCAL.com for more information and to view our current listings.
CA DRE 02002824

 

CSTC Mission Statement

CSTC advances professionalism within the tax industry by:

  • Providing quality education
  • Creating networking opportunities
  • Advocating professional standards

 

Congratulations to the 2023-2024 Board of Directors

We are thrilled to introduce and welcome the newest additions to our Board of Directors. These individuals bring a wealth of experience, diverse perspectives, and commitment to CSTC.

With their unique insights and dedication, we are confident that our new board members will play a vital role in shaping the strategic direction of our organization. 

Position Name Chapter
President Linda Dong Wine Country
First Vice President Shannon Hall Orange County
Second Vice President Michael A. Darany Member-at-Large
Secretary Paula Broderick San Diego-North County
Treasurer Claudia Stanley Central Valley
Region One Director Karen De Vaney Central Valley
Region One Director Irene Fierro Central Valley
Region Two Director David Knutson Inland Empire
Region Two Director Francisco Amador San Gabriel Valley
Region Three Director Maria Elisa Cruz Orange County- South
Region Three Director Cherie A Jones Orange County
Region Four Director Hasani James San Diego-East County
Region Four Director Heather Lynn Santineau San Diego
Immediate Past President Gary Quackenbush San Diego
NSA State Representative Roger S. Kent San Jose

 

Member of the Year

About the Member of the Year Award: At the heart of CSTC are those individuals who give so freely of their time to further the CSTC mission. The Member of the Year Award is CSTC’s highest honor, and acknowledges an outstanding individual for their extraordinary efforts in helping their fellow tax professionals by supporting CSTC. Individuals are nominated by other CSTC members, and a panel of judges then selects the final recipient. 

Shannon Hall - 2023 Recipient
Shannon Hall has been working in the tax industry for over a decade, though her interest in taxes truly began when, as a child, she would play with the tax forms at the library. She studied classical theatre at a conservatory in Los Angeles, so it was really just a matter of time before she joined the tax business. Throughout her career Shannon has prepared taxes from her kitchen table to H&R Block, where she was an office manager and instructor, before finally settling into a fabulous office in Long Beach, CA. She has been making her way across California and Nevada speaking at both local chapters of several tax organizations as well as statewide conferences. You can catch her this year with Brass Tax for the EA Bootcamp. More than anything Shannon strives to make tax education fun and engaging.

Chapters of the Year

Every year CSTC recognizes the CSTC Chapters that have recruited the most members between July 1, 2022 and June 9, 2023. Below are this year's winners!

First Place – San Jose – 23 new members

Second Place – Orange County – 17 new members

Third Place – San Diego Chapter – 15 new members

Congratulations!

Calendar of Events
August 2023

August 1, 2023

Tax Stuff You Thought You Knew 2.0
San Diego East County Chapter Virtual Meeting
2 Federal Law hours (Topics covering existing tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

August 2, 2023

Hands-on 1120s & CA 100s Tax Preparation
Temecula Valley Chapter Meeting
1 Federal Law hour (Topics covering existing tax law)
1 California hour (Topics covering California law issues)
Click here to learn more and register

August 3, 2023

Discovering the Life-Cycle of Nonprofit Organizations
San Gabriel Valley Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 Federal Law hours (Topics covering existing tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

August 8, 2023

Breakfast Meeting
North County San Diego Chapter In-Person Meeting
1 California hour (Topics covering California law issues)
Click here to learn more and register

August 9, 2023

Fundamentals of California Tax Credits
Orange County Chapter Meeting
2 California hours (Topics covering California law issues)
Click here to learn more and register

August 10, 2023

Office in the Home - Tricks, Traps, and related topics
North County San Diego Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 Federal Law hours (Topics covering existing tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

August 16, 2023

CA Tax Update
San Jose Chapter Virtual Meeting
2 California hours (Topics covering California law issues)
Click here to learn more and register

August 17, 2023

Now That The Client Has Died - Estate & Trust Administration For The Tax Professional
San Diego Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 California hours (Topics covering California law issues)
Click here to learn more and register

August 18, 2023

Round Table
Temecula Valley Chapter Meeting
1 Federal Law hour (Topics covering existing tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

2023 Sumer Tax Forum (continued on August 19)
Orange County South Chapter In-Person Seminar
Hours vary
Click here to learn more and register 

August 19, 2023

2023 Sumer Tax Forum
Orange County South Chapter In-Person Seminar
Hours vary
Click here to learn more and register 

August 24, 2023

PTET PEN-TO-PAPER WORKSHOP
San Diego Chapter In-Person Meeting
4 Federal Law hours (Topics covering existing tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

Click here to view the CSTC calendar.

Welcome New CSTC Members!

Please help us by joining our newest CSTC Members!

Charn Amornvut
Inland Empire Chapter

Leonard Cole
San Diego-North County Chapter

Ishaan Dalal
Sacramento Chapter

Nancy Liming
Orange County- South Chapter

Slavena Paskova
San Diego-North County Chapter

Eric Pena
San Diego-North County Chapter

Theresa Santori
San Diego Chapter

Sujanna Sprague
San Diego-North County Chapter

Congratulations to our new CSTC members!

Legislative Advocacy

CSTC has been the leading Association in supporting legislation to provide protection for our profession, to support our profession, and to enhance our profession. CSTC continuously leads our industry through legislative advocacy, educational opportunities, and professional inclusion.

CSTC works closely with a Legislative Consultant to keep an eye on important bills that would affect taxpayers and small business owners.

Please click here to view the bills that CSTC is currently monitoring.

   

News from the IRS 

IRS selects new Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer to lead change efforts under the Inflation Reduction Act; David Padrino to oversee Strategic Operating Plan work to help taxpayers, drive agency improvements

IR-2023-137, July 28, 2023 — Today, the IRS announced the selection of David Padrino to serve as the Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer, a recently created role at the agency that will spearhead improvement efforts under Inflation Reduction Act funding.

IRS invites public input on ways to improve dispute resolution programs; suggestions wanted

IR-2023-136, July 27, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service today invited public input on improvements to certain post-filing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs currently offered to taxpayers.

IRS Commissioner signals new phase of Employee Retention Credit work; with backlog eliminated, additional procedures will be put in place to deal with growing fraud risk

IR-2023-135, July 26, 2023 — With the IRS making substantial progress in the ongoing effort related to the Employee Retention Credit claims, Commissioner Danny Werfel said the agency has entered a new phase of increasing scrutiny on dubious submissions while renewing consumer warnings against aggressive marketing.

Security Summit: Identity Protection PINs are an important tool against tax-related identity theft

IR-2023-134, July 25, 2023 — In the second installment in a special summer series, the Security Summit partners today reminded tax professionals and taxpayers about the IRS Identity Protection PIN Opt-In Program to help protect people against tax-related identity theft.

IRS ends unannounced revenue officer visits to taxpayers; major change to end confusion, enhance safety as part of larger agency transformation efforts

IR-2023-133, July 24, 2023 — As part of a larger transformation effort, the Internal Revenue Service today announced a major policy change that will end most unannounced visits to taxpayers by agency revenue officers to reduce public confusion and enhance overall safety measures for taxpayers and employees.

For employers and tax pros, free IRS webinar to focus on Employee Retention Credit

IR-2023-132, July 21, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service will hold a free webinar designed to help employers, tax professionals and other interested taxpayers understand how the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) works and how to avoid tax scams and aggressive marketing related to the credit.

Taxpayers see wave of summer email, text scams; IRS urges extra caution with flood of schemes involving Economic Impact Payments, Employee Retention Credits, tax refunds

IR-2023-131, July 21, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers today to be on the lookout for a summer surge of tax scams as identity thieves continue pounding out a barrage of email and text messages promising tax refunds or offers to help ‘fix’ tax problems.

Extension filers: IRS.gov should be first step for summertime tax help; agency encourages those with extensions to file soon

IR-2023-130, July 19, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded those using an extension that filing as soon as possible will let them take advantage of special tools available on IRS.gov.

Specially designed Security Summit plan helps tax pros protect data; summer security series begins

IR-2023-129, July 18, 2023 — Kicking off an annual education effort, the Internal Revenue Service and its Security Summit partners today encouraged tax professionals, especially smaller practices, to take advantage of its security plan template designed to make data security planning easier.

IRS reminder to storm victims in 4 states: File and pay by July 31; parts of Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi and Tennessee affected

IR-2023-128, July 17, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded individuals and businesses in parts of four states that their 2022 federal income tax returns and tax payments are due on Monday, July 31, 2023.

IRS continues reopening closed Taxpayer Assistance Centers; begins special series of Community Assistance Visits to help taxpayers in 8 states to expand service for people who aren’t near agency offices

IR-2023-127, July 14, 2023 — As part of an expanding effort to improve service, the Internal Revenue Service continues expanding Taxpayer Assistance Centers across the country while also starting a special series of events to help taxpayers located in areas not close to the agency’s in-person offices.

Building on filing season 2023 success, IRS continues to improve service, pursue high-income individuals evading taxes, modernize technology

IR-2023-126, July 14, 2023 — Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act resources, the IRS delivered dramatically improved service in filing season 2023. IRS achieved an 87% level of service. Through the end of filing season, IRS answered 3 million more calls, cut phone wait times to three minutes from 28 minutes, served 140,000 more taxpayers in-person, digitized 80 times more returns than in 2022 through the adoption of new scanning technology, cleared the backlog of unprocessed 2022 individual tax returns with no errors, launched two new digital tools, and enabled a new direct-deposit refund option for taxpayers with amended returns.

IRS: Vermont flooding victims now eligible for tax relief; Oct. 16 deadline, other dates extended to Nov. 15

IR-2023-125, July 13, 2023 — Flooding victims anywhere in Vermont now have until Nov. 15, 2023, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.

IRS, Security Summit announce special summer series as Nationwide Tax Forums begin; tax pros should remain vigilant against identity theft amid continued threats

IR-2023 -124, July 11, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service joins its Security Summit partners today to announce the start of a special summer “Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself” campaign aimed at ensuring tax professionals stay alert against new and ongoing threats of tax-related identity theft.

IRS, Security Summit partners warn taxpayers of new scam; unusual delivery service mailing tries to trick people into sending photos, bank account information

IR-2023-123, July 3, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers today to be on the lookout for a new scam mailing that tries to mislead people into believing they are owed a refund.

News Release and Fact Sheet Archive

Find previous year news releases and fact sheets from 1997 through last month.

Click here for more information from the IRS

Join the California Society of Tax Consultants!

Click here to fill out an online application.

CSTC advances professionalism within the tax industry by:

  • Providing quality education
  • Creating networking opportunities
  • Advocating professional standards

California Society of Tax Consultants | PO Box 10, Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
Phone (949) 715-4192 | [email protected]