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CSTC Newsletter

July 2022

In This Issue...

  1. From the CSTC President
  2. We went back TO THE FUTURE! And also Reno 
  3. Congratulations to the New 2022-2023 CSTC Board of Directors!
  4. Member of the Year
  5. Chapters of the Year
  6. July Events
  7. Welcome New CSTC Members
  8. Legislative Advocacy
  9. News from the IRS
  10. 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 (previouslyYellow 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.


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CSTC Mission Statement

CSTC advances professionalism within the tax industry by:

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

 

President's Column

Last week I was in Chicago and visited a special Lego exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. Personally, I think Legos are a great product. Well-made and versatile, there seems to be no end to the imaginative things that can be built.

Yet by 2003, the Lego company was on the verge of bankruptcy. They were spending a lot on developing theme parks and video games, but they were losing money. Then in 2004, the CEO took drastic steps. He divested the company of its non-toy divisions and cut its inventory in half. And, most importantly, he encouraged interaction with Lego’s customers. Through surveys, studies and even crowd sourcing, the company discovered what was currently appealing to kids.

The result was a renewed focus on toys and a slew of new products – from Ninja-themed Ninjago, to Mindstorm kits to make programmable robots, to Lego Architecture for adults. The popularity of the new Lego products made the company hugely successful, with sales topping 75 billion bricks per year. In fact, Lego people – the little Lego minifigures – now outnumber humans!

Legos are popular with all ages, and adults often have fond memories of Legos from their childhood. But despite being inundated with requests for re-releases, the company won’t do it. The reason: their focus is on the kids of today and tomorrow, not the kids of yesterday.

So why am I writing about Legos? Because their philosophy really resonated with me. Moreover, it is one that is equally relevant for CSTC – our focus should be on the tax professionals of today and tomorrow, not on those of yesterday. That is not to exclude anyone; I’m not saying it’s only the young people of today. Rather, we are all tax professionals, but we are those living and working in today’s world, not in yesterday’s world.

Many of us remember preparing tax returns by hand, but that is not today’s world. Our world today is one of computer tax software and e-filed returns. It’s a world of the internet and technology. And it’s a world of new ideas and change.

Embracing that change does not mean jumping on every new idea that comes along. Rather it means not fearing them, but being open to these new ideas to see if they are useful. Zoom, for example, is a recent technology that is great for some things and not so good for others. So we tried it, keeping the parts that worked. And the result was webinars being offered by chapters and society, greatly expanding the reach of our education.

The more we can continue to do this – embrace change and stay open to new ideas and new ways of doing things – the more CSTC will truly be an organization for the tax professionals of today and tomorrow.

Linda Dong
CSTC President

We went back TO THE FUTURE!  And also to Reno

And what a time we had! I cannot tell you how amazing it was to see the smiling faces of so many friends and colleagues who all came out for our triumphant return to the Silver Legacy after two long years of virtual Symposiums.

Our “Enchantment Under the Sea-STC” welcome dinner brought speakers, Society leaders, and even some exhibitors out in their best 50’s and 80’s themed attire.

We had three amazing days of tax education presented by some of the best speakers in the business.  We were so happy to welcome several of our veteran Symposium speakers as well as some new faces.  The IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig even made an appearance (he was visiting us via Zoom, but it was still pretty darn exciting!).

We tried some new things this year:

The track system made it easy for attendees to select a schedule with a focus in a particular area of interest.  The tracks covered 1040 topics, business entities, non-profits, and trusts, as well as representation.  To be honest though, even with the tracks I had the HARDEST time choosing which sessions to attend.

We also introduced our lunch and learn sessions.  No rushing off to find a restaurant that could get us in and out in time to make it back for the afternoon sessions!  The food was delicious, we got a bonus hour of education in, AND got some extra time for networking over lunch.

Digital handouts.  Okay, this wasn’t totally new, but I do think it’s fantastic.  Not only were the materials for all sessions provided on a handy USB drive, they were also emailed out the week before the conference, giving attendees the chance to print out any materials they wanted ahead of time.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to all the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, committee members, volunteers, and attendees who made this such a fantastic event. 

I cannot wait to see you all next summer when we take Vegas by storm!

And don’t worry; if you prefer your CE to be the virtual variety, we have some great programming coming up for our Wednesday Webinar series.  Watch your inbox (or get social and follow CSTC on Facebook and IG) for updates!

Article by Summer Symposium Chair, Shannon Hall

Congratulations to the New CSTC Board of Directors

Congratulations to our 2022-2023 Board of Directors! The term for these positions will begin on July 1, 2022 and ends on June 30, 2023.

Name Position Chapter
Linda Dong President Wine Country
Shannon  Hall First Vice President Orange County
Michael Darany Second Vice President Greater Long Beach
Claudia Stanley Treasurer Central Valley
Paula Broderick Secretary San Diego-North County
Karen De Vaney Region One Region Director / CTEC Representative Central Valley
David Knutson Region Two Region Director Inland Empire
Tamaki  Okamoto Region Two Region Director Greater Long Beach
Lisa Cruz Region Three Region Director Orange County South
Cherie Jones Region Three Region Director Orange County
Hasani James Region Four Region Director San Diego-East County
Heather Santineau Region Four Region Director San Diego
Gary Quackenbush Immediate Past President San Diego
Roger Kent NSA Representative San Jose

 

2022 CSTC Member of the Year
Claudia Stanley

At the cornerstone of the CSTC Member of the Year award is a commitment to service. That commitment includes service to the industry, CSTC and its members, and fellow industry professionals. It is with great satisfaction to announce we had multiple nominees fitting that profile this year, making this a very difficult decision.

This year’s recipient has been transformative to the industry and CSTC throughout a very distinguished career as a tax professional. 

She is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, and serves as treasurer of the California Society of Tax Consultants, as education chair of the Central California Chapter of Enrolled Agents, and as treasurer of Fresno’s local chapter of American Business Women’s Association. She is a long-time member of CSTC. In 2016 she was named member of the year of the Central Valley Chapter of CSTC and in 2001 she was named one of the Top Ten Women of the Year in the nation by the American Business Women’s Association. She frequently speaks on various tax topics. She is passionate towards the things she cares about – her family, her profession, her church, and CSTC.

In her free time she enjoys gardening, spending time with her grandpuppies, and balancing the CSTC books.

Our Member of the Year for 2022 is Claudia Stanley!

2022 CSTC Chapters of the Year

Every year CSTC recognizes the CSTC Chapters that have recruited the most members between July 1, 2021 and June 9, 2022. Below are this year's winners!

First Place – Los Angeles Chapter – President Johnny Diaz

Second Place – San Francisco Bay – President Liz Tolero

Third Place (tie) – Orange County Chapter – President David Keil, and San Jose Chapter, President Bob Searle

Congratulations!

Calendar of Events
July 2022

July 5, 2022

Topic: How to Prepare Trust Returns
East County San Diego Virtual Chapter Meeting
1 Federal Law hours (Topics covering existing tax law)
1 California hours (Topics covering California law issues)
Click here to learn more and register

July 6, 2022

Topic: Pocket Guide to Ethics
Temecula Valley Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 Ethics hours (Topics meeting the ethics requirements under Cir 230)
Click here to learn more and register

Topic: Mortgage Interest/Interest Tracing
San Francisco Bay Chapter Virtual Meeting
2 Federal Law hours (Topics covering existing tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

July 7, 2022

Topic: OOPS! Filing 2021 Taxes Correctly for COVID Benefits & Correcting 2020 Taxes
San Gabriel Valley Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 Federal Law hours (Topics covering existing tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

July 13, 2022

Topic: Ethics & Responsibilities of Tax Professionals
Orange County Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 Ethics hours (Topics meeting the ethics requirements under Cir 230)
Click here to learn more and register

July 15, 2022

Topic: Round Table: CA updates
Temecula Valley Chapter In-Person Meeting
1 California hour (Topics covering California law issues)
Click here to learn more and register

July 20, 2022

Topic: How to Handle a 1031 Exchange on a Tax Return
San Jose Chapter Virtual Meeting
2 Federal Tax Update hours (Topics covering new tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

Topic: Balance Sheets for Tax Preparers 
Inland Empire Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 Federal Tax Update hours (Topics covering new tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

July 27, 2022

Topic: Tax Stuff You Thought You Knew
San Jose Chapter Virtual Meeting
2 Federal Tax Update hours (Topics covering new tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

Topic: Form 7203 S Corporation Basis
Wine Country Chapter In-Person Meeting
2 Federal Tax Update hours (Topics covering new tax law)
Click here to learn more and register

Click here to view the CSTC calendar.

Welcome New CSTC Members!

Please help us in joining our newest CSTC Members!

Yolanda Arechiga
Inland Empire Chapter

Maria Castillo
San Francisco Bay Chapter

Alberto Catano
San Diego Chapter

Kenia Cornejo
San Gabriel Valley Chapter

Elizabeth Rubalcava
Inland Empire Chapter

Ana Fernandez
Orange County Chapter

Cynthia Glassman
Inland Empire Chapter

Michael Hale
Central Valley Chapter

Paul Lam
Sacramento Chapter

Jonathan Lea
San Diego Chapter

Emily Maldonado
Orange County Chapter

Munieh Konuwa
Sacramento Chapter

Mark Nielson
Inland Empire Chapter

Dennis Noss
San Jose Chapter

David Rylander
San Diego-East County Chapter

Autumn Schorr
Temecula Valley Chapter

Steven Stasoiski
Greater Long Beach Chapter

Roland Ticman
Inland Empire Chapter

Sheila Waldron
Central Valley Chapter

Ray Wellman
Temecula Valley 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 

Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee issues annual report to Congress

IR-2022-133, June 29, 2022 — The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) today released its annual report to Congress, featuring recommendations focused on budget support for the Internal Revenue Service and enhancements to e-filing.

IRS issues Superfund chemical excise tax rates

IR-2022-132, June 24, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it has prescribed tax rates for 121 taxable substances that are subject to the Superfund chemical excise tax imposed by section 4671(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code).

IRS issues FAQs on the reinstated Superfund chemical excise tax to assist affected taxpayers

IR-2022-131, June 24, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the reinstated Superfund chemical excise tax to help those taxpayers who may be impacted and tax professionals.

IRS: Taxpayers now have more options to correct, amend returns electronically

IR-2022-130, June 23, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that more forms can now be amended electronically. These include people filing corrections to the Form 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return and Forms 1040-SS, U.S. Self-Employment Tax Return (Including the Additional Child Tax Credit for Bona Fide Residents of Puerto Rico) and Forms 1040-PR, Self-Employment Tax Return – Puerto Rico.

National Taxpayer Advocate issues midyear report to Congress; expresses concern about continued refund delays and poor taxpayer service

IR-2022-129, June 22, 2022 — National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her statutorily mandated midyear report to Congress. The report expresses concern about continuing delays in the processing of paper-filed tax returns and the consequent impact on taxpayer refunds.

IRS continues work on inventory of tax returns; original tax returns filed in 2021 to be completed this week

IR-2022-128, June 21, 2022 — Following intensive work during the past several months, the Internal Revenue Service announced today that processing on a key group of individual tax returns filed during 2021 will be completed by the end of this week.

IRS expands voice bot options for faster service, less wait time

IR-2022-127, June 17, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today announced expanded voice bot options to help eligible taxpayers easily verify their identity to set up or modify a payment plan while avoiding long wait times.

IRS selects new deputy chief for Criminal Investigation division

IR-2022-126, June 13, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service announced the selection of Guy Ficco as the next Deputy Chief for IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). He will oversee 20 field offices and 11 foreign posts, including approximately 2,000 special agents investigating tax fraud and other financial crimes.

IRS wraps up 2022 "Dirty Dozen" scams list; agency urges taxpayers to watch out for tax avoidance strategies

IR-2022-125, June 10, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today wrapped up its annual "Dirty Dozen" scams list for the 2022 filing season, with a warning to taxpayers to avoid being misled into using bogus tax avoidance strategies.

IRS increases mileage rate for remainder of 2022

IR-2022-124, June 9, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rate for the final 6 months of 2022. Taxpayers may use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and certain other purposes.

Missed the April tax deadline? File and pay by June 14 to avoid a larger penalty and interest

IR-2022-123, June 9, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today advised taxpayers who missed the April tax deadline that they can usually avoid a larger penalty by filing their 2021 federal income tax return and paying any tax due by Tuesday, June 14.

Dirty Dozen: IRS, Security Summit reiterate recent warning to tax professionals and other businesses of dangerous spear phishing attacks

IR-2022-122, June 9, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that spear phishing is the 8th item on the 2022 "Dirty Dozen" scams warning list and a serious problem because it can be tailored to attack and steal the computer system credentials of any small business with a client data base, such as tax professionals' firms.

Dirty Dozen: Scammers use every trick in their communication arsenal to steal your identity, personal financial information, money and more

IR-2022-121, June 8, 2022 — Suspicious communications in all its forms designed to either trick, surprise or scare someone into responding before thinking is No. 7 on the 2022 "Dirty Dozen" scams warning list, the Internal Revenue Service announced today, warning everyone to be on the lookout for bogus calls, texts, emails and posts online to gain trust or steal.

For those who pay estimated taxes, second quarter June 15 deadline approaches

IR-2022-120, June 8, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who pay estimated taxes that the deadline to pay their second quarter tax liability is June 15.

Dirty Dozen: IRS urges anyone having trouble paying their taxes to avoid anyone claiming they can settle tax debt for pennies on the dollar, known as OIC mills

IR-2022-119, June 7, 2022 — As the 6th item on the 2022 "Dirty Dozen" scams warning list, the Internal Revenue Service today cautioned taxpayers with pending tax bills to contact the IRS directly and not go to unscrupulous tax companies that use local advertising and falsely claiming they can resolve unpaid taxes for pennies on the dollar.

U.S. Court of Appeals ruling affirms IRS position that abusive microcaptive insurance transactions are shams

IR-2022-118, June 7, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today said that a recent court decision upholds its long-standing position regarding abusive microcaptive insurance transactions. Taxpayers should be alert to these schemes, normally peddled by promoters, as they will ultimately cost them.

IRS continues with Dirty Dozen this week, urging taxpayers to continue watching out for pandemic-related scams including theft of benefits and bogus social media posts

IR-2022-117, June 6, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today kicked off the week with the 5th item on its 2022 annual Dirty Dozen scams warning list, with a sad reminder that criminals still use the COVID-19 pandemic to steal people's money and identity with bogus emails, social media posts and unexpected phone calls, among other things.

Don’t wait to file: IRS encourages taxpayers with October filing extensions and others who still need to file

IR-2022-116, June 2, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging taxpayers who have yet to file their 2021 tax return – including those who requested an extension of time – to file a complete and accurate return electronically as early as possible once they have all their information together. There’s no need to wait until the October deadline.

IRS extends VITA and TCE grants application deadline

IR-2022-115, June 1, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service has extended the deadline to June 17 for accepting applications for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant programs, which will allow some organizations to apply for annual funding for up to three years.

IRS seeks to offer jobs to thousands of workers this summer

IR-2022-114, June 1, 2022 — To boost its workforce and better help taxpayers and businesses, the Internal Revenue Service announced today that it’s looking to hire over 4,000 contact representative positions at several IRS offices nationwide this summer.

IRS warns taxpayers of "Dirty Dozen" tax scams for 2022

IR-2022-113, June 1, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today began its "Dirty Dozen" list for 2022, which includes potentially abusive arrangements that taxpayers should avoid.

News Release and Fact Sheet Archive

Find an archive of news releases and fact sheets from November 2002 and news releases and a listing of fact sheets from 1997.
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]