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
• (01:03) - What National Public Liaison Does
• (03:50) - Tax Forum Season Overview
• (05:01) - Cities Dates and Logistics
• (05:57) - What Makes Forums Different
• (10:02) - Pricing and Registration Deadlines
• (11:27) - Case Resolution and Digital Help
• (13:48) - Day Zero Practice Management
• (18:08) - Exhibit Hall and Networking Perks
• (19:52) - Sellouts and Final Forum Tips
• (23:13) - Transition to Other Updates
• (24:12) - Kwong Case Appeal and Deadlines
• (29:54) - Succession Planning OPR Alert
• (39:56) - IRS Hiring and Practitioner Office Changes
• (44:17) - Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act
• (51:01) - Wrap Up and Next Episode

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
• (02:36) - Why CAF Matters Now
• (06:54) - CAF Explained POA vs TIA
• (10:42) - Choosing 8821 vs 2848
• (13:46) - Backlogs and Real Impacts
• (15:45) - Manual Processing Volume Surge
• (18:54) - Million Hours and 50M Cost
• (21:23) - Deadlines Snowball Effect
• (24:01) - CAF Volume Spiral
• (24:59) - Early Transcripts Benefits
• (28:33) - Client Use Cases
• (30:27) - Why IRS Can’t Keep Up
• (39:13) - Train Clients and Set Expectations
• (43:33) - Transcripts Beyond Representation
• (44:32) - VITA Volunteering Insights
• (48:56) - Wrap Up and Thanks

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
• (00:46) - What We Heard In Washington
• (01:37) - Busy Season Takeaways
• (03:53) - IRS Digital Transformation
• (07:42) - CAF Delays And Practitioner Pain
• (09:31) - Online Accounts And ID Verification
• (14:54) - Paper Checks Phaseout Confusion
• (21:00) - Efile Rejections And Fraud Filters
• (22:43) - Trump Accounts And State Conformity
• (26:25) - New Developments The Kwong Case
• (28:45) - What Kuang Covers
• (34:07) - Practitioner Duty to Notify
• (37:49) - Processing Delays and Proof
• (41:19) - ERC Extra Time Request
• (43:27) - Easement Penalties and Settlement
• (48:11) - Action Items and IRS Forums
• (52:50) - Wrap Up and Next Episodes

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.