Recent court decisions have opened a largely overlooked opportunity for significant tax refunds based on mandatory disaster relief under IRC Section 7508A during the federally declared COVID-19 disaster period. As a result, interest and penalties assessed during this period may be invalid and refundable, and some taxpayers who received refunds may also be entitled to unpaid overpayment interest. While uncertainty remains and the IRS may resist such claims, timely protective refund filings are critical to preserve clients rights as the statute of limitations continues to run.

TXCPA submitted a formal comment to the U.S. Department of Education urging recognition of accounting as a professional degree program to protect graduate-level federal loan access and strengthen the future CPA pipeline.

Beginning with the 2026 report year, the Texas Comptroller will align the franchise tax with the current Internal Revenue Code, likely requiring GILTI to be included in total revenue. This change raises sourcing, statutory and potential constitutional questions for businesses with foreign operations, creating new uncertainty and possible tax impacts.