News

H&R Block is continuing to attempt to take advantage of the woes faced by Intuit's TurboTax this tax season. The company is offering taxpayers the opportunity the pay half of what they paid another tax preparer last year.
Block had already offered free desktop software to unhappy TurboTax users.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has censured Chinese accounting firms that are members of the Big Four. The Chinese firms admitted they failed to produce requested documents before proceedings were begun in 2012. They must provide documents and meet SEC requirements over the next for year. Each firm agreed to pay $500,000.

Nonprofit software vendor Abila has simplified the channel program it inherited. Late last month, the Austin, Texas, based company said it had reduced seven partner categories to three as part of what it is formally calling the Partner Ecosystem. The program has three elements, Business Partners, Product Partners and Implementation Partners.

Jonathan D. Davey, a Newark, Ohio-based tax preparer, has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for his role in the Black Diamond Ponzi scheme that swindled victims out of more than $40 million. Davey allegedly used shell companies that helped finance the construction of his 9,000-sq.ft. Ohio mansion that had a secret escape passage by preying on the elderly.