Joe Woodard is hosting a town hall presentation this week. about QuickBooks Live, a bookkeeping service being tested by Intuit. The online event features Rich Preece, general manager for the United States forIntuit's Small Business Self-Employed Group.

Armanino, a San Ramon, Calif-based accounting firm, has taken on two new tax partners. These are Alex Thacher, who now leads the state and local tax practice, and Peter Klinger who has become the firm’s compensation and benefits tax specialist.

An Irving, Texas-based tax preparer has pleaded guilty to preparing returns that caused the government an $8.3-million tax loss. Preparer Francisco Ventura not only prepared phony returns but offered classes to teach other preparers how to do the same.