Sales-and-use-tax vendor Avalara has scheduled Crush 2016, its first-ever conference for May 10 through 11 in New Orleans. The Bainbridge Island, indirect tax specialist says the conference is designed for customers and partners and will be held at the Royal Sonesta New Orleans Hotel on Bourbon Street.

The Internal Revenue Service seems to be getting more bank for the buck in terms of convictions. In its annual report, the agency shows that over the last two years, while the number of investigation indictments for tax crimes have fallen shaprly, the number of convictions have gone up in the categories of questionable refunds, identity theft and abuse preparers.

Grant Thornton and two partners have agreed to settle charges they ignored red flags in auditing two companies that later faced enforcement actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The accounting firm, which admitted wrongdoing, will forfeit about $1.5 million in audit fees plus interest and pay a $3-million penalty. The two partners were barred from SEC practice.