IRS to seek more regulation of tax preparers to increase compliance and reduce fraud

September 3rd, 2009 Labor Department proposes new rule on farm workersWASHINGTON — The Labor Department is taking another crack at rolling back a Bush administration regulation that made it easier for farmers to hire temporary foreign farm workers. The agency is proposing a new rule that would boost wages and increase safeguards for thousands of seasonal workers brought in each year to help farmers pick their crops.

August 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A business is more likely to "over-comply" with environmental regulations if its boss believes in environment protection, according to a new study. JunJie Wu, an economist at Oregon State University, examined why some firms violate environmental regulatory standards while others exceed them.

August 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A business with a green-oriented boss is more likely to "over-comply" with environmental regulations if it believes in protecting the environment and that it makes financial sense in the long term. The study examined why some firms violate environmental regulatory standards while others exceed them.

August 6th, 2009 FTC issues braced to fight oil price manipulationWASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission has issued a final regulation to curb price manipulation in oil trading markets. The regulation announced Thursday prohibits oil traders from making false or misleading statements about oil prices, petroleum production or oil market statistics that would likely distort the market.

July 28th, 2009 Feds charge 41 in Fla. mortgage fraud schemesMIAMI — Federal prosecutors say 41 people have been charged in the latest round of South Florida mortgage fraud schemes.

July 22nd, 2009 Ex-compliance officer pleads guiltyNEW YORK — The former chief compliance officer at a Greenwich, Conn.-based securities company has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. The plea was entered Tuesday by Deborah Duffy.

July 21st, 2009 Ex-compliance officer at Conn. firm pleads guiltyNEW YORK — The former chief compliance officer at a Connecticut securities company has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud.

July 20th, 2009 IG: IRS does poor job regulating tax preparersWASHINGTON — The IRS does a poor job overseeing the paid tax preparers used by more than half the nation's taxpayers, the agency's inspector general said in a report released Monday. "The IRS currently is not able to track, monitor or control preparers' activities and compliance, or even determine the total number of paid tax return preparers," said J.

July 8th, 2009 Falling house prices drive up mortgage fraudWASHINGTON — Falling housing prices are driving up reports of mortgage fraud, with the FBI saying Tuesday that reported losses are up 83 percent last year and climbing even higher in 2009. In its 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said the downturn in the economy, a spike in foreclosures and defaults and diminishing credit availability "fueled a rampant mortgage fraud climate fraught with opportunistic participants desperate to maintain or increase their current standard of living." "Industry employees sought to maintain the high standard of living they enjoyed during the boom years of the real estate market and overextended mortgage holders were often desperate to reduce or eliminate their bloated mortgage payments," the report said.

June 4th, 2009 Meltdown 101: Likely reforms aimed at consumersNEW YORK — With all the talk about the need for greater economic oversight, what new protections can people expect when it comes to their day-to-day finances? The question is still mostly up in the air, but there are some hints about what reforms could be around the corner. Among the more notable actions so far is the clampdown on the credit card industry last month.

June 4th, 2009 IRS may seek licenses for tax preparersWASHINGTON — The IRS wants to start regulating paid tax preparers used by more than half the nation's taxpayers in an effort to reduce fraud and errors. New rules could require education and training as well as licensing for people who get paid to prepare returns, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said Thursday.

May 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama Wednesday signed laws designed to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure and to combat mortgage and financial fraud. The two separate bills, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, 'will protect hard-working Americans, crack down on those who seek to take advantage of them and ensure that the problems that led us to this crisis never happen again,' Obama said at a signing ceremony in the White House.

April 21st, 2009 Labor Department seeks to cancel rule on unionsWASHINGTON — The Labor Department moved Tuesday to rescind a regulation approved during President George W. Bush's last days in office that would have increased scrutiny of union finances to help root out financial corruption.

February 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Nizam-i-Adl Regulation that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Monday approved for parts of the country's northwest replaces the appellate jurisdiction of the Peshawar High Court with that of the Federal Shariat Court and will revive the executive magistracy in the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA). Revival of the offices of district magistrates and executive magistrates has also been included in the proposed law that will replace the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation of 1999.

February 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Under a new regulation Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has approved for allowing Islamic laws in parts of the country's restive northwest, appeals against sentences handed down will now be heard by the Federal Shariat Court. Earlier, appeals were heard by the Peshawar High Court.