Indianapolis CPA sentenced to federal prison for defrauding IRS of at least $2.5M
Jason L. Crace entered a guilty plea for assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.
Federal agencies
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Finding freedom? Noncompete agreements facing stiff challenges on state, federal level
Noncompete agreements are taking center stage in the Indiana Statehouse and on the federal level this year.
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Innovation needed to bridge patent diversity gap, attorneys say
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in March seeks to quantify the lack of diversity among patent holders. The Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act of 2021 — or IDEA Act — would require the USPTO to collect inventors’ demographic information, including race and gender.
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Fighting for love: Immigration attorneys say challenges for unmarried couples rise amid COVID
Immigration attorneys say international couples attempting to reunite during the pandemic are feeling desperate as borders between countries are closed to foreigners and backlogs continue to mount.
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Settlement requires real estate brokers to disclose commissions
The National Association of Realtors is revamping its rules about commissions to comply with a settlement reached with the Department of Justice. The settlement requires brokers to disclose commissions on listings published through the Multiple Listings Service.
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Articles
Pastors who endorse political candidates shouldn’t lose tax-exempt status, IRS says in filing
The move effectively calls for a carve out for religious organizations from the rarely used IRS rule called the Johnson Amendment, put in place in 1954 and named after then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson.
Federal funding uncertainty eliminates Indiana programs, threatens others
President Donald Trump’s proposal to close the Federal Emergency Management Agency and shift rescue and recovery responses to the states puts Indiana healthTask Force One in a precarious position.
Trump asks the Supreme Court to clear the way for federal downsizing plans
President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday renewed its request for the Supreme Court to clear the way for plans to downsize the federal workforce, while a lawsuit filed by labor unions and cities proceeds.
Google to face off with US government in attempt to break up company in search monopoly case
Google will confront an existential threat Monday as the U.S. government tries to break up the company as punishment for turning its revolutionary search engine into a ruthless monopoly.
Trump administration seeks explosive expansion of nation’s immigration detention system
If President Donald Trump’s administration has its way, the capacity to hold tens of thousands more migrants will soon be added around the country as the U.S. seeks an explosive expansion of what is already the world’s largest immigration detention system.
Meet the federal worker who went rogue: ‘I hope that it lights a fire under people’
To billionaire Elon Musk and his cost-cutting team at the Department of Government Efficiency, Karen Ortiz may just be one of many faceless bureaucrats. But to some of her colleagues, she is giving a voice to those who feel they can’t speak out.
Kids’ disability rights cases stalled as Trump began to overhaul Education Department
It’s not unusual for new presidential administrations to freeze cases while they adjust priorities, but exceptions typically are made for urgent situations, such as a child’s immediate learning situation. The freeze on pending cases and Trump’s calls to dismantle the Department of Education altogether left many parents worrying about the federal government’s commitment to disabled students’ rights.
Elon Musk calls for the US to ‘delete entire agencies’ from the federal government
Elon Musk called on Thursday for the United States to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his push under President Donald Trump to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.
Federal workers debate legitimacy of buyout offer as deadline nears
More than 2 million federal workers face a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Thursday to decide if they should leave.
Trump administration’s push for a federal funding freeze is back in court
A planned Trump administration freeze on federal funding is heading back to a Washington courtroom on Monday. A judge is expected to consider extending her temporary block on President Donald Trump’s plan to halt federal grants and loans, which originally targeted a wide range of funding totaling potentially trillions of dollars.
Chinese hackers accessed workstations and documents in a ‘major’ cyber incident, Treasury says
Chinese hackers remotely accessed several U.S. Treasury Department workstations and unclassified documents after compromising a third-party software service provider, the agency said Monday.
U.S. to require passenger vehicles to have alarms for rear seat belts
Starting in September 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up.
Consumer protection agency finalizes rule limiting overdraft fees
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Thursday that it has finalized new rules limiting the fees that banks can charge when customers overdraw their accounts.
FTC sues largest wine and spirits distributor, saying it discriminates against smaller stores
The Federal Trade Commission sued the largest U.S. distributor of wine and spirits on Thursday, saying it is illegally discriminating against small and independent businesses.
FTC’s rule banning fake online reviews goes into effect
The Federal Trade Commission issued a rule in August banning the sale or purchase of online reviews. The rule, which went into effect Monday, allows the agency to seek civil penalties against those who knowingly violate it.
Supreme Court won’t revive Michael Cohen’s lawsuit against Trump claiming retaliatory imprisonment
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday from Michael Cohen, who wanted to hold his former boss and ex-president Donald Trump liable for a jailing he said was retaliation for writing a tell-all memoir.
FTC adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions
The Federal Trade Commission adopted a final rule Wednesday that will require businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships.
Federal Trade Commission warns franchisors against using deceptive practices on franchisees
The Federal Trade Commission is warning franchisors to avoid “unfair and deceptive practices” against franchisees in an effort to ensure the franchise business model is a ladder of opportunity for honest small business owners.
Indianapolis accountant pleads guilty to defrauding IRS of millions
An Indianapolis CPA faces up to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.