The Internal Revenue Service and its partners in the tax preparation industry are improving their security measures ahead of the January 23 start of tax season.

The IRS assembled representatives from state tax authorities, accountant organizations, tax software developers and tax preparation chains to talk about its Security Summit efforts Thursday. 

The Senate passed legislation Wednesday eliminating a tax penalty on employers who reimburse employees for the cost of health insurance premiums, following passage of the measure last week in the House.

The IRS began enforcing the penalty on employers last year, even though it isn’t part of the Affordable Care Act. Employers who violate the rule can be fined up to $100 per day for each employee, or up to $36,500 a year, which is 18 times more than the penalty imposed on larger employers that don’t offer insurance to workers.

With Dec. 31 just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about next season – and to make any last-minute moves that might improve a client’s tax position.

With that in mind, here’s a list of tax tips for you and your clients to think about before the end of 2016, from the National Society of Accountants and others in the field. 

While taxes did not seem to be one of the top issues in the November elections, both presidential candidates included a variety of tax proposals in their platforms. Also, there were a few tax-related initiatives on state ballots.

With Republicans in control of both the White House and Congress, there may be some greater success in getting tax legislation enacted. Still, Republicans do not have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and Republican congressional leaders and the new president do not appear to be united on all aspects of President-elect Trump’s tax proposals.

Businesses that want to accelerate year-end deductions by buying machinery and equipment have a formidable array of tax tools to work with this year, including generous expensing under Section 179 of the tax code. Here’s how to make the most of Code Sec. 179 expensing.