The IRS recently dropped a gentle hint that it really, really isn't kidding about a long-planned audit campaign to examine employment tax and worker classification issues. The audits, originally scheduled to start in October this year, are now slated for February 2010. The agency will look at 6,000 randomly selected companies of all types and sizes, and it plans to dig deeper than it does in typical audits, according to remarks by IRS deputy commissioner Faris Fink.

The climate bill, designed to make good on President Obama's election campaign promise to chop carbon emissions, is being discussed by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Get up to speed on the tax implications of the proposed legislation in this brief.

Corporate income tax rates have been on the decline in many parts of the world as countries position themselves to attract new businesses and investments. But that trend may be heading for at least a temporary halt, according to KPMG's just-published 2009 Corporate and Indirect Tax Rate Survey.

Tucked into legislation aimed at extending unemployment insurance benefits is an amendment that could bring significant tax relief for businesses that have endured net operating losses (NOLs) in the recession. The proposal would let companies of all sizes carry back those losses for a refund of taxes paid in the five previous years, instead of the two years generally allowed under current law.

Transfer pricing, which always ranks among the most pressing concerns for multinationals' tax departments, has become even more critical this year. As cash-famished tax authorities worldwide step up their enforcement efforts, many businesses are reviewing their intercompany pricing policies to make sure they're up to snuff.

Much to the chagrin of some residents, Norway has released records showing the annual income and overall wealth of its citizens. The tax list is supposed to promote transparency, but critics say people are treating it like "tax porno," checking the income of friends and co-workers.

IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman wants corporate boards to turn their attention to tax risk. In remarks to the National Association of Corporate Directors, Shulman pointed out that tax strategies are a significant source of financial and restatement risk, not to mention reputational exposure. He recommends that boards set up a "mechanism to oversee tax risk as part of [their] governance process."

Are your business analysts frustrated with unreliable data and unsuitable technology systems? Do your company's executives struggle with decision-making, budget commitments, and organizational performance? Read Ventana Research's "Decision-Making and Performance: Improving Essential Business Analytics and Technologies" in the BPM Resource Center to learn ways to align strategy and performance.

As indirect costs rise and economic pressures increase, the need for profitability and cost management (PCM) also grows. Read this Thought Leadership white paper to find out more about how PCM drives business performance by finding drivers of cost and profitability, empowering users with visibility and flexibility, and improving resource alignment.

When it comes to tracking the success of your company's business performance applications, what you don't see can hurt you. In this on-demand webcast, you'll hear how performance management technology is capable of eliminating costly BPM blind spots. We'll reveal the findings of a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting that examines the Total Economic Impact (TEI) of a leading-edge business performance application. Having carefully monitored and studied the deployment of business performance application Tagetik 3.0, we unlock the mysteries of IT investment, revealing where bottom-line savings can be achieved and costly mistakes avoided.