Davis, Brown, Koehn, Shors & Roberts, P.C.

Joe Kristan, of the venerable Roth & Company P.C. Tax Update Blog, raises an important issue that all taxpayers should keep in mind. Joe reminds us to beware of promises of fast, dramatic tax relief. Whenever a notice of…more

SSB3141, a bill that would increase Iowa’s gas tax by five cents per year in 2013 and 2014, took another tentative step forward this week when it was voted out of the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill would…more

On February 14, 2012 HHS, IRS and DOL released final rules implementing the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that group health plans and health insurance issuers provide participants with a summary of benefits and…more

A heavily amended property tax bill got the green light from the Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee this week. HF2274 (formerly HSB 519), the Governor’s commercial property tax reform proposal, now moves…more

Wills do more than just distribute property. A will lets you decide who gets what assets, and also who should take care of your minor children.  Without a will, the state will decide who gets what without consideration…more

Today the Department of Labor released final regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act's summary of benefits and coverage ("SBC") requirement.  The rules require  employers sponsoring…more

Sometimes no news is big news at the capitol. This week, the lack of action on two topics made news. Last week we reported the nuclear power bill (HF561) was amended in subcommittee and voted out to be considered in…more

Citibank is treating certain frequent flyer miles as taxable income, and they are sending IRS Form 1099 to customers who were given miles in exchange for opening bank accounts.  (1099s report income other than…more

The Department of State recently announced a Visa Pilot Program intended to ease the visa issuance process for certain low-risk applicants. Details of the program have not yet been determined but generally applicants…more

The Department of State announced that it will be publishing a rule to de-link visa validity with petition validity for L-1 visa applicants. What does this mean? Usually the visa end date is the same as the petition…more

All “non-immigrant” (meaning temporary) status approvals (H-1B, L, O, etc.) by the Immigration Service in the U.S. are sent by the Service Center to the Kentucky Consular Center. The KCC scans the petition and…more

The First Time Homebuyer Credit is a credit which reduced a taxpayer’s tax bill (or increased his or her refund) if he or she purchased a new home between certain time periods.  This credit was one of the…more

Congress and the IRS have determined that taxpayers need yet an additional form to file in order to report foreign held assets. This latest filing requirement will add to the Form TD F 90-22.1 – Report of Foreign Bank and…more

The Iowa legislature completed its third week of the 2012 session and the pace continued to accelerate. Dozens of new bills were introduced, an almost continuous schedule of subcommittees received input on bills and several…more

Last August HHS revised the definition of preventative care that non-grandfathered plans must cover without cost-sharing to include all FDA approved forms of birth control. The new definition is effective for plan years that…more