According to congressional estimates, 1.4 million CP53E notices have been sent as of March 2026, a surge linked to the IRS’s transition from paper checks to direct deposit. The significant increase in mailings has raised the likelihood of some taxpayers receiving notices in error and created opportunities for scammers to send convincing fraudulent versions. The combination of a relatively new notice type and sensitive banking requests has amplified both confusion and the potential for scams. [more]

The Internal Revenue Service today announces updates to its Conservation Easement site, expanding information on abusive conservation easement transactions, recent court decisions, and warning signs for investors. “Congress created the conservation easement deduction to encourage genuine preservation, not to subsidize abusive tax shelters,” said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano. “The updated information on IRS.gov explains why the IRS continues to challenge these transactions and highlights the serious risks taxpayers face when they are sold inflated tax benefits disguised as conservation.” [more]

With banks tightening lending standards for the third consecutive year, owners are tapping a wider funding toolkit-and the data shows it's working. Three-quarters of small businesses used some form of financing in the past 12 months, according to the Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Insights January 2026 survey. Not because traditional lending got easier-banks tightened lending standards for business loans through late 2025, a pressure point documented in the 2026 QuickBooks Small Business Index Annual Report-but because the range of funding options available to small businesses expanded. [more]

The retirement landscape is changing — fast. From financial stress among younger workers to the rise of SECURE 2.0 provisions, discover the trends reshaping retirement plans in 2026. Out with the old and in with the new. In 2026, the traditional approach to retirement planning is quickly evolving to meet the needs of today's financially stretched workforce. With nearly 40%1 of employees living paycheck-to-paycheck and younger generations more concerned about their financial futures, retirement plans must offer more than investment options to meet the goal of attracting new hires and keeping great people. [more]