A look back on the top tax stories in 2016
The biggest tax story of 2016 didn’t actually happen during tax season and may become an even bigger story in 2017. The dozens of changes the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act made to the tax code became the biggest story – and stories – of 2016. Passed in December 2015, the PATH Act dominated the H&R Block Newsroom, making up nearly one-third of site traffic this summer and fall.
The Newsroom reported the law in detail in a series of articles and videos, which covered the PATH Act’s:
- delay of millions of refunds until at least February 15,
- permanent extensions of many tax benefits,
- renewal requirements for Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs),
- eligibility changes for certain tax credits,
- expansion of other tax benefits,
- increasing cost of making mistakes and
- impact on small business.
Highlighting the People of Block
But the Newsroom also told some more personal stories over the year, including two profiles of H&R Block tax professionals who got their start with H&R Block’s Income Tax Course (ITC). Kristy Brown-Maldonado and Roshelle Fetzer told their stories of falling in love with learning and taxes. More than one in 10 Newsroom visits are to ITC-related pages, and Brown-Maldonado’s and Fetzer’s stories gave visitors a new look at the ITC and its students.
Visitors were also interested in the tax implications of the new economy including for Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO hosts, reflecting the continued rise of the sharing and gig economies.
With tax season 2017 starting in a couple days, the H&R Block Newsroom will continue to cover the latest news affecting taxpayers and the tax industry. To receive timely updates, please subscribe to the Newsroom digest using the form below.
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