Talking Tax

Investors are getting a lot more information about an area that’s been a mystery in the past: What goes into companies’ tax bills.

The US, the European Union, and Australia all have new or forthcoming requirements for companies to publicly disclose more details about the makeup of their tax payments—especially where they’re paying. That can help investors compare companies and shed light on instances where multinationals might be locating their profits in lower-tax countries to cut their payments.

The new requirements are already forcing companies like Meta Platforms Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., and Caterpillar Inc. to disclose that they’re making big tax payments in countries like Ireland and Switzerland that have long had a reputation as “tax havens.” Meta paid Ireland $567 million in income taxes last year, according to its first-ever disclosures as part of new US accounting requirements.

Still, the different regions' rules differ significantly—in some ways they complement each other, but gaps in information remain.

On this week's Talking Tax, Bloomberg Tax reporters Jorja Siemons and Michael Rapoport discuss the new sets of rules, how the new disclosures will play out, and how companies are responding to them and in some cases trying to get around them.

Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Artificial intelligence is putting accounting firm leaders on alert for workers well-versed in using and managing the new tools as the industry invests heavily in modernizing workflows.

Firms should be staying attuned to the talent market and updating their salary structures accordingly to both attract early-career workers and retain staff looking to climb the ranks, according to Dominic Piscopo, founder of compensation data analytics firm Big 4 Transparency. They should also be having transparent conversations with their workers so compensation isn't a "black box."

"Having transparency in those models and being willing to talk about it with people—not just have this very kind of cold process where a number is thrown out—can make all the difference, even if the number is exactly the same," Piscopo told Bloomberg Tax.

Big Four accounting firms—EY, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG—have started equipping staff with AI tools that promise increased efficiency and improved workflows. The new tech is prompting the industry at large to examine its workforce strategies and pricing models to stay competitive and attract talent.

In this week's Talking Tax, Piscopo sat down with Bloomberg Tax reporter Jorja Siemons to discuss how firms and workers alike can navigate the current talent market.

Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Time is running out to file your taxes to the IRS as the April 15 deadline approaches.

But for the IRS, the work is only just beginning and it's off to a rocky start.

Elon Musk's Department Government Efficiency in 2025 pressured about a quarter of the IRS's workforce to leave, and the agency is on its seventh leader in the span of a little over a year. The agency also managed during one of the longest shutdowns in US history and a presidential-mandated hiring freeze.

That meant the IRS had to change direction for the 2026 filing season.

IRS workers from the human resources and technology divisions were told they'd be helping out process tax returns—an unusual move for the agency. Customer service workers at the start of the season weren't fully trained and critical tax season tech also wasn't ready.

Bloomberg Tax's Erin Schilling and Erin Slowey spoke with David Schultz about the implications of the decisions of DOGE and what that means for taxpayers.

Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are taking a closer look at a range of bipartisan IRS administration changes.

House tax writers have advanced several pieces of legislation that would fix problems identified by taxpayer advocates and tax professionals. Some have become law.

Senate Finance Committee lawmakers, meanwhile, recently introduced a large package that includes dozens of provisions that include digitizing more paper returns, providing more online information about refunds, and enhancing standards for tax return preparers.

The interest in tax administration suggests there's a willingness among tax writers to try to take action—the key question is how. The two chambers' different approaches show an emerging disagreement over strategy.



On this episode of Talking Tax, host David Schultz talks to Bloomberg Tax reporter Chris Cioffi about how a tax administration legislation has been taking shape, as well as the path forward in Congress.

Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

States are struggling to make up for revenue gaps in the wake of federal cuts and President Donald Trump's tax-and-spending law.

In Washington state, lawmakers have answered the challenge with a novel tax on millionaires. The legislature recently sent a bill (S.B. 6346) to Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) that would create the state's first income tax.

If Ferguson signs it, which he is expected to do, individuals and households in Washington making more than $1 million a year will be subject to a 9.9% income tax.

But things won't change in Washington right away. The tax will likely be challenged both in court and at the ballot box, where 10 previous attempts at an income tax have failed.

Proponents of the bill say the measure helps correct the state's regressive tax structure that is heavily reliant on sales tax, while opponents say the tax will make the state less competitive.

On this episode of Talking Tax, Correspondent Casey Murray discusses the politics and long path ahead for the tax.

Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.