Advocacy that Speaks for Pennsylvania's Tax & Accounting Practitioners

Correcting the Income Calculation for Special Tax Forgiveness 

PSTAP is actively advocating for a legislative fix to an inequity in Pennsylvania’s Special Tax Forgiveness program—specifically, how income from non-qualified annuities is treated when determining SP eligibility.

Currently, both the original principal and the interest earned on non-qualified annuities are counted as income. This approach unfairly penalizes taxpayers by including the initial investment—money on which taxes have already been paid—in the income calculation. In contrast, for certificates of deposit (CDs), only the interest earned is considered taxable income for Special Tax Forgiveness purposes.

PSTAP’s position is clear: only the interest earned on non-qualified annuities should be included in the income calculation, aligning with the treatment of CDs and ensuring consistency and fairness for Pennsylvania taxpayers.


Repeal of Accelerated Sales Tax Payments  

Pennsylvania requires businesses with sales tax liability of at least $25,000 during the third calendar quarter of the preceding year to prepay sales tax.  PSTAP supports HB 1404, introduced by Representative Jesse Topper (referred to House Finance) to simplify tax compliance, promote fairness and to ease the financial burden on businesses.

Read PSTAP Support Letter (Repeal of Accelerated...)

SALT Cap Work Around

Pennsylvania is one of only a few states with a state income tax that currently has no statutory SALT Cap workaround.  This places our business owners and residents at a disadvantage with other states, many of which are neighboring states.

Read PSTAP Support Letter (SALT Cap workaround...)

Collaborating with the PA Department of Revenue on Behalf of Our Members
Each year, PSTAP committee members travel to Harrisburg to participate in roundtable discussions with senior leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. These meetings—typically held in early December—offer a direct channel for PSTAP to advocate for our members and seek clarity on pressing tax issues.

Members are invited to submit questions and concerns in advance. The committee carefully reviews and finalizes these submissions, which are then shared with the Department prior to the meeting. During the roundtable, DOR representatives provide insights and discuss responses, followed by written answers that are distributed to the full membership.  We also hold a Member Huddle so that our Committee can provide additional insight from the meeting and answer additional member questions.

This annual exchange ensures that member voices are heard and that PSTAP continues to serve as a trusted liaison between practitioners and state leadership.  

Need Help Resolving a Client Issue?
If you've followed the recommended communication channels with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue but still haven’t been able to resolve a client matter, PSTAP may be able to assist.  While we’re not the first stop in the resolution process, we’re here to support our members when standard avenues fall short. If you’ve exhausted your options and need help navigating a issue, please reach out—we’ll do our best to advocate on your behalf.    

      Practitioner Issue Reporting Form                                       Submit Your Issue to Us Via Email 

PSTAP Succeeds in Efforts to Retain Telefile
In the Fall of 2023, the practitioner community was informed that the PA Department of Revenue would decommission Telefile, a telephone based system for the remittance of some business and employer taxes.  Member outcry led to PSTAP leading the charge to preserve Telefile.

Annual PA Department of Revenue Fall Tax Seminars -  We host six locations of the PA Department of Revenue Fall Tax Seminar each year, providing a unique opportunity to meet Revenue employees and hear the latest updates while getting your questions answered and your issues resolved.  We think ALL tax practitioners who file state tax returns should attend one of these seminars each year.

PSTAP monitors all meetings of the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy and is vigilant on board voting actions and proposed regulations that affect our membership.   

The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy is comprised of nine CPAs, one PA and three public members.