We are creeping up to the centennial of the Cohan rule. Learned Hand’s opinion for the Second Circuit in Cohan v. Commissioner came out on March 3, 1930 . I love this rule so much that I've made it the Prime Directive in my own book, Reilly’s Laws of Tax Planning: “If you don’t have documentation, at least have a plausible story.” However, subsequent legislation, changes in societal expectations, and the passage of time have eroded the usefulness of the Cohan rule for taxpayers. In recent years, there have been more instances of courts refusing to apply it than allowing its use. That’s why in Reilly’s Sixteenth Law of Tax Planning, I advise people to “being right without substantiation can be as bad as being wrong.”

When United States Tax Court Judge Paris issued the opinion in the case of Ryan Fleischer in 2016 , it caused quite a stir in the tax blogosphere. And from what I have been able to gather off the record it remains of interest. The Fleischer decision makes it very difficult, if not impossible for some financial professionals to use S corporations to mitigate self-employment tax. Rather than attack on reasonable salary, the IRS took an assignment of income approach, which succeeded throwing planners for financial professionals like Fleischer into a bit of an uproar...

Your clients may think that business owners get all the tax breaks and incentives. But that’s not quite true. We see that with the expansion of clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. One of the goals of the Inflation Reduction Act is to address climate change. The bill does this by helping taxpayers save green for using green energy. Taxpayers can not only enjoy tax benefits from riding clean the next 10 years. Your environmentally conscious clients can also reduce their tax bill as they make clean energy changes to their home. What client do you have right now that would enjoy claiming 30% of the costs of their home improvements for a tax credit? Not sure? Well get your pen and paper to make a list while we go over how this new credit can save them this tax year until 2034.

Four keynote speakers headline the 38th Annual UCLA Tax Controversy Institute this year. It was a terrific opportunity to hear from the top IRS executives, get their perspectives on the past year – and coming policies and programs. And, even, to be able to ask them questions. Keep reading for the in-person account!

Charlie Sheen’s tax woes seem to be at an end. I mainly remember Sheen as the star of Two and a Half Men, but there is a lot more to his career and fame than that. As I related back in January, IRS has been trying to collect on Mr. Sheen’s 2015, 2017 and 2018 returns. Many people have the impression that failure to send in the balance due with your return. will result in 87,000 agents willing to use deadly force knocking on your door, but it really doesn’t work that way. There is a lot of process. In some circles I think the return balance due is viewed as the sticker price on cars used to be or full tuition at a well-endowed university that wants to have a sprinkling of representation from the 99% attending…

The IRS is deploying technology and big data to combat compensation under-reporting. What does this likely mean for you and your S Corps? That Reasonable Compensation challenges will likely occur outside the traditional exam process. A challenge may come from the ongoing Employment Tax Program or the recently launched CIP. From our polling, we find most tax advisors and their S Corp clients are dangerously unprepared for an IRS reasonable compensation challenge. If you are working with S corps, here’s the news you need to know...

Tax professionals must take measures to prevent unauthorized access to customer information. For example, you should limit access to customer data to only those employees who need it for their jobs. Also, outsourcing tax preparation in your firm can impact this security. In October 2019, the IRS added a new question about data security responsibilities to the form to obtain or renew a PTIN. As a tax professional, it’s important to understand what the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires and how you can comply. Keep reading to learn what steps you can take to help protect the confidential information of clients and ensure GLBA compliance.

First, you need to get an EIN, then get an LLC, establish business credit, and then you can buy a car in your business name. That process may get you a new car but that does not make it a business expense or eligible for a credit. Friends, that is not how this works; that is not how any of this works. I’ve noticed a recent obsession in the online business world with writing off car expenses. Especially clean vehicles since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in August. There is a correct way to do so, and then, there are a variety of ways to do it incorrectly. If you don’t believe me, just scroll through TikTok and Instagram, it will make your head hurt. Misinterpretations of Section 179 have set the internet ablaze. That is why I want to make sure we set the record straight on how the clean vehicle credit can benefit businesses. That is if your client follows the guidelines set by the IRS. *Hint, hint: It requires more than buying the car in your business name using your business credit. Let’s look at the amendments and additions to the IRC that make this credit valuable to business owners too. You have an opportunity to help your clients save $7,500 to $40,000 when they buy a qualifying clean commercial vehicle from now until December 31, 2032.