Feature Article

Tax season is prosperous, summer is dry until extension season. Do you find yourself in that cycle? Clients are “easy” to get during tax season when taxes are top of mind. Then the direct deposits go dry by June, and you are looking for what’s next. Stop the search, you don’t have to add another service. You need better marketing to highlight the service that you offer and specialize in. This will allow you to have a predictable client pipeline. You can do tax preparation, planning, and or representation all year long.

There are a few tax tips for people with disabilities that I think are not as well-known as they should be. They can also be applicable to their parents or others who care about them. This is not meant to be a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of how taxation and disability interact. Rather it is to alert you to some things I think should be more widely known. One thing to keep in mind is that some of the parents and grandparents of disabled adults don’t necessarily share this part of their personal life, so you may be surprised at how this information might be valuable and appreciated by some of your clients.

Cross-border ventures can unlock exciting destinations for growth and investment, but they also come with some heavy-duty baggage -- think IRS paperwork, withholding headaches, and estate tax landmines. If you're a tax planner gearing up for this global expedition (especially if it's your first trip), this guide is your passport to smoother travels.

Even savvy freelancers often miss deductions that could significantly reduce tax liability. The IRS offers legitimate ways for freelancers to deduct business-related costs, but it’s not always obvious which expenses qualify and which ones cross the line into nondeductible territory. This confusion is made worse when we see some of the terrible advice from so-called “experts” on social media. In this article, we’ll explore the most commonly missed deductions for freelancers, highlight real-world examples, and review what tax professionals need to keep in mind when advising these clients.

Tax rules are generally designed with a purpose in mind. Most rules serve to define the tax base and tax rates. Many others serve a behavioral purpose to encourage or discourage certain activities. The focus of this article stems from tax rules that are a combination of favoring certain activity such as generation of capital gains, and a limitation on such gains for certain taxpayers, such as the so-called “hot assets” rule for partners under IRC Section 751, Unrealized Receivables and Inventory Items. While Section 751 has been in the tax law for decades, a new application of it was raised by both the IRS and California FTB. This article summarizes Rawat, TC Memo 2023-14, rev’d, No. 23-1142 (DC Cir., 2024), and FTB Legal Ruling 2022-02, and offers observations on their relevance to tax research and practice.

Looking to cut down on self-employment taxes on your partnership income? Converting your partnership into an S corporation might be the answer. If you currently run your business as a partnership or an LLC taxed as a partnership, you’re probably familiar with the sting of self-employment taxes. Unlike shareholder-employees of an S corporation, who only pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on their salaries, partners typically get hit with self-employment taxes on their entire share of the business’s net income. That can add up fast. By transitioning to an S corporation, you can restructure how you take your income—splitting it between salary and profit distributions. The big advantage? Those profit distributions are not subject to self-employment tax, potentially saving you thousands each year. So, if reducing your tax burden sounds appealing, let’s break down how a tax-free Section 351 incorporation works and what you need to know before making the move.

With the rising cost of higher education and greater reliance on student loans, taxpayers are looking for every opportunity to ease the financial burden of earning a degree. Fortunately, several higher education tax benefits are available to help offset the high cost of tuition, student loans and other education-related expenses. However, certain eligibility requirements — such as income limits and tax filing status — often trip up taxpayers along the way. Understanding the nuances of these tax benefits for higher education can ensure your clients take full advantage of available tax savings.

The IRS is ramping up scrutiny of high-net-worth individuals and businesses, increasing audit rates by over 50% for those earning above $10 million. Recent IRS initiatives backed by Inflation Reduction Act funding have intensified enforcement on wealthy taxpayers, large partnerships, real estate investors, and tech businesses. IRS agents are digging deeper during audits and expecting taxpayers to produce more documentation to support every position on their returns. To help clients navigate this environment, certified tax planners must take proactive steps to bolster documentation and audit readiness. Below are ten authoritative strategies, complete with industry examples, IRS policy references, and best practices, to prepare for the increased IRS focus on documentation.