Guest Article

Frequent flyer miles and similar programs for other forms of consumption like grocery shopping raise a host of tax issues. There are the concerns of the recipients of the “rewards” and also of the issuers of the various sorts of points. A recent Tax Court decision brought the taxability of rewards into focus again and the opinion encourages the IRS to provide more guidance. Here is where we seem to be now. This is the first of two articles discussing the tax strategies available to boat owners. Part 1 focuses on using a boat as a residence, but if that doesn’t meet your needs, stay tuned because Part 2 will cover boats for business use (including as a home office). Why not consider both options and see how your tax savings can help fund your floating condo? Keep reading to learn more.

Ever thought of using a recreational vehicle like a boat to lower your taxes? Yes, it’s possible using the right strategies, and there’s no time like the present to make that happen. Even more than pre-pandemic taxpayers may be considering buying their own island. Those for whom buying an actual island is beyond the budget may be considering buying a boat or an RV for use as a residence, an office, or both. Whatever the type of use, there are tax strategies available for boat owners if they meet the requirements. As with any tax strategy it is important to have a full understanding of the requirements to ensure the deduction is legal and to ensure the taxpayer can substantiate the deduction should the tax authorities examine the return. This is the first of two articles discussing the tax strategies available to boat owners. Part 1 focuses on using a boat as a residence, but if that doesn’t meet your needs, stay tuned because Part 2 will cover boats for business use (including as a home office). Why not consider both options and see how your tax savings can help fund your floating condo? Keep reading to learn more.

Ever thought of using a recreational vehicle like a boat to lower your taxes? Yes, it’s possible using the right strategies, and there’s no time like the present to make that happen. Even more than pre-pandemic taxpayers may be considering buying their own island. Those for whom buying an actual island is beyond the budget may be considering buying a boat or an RV for use as a residence, an office, or both. Whatever the type of use, there are tax strategies available for boat owners if they meet the requirements. As with any tax strategy it is important to have a full understanding of the requirements to ensure the deduction is legal and to ensure the taxpayer can substantiate the deduction should the tax authorities examine the return. This is the first of two articles discussing the tax strategies available to boat owners. Part 1 focuses on using a boat as a residence, but if that doesn’t meet your needs, stay tuned because Part 2 will cover boats for business use (including as a home office). Why not consider both options and see how your tax savings can help fund your floating condo? Keep reading to learn more.

Looking to save money by moving to a low tax state? If so, determining how much you will save in taxes by moving is a question many people are often asking that doesn’t have a simple answer. Many people miss out big time because they simply think about state income taxes. However, there are so many other types of taxes that can be just as important when thinking about moving to a new state. Simply because a state has low (or no) income taxes doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a low overall tax state. Other taxes such as sales tax, payroll tax, and property tax can have just as big an impact on your taxes as the traditional income tax. Don’t get hit with unexpected “stealth taxes,” when moving to a low tax state, while state tax free states are great, out of the seven states without an income tax, three are not in the top 10 lowest tax burden states. Keep reading to learn how to choose the lower tax places to live.

You have put blood, sweat, and tears into your business and the hard work has finally paid off. Unfortunately, all the success may result in a significant tax bill for family members and very few resources available to pay it. Without an alternative, your business could end up on the chopping block for a fraction of what it is worth. It doesn’t have to be that way! Careful estate planning can result in: 1. Minimization of estate taxes 2. Generation of needed liquidity to satisfy estate expenses Continue reading to learn more!

One bright side to losing money in your business is your ability to at least use those losses as a tax deduction against other income you may have. Unfortunately due to tax reform it shredded your ability to claim NOLs after 2017 to 80% of taxable income - it all eliminated the opportunity to carry back these losses to get refunds. We’ve still been reeling from both of these changes. The CARES Act changed net operating losses (NOLs) in a major way to make usage of an NOL more taxpayer friendly … for a limited time. Because the changes are retroactive to 2018, this gives you the opportunity for 3 years of losses to provide much needed relief. The Treasury even provided a fast track to cash - keep reading to find out how.

Planning for your future generations often means being real about how much (or how little) will be left behind for your heirs. If you’re like most, it is difficult to imagine telling your grandchildren they may be forced to sell the family home to pay off the IRS in estate tax. One solution is to look for a legal way to move assets and money to your children (or others) while minimizing your tax. A Family Limited Partnerships (FLP) might be the perfect mechanism for you to accomplish this. These special types of partnerships provide solutions to two main issues: asset protection and estate tax reduction. Not only will this help you create a legacy of giving, but it will also ensure that the family business or home actually stays, “in the family.” Asset protection is important as it limits your risk exposure and liability to lawsuits, bankruptcy, and other claims. FLP’s are used to move assets during your life leaving the amount of your taxable estate smaller, and helping you gift much more than the law typically allows. But if you’re thinking this means giving a seat to Jr. at the board room table, think again. You can optimally set up this arrangement to ensure you maintain control until you are ready to step down. All is not rosy in the world of FLPs however. These types of arrangements can be viewed by the IRS as abusive tax shelters to transfer wealth tax free. Keep reading for an in-depth look at FLP’s.

Starting a business is hard. Running a business is hard. And often, it isn’t profitable either – at least not right away. As if losing your money isn’t enough torture, it can get worse. If your business is not profitable and remains that way for a while the IRS can reclassify it as a hobby. This is really bad because while you still have to pay tax on your hobby income, you can’t deduct any of the expenses. Ouch! One strategy around this is to reorganize as a C corporation (since code section 183 doesn’t apply to them). However, if you’re thinking about using this to deduct expenses from your hobby, be careful! A taxpayer, a courtroom, and a whole lotta cats (explanation later) might change your mind. Click here to continue reading.