Whether you’re preparing to have kids in the future or already have kids, there are tax strategies available (but often overlooked) that you should take advantage of. These are proven ways to save you money on your tax return. How do I know? Well, I use them myself. Bringing children into this world is a great joy and brings immense satisfaction. It’s important to remember, though, having children is a significant responsibility you should take seriously. From a very early age, you need to begin planning for your financial future to ensure you care for your children. There are 10+ unique ways the wealthy families in this country use their families to “qualify” for deductions that often go unused by the middle class. They go unused, not because the middle class can’t qualify; it’s that they don’t make the time to take proactive steps to prepare themselves. Here are just a few of the things you should know as you begin tax planning for your family.

Question: If I am making a late S election for a client, how do I handle the fact that the officer received no officer’s compensation throughout the year? One of the biggest areas of audit for an S corporation return Form 1120S is officer’s compensation. The IRS collects and examines data from all returns filed and develops a computerized standard of insufficient compensation. Since this area can result in deficiencies for payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) for every dollar of distribution reclassified to wage, tax advisors would be wise to avoid risk factors that might raise the risk of audit on officer’s compensation. By avoiding what resembles unreasonably low compensation, we can help business owners by limiting the number of Forms 1120S without officer’s compensation. However, when making a late S election, what is the rule when officer’s truly have taken no compensation? You might be surprised to learn it isn’t filing a Form 1099. Read on to find out how to reduce the risk of audit, while accurately reporting your first Form 1120S.

The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) created Opportunity Zones (OZ). Taxpayers who invest in Qualified Opportunity Zones can reduce capital gains tax and pay zero tax on the investment’s future appreciation. For this reason, Opportunity Zones have a significant edge over traditional capital gain deferral strategies like the 1031 Exchange. With more than 8,500 economic zones throughout the United States, investors and business owners have plenty of choices. Additionally, the investment gives them a chance to do some good in an economically depressed area, make some tax-free money, and achieve some permanent capital gain savings even after you’ve already sold your asset. What’s not to love? There are a number of intricate rules concerning OZ investment tax breaks so if you want to begin or expand your business or real estate holdings using these tax breaks, read on to learn more.

The 1031 Like-Kind Exchange (LKE) provides a great potential benefit to taxpayers who want to sell rental properties to purchase others in the United States. IRC § 1031 allows you to defer a taxable gain that would normally be taxed at the time of sale of a rental property. However, there are situations when a 1031 exchange may not be the best option for the taxpayer, and it could potentially dilute the tax savings when compared to a traditional sale or other gain minimization strategies. To take advantage of the tax deferral benefits of a 1031 exchange, you’ll need to follow a specific set of guidelines. Here, we will dive into the circumstances that you should review to determine if a 1031 exchange will be the best option in mitigating the taxes you owe.