Business Strategies

Tax Trends in M&A and What it Means for Your Clients

M&A activity during Q1 2024 has experienced the strongest start in two years, with over $549B in global deal volumes, representing a 28% increase from Q1 of 2023. However, gone are the days of easy financing and 0% interest rates – the federal funds rate is currently between 5.25% - 5.50%, forcing taxpayers to rethink their deal structures and consider certain tax cost optimizing strategies, which are discussed in this article.

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Think Outside the Tax Box provides tax reduction strategies along with practical implementation advice in order to reduce your clients’ federal tax bill with ease.

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CURRENT EDITION

Year-End Tax Planning Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)

Dominique Molina, CPA MST CTS

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, doesn’t reinvent the tax code it refines it. Much like its predecessor, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), it keeps many familiar provisions in play: lower rates, expanded SALT flexibility, and broader deductions. But here’s the real story: While most tax pros are busy memorizing what stayed the same, the planners who will win 2025 are the ones spotting what just became possible. OBBBA quietly opens a handful of powerful new planning windows — each one capable of delivering real, measurable savings for the right client. The key is knowing which changes are worth your time… and which are just political garnish. Below, we’ve curated the most strategic, high-impact moves to make before year-end 2025, the ones that separate the advisors who explain the law from those who leverage it. Most tax pros will stop at what changed. The smart ones will keep reading to learn how to use it.

Timing is Everything: A Conversation Between a Tax Pro and Client

Roger Ledbetter, CPA

The new permanent bonus depreciation regime will bring back the old playbook: lever up to buy a rental property and bonus depreciate everything under the sun. But the tax savvy general partners know that WHEN to depreciate is just as important as how to depreciate.

Student Loans After the OBBBA Part 2: Helping Clients Navigate the New Landscape

Caitlin See, MPA

As the federal student loan system enters a new era, advisors are tasked with helping clients navigate the practical implications of recent reforms. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has redefined borrowing limits and repayment options, creating fresh challenges for borrowers at every stage of higher education. Whether clients are weighing school choices or managing existing student debt, understanding these updates is key to providing informed financial guidance. In Part 2 of our OBBBA student loan series, we explore how these changes could play out for common borrower situations and what advisors should be aware of to confidently guide clients through the post-OBBBA student loan landscape.