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TO REDUCE TAX?
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FEATURED CONTENT
IRS Installment Agreements: A Potential Cure for Forosophobia
Taxpayers who seek tax planning strategies fall into two categories. We have taxpayers who plan well and want to keep their tax liability manageable and low as possible. Then, we have the taxpayers the IRS hits with a tax bill bigger than they were expecting. Both taxpayers are dealing with a case of forosophobia. When the latter happens the taxpayer often goes into a panic or at least a small sweat. Whether they have the money sitting in a bank account or not, they weren’t intending to spend it on taxes. So, it changes their financial planning. This is when the forosophobia really starts to set in. Forosophobia is the fear of the IRS and taxes. Have you experienced this with your clients? When tax season rolls around, they are anxious to see whether they owe taxes or not. Clients who haven’t made their estimated tax payments and don’t have anything to show for their income hold their breath. They wonder things such as: What happens if I can’t pay? Will I go to jail? The IRS is going to empty out my bank account. Once a taxpayer’s mind starts on this emotional rollercoaster it can be difficult to get them off. But as their trusted tax advisor you are in a very powerful position. Not only can you help them calm down and breathe again, but you can also get their lives back from this fear. As a licensed professional you can step in their shoes and handle their IRS problems for them. If you aren’t familiar with this process, don’t worry, I’ll give you a breakdown of a potential cure for their forosophobia. Let’s look at who can help the taxpayer and how.
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CURRENT EDITION
When Your Client’s World Is Bigger Than the U.S.
A lot of client meetings still start with the same assumptions: W-2 in a U.S. state, mortgage nearby, a 401(k), maybe some RSUs, and a college-savings plan. Yet many of those “simple” clients now own an apartment in another country, freelance for a foreign company, or have parents wiring money from overseas. The tax code does not see those details as background color; it treats them as organizing facts. This is where citizenship, residency, and domicile quietly step onto center stage. For planners, the challenge is not memorizing every cross-border rule. It is knowing when a client is no longer “just domestic” and shifting your planning framework before you stumble into penalties, double taxation, or blown opportunities.
Are You Committing Filing Status Malpractice?
Consider this article your periodic reminder that, for married taxpayers, filing jointly is an election and not the default (and certainly not the only) filing status option. It is important in a busy practice to remember to offer this option to clients who may benefit from filing separately, even if they don’t ask.
Syndicated Easements: Fresh IRS Offer and the Perils of Post-BBA Gamesmanship
The IRS has issued a statement about a new settlement offer that is going out for conservation and historic preservation easement disputes. It is similar to previous offers, but there is one big difference. The partnership will not have to make a payment at the time that it accepts the offer. Other than that, it is similar to the deal offered in 2020. Taxpayers get to deduct what they are out-of-pocket as an ordinary deduction and are subject to a 10% penalty. In general, the out-of-pocket donation might be around 20% to 25% of the claimed charitable deduction. The Tax Court, on average, has been allowing 6%, although results vary. There is usually a 40% penalty in the decided cases.
SIMPLIFIED TAX STRATEGIES &
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION
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.
