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An Unconventional Way to Get More Help
Stories about accounting and tax firms having trouble finding help seem to be popping up everywhere . Also, I pick up a lot of chatter about it on #TaxTwitter. It has even invaded my home. The firm that I consult for occasionally has recruited my covivant Evie as a remote preparer. After we withdrew from the boutique practice that capped our careers, she kept her family and friends freebie 1040 practice. Even the freebie practice has grown as the first of ten grandchildren got her first W-2 last year. So when my high school friend called me and told me that his 25 year old son who had gone from a bachelors in something or other to a series of low level food service jobs was contemplating a masters in accounting, I was enthusiastic. For a long time I have held the view that accounting probably gives a young person the best bang for their educational buck. My buddy had a request though that intimidated me. He wanted me to tell the kid what it was like to be an accountant. When I thought about it, I realized I didn’t have much of a clue as to what it is like to be an entry level accountant. I started thinking about what it was like when I started and how irrelevant that experience seems. Nonetheless, I do have an idea that those of you scrambling to find help might want to consider and it arises from my memories of the old days.
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Small Mistakes With Huge Costs for Your Client’s Tax Returns
We’ve all been there. A client walks into your office and, somewhere in the conversation, you realize that a seemingly minor oversight, a missed deadline, a form nobody filed, an election nobody mentioned, has spiraled into a five- or six-figure tax problem. In my years of practice, some of the most expensive mistakes I’ve seen weren’t the result of aggressive planning gone wrong. They were small, quiet errors. The kind that happens when a deadline slips, an election isn’t made, or a form gets overlooked entirely. The tax code is unforgiving in these situations, and the IRS has little sympathy for “I didn’t know.” This article walks through some of the most common, and most costly, small mistakes that can devastate your client’s tax situation, along with practical guidance for avoiding them.
When Debts Go Bad: The Challenges of Deducting Delinquent Debts
It is painful when you finally realize that the money you expected to be repaid is never coming back. The tiny silver lining in that cloud might be the tax benefit of “writing off” the debt. Unfortunately, that silver lining may well be eclipsed by an even bigger cloud. Writing bad debt off is not that easy, and there’s probably no silver lining to that cloud. Ironically, you might find that the mistakes that caused you to be holding a bad debt might be what prevents you from getting a usable deduction.
Explore Our Free Articles
Get a taste of our comprehensive tax planning insights with four featured articles, free for everyone.
2026 Summer Education Series Event Calendar
Think Outside the Tax Box is thrilled to bring you the 2026 Summer Education Series, sponsored by Sandy Bay! The fifth installment of this beloved annual series, we will be bringing our loyal subscribers monthly webinars featuring some of the brightest minds in tax all summer long. Each webinar will
Contracts, Signing Bonuses, and the Substantial Presence Test
In tighter job markets, recruits are often offered signing bonuses (and sometimes moving expenses) to join a firm. Sometimes construction workers temporarily relocate to jobs in other states while they are employed by the company that hired them in their home state. This article reviews some of the foundational tax
Start the Year Right: Your WISP Doesn’t Have to Be a Tax Season Nightmare
The mere mention of a WISP makes most tax professionals want to suddenly lose their internet connection. It sounds bureaucratic, technical, and deeply unfun. But here’s the good news: creating and maintaining a WISP does not have to feel like a compliance root canal. And ignoring it can turn into
The Corporate Vault: How to Use a C Corporation to Stockpile Cash for the Future
When most people think about saving for the future, their minds jump to retirement accounts—401(k)s, IRAs, maybe even defined benefit plans. But business owners have another option that often goes overlooked: using a C corporation as a strategic savings vehicle. By leveraging the flat 21% corporate tax rate, smart income
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Inventory Expensing and The Cash Method: Changes from the TCJA
Join Lucien P. Gauthier as we discuss these two changes made by the TCJA in depth.
Taking the Mystery Out of Revised Energy Credits for Individuals
Learn valuable tips to help your clients claim the new residential energy and electric vehicle credits.
Tax Season 911
Your preparedness plan to create tax savings and survive the busiest of times without falling into old habits!
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Featured Authors
Amber Gray-Fenner is an Enrolled Agent and tax practitioner specializing in tax returns, planning, and representation for individuals and small businesses. She owns Tax Therapy, LLC in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Matt Metras, EA, owns MDM Financial Services in NY, specializing in bookkeeping and taxation for cryptocurrency clients. He’s an educator on cryptocurrency taxation and actively engages in community advocacy.
Jeff Stimpson, has been a tax and finance writer for 25 years. Hee contributes to publications like Accounting Today and Financial Advisor. His other credits include sales tax, technology, and practice management, residing in New York.
Annette Nellen is a professor and tax program director at San José State University, with extensive involvement in tax organizations and a focus on tax policy, cryptocurrency, and education.
Peter J Reilly graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, worked in CPA firms like Joseph B Cohan and Associates and CCR LLP, and now runs a tax practice while writing for Forbes.com.
Thomas Gorczynski, EA USTCP CTP, is a tax expert known for speaking and educating on federal tax law. He’s editor-in-chief of EA Journal, co-author of the PassKey Learning Systems EA Review Series, and runs a tax practice in Phoenix, Arizona.
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