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Avoiding Passive Loss Limitations Through Short-term and Alternative Rentals
Short-term rentals like AirBnb are becoming increasingly popular with taxpayers who invest in real estate. For many taxpayers, the appeal of these properties is the flexibility and cash flow potential. However, there may be an overlooked third tax benefit. In many situations these short-term rentals may not qualify as a rental activity to the IRS, and that may offer a big tax break. While many rental activities generate losses, this can leave taxpayers facing the frustrations of not always getting to deduct those losses right away due to the passive activity limitations.
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CURRENT EDITION
Assessment Statutes and Document Retention Best Practices
When it comes to document retention, my guiding policy is “If I don’t keep it, it can’t be stolen or subpoenaed.” That sounds cynical, but there’s truth in it. The smaller your data “surface area,” the less you have to manage in the event of a data breach (or, if you hold paper documents, in the event of a fire or break in). And, if a client or former client gets really sideways in divorce or criminal court, being able to say “I have a policy in place and I don’t keep records longer than three years” can provide you with a measure of peace. But what should your policy be? It depends, but relevant assessment statutes are a good place to start. This article reviews the IRS rules for assessing tax and provides some best practices for developing document retention policies for return preparation documents in your practice.
The “Busy Season” Myth: Why Accountants Stay Stuck Waiting for Time That Never Comes
If you’re a CPA, you’ve heard it a thousand times. People outside the industry say it like it’s a weather report: “How was busy season?” Firm owners say it to each other, as if it’s a shared badge of honor: “Just get through April 15.” Then it becomes, “After extensions.” Then, “After we rehire.” And after every “busy season,” there’s the crash. The weeks of 60–70 hours. The nights. The lost family time. The feeling that life is on hold until the deadline passes. Here’s the problem: tax deadlines don’t end—they shift. March 15. April 15. September 15. October 15. Year-end planning. 1099s in January. Treating the calendar like the boss means building firms stuck in constant reaction. The truth is, “busy season” isn’t a season. It’s a mindset. And it’s one of the most expensive mindsets we’ve normalized in public accounting.
Explore Our Free Articles
Get a taste of our comprehensive tax planning insights with four featured articles, free for everyone.
What Happens If You Can’t Use All Your Clean Energy Tax Credits This Year?
Clean energy tax credits have a lot going for them. Clients buy them at a discount, apply them dollar-for-dollar against federal tax liability, and walk away paying less to the IRS. That alone makes them worth a serious look. But here’s what often gets overlooked and what makes these investments
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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