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New tax reduction strategies carefully explained and exhaustively researched every two weeks. Receive breaking news updates on tax law changes. Members only monthly AMA with TOTTB.tax.
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FEATURED CONTENT
Home Sale Rules for Newlyweds and Significant Others
Question: A spouse didn’t meet the residence test when the home sold because they weren’t legally married for two years on the date of the house sale. You indicated, however, the spouse is eligible for the home exclusion because by the end of the year they were married for two years Answer: If you want to understand how getting married impacts your ability to take tax-free profit, we must look at two issues and pass two tests. To take the full 121 exclusion deduction amount ($250,000/$500,000), first you have to determine filing status. If you were married or an RDP as of December 31, 2022, even if you did not live with your spouse/RDP at the end of 2022, your filing status is either Married Filing Joint or Married Filing Separate. Either way, the IRS considers you married for tax purposes. Now that you’ve determined that the client’s filing status is married, the potential gain exclusion is $500,000 under Section 121. But there are two important tests to apply to see whether you can exclude the maximum of $500,000 or whether it is going to be less. To learn about these tests, read on.
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CURRENT EDITION
State Tax Planning with the “80/20 Company” Exclusion
Many multinational groups find that foreign-source dividends and other income earned by domestic affiliates are fully or partially subject to state income taxation, even where the federal system provides an exemption. This state-level “leakage” can be material – particularly in high-tax jurisdictions – and is often overlooked because the income appears sheltered at the federal level. For groups with predominantly foreign operations, a starting structure or a restructuring that causes one or more domestic affiliates to qualify as an “80/20 company” can substantially reduce or eliminate state taxation on that income.
Real World Ethics: What Happens When a Judge Doesn’t Understand Tax Law
We all know how messy tax returns can get when couples who used to file jointly divorce and there are children (and tax credits) involved. It’s often difficult to explain the rules surrounding Head of Household filing status and the various tax credits available to parent-clients who have separated or divorced. But what happens when the clients misunderstand and decide to fight about it in family or divorce court? The following case study says “nothing good” can be a horrifying and frustrating answer to this question.
The Return of Taxable Student Loan Forgiveness: Planning Considerations for 2026 and Beyond
Remember the dreaded student loan “tax bomb?” For the past few years, it’s been easy to forget about it. Thanks to a temporary federal tax exclusion enacted during the pandemic, borrowers who received student loan forgiveness between 2021 and 2025 generally didn’t have to include that forgiven debt in their taxable income — leaving many borrowers (and their advisors) to wonder if the tax bomb would eventually disappear for good. Unfortunately, Congress allowed the temporary exclusion to expire. Beginning in 2026, forgiven student loan balances may once again be treated as taxable income. While that sounds like a major change, the reality is that most borrowers didn’t benefit from these tax-free years in the first place. For most borrowers, forgiveness is still years away, and there’s no crystal ball for what future federal policymakers may do. In the meantime, advisors may need to revisit planning conversations that many assumed were behind them. And depending on where a borrower lives, their federal tax bill may be only part of the story.
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.
