Sell Now, Pay the IRS Later: Defer Capital Gains for Decades
If you’re planning to sell highly appreciated real estate, a closely held business, or private company stock, don’t let the tax consequences become an afterthought. There may be a way to defer the capital gains tax for years—even decades—but only if you plan before the sale. One strategy worth considering is a deferred sales trust. […]
How to Avoid Penalties on Late IRA RMDs
If you own a traditional IRA, failing to take your required minimum distribution (RMD) can cost you far more than taking it and paying the associated income tax. Owners of traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs generally must begin taking RMDs the year they reach age 73. (Roth IRA owners are not subject to […]
Four Tactics That Turn Suspended Passive Losses into Tax Deductions
If you own rental real estate, you may have passive losses that have been suspended for years. Although you cannot currently deduct these losses, they are not lost forever. With proper planning, you may be able to unlock them and use them to reduce your taxes. One common way to free suspended passive losses is […]
The Home-Office Deduction for Three Square Feet
Many business owners assume they cannot claim a home-office deduction because their home is too small. In fact, the tax law says otherwise. A home office does not have to be an entire room. If you use a clearly defined area of your home exclusively for business, you may qualify for the deduction—even if that […]
Tool for Your Use: Updated 2026 Section 199A Calculator
Beginning in 2026, the Section 199A qualified business income deduction becomes a permanent part of tax planning for pass-through business owners. This deduction can allow owners of sole proprietorships, partnerships, S corporations, and certain other pass-through businesses to deduct up to 20 percent of their qualified business income. C corporations do not qualify. The 2026 […]
ERC Refund in 2026: One Great Way to Handle It
If your business receives an Employee Retention Credit (ERC) refund in 2026 for wages paid in 2020 or 2021, you may have an important tax planning opportunity. Many businesses filed ERC claims years after they filed their original income tax returns. Because the IRS took so long to process many claims, some refunds are only […]
How to Convert Your S Corporation into a Tax-Favored QSBC
Let’s turn our attention to an increasingly valuable tax planning opportunity involving qualified small business corporation (QSBC) stock, especially in light of recent law changes. QSBCs—essentially, certain qualifying C corporations—offer powerful tax advantages. Most notably, you may be able to exclude up to 100 percent of the gain on the sale of QSBC stock if […]
When Self-Created Intangibles Are Taxed as Ordinary Income
If you plan to sell a business or an intangible asset, you need to understand a critical tax rule that can significantly increase your tax bill. Tax law treats many self-created intangible assets as non-capital assets. This treatment means you must report the gain as ordinary income instead of lower-taxed long-term capital gain. This rule […]
Section 179 or Bonus Depreciation: What’s Best After OBBBA?
Recent tax law changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act created powerful opportunities to write off business assets faster than ever. You now face an important decision: should you use Section 179 expensing or 100 percent bonus depreciation? The law restored 100 percent bonus depreciation for qualifying assets placed in service after January 19, […]
Don’t Make This Costly Portability Election Mistake
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) permanently increased the federal estate and gift tax exemption to a whopping $15 million per person for 2026 and later. You can give away while alive and/or bequeath at death this much money or property free of federal estate and gift tax. If you’re married, you and your […]
HSAs After Death: What You Need to Know
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are a great way to save money. Unlike any other tax-advantaged account, they provide a triple tax benefit: Contributions are tax-deductible. Monies inside the HSA grow tax-free Withdrawals are tax-free if used for medical expenses. Withdrawals after age 65, if not used for medical expenses, are subject to regular income taxes. […]
Lawyer Burned by Fake AI Tax Cases—Don’t Be Next
Artificial intelligence (AI) is all the rage today. AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and Perplexity are being used for everything, including legal research. But beware! AI is not perfect. It’s not even intelligent. AI doesn’t think like a human, and it has no internal fact-checker. It produces new content by analyzing vast amounts of […]