We use the term “Tax Planning” often, but we are aware that many people are not sure what it really is. Some people think “That means off shore accounts and citizenship shell games ending with jail time. No thank you!”. That is not tax planning, that’s tax evasion, and it’s not at all what we [...]
It’s human nature, of course. We complain about our weight in the line at the ice-cream stand. We complain about being tired, then stay up late playing the latest game on our smart devices. Humans are funny and contradictory animals. Have you ever noticed that when you’re in a conversation, people are quick to complain [...]
Summer is a popular time for people planning a move to put their home on the market. It happens all year long of course, but the “hot season” is May-September. There are many reasons. School is out and if you have kids of that age it’s easier to change schools between grades. Often, it’s when [...]
For the self-employed, home office deductions can be connected to the Schedule C that they include on their 1040, which reports income and expenses for the business. The home office deduction can be taken with two different calculation options. One is more complex to calculate and one simplified option is based only on the square [...]
It’s July but the big fireworks are a victim of COVID-19. Although true, small local and personal fireworks will likely be everywhere as people adapt. That fireworks habit is ingrained in us so the fun will find a way. Another behavior or habit that’s ingrained into people is spending more time on “staycation” vacation plans than [...]
Often people will have one-time “Income Events” and so planning and especially the tax aspects are the motivation, you can consider setting up a “CLT” Charitable Lead Trust for the income tax deduction upfront. A person who has significant and unusual taxable income in a particular year can establish the grantor lead trust and use [...]
A Donor Advised Fund or “DAF” is defined as “an account at a sponsoring organization, generally a public charity, where an individual can make a charitable gift to enjoy an immediate tax benefit and retain advisory privileges to disburse charitable gifts over time.” But what does that mean in practical terms? You can set [...]
Charitable planning has always allowed some great tax benefits for clients with tax trapped assets, and the second benefit, the charitable deduction. What’s a tax trapped asset? Why is the charitable deduction the second benefit and not the first? What are the one-time 2020 rules? Well, that’s the point. Most people don’t understand why these [...]
The people who have filed and paid too much tax again this year, as they did last year, almost always make themselves a promise that they “will do better from now on.” They will keep better records; maintain a mileage log. They will learn more about work options and increase their 401(k) or 403(b). They [...]
That’s what you often hear from a sneaker manufacturer or a car company to create a feeling of scarcity for a product in order to drive desire or cost up. This is not a typical tactic of the IRS. COVID-19 and the reaction to it has created a path of human misery, but like cutting [...]