One of our most popular resources is ready to go with a fresh new look! Use the Analysis of a Tax Return for Financial Planning Opportunities piece alongside a client's 1040 to identify their needs and places to add value, and to open the door for deeper conversations. To read the full article in Smart Brief, click: Fresh New Look: The Analysis of a Tax Return for Financial Planning Opportunities. ...

Despite the changes that came with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, clients can still claim the child and dependent care tax credit on their 2018 returns. Working parents who paid for day care, summer camp or a babysitter should take advantage of this tax break, which can help them save as much as $1,050 per child below age 13. Those who intend to claim are advised to pay their babysitter legally and remit the ne ...

As a risk management professional at CNA, professional liability insurance carrier for nearly 25,000 CPA firms, I am often asked if engagement letters are worth all the effort.  The answer, based on my personal and CNA’s claim experience, is a resounding YES!  I’ve experienced firsthand the value these letters bring to the table. To read the full article in AICPA, click: Engagement Letter Stories—When They ...

Knowing what to do when your client receives a notice from the Internal Revenue Service can be a useful skill.  Here are 13 pointers, from what to do when the IRS sends a notice of deficiency to whether to extend the statute of limitation. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: IRS Notice Response Tips Everyone Should Know. ...

IRS Division Releases List of Examination Issues The Internal Revenue Service Large Business and International Division has released a list of 13 issues that could be the focus of upcoming examinations.  Tammy Whitehouse summarizes the guidance. To read the full article in Compliance Week, click: IRS Identifies 13 "Campaigns" for Tighter Compliance Scrutiny. ...

Filing Tax Returns Early May Foil Identity Thieves People may be able to thwart crooks targeting their tax refunds by filing their 2015 tax returns as early as possible.  Russ Wiles for USA Today, explains how clients can get some of the supporting paperwork completed now so their returns can be filed as soon as the Internal Revenue Service starts accepting them. To read the full article in USA Today, click ...

While CPAs and tax attorneys must currently meet professional standards for tax preparation and other services, a recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ruled that the IRS has no authority to force continuing education or similar standards on tax preparers.  The case stems from a 2011 IRS proposal of a system that would have established tax preparer registration and re ...

Plus: Bishop v. Commissioner Rules on When and Whether a Bad Debt Loss Can Be a Claimed Deduction In Schwab v. Commissioner, a case turns on when a variable universal life insurance policy is a taxable event.  In Boone Operations Co., LLC v. Commissioner, find out when contributing fill dirt to the city of Tucson is or isn’t a charitable or taxable event. ...

A Petitioner Relies Reasonably on His CPA in Gaggero v. Commissioner, the Tax Court Finds. That Makes a Difference: Here’s Why. In Gaggero v. Commissioner, Judge Holmes at the U.S. Tax Court disagrees with the IRS’s contention that the plaintiff conducted an improper scheme to avoid capital gains.  In First Street Holdings NV, LLC v. MS Mission Holdings, LLC, Judge Markell at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court finds ...

In Palmerino v. Palmerino, the Massachusetts Court of Appealsconsidered whether a trial court erred in valuing the husband’s grocery store. The trial court’s approach had not included discounts—and went further to state that the income approach is preferable for valuation.  Find out what the court decides!  In Giaimo v. Vitale, the Supreme Court of New York considers the dissolution of a company called EGA ...