Articles & Videos
Established Small Businesses Need to Have a Succession Plan
Established Small Businesses Need to Have a Succession Plan There are millions of companies in the United States, both big and small, and every size in between. Many of these businesses – somewhere in the neighborhood of about four million – are owned by baby boomers. Baby boomers have been an integral part of our…
Player Salaries Could Be Huge Tax Break for New NBA Owner
Player Salaries Could Be Huge Tax Break for New NBA Owner The ultra-wealthy have a lot of options when it comes to spending their money. Lavish houses, huge properties, remote islands, expensive yachts and exotic cars are just a few of their choices. Of course, like most anyone, the extremely wealthy are always looking to…
§1031 Exchanges Combined with Seller Carryback Notes
§1031 Exchanges Combined with Seller Carryback Notes By Steve Chacon Occasionally sellers are approached with the request they carry back an installment note to finance the purchase. Not a bad idea from a “big picture” perspective, as seller financing has been effective in environments where credit is a concern and interest rates are rising. But…
Venture Capital Alternative for Technology Entrepreneurs
If you are an entrepreneur with a small technology based company looking to take it to the next level, this article suggests an alternative that may be of particular interest to you. Your natural inclination may be to seek venture capital or private equity to fund your growth. According to Jim Casparie, founder and CEO…
Startup Fundraising – Do You Know Who You Are Talking To?
Startup Fundraising – Do You Know Who You Are Talking To? Venture capital, private equity, mezzanine debt, venture debt, angel money, investment bank? What’s the difference and who are the players? Many people start looking for funding and become involved with investment bankers or business brokers without really understanding what they are looking for or…
Republican Lawmaker Pushing Real Tax Reform
Republican Lawmaker Pushing Real Tax Reform By Kent Livingston Will our country ever see true tax reform? While politicians continue to battle over who should pay what and who is getting away with highway robbery, none of them seem to be able to come up with a better plan to actually fix our country’s broken…
Six Facts About the American Opportunity Tax Credit
Six Facts About the American Opportunity Tax Credit Many parents and college students will be able to offset the cost of college over the next two years under the new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This tax credit is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Here are six important facts the IRS…
Tax Strategies for the Wealthy: Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
Tax Strategies for the Wealthy: Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) Wealth management is an important issue for those with substantial assets to protect. Many people incorrectly assume that their estates will escape federal estate tax as a result of underestimating what their principal residence will be worth when they die. Often, our homes are our…
Making Your Medical Deductions Count
Making Your Medical Deductions Count April 15th is almost here and if you are owing tax it may pay to take a second look at that return to see if you claimed all medical deductions you are entitled to. Your diligence in keeping track of expenses will pay off. IRS Publication 502 has a complete listing…
GROCO Warns of Common Tax Filing Mistakes
GROCO Warns of Common Tax Filing Mistakes Tax return anxiety is on the rise as the federal tax filing date looms. The prospect of filing an erroneous return increases as more rely on tax software to help prepare their returns. For the week ending March 28, more than 10,000 electronic returns were filed from home…
Loss on Sale of 1244 Stock
Have you considered a loss on sale of 1244 stock as a tax strategy? Ordinarily, a loss on a sale or exchange of stock is a capital loss. Capital loss treatment is generally less advantageous than ordinary deduction treatment because of the fact that a capital loss recognized by an individual is applied, first against…
Section 213 Medical, Dental, etc., Expenses
Section 213 Medical, Dental, etc., Expenses (a) Allowance of deduction There shall be allowed as a deduction the expenses paid during the taxable year, not compensated for by insurance or otherwise, for medical care of the taxpayer, his spouse, or a dependent, to the extent that such expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income.…
Prevent an IRS Audit, 10 Strategies
Prevent an IRS Audit, 10 Strategies Do you like to prevent an IRS audit, well, here are 10 strategies that might help avoid an agent making a visit to your home or office. I don’t know many people who like these experiences, but knowing strategies to prevent an unwanted visit could certainly save you from…
When to Exercise Your Stock Options
When to Exercise Your Stock Options “Deciding when to exercise your option can be a complex decision. Therefore, it is important to know the rules before you decide to cash in your options.” Know the Rules Employee stock options can provide you with a substantial source of deferred income and permit you to control the…
Accounting Joke Videos
Accounting Joke Videos Insanity So, you’re saying it’s ok. Insanity, is a side-effect of tax law. Accounting Classes I tried taking a course on ethics for my CPE credits, but everything contradicted what I learned in my accounting classes. Feelings So, you’re saying that I should own my feelings… but my accountant said that it…
Series LLC: Simplify Your Legal Entity Structure
Series LLC: Simplify Your Legal Entity Structure By Ron Cohen, CPA, MST Partner Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP Many businesses are being set up as a Series LLC where multiple projects are involved. Rather than setting up an entirely new Limited Liability Company (LLC) for each project, a Series LLC can be formed, with…
Transferring the Family Home to Your Children
Transferring the Family Home to Your Children An estate and tax planning specialist mentioned to us recently that one of the most common arguments among siblings is over the fate of the family home after the death of a parent. For both sentimental as well as financial reasons, the transfer of a residence can be…
Best Accounting Jokes
Best Accounting Jokes One-liners Definitions of Accountants Newton’s Laws of Accounting Top 10 Signs Your Accountant is Nuts Top 10 Signs You’ve Hired a Bad Accountant Top 10 Pick-Up Lines of Accountants Top 10 Ways To Make Doing Your Taxes More Fun Top 10 Signs You Work in Public Accounting/Consulting You Might Be An Accountant…
70% Qualify for Free 1040 Software
70% Qualify for Free 1040 Software People with an income up to almost $50,000 will get free access to tax return preparation software, the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday. That means 70 percent of taxpayers can prepare their taxes for free using software available through the IRS Web site — www.irs.gov Still, that is fewer…
Wealthy Should Prepare for Audits by Keeping Organized Records
Wealthy Should Prepare for Audits by Keeping Organized Records Expensive art collections, investment hobbies and offshore bank accounts may raise red flags when it comes to IRS audits. In 2011, the Internal Revenue Service audited 29.93% of taxpayers who reported more than $10 million of annual income [1]. This percentage increased by 18.38% from 2010.…