March / April
Showing 113–128 of 616 results
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Tax Tips
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 451
Abstract: These brief tips detail the reasons why it’s wise for businesses to revisit their sales tax obligations; explain the benefits of forgiving intrafamily loans; and detail why it’s important to carefully structure transactions between related businesses.
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How to avoid tax scams
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 556
Abstract: When there’s money involved, scam artists seem to come out of the woodwork, and tax season is no exception. Fortunately, by becoming familiar with common tax scams and understanding what the IRS will and will not do, it’s easy to avoid them. This article explores several tax scams and explains what taxpayers can do if they feel they’ve been the target of a scam.
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Do you own a closely held family business? Sec. 6166 may help ease the sting of estate taxes
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 608
Abstract: Assets such as an illiquid closely held business can pose unique estate planning challenges. Indeed, even with the gift and estate exemption amount at an inflation-adjusted $11.58 million for 2020, these taxes can continue to be burdensome if a family has a significant amount of wealth tied to a family business. This article explains how Internal Revenue Code Section 6166 can provide some tax relief.
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The proper care and feeding of your S corporation – Diligence required to avoid inadvertent termination and loss of tax benefits
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 900
Abstract: The S corporation continues to be a popular entity choice, combining the liability protection of a corporation with many of the tax benefits of a partnership. But these benefits come at a price: S corporations must comply with strict requirements that limit the number and type of shareholders, prohibit complex capital structures, and impose other restrictions. This article explains the requirements and advantages of an S corporation status and what needs to be done to avoid S corporation termination. A sidebar details IRS guidance on relief from an S corporation being inadvertently terminated.
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Are you ready for the workplace of the future?
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Real Estate Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 435
Abstract: The way people work has evolved in dramatic ways over the past decade, and Millennials — who now represent the largest segment of the workforce — are driving even more change. Savvy investors, developers and owners are taking these shifts into account when conceiving, designing and developing projects. This article looks at why sticking with the old way of doing things comes with a significant risk of ending up with unmarketable properties that don’t appeal to employers.
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Why gross-up provisions are a smart bet
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Real Estate Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 669
Abstract: Both commercial landlords and their tenants are always on the lookout for ways to save money and limit their financial exposure. Gross-up provisions ensure that tenants pay their share of operating expenses regardless of the property’s occupancy rate. Plus, they also protect tenants from unexpected cost increases, and provide landlords with an increased income to cover expenses when occupancy is low. This article discusses how both landlords and tenants benefit from these provisions.
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The importance of profit motive – U.S. Tax Court rules renovation activities weren’t a business
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Real Estate Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 640
Abstract: Individuals with real estate businesses understandably expect to deduct their business-related expenses. But those deductions might not be a slam dunk. Some married taxpayers recently learned that the hard way when their business deductions landed in the U.S. Tax Court. This article reviews the court’s valuable overview of how they and the IRS determine if expenses qualify as deductible business-related expenses — specifically, the factors they consider when assessing whether an activity was engaged in for profit. Sarkin v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2019-131
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Pine Mountain Preserve v. Commissioner – Charitable deductions for easements don’t pass muster
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Real Estate Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 765
Abstract: The donation of a conservation easement is a long-standing way for property owners to help satisfy their philanthropic urges while securing a valuable tax deduction. Those deductions, though, may be under threat after a recent ruling from the U.S. Tax Court. Conservation easements often reserve to the property donors future rights to construct structures and additions to those structures, such as single-family homes with sheds, garages or pools. Such easements usually don’t specify the precise location of that construction. This article reviews the new ruling, under which this common practice disqualified the donor from claiming a charitable contribution deduction for the easement. A short sidebar covers how the court valued the easement. Pine Mountain Preserve v. Comm’r, 151 T.C. No. 14 (2018); Pine Mountain Preserve v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2018-214 (2018)
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Estate Planning Red Flag – Your spouse failed to designate you as beneficiary of his or her IRA
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 300
Abstract: One advantage of inheriting an IRA from a spouse is that the other spouse is entitled to transfer the funds to a “spousal rollover IRA.” But what happens if the original IRA owner mistakenly named a trust as beneficiary of his or her IRA, or failed to name a beneficiary at all? This brief article details IRS guidance, in the form of a private letter ruling, related to this specific circumstance.
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Wealth preservation and estate planning go hand-in-hand
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 614
Abstract: A central tenet of any estate plan is the protection of your assets. Asset protection strategies can range from simple to quite sophisticated. This article explores several asset protection strategies, with the main takeaway being that it’s best to begin planning earlier rather than later.
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E-wills: Are they ready for prime time?
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 684
Abstract: Today, most people communicate, shop, bank and even sign documents online. But one area that hasn’t yet embraced the digital revolution is estate planning. Most people continue to execute wills and related documents with paper and ink at a lawyer’s office in the presence of witnesses and a notary public. This is beginning to change, though. One example is electronic wills. This article details the Uniform Electronic Wills Act.
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Creating an education legacy
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 911
Abstract: For many people, an important goal of estate planning is to leave a legacy for their children, grandchildren and future generations. And what better way to do that than to help provide for their educational needs? One way to do so is to establish a family education trust that invests in one or more 529 plans. This article details that strategy. A sidebar explains what happens when there are unused funds in a 529 plan.
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LEED isn’t the only green-building game in town
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Contractor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 440
Abstract: Mention “green building” and most contractors think of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. LEED may be the front-runner in green building rating systems, but it’s not the only game in town. This brief article runs down alternatives that construction companies may encounter when working with project owners.
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Industry trends: Megaprojects are on the rise
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Contractor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 534
Abstract: They’re big, and they’re big business. Megaprojects, large-scale and often high-profile construction projects that cost $1 billion or more, are taking the industry by storm. This article provides some stunning statistics on the trend and suggests questions a contractor should ask before submitting a bid.
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Reviewing the finer points of the Section 199A tax deduction
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Contractor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 666
Abstract: It’s been over a year since the IRS issued final regulations regarding Internal Revenue Code Section 199A. This Code Section created a tax deduction enabling owners of sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations to write off up to 20% of their qualified business income. This article reviews the limits and construction specifics of the tax break.
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A surgical approach – Sharpen your project accounting with activity-based costing
March / April 2020
Newsletter: Contractor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 934
Abstract: Activity-based costing is an accounting methodology that identifies activities and assigns a “cost driver” to each one based on resources consumed. This article explains how this approach can be applied to various jobsite activities. A sidebar points out that, once proper formulas are established, cost-driver calculations can often be applied for a long time.