470 tagged with "Tax Planning"
Strategic tax planning to minimize liability and maximize savings
The $2 Million Mistake: Why Gifting Appreciated Stock to Your Kids Can Be Worse Than Doing Nothing
A practical guide to Section 1015 carryover basis versus Section 1014 stepped-up basis, the dual basis trap for depreciated assets, and the 2026 decision framework for whether to gift appreciated property now or hold until death under the permanent $15 million exemption.
Section 1256 Contracts and the 60/40 Tax Rule: A Trader's Guide to Form 6781
Section 1256 splits gains on futures, broad-based index options, and qualifying forex 60% long-term and 40% short-term, capping the top federal rate near 26.8% versus 37% on equity options. A 2026 guide to Form 6781, the mark-to-market rule, and the three-year loss carryback.
Section 165(i) Disaster Loss Election: How Homeowners and Small Businesses Pull Casualty Refunds Forward One Year
Section 165(i) lets disaster-affected taxpayers deduct a current-year casualty loss on the prior year's return, turning an 8-to-16-week refund into rebuild cash. A practical guide to Form 4684, the six-month election deadline, the 2026 OBBBA changes, and the recordkeeping that holds up under IRS audit.
Section 165(i) Disaster Loss Election: Pulling Casualty Losses Into the Prior Year for a Faster Refund
How Section 165(i) lets taxpayers in federally declared disaster areas deduct casualty losses on the prior year's return via Form 4684 and Form 1040-X — election mechanics, the six-month deadline, safe-harbor valuations, and when the prior-year election actually beats waiting.
Section 199A QBI Aggregation Election Under Reg 1.199A-4: How Pass-Through Owners Combine Commonly Controlled Trades or Businesses to Beat the W-2 Wage and UBIA Limits
The Section 199A aggregation election under Reg 1.199A-4 lets pass-through owners combine commonly controlled trades or businesses before applying the W-2 wage and UBIA of qualified property limitation. This guide walks through the five eligibility tests, the Form 8995-A Schedule B disclosure, the irrevocable consistency rule, and when pooling QBI across an operating-and-leasing or multi-entity structure actually unlocks more deduction.
Section 274(n) and 274(o) in 2026: The 50% Business Meal Rule, the New Office-Snacks Cliff, and Audit-Proof Documentation
The OBBBA's new Section 274(o) eliminates the deduction for employer-provided office meals starting January 1, 2026, while Section 274(n)'s 50% rule still covers client and travel meals. Here is the full 50%/100%/0% map, the documentation auditors expect, and the four-account bookkeeping setup that keeps year-end clean.
The $7,500 EV Tax Credit Is Gone: What 2026 Car Buyers Need to Know About Section 30D's Sudden Sunset
The federal $7,500 clean vehicle credit ended September 30, 2025 under the OBBBA—seven years early. Section 30D's binding contract exception, dealer transfer recapture risk, Form 8936 filing for 2025 acquirers, state replacement programs, and what 2026 EV buyers should expect.
Section 30D Clean Vehicle Credit Sunset: What 2026 EV Buyers Lost and Who Can Still Claim the $7,500
The Section 30D EV tax credit ended September 30, 2025, seven years early under OBBBA. Buyers with a written binding contract and nominal payment before that date can still claim up to $7,500 on a 2026 delivery. This guide covers the acquisition rule, Form 8936 filing, point-of-sale transfer recapture risk, and what survives for used (25E), commercial (45W), and charging-infrastructure (30C) credits.
Section 355 Tax-Free Corporate Spinoffs: How to Split Up a Business Without Triggering a Single Dollar of Federal Tax
A breakdown of Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code — the four statutory tests, three judicial doctrines, and the anti-Morris Trust two-year trap — illustrated with the GE, 3M Solventum, and Kellanova spinoffs.
Section 382 NOL Limitation After Ownership Change: How Venture-Backed Startups Preserve Net Operating Loss Carryforwards Through Equity Rounds
Section 382 caps a startup's pre-ownership-change net operating loss deductions at the pre-change fair market value multiplied by the long-term tax-exempt rate (about 3.56 percent in February 2026), triggered when 5 percent shareholders collectively gain more than 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year testing period.
Section 457(b) and 457(f) Deferred Compensation Plans: How Nonprofit, Government, and School Employees Stack Pre-Tax Savings on Top of a 403(b) or 401(k)
A detailed 2026 guide to Section 457(b) and 457(f) deferred compensation plans — how public-sector and nonprofit employees can stack a 457(b) on top of a 403(b) or 401(k) for up to $65,000 in deferrals, when the special three-year catch-up reaches $49,000, and how 457(f) vesting can trigger a tax bomb under Section 409A.
Section 457(b) and 457(f) Deferred Compensation Plans: Stacking Pre-Tax Savings on a 403(b) or 401(k)
A 2026 guide to Section 457(b) and 457(f) plans — how public-sector and nonprofit employees can defer up to $49,000 pre-tax by stacking a 457(b) on a 403(b), and how nonprofit executives use 457(f) without triggering the substantial-risk-of-forfeiture tax trap.