Identity theft continues to be a serious issue for individuals and businesses. According to Javelin Research's 2016 Identity Theft Study, $15 billion was stolen from…
(http://bit.ly/2yMsBi1), individuals gave $281.86 billion in 2016, nearly 4% more than the prior year. How do high-income taxpayers—defined here as income of $200,000 or more—fit…
Windfalls can come from good fortune, such as winning the lottery—or bad fortune, such as a legal settlement for medical malpractice. Whatever the cause, the…
Most people have risk management needs that go beyond life and health insurance. For familiar coverage, they may be price-conscious, looking for the least expensive…
For most students, the price of higher education is steep and getting steeper. Annual increases in the cost of higher education have consistently outpaced the…
Birthdays can be important milestones for legal, financial, and tax purposes. For tax purposes, some rules apply on the date of a birthday, some apply…
With the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, the editors of The CPA Journal thought it appropriate to re-present this article from December 2016…
As the unemployment rate continues to drop and some visa programs are put on hold, an increasing number of younger people may find it easier…
Starting a Business from Home
Legal, Tax, and Financial Concerns
It is easy for just about anyone to start a business from home. Whether people have left an office job because of downsizing or retirement,…
When individuals think about Social Security, they most likely focus on present or future retirement benefits. Millions of people, however, receive benefits from two other…
The high costs of long-term care affect an increasing number of individuals and their families. According to Genworth's 2016 Cost of Care Survey (http://bit.ly/2ngymTT), the…
In Brief With the Baby Boom generation facing retirement, America may soon witness the largest wealth transfer from one generation to another in its history.…
According to the Federal Reserve (https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/current/), there was nearly $1.4 trillion in student loan debt outstanding in September 2016. About 60% of all college graduates…
More than two dozen states have filial responsibility laws requiring children to provide necessities to parents who are unable to provide such necessities for themselves.…
TFA | Identity Theft
Tax and Financial Considerations
Identity theft continues to be a serious issue for individuals and businesses. According to Javelin Research's 2016 Identity Theft Study, $15 billion was stolen from…
Gift Tax Returns & IRS Examination
Challenges and Pitfalls for Practitioners
At the 2016 IRS Representation Conference, one panel covered gift tax returns and the dangers they pose to unwary CPAs and taxpayers. Using a sample…
Disasters result from natural causes, such as storms, floods, fires, and earthquakes, and from human activity, such as riots and terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, disasters have…
When a spouse dies, the surviving spouse often goes through a period of emotional upheaval. Nevertheless, the other proverbial certainty—taxes—remains. Missteps can be costly and…
Census data shows that approximately 12% of all couples living together are unmarried, up from barely 1% 50 years ago. Unmarried couples can be of…
In Brief Buying or selling a home is one of the most significant financial transactions many individuals engage in. The authors examine the various ways…
Tax and Financial Retirement Strategies
2016 Max Block Award Honorable Mention in the Area of In Focus/Feature
In Brief With the Baby Boom generation facing retirement, America may soon witness the largest wealth transfer from one generation to another in its history.…
For most students, the price of higher education is steep and getting steeper. Annual increases in the cost of higher education have consistently outpaced the…
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST). Section 32101 of FAST adds section 7345 to the Internal Revenue…
Despite the best of intentions when couples say, “I do,” more than a few will find themselves eventually saying, “I don't.” Aside from the emotional…
More than 2.1 million couples get married in the U.S. each year (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/marriage_divorce_tables.htm). Few probably give any thought to the tax implications of their union.…