Personal Income Tax Planning

This Podcast discusses an issue highlighted in the instructions to Form 1065 and pertains to the side effect that occurs when married taxpayers holding rental property in an LLC or other form eligible to elect Qualified Joint Venture Treatment under "761(f) elect to be treated as a Qualified Joint Venture.  The effect is that the rental income (or loss) is no longer exempted from being treated as self-employment income, but now is treated as such.  We'll discuss why this is the case, as well as the interesting location the IRS chose to give us the details of this impact as well as how to actually make the election under "761(f) for any entity.The materials for the podcast are located at http://www.edzollars.com/2008-02-11_Joint_Venture.pdf . This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast is about the Economic Stimulus Package of 2008. It makes a few, but significant, tax law changes for 2008.  This podcast talks about what Congress did and what we need to do about it.Materials are available at http://www.edzollars.com/2008-02-09_Economic_Stimulus.pdf . This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast focuses on issues involved with LLCs and S corporations.  This topic cuts across what is often covered in partnership discussions (the use of LLCs) and S corporations (where often LLCs are presented as an alternative to, rather than a potential form of, an S corporation).The podcast covers issues that arise when a single member LLC is used to hold S corporation stock, as well as when an LLC elects corporate status and wishes to be taxed under the S corporation rules.The materials are at http://edzollars.com/2008-02-04_S_Corporation.pdf  This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast is about the distinction between a capital and non-capital assets. The issue of what is a capital asset is looked at in the Ninth Circuit's decision in Trantina v. United States, 2008 TNT 7-8. In this case, an insurance agent was arguing that payments received from State Farm should have been taxed to him at capital gain rather than ordinary income rates. Unfortunately, the United States District Court disagreed with the taxpayer, and the Ninth Circuit did so as well.The materials are at available for download at http://www.edzollars.com/2008-01-28_Trantina.pdf This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast concerns Revenue Procedure 2008-12 and final regulations under "7216, both of which deal with taxpayer authorizations for the use or disclosure of tax return information by tax preparers. The regulations contain a number of new requirements that will be imposed on tax preparers, and the Revenue Procedure contains specific language that must be used for taxpayers who are filing the Form 1040 series of forms. These new requirements will take effect on January 1, 2009.The written materials for the podcast can be downloaded from http://www.edzollars.com/2008-01-21_Consents.pdf . . Direct download: 2008-01-21.mp3 This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast concerns the economic substance doctrine. We look at a case where the IRS failed in an attempt to argue that a transaction had no economic substance or otherwise failed under the anti-abuse partnership regulations. The case is Countryside Limited Partnership v. Commissioner, TC Memo 2008-3 where the taxpayers used the partnership distribution rules to allow two partners to have their interests in the partnership liquidated with no tax cost just prior to the partnership selling a significant asset at a gain.The materials are located at http://www.edzollars.com/2008-01-14_Partnership.pdf . This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast examines a case that illustrates the application of Section 108 in a situation with recourse debt.  While this case would likely have been covered by the relief in the Mortgage Foregiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 if the property had been taken in 2007, it's still useful to review since many foreclosures won't qualify for the newly passed relief, but may still meet the insolvency test that worked for the taxpayers in this case.The case is Keith v. Commissioner, TC Summary 2007-214 where the IRS's position did not garner much respect from the Tax Court.  We'll also look at what tax research gotchas may have caused the IRS to raise the positions that Tax Court so rapidly dismissed as just wrong and how to avoid those problems in your own practice.The materials are located at http://www.edzollars.com/2008-01-08_Debt_Forgiveness.pdf This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentat

This PodCast concerns guidance for Preparers of tax returns. The IRS celebrated the end of 2007 by releasing three Notices late on December 31 that provide guidance on the application of the revised preparer penalties contained in the Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act of 2007 that was passed last May.  The IRS had previously released interim relief in Notice 2007-54, but that relief was set to expire as 2007 did.The centerpiece of this guidance is Notice 2008-13, which provides interim guidance on applying the "6694 preparer penalty standards.  The interim rules are not nearly as onerous as many had feared they would be, and need to be incorporated rapidly into our practices as tax season approaches.  Note, as well, that this guidance applies only until the IRS releases revised regulations, something the notice indicates they plan to do during 2008.The materials for this podcast can be downloaded at http://www.edzollars.com/2008-01-01_6694.pdf .  Those materials include the full

This PodCast is about the S Corporation election. Here, we look at a case where a shareholder attempted to argue that, in fact, the S corporation's election had been terminated a decade before due to an agreement with the founding shareholder that, in the taxpayer's view, created a second class of stock.  The case is Minton v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2007-372.  The shareholder is not successful, though she does eventually succeed in unilaterally ending the S status of the corporation.  We'll look at both why the Tax Court didn't go along with her claim that a 1986 agreeement created a second class of stock, and the issues raised by her ability to unilaterally kill off the S election and what that suggests for those of us working with S corporations and/or succession plans.The materials are available at http://www.edzollars.com/2007-12-31_S_Corporation_Class.pdf .. This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, book

.This PodCast is about end of 2007 tax bills. We look at highlights of three of the five bills affecting taxation that Congress passed prior to leaving town, specifically the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2007, Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 and Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2007, all three of which have provisions that should be of interest to many of your clients. The written materials for the podcast can be downloaded from http://www.edzollars.com/2007-12-29_New_Laws.pdf . This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

<P>This PodCast is about the home sale exclusion, Section 121. In a recent Tax Court decision on the home sale exclusion under Section 121, the IRS and the taxpayers split the decision--the IRS lost in its attempt to claim the taxpayer did not use the property in question as his principal residence, but the taxpayer lost a portion of the deduction because a portion of the property was titled in the name of a partnership--and the court did not buy the taxpayer's theories that either the partnership was never formed or that the property had been distributed.&nbsp; The case is <SPAN style="font-style: italic">Farah v. Commissioner</SPAN>, T.C. Memo 2007-369.<BR><BR>The materials for the podcast can be downloaded from <A href="http://www.edzollars.com/2007-12-26_Section_121.pdf">http://www.edzollars.com/2007-12-26_Section_121.pdf</A> .<BR><BR>.</P> This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Pl

This PodCast is about the Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction for S corporation owners. The IRS has issued Notice 2008-1 that details how an S corporation shareholder can qualify for the self-employed health insurance deduction under "162(l) even if the policy is in the name of the shareholder. The notice is at odds with the implication contained in IRS Headliner 163 issued in May of 2006 that seemed to many to strongly suggest that personal ownership of the policy was fatal to the deduction. We had previously discussed why, perhaps, that wasn't the case in a podcast back in June of 2006 that suggested listeners look at Revenue Ruling 61-146 and consider whether a similar program would not solve the problem the Headliner pointed out with individual policies. What the IRS has now done is, effectively, adopted that solution with official blessing. The materials can be downloaded from http://www.edzollars.com/2007-12-26_S_Corporation.pdf. >. This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, I

This PodCast concerns wash sale rules and IRA investments. IRS Revenue Ruling 2008-5 deals with issue of a taxpayer selling securities at a loss in a taxable account and then purchasing identical securities in a regular or Roth IRA.  The issue is one that practitioners have discussed for years, but which the IRS just now is getting around to issuing a formal ruling on. The written materials for the podcast can be downloaded at http://www.edzollars.com/2007-12-21_IRA_Issue.pdf .   This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast is about the things every planner needs to know about him/herself - and the client - and the dynamics between them - during the first - and later data gathering interviews.  Paul Hood points out the striking similarity between the problems and issues a doctor must face when interviewing a patient and the problems and issues a planner must address when interviewing a client.For the paper Paul refers to in his comments, drop Steve Leimberg an e-mail:  steve@leimbergservices.com   Just refer to Paul Hood's Interviewing ACTEC paper. This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast is about changes to Circular 230.  Two days, two revisions:  the IRS on September 25 issued proposed regulations to revise Circular 230 "10.34, and the very next day finalized regulations that also made changes to the same provision (among others).  We take a look at both sets of changes, and their impact on tax practice. The materials can be downloaded from http://www.edzollars.com/2007-09-26_Circular_230.pdf .   This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast is about Code Section 121.  The IRS released a Chief Counsel Advice (CCA 200734021) that dealt with how to interpret the language found in Section 121(d)(5) that, in certain cases, will allow a taxpayer to treat a residence that is destroyed as if it were sold for purposes of ignoring up to $250,000/$500,000 of gain under Section 121(a). The materials for this podcast can be  found at http://www.edzollars.com/2007-09-01_Residence.pdf . This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast concerns income taxation where equitable ownership of a home is involved.  Equitable ownership of a home can make a eligible for a deduction for mortgage interest and taxes -  even when the taxpayer is not the legal owner.  While the taxpayer in the case of Nair v. Commissioner, TC Summary Opinion 2007-116, did not have such ownership, the opinion does outline the requirements a taxpayer would need to demonstrate to have such equitable ownership. Mr. Nair's failed attempt to obtain a casualty loss deduction also offers some insights into the issue of establishing basis for items that are involved in a casualty loss deduction. The materials for the podcast can be downloaded from http://www.edzollars.com/2007-07-15.pdf. This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast concerns Code Section 6662, this time examining both the substantial understatement penalty, as well as the exceptions to this penalty. The material for this week's podcast can be downloaded from http://www.edzollars.com/2007-07-09_Substantial_Understatements.pdf. This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com

This PodCast examines a new set of standards released by the American Institute of CPAs' Consulting Services Executive Committee that will take effect for engagements entered into after January 1, 2008.  The Statement on Standards for Valuation Services No. 1, Valuation of a Business, Business Ownership Interest, Security, or Intangible Asset can have an impact on tax practice where the value of an asset covered by this standard has an impact on a tax issue. CPAs will need to be aware of when this standard may become applicable and the options when that might take place.  Those that work with CPAs in tax practice, include tax attorneys who are working with the client's CPA, need to be aware of this change and the impact of this standard on both what the CPA can do and the cost of having the CPA perform certain functions. The materials for this podcast can be downloaded from http://www.edzollars.com/2007-07-04_SSVS.pdf . This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http:/

This PodCast pertains to both the changes to Circular 230 paragraph 10.35 back in 2005 and the recent revisions to Section 6694. We review the penalties that can be imposed on a taxpayer.  We specifically examine  6662(b)(1)'s negligence and disregard of rules and regulations penalty and will later focus on the substantial understatement provisions of 6662(b)(2). The materials for this podcast can be found at http://www.edzollars.com/2007-06-29_Client_Side_Penalties.pdf . This Podcast is sponsored by Leimberg Information Services, Inc. at http://www.leimbergservices.com Please visit our software, books, and PowerPoint Presentations site at http://www.leimberg.com