The Scariest Thing This Halloween? A Tax Audit!

🎃 What’s scarier than ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night? An IRS audit! Nobody wants an unexpected letter from the IRS or another taxing authority. A tax audit can be stressful, time-consuming, and costly—particularly when records are incomplete or questions arise about a tax return. While you can’t always prevent an […]

Building Improvements: Can Your Business Deduct the Costs Now?

Some small business owners making building improvements may not have to wait years to deduct all of the costs. A special IRS safe harbor lets qualifying small businesses deduct certain improvement costs immediately instead of depreciating them over several years. To qualify, the business’s average annual gross receipts must be $10 million or less for […]

Jury Duty Pay: Don’t Miss This Tax Deduction

Did you serve on jury duty this year? You may qualify for a federal income tax deduction. If your employer continued paying you while you served and required you to turn over the jury duty pay you received from the court, you generally can deduct the amount you remitted to your employer. This deduction is […]

Educators may be able to claim 2 deductions for 2026 classroom expenses

Teachers and other educators often spend their own money on books, supplies, equipment and other classroom needs. For 2026, eligible educators may have two ways to deduct qualifying unreimbursed expenses. One deduction is available whether or not they itemize, and a new deduction under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is available to itemizers. […]

You May Receive an Adoption Tax Credit Refund Without Amending Your Return

If you’re one of the more than 50,000 taxpayers who claimed a prior-year carryforward of the adoption tax credit, you may receive a refund by the end of 2026. For tax year 2025, adoption tax credit carryforwards from tax years 2020 through 2024 can increase the refundable amount of the credit (limited to $5,000 per […]

IRS Finalizes Rules for Credit and Debit Card Tax Payments

The IRS has finalized regulations allowing it to accept credit and debit card tax payments directly. Previously, it was prohibited from paying fees under third-party processor contracts and taxpayers were directed to a separate site to make card payments. Taxpayers paid processing fees directly to the third-party processor. Now, the IRS may contract with processors […]

When an employee’s Form W-4 raises red flags

Your employees use Form W-4, “Employee’s Withholding Certificate,” to tell you how much federal income tax to withhold from their pay. Most forms are routine, but an altered certificate, unusual accompanying statement or IRS lock-in letter may require special handling. Knowing how to respond can help your business meet its withholding obligations without becoming involved […]

Adding Your Child to Your Home’s Title? Know the Tax Risks

Adding an adult child to the title of your home or other assets may seem like a way to simplify your estate plan. But joint ownership can create unexpected tax consequences. For example, adding your child as a joint tenant with right of survivorship may trigger gift tax reporting requirements and even gift tax liability. […]

Dyed Diesel Fuel Tax Relief: What Businesses Need to Know

The IRS has announced temporary nationwide tax penalty relief for the highway use of dyed diesel fuel. It’s retroactive to Oct. 1, 2026, and applies through Dec. 31, 2026. Dyed diesel fuel, normally used for heavy construction and farming equipment, generally triggers federal excise tax and penalties when used on public roads. During the relief […]

Sometimes how much is in tax-deferred retirement accounts may be too much

Contributing as much as possible to tax-deferred retirement accounts such as traditional 401(k)s and IRAs is a common recommendation. Contributions generally are pretax or deductible, and the power of tax-deferred compounding can help turbocharge growth. But some taxpayers can reach a point where maximizing tax deferral may become counterproductive. Potential downsides of tax-deferred saving After […]