Budget Deficit

The federal budget deficit hits slower growth. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that the deficit for the first five months of fiscal year 2022 was $475 billion. That’s lower than for the same period in the two previous fiscal years. Revenues rose by 26% and outlays fell 8%. Individual income and payroll taxes combined […]

Ukraine in the News

Congress seeks to ramp up pressure on Russia for attacks on Ukraine. U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) wants to abolish tax breaks for wealthy Russians supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin. This would be on top of economic sanctions already imposed. Provisions being discussed include denying foreign tax credits and deductions for taxes […]

Defer tax with a like-kind exchange

Do you want to sell commercial or investment real estate that has appreciated significantly? One way to defer a tax bill on the gain is with a Section 1031 “like-kind” exchange where you exchange the property rather than sell it. With real estate prices up in some markets (and higher resulting tax bills), the like-kind […]

Football Stadium subsidies

Is the NFL fleecing taxpayers? Yes, according to three U.S. House Democrats, who recently introduced legislation to eliminate tax-exempt status for bonds used to construct new stadiums. According to a press release, “Since 2000, subsidies for financing professional sports stadiums have cost taxpayers $4.3 billion despite the billions of dollars in profits” reaped by team […]

Bill Signed

On March 11, President Biden signed a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill into law. The headline is that the bill includes $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. But it also keeps the U.S. government funded through September 30, increases defense spending by $42 billion and boosts the IRS’s budget by $12.6 billion or 6%. That […]

Business Tax Climate

From the Tax Foundation: Ranking Individual Income Taxes on the 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index https://bit.ly/3MYG0KG

Split-Dollar ruling

The U.S. Tax Court has issued a taxpayer-favorable ruling on a split-dollar life insurance arrangement. A woman created an estate plan that included a revocable grantor trust and an irrevocable insurance trust that purchased split-dollar life insurance on the lives of her daughter and son-in-law with money she borrowed. The insurance trust gave the woman […]

IRS News

The IRS announced that it aims to hire 10,000 employees over the next few months and deploy a new 700-person “surge” team to help clear its backlog of 24 million tax returns. It also intends to extend high-tech customer support tools throughout its operations. The U.S. Dept. of Treasury added that the agency also is […]

Does your business barter? Here are some facts you should know

In today’s economy, many small businesses are strapped for cash. They may find it beneficial to barter or trade for goods and services instead of paying cash for them. Bartering is the oldest form of trade and the internet has made it easier to engage with other businesses. But if your business gets involved in […]

IRA, is it right for you?

It may not be too late to lower your 2021 tax bill. You may still be able to contribute to an IRA until the due date of your 2021 tax return (April 18 this year). Be sure to designate the contributions for 2021. Generally, eligible taxpayers can contribute up to $6,000 to an IRA for […]