Tax “Saving” Arguments that Never Work

The IRS was nice enough to compile a list of arguments that will never work.  They are considered “frivolous”.  The courts tend to agree and both tend to look at these strategies as willful attempts to evade or defeat taxes, often leading to increased...

Are Gifts of Cash to your Kids Taxable?

This time of year, we often get questions on the tax consequences of cash gifts to kids. We can illustrate how this works with a very simple example.  Let’s say Bob is a single parent and wants to give his son $20,000 for Christmas this year. Bob is the one...

Filing Taxes After the Death of your Parent

We are sorry for any loss you have had.  Having gone through the loss of parents recently, we understand what you are experiencing.  This will seem hard but hopefully this overview will get you through the process. When any taxpayer dies, a final tax return should be...

How The Tax System Works

Even Einstein didn’t understand how taxes work.  He is famously quoted as saying “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax”. So, in a nutshell, here is how it all works… Add taxable income from all sources to figure total...