Author Archives: Nick Spoltore, Esq.

The Taxpayer First Act of 2019 was signed into law on July 1, 2019. The Act contains numerous provisions largely dealing with customer service to taxpayers and IRS organization. As such, there is little for professionals to digest in terms of substantive planning or practice. Two points, though, are noteworthy. The Act established the IRS […]

To the Baby Boomers and Generation Xers who currently comprise the majority of the workforce, the Millennials among us can be a challenge to understand. They seemingly have different needs and different career priorities than the generations that have come before. Many employers simply think that Millennials will need to adjust their thinking and work […]

IRS issued final regs (T.D. 9864) reiterating if a taxpayer receives or expects to receive a state or local tax deduction exceeding the amount of the payment or fair market value of the property, the federal charitable contribution deduction faces mandatory reduction. The final regs largely mirror the proposed regs of August 2018 with little […]

Updated October 15, 2019 Now that the extended deadlines have passed for 2018 returns, we can take a moment to reflect on the lessons learned throughout a challenging year. Below we’ve put together five major take-aways we have come across to aid in planning for the 2019 tax year and beyond. To this end, please […]

A Horse Named Tax Of the three Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby is the most well-known, highest attended, and highest grossing. It’s the most exciting two minutes in sports. And if you’re an accountant this year’s race will leave you beside yourself with excitement. Why you ask? Because there is a horse racing in […]

  Top Trends in Continuing Professional Education for 2019   Continuing professional education is a necessity for individuals who have either a credential and/or certification to maintain their ability to practice. Accounting professions, beyond certified public accountants, all have respective hours of CPE credits they must fulfill to maintain their ability to practice. Whether their […]

Section 199A Deduction: 2019 Tax Year Implications for Real Estate, Service Businesses and Partnerships The Section 199A deduction was rolled out in December 2017 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Almost as soon as it was introduced, it was met with claims that it was convoluted and needed significant clarification. In response […]

As you probably are aware, final regulations were issued January 18, 2019 implementing the new Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction of §199A. In response to arguably the most requested clarification from tax professionals, Notice 2019-07 separately issued a proposed revenue procedure containing a safe harbor under which a rental real estate enterprise will be treated […]

The rollout of the Section 199A deduction has been cause for celebration for many businesses and business owners, but the calculation of the deduction isn’t easy, especially if taxable income is between the deduction threshold amounts. As a CPA or tax preparer, you need to be ready to help calculate the Sec 199A deduction for […]

IRS announced the 2019 COLA adjustments to retirement plan limits on November 1, 2018 in Notice 2018-83. Elective deferrals for 401(k), 403(b), etc. plans rise from $18,500 to $19,000, plus $6,000 for those age 50 or older. The limit on defined contribution accounts increases from $55,000 to $56,000. The definition of a key employee in […]