By Sidney Kess The CPA Journal April 2020 The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not only upended the economy; it has also been the catalyst for several tax changes. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), which was signed into law on March 18, 2020, creates new paid leave payments for
By Sidney Kess and Julie Welch The CPA Journal April 2020 The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2019, as part of funding legislation for the federal government, has many provisions relating to financial planning, especially retirement planning with
By Sidney Kess and Julie Welch The CPA Journal April 2020 The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act has many provisions relating to financial planning, especially retirement planning with IRAs and employer-sponsored plans. Among the provisions attracting the most attention is the curtailing of “stretched” inherited retirement assets.
By Sidney Kess and Julie Welch The CPA Journal February 2020 With stocks at or near record levels, prudent financial planning might call for taking defensive measures. One strategy could be to focus on dividend-paying stocks. Companies that make enough money to distribute some to shareholders tend to be financially strong,
By Usman Mohammad The CPA Journal February 2020 Edition Foreign asset reporting—including the reporting of foreign retirement plans—is a high priority for the IRS, which in 2019 listed the “failure to report offshore funds” as one of its “Dirty Dozen Tax Scams,” and has done so for several years running. Individuals
By Sidney Kess The CPA Journal January 2020 To fund the government through the end of its 2020 fiscal year and provide funding for various projects and purposes, Congress passed a massive spending measure just before adjourning for the Christmas holiday; this measure was signed into law on December 20, 2019.
By Sidney Kess The CPA Journal October 2019 Making Social Security decisions is relatively simple for seniors filing single tax returns. Assuming modest or no earned income, retirement benefits can begin as early as age 62. By age 70, however, the waiting game must stop; seniors who begin then receive the maximum
By Sidney Kess, James R. Grimaldi, and James A.J. Revels The CPA Journal October 2019 The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) made dramatic changes to the rules for individuals that affect tax planning at all stages of life. These changes require financial planners to reorient their thinking about
By Sidney Kess and James R. Grimaldi The CPA Journal August 2019 At first glance, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) had little direct impact on the tax treatment of charitable giving. Drilling down, however, it has significantly affected donation-related tax benefits. Many individuals might not be
By Sidney Kess and Edward Mendlowitz The CPA Journal August 2019 Financial planning services can be a separate service or an add-on to tax or other services. With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s (TCJA) simplification of tax returns for many individuals, the CPA’s role as a preparer is being diminished;
