Feature Article

The first in a series on using tax planning to guarantee satisfied clients and grow your business By Beth Logan, EA People think of tax season as running January through April. But most people make their biggest tax mistakes from May through December. There are two reasons for this. First, they aren’t thinking about taxes. Second, there are more days in which to err. This is my tax mantra. If you tell clients this, they ... Beth Logan, EA

Capitol Corner

With tax reform being one of the hottest topics in the new 115th Congress and with the new presidential administration, NAEA was thrilled to have a seat at the table by hosting NAEA’s ninth annual Fly-in in Washington, DC, on May 17. Nearly 90 enrolled agents traveled far and wide to attend the most important advocacy event of the year, when EAs from 33 states made it to Capitol Hill to meet with their elected representatives and thei... Justin Edwards

Feature Article

In the “Capitol Corner” column of the January/February 2017 EA Journal, Robert Kerr acknowledged that enrolled agents “did not become enrolled agents because of a deep and abiding passion for information technology, firewall construction, and/or secure remote access.” Kerr, however, added a warning to tax practitioners not to delude themselves: “The bad guys are out there, and they are after information that modestly sized practices h... Marshall J. Heap EA

Feature Article

Did you know the IRS requires its agents to perform a minimum income probe on every audit? And did you know that a minimum income probe can result in the IRS agent using indirect methods of proving income? If you have a client who is being audited—and even if you don’t—it is to your advantage to learn everything you can about indirect methods of proving income. Minimum income probes are discussed as part of the examination process governed... Jo-Ann Weiner, EA

Tax Court

Yvonne A. Williams, Petitioner v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Respondent T.C. Memo. 2017-10 Filed January 10, 2017 IRC Sec. 6511 provides that a taxpayer may file a claim for refund within three years from the time the return was filed or within two years from the time the tax was paid, whichever is later. IRC Sec. 6402 provides that in the case of an overpayment, the com... Steven R. Diamond, CPA