Strategic Tax Articles
Welcome to the Philadelphia CPA insights blog, brought to you by Mark S. Fineberg CPA. Every time a new tax ruling, pronouncement, or tax change occurs, stop by this blog to learn more. Here you can find and explore the most advanced legal, ethical, and moral tax saving strategies allowed by the U.S. Tax Code. Enjoy.
Recent Insights
This May Be The Best Way to Structure Payments to Your Children!
Here’s an often-overlooked tax strategy that can generate substantial family tax savings when handled correctly. If you pay a family member (or even a non-relative) for a one-time project, the tax treatment can be highly favorable—but only if you follow the proper reporting rules. For ... (continued)
Here's a Potential $21,000 Deduction You Probably are NOT Aware of!
Here’s a valuable tax strategy, commonly known as the Augusta rule, that can help you generate tax-free income while claiming a legitimate business deduction. If you own a business structured as an S corporation, a C corporation, or a partnership, you may rent your personal ... (continued)
Ways to Change Charitable Donations Into Business Expenses!
Recent tax law changes make it more challenging to receive meaningful tax benefits from charitable giving. Under the current 2026 rules, higher standard deductions and new limitations mean many taxpayers receive little or no benefit from itemizing charitable contributions. Additionally, personal donations are made ... (continued)
Affordable Healthcare Marketplace Alert!
If you purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace and receive premium tax credits, a major rule change begins in 2026—and it could create a painful surprise. Under prior rules, if your income came in higher than expected, the amount of excess ... (continued)
Goodwill Deductions--Beware of This Trap!!
If you donate clothing or household goods to charity, there’s an IRS trap you need to know about. In a recent Tax Court case, a taxpayer lost a $6,760 charitable deduction—not because the donations were improper, but because his documentation failed to meet strict technical ... (continued)
Employer Child Care Credit enhanced!
Beginning in 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act increases the employer childcare credit for small businesses to 50 percent of qualified expenses, up to $600,000 per year. Even one-owner businesses can benefit—and the savings are substantial. If you operate as a sole proprietor, you ... (continued)
Beware of Transactions with Family Members
Family relationships and overlapping ownership can quietly sabotage well-intentioned tax planning. Internal Revenue Code Section 267 often causes the damage. This rule does not announce itself with penalties or warnings. Instead, it erases deductions, disallows losses, and delays expenses after the transaction feels complete. Section ... (continued)
Employer Tax Credits for Providing Child Care-YES!
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) dramatically expanded the employer childcare credit starting in 2026, turning a modest tax break into a significant planning opportunity for many businesses. The employer childcare credit allows businesses to claim a general business tax credit for qualified childcare ... (continued)
Married Couples Owning Real Estate in LLC-Must Read!
Many married couples form an LLC to own rental property to obtain liability protection. After they create the LLC, they often ask an important tax question: Does the LLC force them to file a partnership return? The answer depends largely on where they live ... (continued)
USPS has Changed Postmark Date--Be Aware!
For decades, taxpayers trusted a simple rule: if you mailed a tax return or payment by the deadline, the IRS treated it as timely filed. Recent U.S. Postal Service (USPS) practices have changed that reality and created a serious trap for anyone who relies ... (continued)
More on the Taxability of Tip Income
Congress created a valuable new tax break for tipped workers under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The No Tax on Tips deduction applies retroactively beginning January 1, 2025, and the IRS has designated 2025 as a transition year. As a result, the deduction ... (continued)
S Corporation Strategy the Does NOT Work
We continue to see aggressive advice circulating about routing personal commissions through an S corporation to reduce self-employment tax. This strategy sounds attractive, but it fails under long-standing tax law and creates significant audit risk. Consider a common setup: An individual earns commissions under contracts ... (continued)
Work Clothing Rules for Tax Deductibility
Taxpayers often assume that clothing purchased for work qualifies as a tax deduction. The tax law takes a much narrower view. As a rule, the IRS does not allow a deduction for work clothing if it serves as everyday streetwear. This rule applies even ... (continued)
1031 Exchange for Serious Real Estate Investors
Serious real estate investors rely on the Section 1031 exchange because it allows them to grow wealth faster while legally deferring federal income taxes. When you sell rental property without using a 1031 exchange, capital gains tax and depreciation recapture immediately reduce the cash ... (continued)
IRS Section 318 Attribution Rules Can Create Problems
Many taxpayers assume that tax law looks only at the stock they actually own. Section 318 proves that assumption wrong. The Section 318 attribution rules can treat you as owning business interests you never purchased, simply because of family relationships, entity ownership, or even ... (continued)
The Importance of an Accountable Plan For Auto Reimbursements
If you receive mileage reimbursements from your employer or your corporation, you may face an unexpected tax result when you sell or trade your vehicle. Many employees assume that mileage reimbursements end the tax story. That assumption often leads taxpayers to miss a valuable ... (continued)
More on Home Office
Many taxpayers panic when they hear the term “depreciation recapture” and decide to skip depreciation on a home office to avoid future tax. That strategy usually backfires. The tax law creates unexpected consequences when you claim zero depreciation, and those consequences often cost more ... (continued)
IRS Doing Away with Paper Check Refunds
Your tax refund will no longer arrive by paper check. The IRS recently announced that it will stop issuing refund checks, with limited exceptions, and will require taxpayers to receive refunds electronically. Why the Change? Paper checks cost more, create security risks, and take much longer ... (continued)
Filing Gift Tax Returns May Be Beneficial
The givers of gifts (donors), not the recipients (donees), file gift tax returns. If you give money or property, you may be legally required to file a gift tax return with the IRS—even if you owe no gift tax. In fact, most people who ... (continued)
Crypto Tax Reporting is Here- Must Read
After four years of work, the IRS has finalized its cryptocurrency regulations, and crypto tax reporting now begins. Starting with the 2025 tax year, custodial crypto platforms must report taxable crypto transactions directly to the IRS. “Digital asset brokers” must handle this reporting when they ... (continued)