Monthly Archives: October 2017

The Shortest Tax Court Opinion I’ve Seen

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Russ

I’ve seen opinions of the Tax Court run to hundreds of pages on complex cases. Today, I perused what might be the shortest Tax Court decision I’ve ever seen. The petitioner erroneously filed as “Head of Household” when she should … Continue reading →

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IRS E-Filing for Individuals Closes on November 18th

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Russ

The IRS announced today that e-filing for 2016 tax returns will close on Saturday, November 18th. After that date individuals who need to file 2016 tax returns will need to paper-file those returns until e-filing reopens (most likely in late … Continue reading →

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FBAR Snags Manafort

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Russ

Paul Manafort, Jr. and Richard Gates III were indicted on Friday. The 12-count indictment alleges “[C]onspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, false statements, and seven counts … Continue reading →

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Reason Magazine on Gilbert Hyatt vs. California’s Franchise Tax Board

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Russ

Reason magazine has a superb presentation on Gilbert Hyatt’s battle with California’s Franchise Tax Board. I cannot recommend it highly enough:

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The Five “Strangest” Things Clients Told Us This Tax Season

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Russ

As I write this from an undisclosed location on my vacation, it’s now two days past the closing (for most of us) of the 2017 Tax Season (filing 2016 tax returns). Our clients told us some, shall we say, interesting … Continue reading →

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California Fire Victims Have Extension Until January 31, 2018

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Russ

The IRS announced today that California wildfire victims have until January 31, 2018 to file various tax returns (including tax returns on extension due this coming Monday, October 16th). California’s Franchise Tax Board (the state income tax agency) immediately followed … Continue reading →

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Dead Men Tell No Tales, Even When They’re Supposed To

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Russ

For tax practitioners, the IRS’s e-Services suite of applications is extraordinarily useful. When a client give us the appropriate authorization we’re able to pull transcripts from the IRS’s computer system. This helps us file appropriate tax returns and it helps … Continue reading →

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Can a Tunnel Bridge Agent be a Professional Gambler, Too?

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Russ

The Tax Court looked at whether someone who worked full time as a Tunnel Bridge Agent could also be a professional gambler. There is a lot in the decision, including some things that I believe the Court gets wrong. The … Continue reading →

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