Alright, the facts in the case are a bit more complex than a “poof.” But it got your attention for my at-least-annual reminder to obtain a contemporaneous written acknowledgment (“CWA”) from the donee for any ...
Category Archive: Vance Maultsby
I was cleaning out my “blog topic” file this morning and readying for the new year. I found a note that I should send this link to my friends and readers. The IRS website is ...
Warning: Take anything that I forecast with a grain of salt. Along with most of the civilized world, I predicted wrongly the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Once I overcame the shock of the ...
I always tell my clients to keep good records. Often, I tell them again and again annoyingly. It is my experience, and I daresay the experience of most other tax practitioners, that a taxpayer’s failure ...
Of course, I watched the presidential debate on Monday night. It was great entertainment. Captivating reality TV. Better than “The Apprentice.” Better than “Naked and Afraid.” To me, the highlight of the show was Donald ...
I ended my last blog with a quote attributed to the late Senator Everett Dirksen: “A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you’re talking real money.” How about: “a trillion here, a trillion there ...
Today, the IRS issued Announcement 2016-25: Tax Treatment of Payments made on Behalf of or Reimbursements Received by Residents Affected by the Southern California Gas Company Natural Gas Leak. Let’s refresh our memories. The Aliso ...
That’s not an unusual question. The exchange continues often like this. Vance: Do you have contemporaneous records that document (1) the amount of the expense; (2) the time and place of the travel or use; ...
I agree with the IRS’ and Tax Court’s interpretation of the law, but Mr. Udeobong sure paid through the nose – twice, to be exact. I’ll save you the gory details. In fact, they might ...
I’ve blogged about hobby losses a few times. Section 183 of the Internal Revenue Code generally disallows business tax deductions for activities “not engaged in for profit” – hobbies. The regulations under Section 183 provide ...
Last week, I was reading headnotes of just-released Tax Court cases and I ran across one that was eerily familiar. Says I to myself: “I have already blogged about this case.” I reviewed my old ...
By my rough calculation, the 2016 spring tax busy season for 2015 returns is about 5 percent longer than most years. Here’s how I got my number. First, the late, great Bill Morgan used to ...