Taxes are perceived differently by each individual even though the overall set of chaotic rules is the same for all of us. Yet when it comes to dealing with that chaos in a manner that leads to peace and prosperity, the process always involves the same three steps: Resolve past problems. Old issues don’t go […]
After some tweeking (thanks to my peers for the crowd-sourced feedback!) this is the version of the email message that will be used this week: Dear _ : This past year brought more changes for small business owners than any other year in the past generation. This means new opportunities to save money but also […]
Tony Novak, CPA financial planner
What do you need to know as a consumer about about the China trade tariffs that starts today? This is a short bullet point summary. Legal background Tariffs are taxes authorized under Title 19 of U.S Code in 1930. The tax is based on Constitutional authority “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect […]
Avoiding the unauthorized practice of law I have added this clause to all engagement agreements for clarity on making distinction on the issue of authorized and unauthorized practice of law. Legal advice Advice regarding business strategies may involve an application of general principles of business law but my services do not extend to the actual […]
Tax issues If you are moving from a higher tax state to a lower tax state. The State of New York, for example, challenges over 5,000 taxpayers every year. The cost of defending these audits if high and the cost of failing to prove your intended domicile is even higher. State rules about residency for […]
Avoiding taxes on money held inside an IRA can be challenging. This article in Barron’s discusses how one more easy tax planning tool is likely to be eliminated and how to adjust to avoid triggering taxes in large IRAs. But there is always a way to reduce or eliminate taxes if you make your financial […]
An advertisement by a top-qualify national information publishing firm joined up with a prominent AICPA event to deliver an educational program designed to prepare CPA firms for imminent change. The bullet points describing the course content are: End-to-end, automated cloud-based tax preparation AI-enhanced, highly intuitive tax research A cloud-driven, Integrated Audit Approach that focuses on […]
Millions of Americans are saddled with tax debt that prevents them from moving financially. That financial struggle impacts other aspects of life including mental and physical health and relationships. I’ve observed that the key to resolving these problems – even when they seem insurmountable in the beginning – is to establish a supportive professional relationship […]
An earlier version of this post was originally published in 2011 when I was recovering from a long term disability that left residual cognitive and memory issues. My original intent was to help myself, my family, and others be better organized for disability or death. It is republished now updated with the use of new […]