Tax planning

Family business owners are more focused on sustaining their business’s longevity than on sustaining wealth across future generations, according to a new survey.

The on-again, off-again nature of the federal tax provisions traditionally known as tax extenders is leading to uncertainty and unnecessary complexity, according to tax policy experts at the American Institute of CPAs.

Marital divorce is by definition an adversarial process, but from a financial standpoint it works out better for both parties if it’s also a cooperative one.

If the funds in a taxable IRA are used to purchase an immediate annuity, what impact does that have on required minimum distributions? IRA expert Ed Slott answer this question and others.

To report a capital loss yet retain a position in the relinquished asset, clients can double up in November and sell the original holding after waiting more than 30 days.

In the wake of this summer's Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8 -- as well as ensuing federal clarifications related to tax rules, employee spousal benefits and more -- same-sex couples now say they need help with financial planning.

In a number of cases, the IRS is challenging a complex and obscure tax break that benefits some of the nation’s wealthiest property owners.

The head of the IRS’s small business unit said his division expects to move from focusing on audits of small corporations to partnerships.

Many clients believe there will come a time when estate tax is again a concern and liquidity will be needed.

A unit set up by the IRS to improve international tax compliance by individuals is paying off, according to a new government report, enabling IRS auditors to assess an additional $36 million in taxes for fiscal years 2011 to 2013.

The IRS’s ability to detect identity theft has improved, but billions of dollars were lost to criminals in 2011, according to a new report.

Our IRA expert answers questions on recharacterizations, the withdrawal penalty and the 5-year rule.

ETFs let you maintain asset allocation while taking tax losses.

The IRS released the annual cost-of-living adjustments last week affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2014.

The Treasury Department and the IRS have loosened the “use it or lose it” rule for flexible spending arrangements for health care, allowing participants in health benefit plans to carry over up to $500 from their FSA from year to year.

The agency issued its annual inflation adjustments for more than 40 tax provisions, including the tax rate schedules, and other tax changes for 2014.

But experts say politics will likely put changes to tax code on hold.

Pimco's Bill Gross said that wealthy Americans, having reaped the benefits of favorable tax treatment, should be willing to pay a greater share to bolster the prospects of the working class.

Higher taxes on long-term capital gains may revive interest in like-kind exchanges of investment property.

The processes used by the IRS to verify taxpayers’ income and withholding status are inadvertently resulting in the issuance of potentially fraudulent tax refunds, according to a new report.