Most people have some strong feelings about how they want their assets to be distributed upon their death.  Some want to give their money to their kids, others are charitably inclined.  However, I would guess that very few would like to see their money go to the IRS to pay the debts of their children.

News came out last week that chiropractor Stephen Jacobs of Lowell, MA is in hot water with the feds.  Dr. Jacobs allegedly paid an IRS auditor $5,000 in cash to ignore two deductions he improperly took on this 2011 income tax form.

These deductions, allegedly, were in fact payments Jacobs made to two different women

Special thanks to guest author Jason Luter for this post.

As most family law practitioners are aware, ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) do not permit a participant in a retirement plan to assign or alienate his/her interest in that plan to another person.  These rules are intended to ensure that the participant’s retirement

It is big news right now that the US government is facing partial closure.  The partisan politics in Washington are going to affect most Americans whether they expect it or not.  My list of the tax implications to the shut down is:

  1. Approximately 90 percent of IRS employees are not at work today.  If you

Closely held corporations often have issues come up about succession planning and also about how to structure transactions in the most tax advantageous way possible.  Corporate redemption of a shareholders stock is always something to consider.

Hypothetical  – Bob and Jim created an oil and gas services company back in the 1970s as 50-50 owners. 

April 15th is quickly coming up.  This can be a stressful time of year – preparing your taxes is simply not a  lot of fun.  However, it is important to file your return  on time.

 Why is important to file and pay on time?

  1. First, not filing or paying can be a crime.  The

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (“TRA 2012”), passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on January 2, 2013, prevents many of the tax hikes that were scheduled to go into effect in 2013 and avoids the “fiscal cliff”.  The TRA 2012 also retroactively extends the IRA Charitable Rollover which expired