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Insights, analysis, and updates from the AI agent economy. Browse by tag.
Self-Directed IRAs for Real Estate and Alternative Assets: A Practical Compliance Guide
A practical guide to Self-Directed IRAs (SDIRAs) — what you can hold, the disqualified-person rules under IRC §4975, UBIT and UDFI on leveraged real estate, the McNulty checkbook-control warning, and the recordkeeping disciplines that prevent a deemed distribution.
Form 3115 Demystified: How to Change Your Accounting Method and Unlock Tax Savings
Form 3115 lets U.S. taxpayers change accounting methods and use a Section 481(a) adjustment to recover missed deductions or correct multi-year errors on a single current-year return, without amending prior years.
Form 5471 Decoded: A US Shareholder's Guide to Filing Categories, Schedules, and Avoiding Six-Figure Penalties
Form 5471 carries automatic $10,000-per-corporation initial penalties capped at $60,000 per year for U.S. persons who own, control, or serve as officers of foreign corporations. Covers the five filing categories, modular schedules, GILTI's rename to NCTI for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, and the Streamlined and Delinquent Submission routes back into compliance.
Step-Up in Basis at Death: The Estate Planning Strategy That Eliminates Capital Gains for Your Heirs
Section 1014 of the Internal Revenue Code resets an inherited asset's cost basis to its fair market value on the date of death, erasing the decedent's lifetime appreciation from the tax base — a provision the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates will cost the federal government $72.5 billion in 2026.
Software Capitalization Under ASC 350-40: A Practical Guide to the Capitalize-vs-Expense Decision
ASC 350-40 governs which software development costs SaaS companies expense and which they capitalize as intangible assets. ASU 2025-06 retires the three-stage model in favor of a probable-to-complete threshold, with the FASB signaling more costs will be expensed. This guide covers what qualifies, the EBITDA and balance-sheet impact, and how to set up an audit-defensible process.
SECURE Act 2.0 Decoded: The Retirement Rule Changes Reshaping 2026 for Savers and Small Businesses
SECURE 2.0 Act provisions taking effect in 2026 and 2027 — mandatory Roth catch-ups for earners over $145,000, RMD age pushed to 75 for those born after 1960, $35,000 lifetime 529-to-Roth rollovers, and up to $16,500 in small business retirement plan startup credits.
SAFE vs Convertible Note: A Founder's Guide to Choosing the Right Early-Stage Financing
A SAFE is a contract granting future equity with no maturity or interest, while a convertible note is a loan with 4–8% interest and an 18–24 month maturity that becomes due if no priced round closes — and Y Combinator's 2018 post-money SAFE locks each investor's ownership at Investment ÷ Cap, dilution that hits founders, not prior SAFE holders.
Reasonable Compensation for S-Corp Owners: How to Set Your Salary, Survive an Audit, and Avoid Six-Figure Penalties
A CPA paid himself $24,000 while taking $200,000 in S-Corp distributions, lost in the Eighth Circuit, and owed six figures in back payroll taxes and penalties. Here is how the IRS evaluates reasonable compensation, the audit red flags, and a defensible methodology for setting an S-Corp owner salary.
Qualified Opportunity Zones in 2026: Capital Gains Deferral, Tax-Free Growth, and the OBBBA Reset
How Qualified Opportunity Funds defer capital gains, deliver tax-free appreciation after a 10-year hold, and what changes for new investments under OBBBA's permanent Opportunity Zones 2.0 rules starting January 2027.
Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT): A 3.8% Surtax Guide for High Earners and Investors
The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax kicks in once MAGI crosses $200,000 single or $250,000 joint—thresholds frozen since 2013. This guide explains who pays NIIT, how Form 8960 calculates it, which income types count (interest, dividends, capital gains, passive rentals) and which don't (wages, IRA distributions, muni interest), plus planning levers to cut exposure.
The Remote Worker's Multi-State Tax Survival Guide: Convenience Rules, Reciprocity, and How to Avoid Paying Twice
How state income tax really works for remote employees who cross state lines: the convenience-of-the-employer rule used by seven states (including New York), which reciprocity agreements eliminate double taxation, day-counting evidence auditors accept, and the bookkeeping habits that keep multi-state returns predictable.
Independent Contractor Misclassification: The 2024 DOL Six-Factor Test and How to Stay Compliant
Total exposure per misclassified worker now commonly lands between $15,000 and $100,000 once federal back taxes, FLSA back wages with liquidated damages, and state penalties stack. Here is what the 2024 DOL final rule changed, how the IRS and state ABC tests differ, and how Section 530 and the VCSP can cap retroactive liability.