If a taxpayer cannot deduct gambling losses given the restrictions on gambling losses, can they deduct them as casualty losses instead? What if the gambling loss are attributable to prescription medications known to cause compulsive gambling? The court addresses this in Mancini v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2019-16. Facts & Procedural History The taxpayer diagnosed with…
Category: Federal Income Tax
Federal Income Tax
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The Sec. 179D Government-Owned Building Allocation
Section 179D provides an incentive for building owners to install energy-efficient systems. The IRS released CCA 2018-005, which addresses one of the controversial aspects of Sec. 179D–namely, the ability for government building owners to allocate the deduction to the designer of the energy-efficient property. About Section 179D Section 179D was enacted in 2005, as part…
How to Allocate Tax Basis for Real Estate
If you sell real estate, you pay tax on the gain. Gain is the product of the sales price less tax basis. Tax basis in turn is the amount invested in the property. But how do you calculate and then prove tax basis for buildings located on the property when you sell some but keep…
Is Election to Waive NOL Carryback Irrevocable?
You have to be careful when electing to waive the right to carry back a net operating loss. This is particularly true if there are items on your tax returns from earlier years that the IRS may eventually adjust if audited. The Bea v. Commissioner, No. 18-10511 (11th Cir. 2019), case provides an example of…
Research Tax Credit Records Must Be Kept for 40+ Years
A frequent question is how long one has to keep records for tax purposes. The United States v. Quebe, No. 3:15-cv-294 (S.D. Ohio 2019) case provides the answer for research tax credits. The answer is that you have to keep records that pre-date the formation of your business by twenty years and then you have…
How to Correct Late Accounting Method Changes
A consistent mistake on a tax return for more than two years may require an accounting method change to correct. The IRS has procedures for making these elections, which generally require a timely filed tax return. But what if you miss the filing deadline–are you out of luck? Private Letter Ruling (“PLR”) 201850013 provides the…
Retaining Rights With a Charitable Conservation Easement
Conservation easements can result in significant charitable deductions for real estate owners and investors. But can an owner or investor retain rights to the property and still get the charitable deduction? The courts continue to define when this is possible. The Pine Mountain Preserve LLLP v. Commissioner, 151 T.C. 14, case is the latest case…
Appropriate a Book of Business, Capital or Ordinary Gain?
If an investment advisor is terminated by the bank he works for and the bank keeps the advisors book of business, is the bank compensating the investment advisor for the sale of his book of business or is it paying compensation for services? One would seem to produce capital gain and the other ordinary gain.…
IRS Can Collect Father’s Tax Restitution from Son
The rules that allow the IRS to assess and collect criminal restitution as if it is a tax due present some unique questions. In Bontrager v. Commissioner, 151 T.C. 12, the court considered whether the IRS can assess and collect a father’s tax restitution payment as tax restitution against the son. Facts & Procedural History…
Court Clarifies Inventory Capitalization Rules for Producers
There are a few items that are low hanging fruit that make for easy adjustments for IRS auditors. The adjustment for indirect costs is an example of such an adjustment that can be made for any taxpayer that has inventory. The recent Patients Mutual Assistance Collective Corporation v. Commissioner, 151 T.C. No. 11 (2018), case provides…