Can You 1031-Exchange a Vacation Home? The Safe-Harbor Rules That Decide It
IRS Rev. Proc. 2008-16 lets a vacation home qualify for a 1031 exchange: rent it 14+ days a year at fair rent and cap personal use, 24 months before and after.
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Tax Planning
Strategic tax planning to minimize liability and maximize savings
Buying a Small Business With an Earnout: Bridging the Valuation Gap Without Blowing Up Your Books
Earnouts pay out about 21 cents per promised dollar. Buyers book them at fair value under ASC 805; sellers report under IRS installment rules.
Hawaii's Enterprise Zone Program Just Opened to Retail, Health Care, and IT: Is Your Small Business Now Eligible?
Hawaii's Act 182 opens 7-year enterprise zone tax breaks — full GET exemption plus an 80% income tax credit — to retail, health care, and IT firms in-zone.
Lithuania's 2026 Tax Reform: What the 7% Small Business Rate and the End of 9% VAT Mean for You
Lithuania's small-business tax rose to 7% in 2026 and the 9% VAT rate is gone — recompute advance payments and fix invoice templates before year-end.
Overfunded Your HSA? How to Pull the Excess Back Out Before the 6% Penalty Starts Compounding
An HSA excess pulled with its earnings by April 15 (October 15 on extension) owes no 6% IRS penalty — just income tax on the earnings.
Paying for College With Savings Bonds? How the Education Exclusion Makes EE and I Bond Interest Tax-Free
EE and I bond interest is federal-tax-free for college tuition — unless the bonds were ever in your child's name. Form 8815 rules and 2026 limits.
Canceled Mortgage Debt Is Taxable Again in 2026: What the Expired Principal-Residence Exclusion Means for You
Canceled mortgage debt is taxable income again in 2026 — the IRS principal-residence exclusion expired. Insolvency and bankruptcy on Form 982 can shelter you.
Don't Buy That Mutual Fund in December — the IRS Will Tax Gains You Never Earned
Buying a mutual fund before its December record date hands you IRS tax on a full year of gains you never earned — wait until after the ex-dividend date.
Living on a Fellowship or Research Stipend? What the IRS Taxes, What It Doesn't, and How to Report It With No W-2
Fellowship stipends spent on living expenses are taxable under Section 117 — report them on Schedule 1, line 8r and pay quarterly estimates.
Selling or Swapping a Life Insurance Policy Can Make the Death Benefit Taxable
Under IRS Section 101(a)(2), selling a life policy for value makes the death benefit taxable above your cost — five exceptions decide if you owe.
Washington's Small-Business B&O Tax Credit Is Set to More Than Double in 2029 — If Its Funding Survives
Washington's small-business B&O credit rises to $375/$125 monthly in 2029 — unless voters repeal its funding on Nov 3 or courts strike it.
Marriage Penalty vs. Marriage Bonus: What Filing Jointly Really Costs (or Saves) You in 2026
A single $120K earner saves $7,530 filing jointly in 2026, while two top earners pay up to $10,250 more — federal thresholds decide.