Does CARB SB 253 reporting apply to my company in 2027? Yes, if your company does business in California and has more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Under the CARB SB 253 reporting proposals unveiled on July 21, 2026, in-scope entities must report gross scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by November…
Is the IRS about to change how retirement rollovers work? Yes. The new IRS rollover guidance in Notice 2026-49 proposes four sample rollover forms, a rollover identification number to protect participant PII, and future rules that could end paper rollover checks sent to participants. If you have ever tried to move a 401(k) to an…
When is my Form 2290 filing deadline? Your Form 2290 filing deadline is the last day of the month after the month your taxable heavy highway vehicle was first used on a public highway during the July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 tax period. Vehicles first used in July 2026 are due by September…
Can a nonresident company still act as a US importer of record after December 2026? Only in a narrower form. A June 3, 2026 presidential executive order tightens eligibility, bonding, and disclosures for the foreign importer of record model, and pairs those customs changes with new federal-income-tax and state-nexus exposure. If your business imports into…
What is Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA), and could it lower my 401(k) tax bill? Net unrealized appreciation is a federal tax election under IRC §402(e)(4)(B) that lets you move employer stock out of a qualified retirement plan and pay ordinary income tax only on the stock’s original cost basis. The built-in gain is then taxed…
How do I appeal an IRS decision I disagree with? You can ask the IRS Independent Office of Appeals to review your case. The IRS appeal process is a formal, unbiased review that operates separately from the IRS office that made the original determination — and every taxpayer has the right to use it under…
What did the OBBBA actually change for my nonprofit? Quite a lot. The OBBBA nonprofit tax rules created a new charitable deduction for non-itemizers, added floors that shrink deductions for high-income and corporate donors, expanded the §4960 excise on high pay, and set a tiered endowment tax for large private colleges. The One Big Beautiful…
How much of my overtime pay is actually tax-free? Less than most workers think. The new no tax on overtime deduction is capped at $12,500 (single) or $25,000 (joint), phases out above $150,000 MAGI, and applies only to the FLSA overtime premium — not the entire overtime paycheck. On August 6, 2026 the IRS released…
What is the new IRS Saver’s Match, and how do I get it? The savers match is a federal 50% match on up to $2,000 of your qualified retirement contributions — worth up to $1,000 per year — deposited directly into your retirement account. It starts with 2027 contributions and the first payments arrive in…
Does California’s billionaire tax apply to me? Only if you are a California resident on January 1, 2026 and your net worth reaches $1 billion on December 31, 2026. If Proposition 40 passes on the November 3, 2026 ballot, the california billionaire tax imposes a one-time levy that phases in to 5% between $1B and…
Does my business qualify for the new paid family leave credit? If you pay wages during qualifying leave — or pay premiums for a PFML insurance policy — you likely do. The paid family leave credit is now permanent under the Working Families Tax Cuts, and IRS Notice 2026-28 (Aug. 5, 2026) explains how to…
Who has to file California’s SB 253 climate disclosure by August 10, 2026? Any company with more than $1B in total annual revenues that meets the state’s “doing business in California” test. SB 253 compliance means submitting Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse-gas data to CARB — with limited enforcement discretion in the first year….
What changed for California business owners in 2026? The California business tax 2026 package brings SB 122 and SB 180 — extending the business credit limitation, cutting the first-year annual tax to $400 for many new entities, and stretching the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035. And the next CCTC application window closes on August…
Are my charitable donations at risk of an IRS challenge? They can be if you fall for one of the charitable contribution scams the IRS just named on its 2026 Dirty Dozen list. Fake charities and inflated non-cash appraisals top the list, and both can turn a well-intentioned gift into a disallowed deduction, penalties, and…
Estate tax vs inheritance tax — who actually pays, and when? The estate tax vs inheritance tax distinction is simple in principle: the estate pays estate tax before assets are distributed; the beneficiary pays inheritance tax after they receive them. In 2026 the federal estate tax exemption sits at $15 million per person (IRS Rev….
Do U.S. small businesses still have to file BOI with FinCEN in 2026? Not right now. Under Treasury’s March 2025 interim final rule, FinCEN BOI reporting applies only to foreign reporting companies. Domestic entities and U.S. citizens are exempt while FinCEN works to finalize the rule. The Corporate Transparency Act was supposed to be one…
Can employers put private equity, private credit, or crypto into a 401(k) plan? Federal policy is opening the door. The Department of Labor has proposed a rule and the White House has issued an executive order that together make it easier to add 401k alternative investments to plan menus — but ERISA’s fiduciary duties still…
When is the BBA partnership push-out deadline for a pass-through partner? If you received a Form 8986 tied to a partnership that filed an Administrative Adjustment Request (AAR) or was audited under the BBA partnership audit regime, the deadline to pay or push out further is generally September 15, 2026 — the exact date is…
Which new IFRS standards must I apply for a 30 June 2026 reporting date? Several amendments are mandatory now — including the IAS 21 lack-of-exchangeability rules, the IFRS 9 & IFRS 7 classification and measurement amendments, and Annual Improvements Volume 11 — while IFRS 18, IFRS 19, and IFRS 20 remain optional until 2027. Applying…
How do I close a California business entity so the $800 franchise tax stops? You must complete two parallel filings — a final tax return with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and a dissolution, surrender, or cancellation with the Secretary of State (SOS) — within 12 months. Missing either one keeps the entity legally alive…
How do major life events affect my tax filing? Marriage, a new child, divorce, and the death of a loved one can all change your life events tax filing — from your filing status and withholding to the credits and deductions you can claim. Handling each event with the IRS the same year it happens…
What is the Coca-Cola transfer pricing case, and why should other US companies care? The Coca-Cola transfer pricing case is a dispute over how a US parent must price transactions with its foreign affiliates under IRC §482. The Tax Court sided with the IRS in 2020 and the appeal is now before the Eleventh Circuit…
What changed for California employers on July 1, 2026? A stack of rules landed on the same day. California minimum wage 2026 updates cover healthcare workers, San Diego hospitality staff, and more than a dozen city and county rates — plus new California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) rules that will bite by 2027. If you…
How do major life events affect my taxes? Marriage, a new child, divorce, and the death of a spouse each change your filing status, your withholding, and the credits you can claim. The life events tax impact shows up on next year’s return — but the paperwork you need to update is due now, not…
Is the pass through entity tax election still worth it after the higher SALT cap? For many owners of profitable pass-throughs in high-tax states, the answer is still yes — but the analysis is now owner-level, state-specific, and no longer automatic. The pass through entity tax (PTET) survived the 2025 SALT cap increase; the decision…
Can a nonprofit still claim the direct-pay clean energy credits if it needs more time to file? Yes — but only if it files Form 8868 for a 990 T elective payment extension by the original due date. Miss the deadline and the election is lost for tax year 2025. Since the enactment of the…
What records do I actually need to deduct my charitable donations? The IRS requires charitable donation records for every gift you claim — a bank record or written communication for cash, a written acknowledgment for anything $250 or more, and Form 8283 for larger noncash gifts. And beginning in 2026, non-itemizers can also deduct up…
What should newlyweds do about their taxes after the wedding? Follow a short newlywed tax checklist: update your name with the Social Security Administration, file a change of address with the IRS if you moved, give your employer a new Form W-4 within 10 days, pick a filing status, and combine your records — the…
Who can still elect the IAS 28 fair value option after the IASB’s 2026 amendments? The updated IAS 28 fair value option extends the FVTPL election beyond classic investment funds to any entity whose main business is investing in associates, joint ventures, unconsolidated subsidiaries, cash and cash equivalents, or other independently-returning assets — aligned to…
Who can measure associates and joint ventures at fair value under IFRS? The IAS 28 fair value option is an exemption from the equity method — and on 26 June 2026 the IASB issued narrow amendments that finally pin down which entities qualify, using the ‘specified main business activities’ concept from IFRS 18. If your…
