Ken Berry, Esq., is a nationally-known writer and editor specializing in tax and financial planning matters. During a career of more than 35 years, he has served as managing editor of a publisher of content-based marketing tools and vice president of an online continuing education company in the financial services industry. As a freelance writer, Ken has authored thousands of articles for a wide variety of newsletters, magazines and other periodicals, emphasizing a sense of wit and clarity.
May 27, 2015
A serious security breach at the IRS has the agency scrambling to beef up its ID theft efforts while the public and lawmakers stew. The IRS announced on May 26 that hackers had gained access to the personal information of more than 100,000 American househ
April 15, 2015
Court nullifies $37,000 deduction for donations of used property to charities, then adds 20% penalty.
April 14, 2015
The new Pub. 590-B applies to 2014 tax returns filed in 2015. Two aspects that have often befuddled taxpayers in the past are the RMD rules for Roth IRAs and the options available when inheriting traditional IRAs.
April 14, 2015
Usually, a transaction that occurs during the tax year is reflected on the tax return for that particular year. For instance, if you realize a capital loss on the sale of stock in 2015, the loss offsets tax liability on your 2015 return.
April 14, 2015
In his sixth year in office, President Obama’s taxable income has continued to decline, according to his 2014 tax return.
November 25, 2014
Mega IRAs – the moniker given to retirement saving accounts with over-inflated values -- have become a popular target of critics and a potential revenue source for a cash-strapped Treasury Department. Now a new report by the Government Accountability ...
November 20, 2014
There’s been much ado about the 55 tax extenders currently being debated by a lame-duck Congress. These tax law provisions, which are generally favorable to taxpayers, technically expired after 2013, but may be revived retroactive to ...
November 19, 2014
Legislative proposals to curtail or eliminate the tax benefits of like-kind exchanges are in the works. With a lame-duck Congress finishing out this year and a brand-new class of lawmakers entering 2015, no one can be sure if this tax break will ...
November 14, 2014
The portability provision can literally save a family millions of federal estate tax dollars if a timely election is made. For some clients who missed the boat, there’s still a little time left to sail off happily into the sunset, thanks to a special IRS
November 12, 2014
Once the Tax Court ruled against a taxpayer in a controversial interpretation of the “once-a-year” rollover rule for IRAs, the IRS was only too willing and eager to jump on the bandwagon. But at least it delayed enforcement of the ruling until January 1, 2015. Now, under new guidance just issued by the IRS, procrastinators...…
November 6, 2014
Do you have clients that began a business out of a spare bedroom, garage or basement? These entrepreneurs may start off as self-employed individuals, selling their wares on e-bay or etsy or at flea markets. In some cases, a humble beginning ...
November 5, 2014
Now that the dust has settled from the mid-term elections – with the Republican party firmly in control of both houses of Congress – what are the prospects for comprehensive tax reform? Not as favorable as you might think. Although the GOP hopes to break
