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.
June 9, 2017
New proposed legislation, introduced by Representative Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), is making headlines because it effectively rolls back the regulatory reforms included in the landmark 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. The “Financial Choice Act,” which passed in the ...
June 8, 2017
At the beginning of the year, the IRS increased the fees that taxpayer must pay to obtain a private letter ruling. Now it says that you must pay Uncle Sam electronically. Your check won’t be good anymore once a short transition period ends.
June 8, 2017
Who says taxes aren’t fun? This column is devoted to interesting tidbits, legislative developments and amusing news in the world of taxation. At the very least, it will keep you informed and, at best, it might illicit a chuckle of bring smile to your lips
June 8, 2017
The state of Massachusetts wants to impose new tax obligations on cookies. No, not the kind that you bake in the oven. These cookies are stored on your personal computer.
May 22, 2017
Farming has often been viewed as the backbone of the American economy. While technology and other recent developments may have changed this thinking, farmers still enjoy a preferred status, at least as federal income taxes are concerned. For instance, ...
May 22, 2017
Generally, a business is entitled to claim depreciation deductions for property, including real estate, beginning in the year the property is “placed in service.” Similar rules apply to Section 179 deductions and “bonus depreciation” deductions, as ...
May 22, 2017
The term “depreciation” may have negative connotations, but it usually elicits positive vibes from tax practitioners. Thanks to the depreciation deduction rules, your clients who are business owners can recoup most -- if not all -- of the cost of ...
May 17, 2017
If you rent out a residence such as a summer vacation home when you’re not using it, you may be entitled to deduct expenses against the rental income. In fact, you can even claim an annual loss if you don’t exceed certain limits. But the number of ...
May 12, 2017
After a series of setbacks, the Republican-led House finally passed proposed legislation that would replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the health care law known as Obamacare. It’s a first step but there’s still a long journey to enactment.
May 5, 2017
Your clients might need to be reminded about the stringent rules about travel and expense deductions. Check in with small business clients to ensure that they are sticking to the letter of the law.
March 27, 2017
The final nail in the coffin was a long time coming. Initially, Amazon contested governmental regulations requiring it to collect states sales taxes, arguing that it should not be have to meet this responsibility in states where it didn’t have a ...
January 27, 2017
The IRS is notoriously stingy when it comes to deducting business meal expenses. Usually, if you can’t meet the substantiation rules under the strict letter of the tax law, it will disallow the deduction. Of course, you can take your chances in Tax ...
