Not designed to support a family

There are certain jobs that are created that were never meant to support a family on.  They were ways to make some extra cash or provide part time employment for kids to have some cash.   I believe McDonald’s jobs were created with this in mind.  The owner’s...

Seven Basic Cons

I was watching a television program were it was stated that all cons are variation from seven basic principles.  So hearing this I was curious.  Especially with the number of scams and cons that where we are bombarded with e-mail scans to IRS fraud calls or calls...

The next useless Smartphones AP

When was the last time you needed an application that can spot a counterfeit bill?  Or assist in picking a piece of ripe fruit?  Well you will have it soon! A researcher at PARC, part of Xerox, has developed a way to use cheap camera tech to detect wavelengths of...

New Client

We just started working with a new client.  She is a pleasant elderly woman who has been preparing her taxes for years.  In the past she worked for H&R Block and then another tax preparer.   She was referred to us from her banker and her financial advisor....

Class Action

In a recent study from the Institute of Legal Reform, it was found that consumers who participate in class action lawsuits typically recover little to nothing as a result of the litigation.   In more than half of the class actions filed, class members receive...

IRS’s private debt-collection program

The IRS seemingly has thrown up their hands and admitted defeat. They will be outsourcing aspects of the debt-collection program.  This new enterprise is expected to be up and running in spring of 2017. A law passed last year calls for the IRS to turn over many...

Estate Theft Loss

In a recent court case an estate gets a theft loss for assets invested with Bernie Madoff. The decedent who owned 99% of a limited liability company whose only asset was an account with Madoff. After his death and before the filing of the estate return, the LLC-owned...

A Brief History of Halloween

Born from the Gaelic festival “Samhain” marking the end of the harvest season and into winter- the dark times and aided by Pope Gregory III’s “All Saints Day” and the Celtic “New Year”; comes “All Hallows Eve” or “Halloween”.   Granted this is a streamlined...

Attorney Malpractice

In another recent tax case it was decided that a lawyer’s malpractice won’t prevent penalties for a late-filed estate tax return.   The executor hired an attorney to file an estate’s Form 706. But, unbeknownst to her, the lawyer was battling brain cancer and...

3 Ways to Die

I was reading an article recently regarding predictions on the end of the world.  The article referenced an article in the New Yorker, but I have read about these prophecies  before.  Actually I have seen multiple movies and read a few books regarding all of these...

Illinois Business Law and your LLC

As of July 1, 2017, Pub. Act 099-0637 became effective amending 805 ILCS 180 et seq.   What does that mean?  It means that now all LLCs are member managed unless the operating agreement specifically states otherwise.  The operating agreement must also express...

The Simple Tax Return

The illusion of the simple return, no one believes that their lives are as complicated as they are.  We received a call at the beginning of October where a potential client was looking for someone to prepare their tax return.  “Since the filing deadline on an...

The Budget

Have you used a budget for your household expenses? What about work?  Have you ever gone through the budget process for your company or department?  Yes, yes it is a fun process for one and all.   I worked for one company that had just finished their budget...

The Bank Robbery

Recently my bank was robbed. Yes, the one where I make most of my deposits.   Granted I knew there are still morons out there that think it is lucrative to rob banks, even in this day and age.  So this rocket scientist was caught within 2 hours or so of the...

The Election and the Stock Market

My middle son asked the question, “What will the stock market do after the election”?  I have to admit I do not have a clear indication what it may do.  Frankly I don’t think the markets have had a clear plan for decades for after election directions. The last one...

Passwords

Passwords have been an issue for quite a while now and the situation does not seem to be getting any easier of less complex. Initially short passwords were used and no one used any creativity, they used birthday, anniversaries or other special days.  Making them...

The connectivity of the Internet of Things (IOT)

With the next major shift on the economy will be the Internet revolution.  I have questions as to how this will work. Since we have just had a large bank and airlines get hacked,  Yes I believe the Wells Fargo, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines...

Nexus

Before Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web for the Internet, a business’s location was generally limited to its brick-and-mortar office or storefront.  The WWW and the internet are now considered one and the same, by most.  Allowing the Internet to created new...

Basis after a partial sale

The calculation of basis has always been required and sometimes not as clear to some as it should be. When you take on an investor and sell a portion of your company. You are giving up your rights to those shares and possibly your autonomy to run the business as you...

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