STRI
SURGENT McCOY'S ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX RETURN ISSUES

Most CPAs have been preparing individual income tax returns for years, and while many of the returns are easy, there are always a number of issues that come up in busy season of which experienced practitioners wish they had more knowledge. This course is designed to explore the tough tax issues for experienced practitioners and help them provide better planning strategies and results for their higher income clients.

Major topics include:

  • New Circular 230 requirements that impact preparation
  • Incentive and nonqualified stock options -- Reporting; key strategies for planning; dealing with the alternative minimum tax.
  • Alternative minimum tax -- Understanding it; planning strategies to avoid it; using the minimum tax credit; explaining it to a client.
  • Puts, calls, straddling, and unusual investments -- Understanding the tax laws and reporting them correctly on the tax return.
  • Capital gain and loss issues -- The problem with proper reporting of installment sales issues; capital gains and losses; when is a stock worthless; and much more..
  • Passive loss issues -- You can't just trust your software. What to watch out for, and the questions you need your clients to answer in order to do it right!
  • Miscellaneous issues -- Flow through income and deduction issues of estates and trusts; understanding the foreign tax credit; when legal fees are deductible; hobby loss rules; business expense issues; and much more.
  • Special forms and elections - TDF 90.22.1; 8886 Reportable Transactions; the real estate professional; start-up expenditures; and much more.

Designed for: Experienced CPAs who want and need an in-depth knowledge of the most difficult individual-income-tax-return issues.

Level of knowledge: Advanced

Field of study: Taxes