The Tax Prophet® - Tax Columns

Newspaper Columns

The following FAQ's appeared in the Tax Prophet's bi-monthly column in the San Francisco Examiner newspaper, Sunday edition, Business section (circulation - 900,000) through November 26, 2000. Currently the column is not running.

2000 Frequently Asked Questions

December 10, 2000 - Year-end Tax Planning (not published as a newspaper column).
November 26, 2000 - Tax Planning for Stock Options - Part 2
November 12, 2000 - Tax Planning for Stock Options - Part 1
October 29, 2000 - The Candidates’ Tax Proposals - Crunching the Numbers - part 2
October 15, 2000 - The Bush and Gore Tax Proposals - part 1
October 1, 2000 - Proposals to Fix the Current Estate Tax System - part 2
September 17, 2000 - Repeal of the Estate Tax
September 3, 2000 - Medical Deduction for Travel; Transferring Money to a Relative's Account; Placing a Residence in an Irrevocable Trust
August 20, 2000 - Wash Sales Rules and Potential Merger; Sweat Equity Issues
August 6,2000 - Inter-related Gift Transactions Between U.S. and Foreigner Taxpayers; Tax-Free Exchange vs. Residence Exclusion
July 23, 2000 - Tax Havens Under Fire
July 9, 2000 - Deductible Business Expenses; Tax on Gains by Foreign Students; Trust for Pets
June 25, 2000 - Variable Annuities vs. Mutual Funds: Which is Better?, Part 2 of 2
June 11, 2000 - Variable Annuities Receive Scrutiny, Part 1 of 2
May 28, 2000 - Update on Trust Scams
May 14, 2000 - Margin Account Interest; Gift Tax Audit Rates; Discharging Taxes in Chapter 13
April 30, 2000 - Day Trading: Off-setting Capital Losses and Gains; Electing Mark-to-Market Accounting
April 16, 2000 - Eleventh Hour Tax Advice
April 2, 2000 - Six Last-Minute Items to Consider When Filing Your Return
March 19, 2000 - Deduction for Broker's Fees; Payment of Deductions with a Credit Card; Gifts of Bonds with Accrued Interest
March 7, 2000 - Tax Shopping On-Line
February 20, 2000 - Medical Expenses as Business Deductions; Mortgage Interest Deduction; Tax Breaks for Students
February 6, 2000 - Casualty Loss Limitations, Deductions for Fines; Parent's Use of Child's Capital Gains
January 23, 2000 - IRA Withdrawals for Education; Stock Valuation for Estates; U.S. and California Residency Rules
January 9, 2000 - Donation to Charity; Child as Joint Tenant; and Gift by Husband and Wife

1999 Frequently Asked Questions

December 26, 1999 - Last Minute Tax Planning Opportunities, Part 2 of 2
December 12, 1999 - Last Minute Tax Planning Opportunities, Part 1 of 2.
November 28, 1999 Donald Trump’s Wealth Tax Proposal
November 14, 1999 The Future of Internet Taxation
October 31, 1999 Difficulties in Taxing E-Commerce
October 17, 1999 A Moratorium on Internet Taxes
October 3, 1999 Joint Bank Accounts; Taxation of Stock Profits; State Taxation of Pensions; Federal Tax Burden
September, 19, 1999 - Residence to Rental Property; Revoking Mark-to-Market Election; "Reverse" Piercing of a Sham Trust
September 5, 1999 - Residency Exclusion Time Periods; Documenting Residency Improvements
August 15, 1999 - Tax Scams Victimizing Charities
August 1, 1999 - The Demise of Off-Shore Asset Protection Trusts
July 18, 1999 - Tax Issues Involving Charities - Part 3
July 4, 1999 - Taxation of Donations and Charities - part 2
June 20, 1999 - Taxation of Donations and Charities - part 1
June 6, 1999 Mortgage Interest Deductions
May 23, 1999 - Early IRA Withdrawals
May 9, 1999 - Growing Your Business Through Acquisitions - tax aspects
April 25, 1999 - Taxation of Day Traders
April 11, 1999 - Paying Taxes Due; 6 Ways to Save During 1999.
March 28, 1999 - Eight Last-Minute Items to Consider When Filing Your Return
March 14, 1999 - Top 5 Tax Breaks for 1998
February 28, 1999 - Partnership Contribution; Sale of Triplex & Residency Exclusion; Mutual Fund Sale, Loan Forgiveness as Gift
February 14, 1999 - Filing by Telephone or On-Line; Tax Payment by Credit Card
January 31, 1999 - Stock Option Path to Riches - part 2
January 17, 1999 - Stock Option Path to Riches - part 1
January 3, 1999 - IRS 911 Procedures; Statutory Employee Deductions; Qualified Small Business Stock Investments

1998 Frequently Asked Questions

December 13, 1998 - IRS Improves Offer-in-Compromise Policy
November 29, 1998 - Year-End Tax Planning
November 15, 1998 - S Corps; Foreign Dependency Exemption; and Foreign Bank Accounts
November 1, 1998 - Multiple Roth IRA Transfers; Internet Taxation and LLC Taxation
October 18, 1998 - Taxation of Life Insurance Proceeds; Foreign Stock Purchase Via Internet
October 4, 1998 - A Minor's Taxable Income; Deductions for a Third Home and Taxation on Foreclosure
September 20, 1998 - Employees vs. Contractors; Foreign Consultants; Moving Expenses & IRS Collection Limits
September 6, 1998 -Home Improvements; Rental Real Estate Sales or Exchanges
August 23, 1998 - IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (part two)
August 9, 1998 - IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (part one)
July 26, 1998 - Taxpayer Id. Numbers; Loan "Points" & Residency Exclusion
July 12, 1998 - Hope Scholarship; Child Credits & Annual Gifts
July 9 1998 - Special Report - 1998 Tax Act
June 28, 1998 - Investment Clubs; Avoiding Probate; and S corporations with Cancellation of Indebtedness Income
June 14, 1998 - Theft loss for Trust Scam Fees, Strike Pay, Foreign Parent as Joint Tenant
May 31, 1998 - Residence Exclusion: Involving Two-Units, a Vacation Home, or upon Divorce; Inherited IRA and Salary Bonus
May 17 ,1998 - Tax Quiz: Part Two - Joint Tenancy; Gifts, and Non-Citizen issues
May 3, 1998 - Tax Quiz: Part One - Estate vs. Income Tax
April 19, 1998 - Roth Rollover; Failure to File; Frivolous Returns; and Real Estate Owner by Foreigner
April 5, 1998 - Last Minute Tax Tips for Filing 1997 Tax Returns
March 22, 1998 - Roth Rollover Prior to Marriage; IRA or Roth Eligibility; and Estate Tax Threshold
March 8, 1998 - IRS audit roulette;Lifestyle audits; and IRS cash rewards
February 22, 1998 - Roth rollovers: minimum distributions; 4-year averaging; tax vs. tax exempt portions; and rollover from SEP.
February 8, 1998 - Taxation of Roth Rollover; Roth Holding Period Rules; and Gifts to College-age Grandchildren.
January 25, 1998 - Roth Rollovers; IRA vs. Roth; and Principal Residence Sale.
January 11, 1998 - Increasing Your Residency Exemption; Using Your Residency Exemption Without Selling Your Home; and Residence Purchase by a Foreign Person.

1997 Frequently Asked Questions

December 28, 1997 - The Roth IRA and Estate Tax Changes
December 21, 1997 - Planning for Capital Gains and Residence Sales
December 14. 1997 - Year-End Tax Planning Opportunities
November 30, 1997 - Taxpayer's Bill of Rights III
November 16, 1997 - A Seven-Step Program to Fix the U.S. Tax System
October 26, 1997 - When You Owe IRS
October 12, 1997 - Dealing with the IRS Collection Monster
September 28, 1997 - Educational Benefits Under the New Law
September 14, 1997 - Gifts to Minors Using Custodial Accounts
August 31, 1997 - Navigating the Capital Gains and Sale of Residence Labyrinth
August 17, 1997 - The Taxpayer's Relief Act of 1997 - A Mixed Bag of Blessings
August 3, 1997 - The Taxpayer's Relief Act of 1997 - Lotsa Loopholes!
July 20, 1997 - IRS Indicts Two Men for Phony Trusts
July 6, 1997 - Substance, Not Form, Important to IRS and the Courts
June 22, 1997 - Deductions for rental of a room in your house; limitations on business and entertainment business deductions
June 1, 1997 - Foreign travel as an educational or business expense
May 18, 1997 - Sales of a vacation home, rental property, tax on lease cancellation payments
May 4, 1997 - Al Davis, the Raiders and taxes on loans
April 20, 1997 - Taxpayers Beware: Trust Scams Update; Mortgage Foreclosure Tax Scheme
April 6, 1997 - 10 items to remember when filing your 1997 tax return
March 23, 1997 - Long-term disability; F-1 Visa rules; and Tax preparation deductions
March 9, 1997 - Check-the-box regulations
February 23, 1997 - Clinton's tax proposal for residence; passive activity loss rules
February 9, 1997 - Medical deductions for equipment and home improvements; non resident children as dependents
January 26, 1997 - How to Identify and Claim Casualty Losses
January 12, 1997 - Home-Office Deduction

1996 Frequently Asked Questions

December 22, 1996 - Year-End Tax Planning (Part 1 or 2)
December 23, 1996 - Year-End Tax Planning (Part 2 or 2) and Sidebar
December 15, 1996 - Independent contractors: Comparison between federal and state law; How long may a foreign person stay in the U.S. without becoming a resident?
November 17, 1996 - Early withdrawals from an IRA account; Foreign student with capital gains
November 3, 1996 - Sale of stock with unknown basis; gift of stock; tax planning for Lotto winners
October 20, 1996 - The Presidential Tax Plans
October 6, 1996 - Gambling and Game Show Winnings, Avoiding Sales Tax on Mobile Homes; Ownership of Real Property
September 22, 1996 - Joint tenancy and estate taxes
September 1, 1996 - Spouse's pre-marital debts; California taxes paid by non-residents
August 18, 1996 - Taxpayer's Bill of Rights II
August 4, 1996 - Joint Tenancy property: gift and estate tax consequences
July 14, 1996 - California Income Taxes
June 23, 1996 - Back pay and other wage-related damages.
June 9, 1996 - Inheriting stocks; foreclosures revisited.
May 26, 1996 - Fraudulent trust arrangements do not work.
May 12, 1996 - Tax consequences of foreclosure.
April 28, 1996 - Taxation of sales of stock.
April 14, 1996- Educational trusts for children.
April 9, 1996 - 12 items to consider before filing your return.
March 17, 1996 - Using a company-owned vehicles; campaign expenses for running for office.
March 3, 1996 - Deduction for computer; employer tuition reimbursement plans.
February 18,1996 - Deductions for educational expenses.
February 13,1996 - Temporary residents; foreign students and teachers.
February 4, 1996 - Form 1127, LLC buy-sell agreements; loans by foreign investors.
January 23, 1996 - Employee stock incentive plans and stock options.
January 1996 - Non-S.F. Examiner FAQ's.

1995 Tax Man Columns

Unwed But Not Unwise: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Sunday, February 19, 1995.
Foreign Investors: Plan Carefully: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday, February 21, 1995.
'94 Began New Ways to Pay Taxes on Household Help: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday February 28, 1995.
A Better Deal for Small Firms in California: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday, March 7, 1995.
Planning is key to estate taxes: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday, March 14, 1995.
Strategies to minimize estate taxes: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday, March 21, 1995.
I.R.S. AUDIT? HAVE NO FEAR: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Sunday, March 25, 1995.
How to deal with IRS demands: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday, March 28. 1995.
Student Aid and Pensions: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday, April 4, 1995.
Contract with America Tax Proposals: San Francisco Examiner: Business Section, Tuesday, April 11, 1995.



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