We measure our worth by the personal and business successes of our clients.
Over the years, we have helped thousands of California businesses to grow and prosper, while supporting owners and their families as they worked to define and realize their objectives.
And, we have helped hundreds of professionals to manage their financial choices wisely.
IRAs to Charity: A Useful Estate Planning Technique
If you’re like many people, you have a great deal of your wealth tied up in traditional IRA accounts. Why? The tax-free benefits have motivated you. But there’s going to come a time when you—or […]
What To Know About the Qualified Business Income Deduction
If you’re an entrepreneur and you’ve heard other business owners talking about the qualified business income deduction (also called Section 199A), you’re probably asking yourself, “Should I incorporate to help save on taxes?” and “What entity […]
With Little Fanfare, IRS Releases Radically New Form W-4
The IRS has been promising a new version of Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, for some months, and it recently published it, with a brief announcement in its e-News service. The form is very similar […]
IRS Issues Standard Mileage Rates For 2019
IRS Issues Standard Mileage Rates For 2019 According to a statement from the IRS, starting in 2019, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: […]
401(k) and IRA Contribution Limits Increase
401(k) and IRA Contribution Limits Increase The IRS has announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2019. The contribution limit for employees who participate […]
× The 2018 Tax Wrap-Up The tax reform passed at the end of 2017 runs to about 70,000 words. It’s a large and complicated piece of legislation, and we can look forward to additional guidance […]
Big Changes in Social Security and Retirement Plans for 2018
From 401(k) plans to individual retirement accounts to Social Security, the federal government has been busy in recent weeks adjusting numbers for 2018. Whether you’re an employee or business owner, senior management or nonexempt staff, […]
What to Do After the Hurricane
Those pictures you see from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma – ordinary people out there in waist-high water, rescuing both their neighbours and strangers, coming from other states and other counties – demonstrate yet again not only the resilience of Americans but our decency in reaching out to others without a thought to personal safety.
Hobby vs. Business: Where Do You Draw the Line?
What’s in a word? A world of tax consequences when the word is “business” or “hobby.”
In a nutshell: If you and the IRS determine that an activity is a business, you’ll owe taxes on profits and will be allowed to deduct expenses for conducting that business. But if your passion for, say, making quilts is a “hobby,” you cannot deduct the fabric, thread, needles and labor needed to make the bedclothes.
Identifying the Right Time to Start Taking Social Security
What is full retirement age to collect Social Security?
Previously, you could retire early and begin collecting reduced benefits at age 62. Otherwise, you could wait until you were 65 to collect. Now, however, depending on the year you were born, many people won’t reach full retirement age until age 65, 66, or even 67. People born in 1937 or earlier, reach full retirement age at 65. For those born in 1938 or later, the magic age rises gradually to 67.
