Steven Cashiola Steven Cashiola

New 2026 Disaster Tax Law: Casualty Losses and Wildfire Relief

New federal disaster tax legislation expands deductions for qualifying casualty losses and excludes certain wildfire relief payments from taxable income. Learn how Public Law 119-108 affects 2025 and 2026 disaster losses, wildfire settlements, deduction limits, California taxes, and the October 15, 2026, election deadline.

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Steven Cashiola Steven Cashiola

IRS Challenges Section 351 ETF Conversions of Appreciated Stock

Revenue Ruling 2026-20 treats a specific Section 351 ETF conversion involving appreciated securities as a taxable exchange. Learn how the ruling applies, which ETF transactions it does not address, and what Notice 2026-62 means for investors considering portfolio diversification strategies.

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Individual Tax Strategies Steven Cashiola Individual Tax Strategies Steven Cashiola

Trump Accounts Are Now Automatic: What Families Need to Know in 2026

Treasury has automatically established Trump Accounts for eligible children, changing the process families originally expected to follow through Form 4547. Learn how claiming an account works, why the $1,000 federal contribution still requires separate action, and how family, employer, and charitable contributions are treated.

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Individual Tax Strategies Steven Cashiola Individual Tax Strategies Steven Cashiola

Selling Farmland? How Section 1062 Can Spread Federal Tax Over Four Years

Section 1062 allows qualifying farmland sellers to spread the federal income tax attributable to certain sales over four annual payments. New proposed regulations explain the 10 year farm use test, qualified farmer requirement, required covenant, filing rules, Section 453 interaction, and other planning considerations. California does not conform to the federal election.

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Steven Cashiola Steven Cashiola

IRS CP14 Balance Due Notice: Is the IRS Balance Correct?

An IRS CP14 notice demands payment of an assessed tax balance, but the amount should be verified before you pay or enter a payment arrangement. Missing payments, incorrect tax year applications, prior adjustments, penalties, and interest can all affect the balance.

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Steven Cashiola Steven Cashiola

IRS CP2000 Notice: What It Means and How to Respond

An IRS CP2000 notice proposes changes when third party tax information does not match a filed return. Before agreeing or paying, determine whether the IRS correctly accounted for basis, expenses, prior reporting, corrected information, penalties, and the actual tax treatment of the transaction.

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