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Guides · US Tax

US Tax guides

364 plain-English guides on us tax, each one ending in what to do next.

All Cross-BorderUS TaxCanadian TaxSmall Business & BookkeepingCFO & AdvisoryTax Planning

Page 13 of 16, newest first.

US Tax

Hotel Acquisition Tax Planning: Due Diligence, Purchase Price Allocation, and Day-One Structuring

The IRC 1060 purchase price allocation drives how much of a hotel you can expense in year one. Due diligence checklist and day-one structuring.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Bookkeeping and USALI: Chart of Accounts and Financial Reporting

If a hotel is managed by a third party, flagged under a major brand, or financed with a commercial mortgage.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Cost Segregation: Accelerated Depreciation for Hotel Properties

A cost segregation study can reclassify 20-40% of a hotel's building cost into shorter-lived assets eligible for bonus depreciation.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Entity Structure: LLC, S-Corp, and Management Company Arrangements

Most hotel owners end up with more entities than they expected, and that is usually the correct outcome rather than a sign of overcomplication.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Franchise Fees, Brand Standards, and PIP Tax Treatment

Hotel franchise fees split into a 15-year Section 197 intangible, deductible royalties under IRC 162, and PIP costs classified by asset type.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Occupancy Tax: Transient Lodging Tax Compliance and Reporting

Hotel occupancy tax (also called transient lodging tax, hotel tax, room tax, or bed tax depending on where you operate) is a tax that state, county.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Payroll: Tipped Employees, Overtime, and Seasonal Labor Compliance

Hotel payroll runs 30-45% of revenue and spans tip credits, FICA tip credit, overtime exemptions, seasonal FUTA rules, and banquet service charges.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Property Tax: Assessment Methods, Appeals Process, and Abatement Programs

Property tax is typically the largest single fixed cost a hotel faces, surpassing insurance, franchise fees, and management fees in most markets.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Renovation and PIP Tax Treatment: Repair vs CapEx, QIP, and the FF&E Reserve

Most hotel PIP dollars belong on 15-year QIP or 7-year FF&E schedules with 100% bonus depreciation; only structural work stays on 39 years.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Hotel Tax Deductions: FF&E, OTA Commissions, Amenities, and What Most Owners Miss

Hotel owners can deduct FF&E through bonus depreciation, OTA commissions as ordinary expenses, and most guest amenity costs.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IOLTA Trust Accounting for Law Firms: The Three-Way Reconciliation and Common Violations

Client money goes in a separate trust account, gets reconciled three ways every month, and earned fees come out promptly.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Accuracy-Related Penalty (20%): The Reasonable Cause Defense

How the IRS 20% accuracy-related penalty works under IRC 6662, when it applies, and the reasonable cause defense that can remove it.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS CDP (Collection Due Process) Hearing: When to Request and What to Expect

When and how to request a Collection Due Process hearing from the IRS, the 30-day deadline, what you can challenge.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Correspondence Audit Response: Templates for the 5 Most Common Scenarios

How to respond to an IRS correspondence audit (CP2000, CP2501, letter 566). Most IRS audits are not the sit-down-with-an-agent kind.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Criminal vs Civil Tax Investigation: The Warning Signs

How to tell if an IRS audit is turning criminal. On one side: adjustments, penalties, and a payment plan.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Equitable Relief: The Innocent Spouse Alternative When You Don't Qualify

Equitable relief is the third type of innocent spouse relief, and it is often the only option available.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Innocent Spouse Relief: Building a Case with Form 8857

When one spouse's tax problems create a joint liability, Form 8857 offers three types of innocent spouse relief.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Lien vs Levy: What Each Means and How to Remove Each

The difference between an IRS federal tax lien and an IRS levy. A lien and a levy are not the same thing, and confusing them leads to wrong decisions.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Passport Revocation for Tax Debt: The $62,000 Threshold

Since 2018, the IRS can certify a taxpayer's seriously delinquent tax debt to the State Department, which then denies passport applications.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Statute of Limitations: The 3-Year, 6-Year, 10-Year, and Unlimited Rules

IRS statutes of limitation for assessment and collection. The 3-year, 6-year, 10-year, and unlimited rules, plus the tolling events that extend each one.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service: When Form 911 Actually Works

When and how to use the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service. It is not a shortcut, not an appeals process, and not a complaint hotline.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Billing and Collections: Billing Cycles, Payment Terms, Fee Disputes, and AR Management

Law firms write off 10-15% of recorded time before billing, then collect only 85-90% of what they bill.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Bookkeeping: Chart of Accounts, Client Cost Advances, and Monthly Close

The chart of accounts must reflect all of this, or the financial statements will not tell the partners how the firm is actually performing.

Aug 27, 2026
US Tax

Law Firm Client Trust Interest: IOLTA Reporting, Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts, and Tax Implications

IOLTA interest goes to the state bar foundation, not the lawyer or client. Before IOLTA, these funds sat in non-interest-bearing trust accounts.

Aug 27, 2026