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For years, crypto tax reporting has lived in a strange world where taxpayers were expected to self-report everything while the IRS had limited third-party visibility. That era is ending.

Starting with 2025 transactions, custodial crypto platforms must begin reporting certain digital asset sales and exchanges on a new IRS information return: Form 1099-DA (Digital Asset Proceeds From Broker Transactions).

That means more taxpayers will receive crypto tax forms that look and feel a lot like the brokerage forms we have dealt with for decades.

Convenient? Eventually.

Pain-free? Do not get carried away.

With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025, there's the ability to receive a deduction for overtime pay from your federal tax obligation. Here's a recap of the rule and several tax tips to ensure you receive the full benefit of the deduction.

OBBBA adds a temporary, targeted deduction for tips. It’s not a universal no tax on tips. Many tipped amounts are still taxable, and payroll taxes still apply.

Here’s the clean, CFO-level breakdown:

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) makes tip income tax-free. But as with any new tax law, the fine print matters, and some of these details still need clarification.

Here is what you should know.

With the pending tariffs and turbulent markets, the last thing on most taxpayers minds is tax planning. But in the midst of all this turmoil is the potential for tax saving activity available to those willing to plan accordingly. Here is what you need to know.

While more and more legislation is introduced that penalizes all of us for doing things wrong on our tax returns, please remember that at its origin, tax collection in the U.S. is voluntary. In other words, the tax code is defined, we are given due dates, and the government asks us to voluntarily comply.

When you don’t, there are late filing penalties, underpayment penalties, fines, fees, interest and other imposed compliance incentives including audits. To help guide Congress and the Treasury Department, there are ongoing studies conducted to try to calculate the trends in non-compliance.

Now Is the Time to Make Estimated Tax Payments.

If you have not already done so, now is the time to review your tax situation and make an estimated quarterly tax payment using Form 1040-ES. The 4th quarter due date for the 2025 tax year is due on or before January 15, 2026.

With kids now back in college, the fact of higher educational costs is impossible to ignore.

As you or your child navigates campus, you are now in position to start navigating the possible tax implications of your new-found college expense.

Outlined here are three of the more popular ways to reduce your taxes in 2025 as a result of this educational expense burden.

Hackers and data thieves target personally identifiable information or (PII). They also know their best score can be had by filing information using your tax ID and stealing your withholdings before you are the wiser. But by working together, we can mutually reduce the risk of this happening to you. Here are some tips:

As part of your planning for next year, now is the time to review funding your retirement accounts in 2026. Recent cost of living calculations means much higher contribution limits for next year. So plan now to take full advantage of this tax benefit. Here are annual contribution limits for the more popular programs:

Overview

Subject: The Hidden Benefits of Filing a Gift Tax Return (Form 709) in 2026

If you’ve made larger gifts to family or others, you may be required to file a federal gift tax return (Form 709), even if you don’t owe any actual gift tax.

Filing can feel like extra paperwork, but it also provides important protection and clarity for you and your estate.

The IRS has issued 282 pages of proposed digital asset reporting regulations, along with official IRS explanation of the provisions, which cover a range of digital asset issues where there have been questions. Issues addressed include expansive definitions of brokers and a requirement that proceeds from the sale of digital assets be reported to the IRS starting in 2026, on new Form 1099-DA for transactions on, or after January 1, 2025.

As required by law, in every Form 1040 instruction booklet there's a section that shows where our federal government gets its money and where it is spent. As taxpayers it makes sense to know this information.

Here is the data for the government's fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, as reported by the IRS in the 2024 instruction booklet for Form 1040:

Throughout the year, natural disasters can strike unexpectedly, from wildfires to hurricanes, and the aftermath often leaves communities in need of support. While the urge to help is strong, it’s important to ensure that the organizations you donate to are legitimate and not scams.

Additionally, while fewer taxpayers are itemizing deductions, those who do want to make sure their charitable contributions are legitimate for tax purposes. Here are some tips on how to research organizations before donating your funds, no matter the time of year.

California has a weird hobby: taking normal business relationships and turning them into legal trivia contests with expensive prizes. If you hire independent contractors (ICs) in California, you’re operating in a world shaped by Dynamex and AB 5 (plus later amendments). The big takeaway is simple: California starts from suspicion, not trust. Your job is to structure the relationship so it can survive scrutiny.

This post is a practical, more generic overview of how California looks at ICs, what the main “tests” are, and how the carve-outs work in real life.