Worker Classification & 1099 Compliance Guide
Jessica I. Marschall, CPA, ISA AM, October 21st, 2025 Worker Classification: IRS Framework The IRS uses a three-factor test to determine worker status: If you retain the right to control work details, the worker is generally an employee. Key tool: Form SS-8 requests IRS determination. The IRS maintains a searchable database of redacted determinations for […]
Read MoreFinishing Extension Season: Clients and Businesses Face Significantly Rising Healthcare Costs as ACA Premium Tax Credits Near Expiration
Jessica I. Marschall, CPA October 15th, 2025 As we finish extension season, it is clear that our clients and their businesses are not prepared for the significantly rising healthcare costs that are already implemented due to rising costs, but this is especially important if the Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits expire. If Congress does […]
Read MoreThe Strategic Advantage of Separating Rental Properties into Individual LLCs
By Jessica I. Marschall, CPAOctober 12, 2025 As a CPA advising real estate investors, one of the most critical structural decisions I discuss with clients is how to hold rental properties within limited liability companies (LLCs). While forming a single LLC to hold multiple properties may seem simpler and more cost-effective, the strategy of placing […]
Read MoreEstimated Income Taxes: What They Are, When They Are Due, and How to Stay in the Safe Harbor
Understanding Pay-As-You-Go Taxation The U.S. income tax system operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, requiring taxpayers to remit taxes throughout the year rather than in a single annual payment. When sufficient tax is not paid during the year through withholding or quarterly estimated payments, the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §6654 imposes an addition to tax—essentially a […]
Read MorePreferred Returns vs. Guaranteed Payments: Why Drafting Your Operating Agreement Correctly Matters
Jessica I. Marschall, CPA September 24th, 2025 When raising capital through an LLC or partnership, it is common for investors to negotiate a “preferred return.” For example, a 15 percent annual rate on contributed capital, plus the potential for additional upside. The hidden risk is that if not structured properly, that preferred return could be […]
Read MoreReal Estate Provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: What Developers, Investors, and Owners Need to Know
Jessica I. Marschall, CPA, ISA AM August 30th, 2025 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025 as Public Law 119-21, represents the most comprehensive tax overhaul for the real estate industry since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This legislation permanently extends key TCJA provisions while […]
Read MoreOBBBA 2025: Expensing Software Development Costs Under New Section 174A—Still Consider Amortization?
By Jessica I. Marschall, CPA, ISA AM The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) enacted significant changes to the treatment of research and development (R&D) expenditures, including software development. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, domestic software development costs that qualify as R&D may be immediately expensed rather than capitalized. This represents a […]
Read MoreResearch and Development Incentives After the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Clarifying the Deduction and the Credit
By Jessica I. Marschall, CPA, ISA AMJuly 17th, 2025 The federal tax code provides two distinct benefits for taxpayers who engage in qualified research and development (R&D) activities: the R&D deduction under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 174 and the R&D tax credit under IRC Section 41. While they may appear similar in purpose, these […]
Read MoreThe One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Expanded QSBS Benefits and Pro-Business Tax Reforms
By Jessica I. Marschall, CPAJuly 8, 2025 The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers a comprehensive package of federal tax reforms aimed at accelerating small business formation, investment activity, and long-term capital growth. Among its most impactful provisions are the enhancements to Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) under Internal Revenue Code Section 1202, […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Opportunity Zone Tax Incentives and Qualified Opportunity Funds
By Jessica I. Marschall, CPAPresident, MAS LLCJuly 7, 2025 Introduction Since their introduction under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity Zones have emerged as a powerful tool to encourage long-term investment in economically distressed communities. These provisions offer significant tax advantages to individuals and entities willing to reinvest capital gains into designated […]
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