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Tax Cafe — Autarky Tax and Accounting
Autarky Tax & Accounting
Tax Cafe
Practical guides, tax planning strategies, and accounting insights from our CPAs and Enrolled Agents
NIL & Student-Athlete Tax
Individual Tax · Jun 24, 2026
NIL Earners & Student-Athletes: Your Complete Tax Guide
International Tax · Jul 23, 2026
International Student-Athletes, NIL Income, U.S. Tax Residency, and FIRPTA
International Tax · Jul 24, 2026
O-1A and P-1A Athletes: The Only NIL Solutions for International Collegiate Athletes
Individual Tax · Jul 25, 2026
The Jock Tax and NIL: How State Income Taxes Follow Student-Athletes Across State Lines
NIL & Student-Athlete Tax · Jul 27, 2026
The Arizona Sports Agency Landscape: Who Protects Your Wealth?
NIL & Student-Athlete Tax · Jul 27, 2026
NIL Isn't Free: What Every Student-Athlete Should Know Before Signing
110 posts
The IRS Second Examination Rule: Protection Against Repeated Audits Under IRC §7605(b)
IRC §7605(b) generally limits the IRS to one inspection of a taxpayer''s books of account for each taxable year. But the rule is frequently misunderstood — it is not an absolute prohibition against any later IRS action involving the same year.
IRS Penalty Abatement: First-Time Abatement, Reasonable Cause, and Statutory Exceptions
IRS penalties can add 20–25% or more to an already painful tax bill. But the IRS has formal procedures for reducing or eliminating penalties — and most taxpayers never ask. Here is how penalty abatement works and when you qualify.
IRS Collection Alternatives: Installment Agreements, Offers in Compromise, and Currently Not Collectible Status
When you owe the IRS more than you can pay immediately, collection alternatives can protect you from enforced collection while you resolve the liability. Here is how installment agreements, offers in compromise, and CNC status work — and how to choose the right one.
IRS Appeals Rights: How to Challenge an IRS Determination Without Going to Court
The IRS Independent Office of Appeals offers taxpayers a formal, non-judicial forum to resolve tax disputes. Understanding your appeals rights — and the deadlines that govern them — is essential before accepting any IRS examination result.
IRS Audit Reconsideration: How to Reopen a Closed Examination
If the IRS assessed additional tax after an audit you did not fully participate in — or if you have new documentation that was not considered — audit reconsideration may allow you to reduce or eliminate the liability without going to Tax Court.
Final-Year Trust and Estate Deductions: What Terminates and What Passes Through
When a trust or estate terminates, certain deductions that could not be used during administration pass through to the beneficiaries on their final K-1. Understanding which deductions survive termination — and how to claim them — can produce significant tax savings.
Distributable Net Income: How Trust and Estate Distributions Are Taxed
Distributable net income (DNI) is the central concept governing whether income is taxed to a trust or estate versus its beneficiaries. Getting it wrong produces mismatched K-1s, IRS notices, and unnecessary tax at compressed trust rates.
Basis of Inherited Assets: The Step-Up Rule, Its Limits, and Planning Implications
IRC §1014 gives inherited assets a stepped-up basis equal to fair market value at death — permanently eliminating decades of unrealized gain. But the rule has important exceptions, and not all inherited assets qualify.
Foreign Inheritance Reporting: Form 3520, FBAR, and the Tax Rules for Inherited Foreign Assets
Receiving an inheritance from a foreign person triggers reporting obligations that have nothing to do with whether you owe tax. Missing Form 3520 or FBAR can result in penalties that dwarf the value of the inheritance itself.