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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
Section 197 Intangibles: Amortization Rules for Acquired Intangible Assets
When you acquire a business, most intangible assets must be amortized over 15 years under IRC §197 — regardless of their actual useful life. Understanding which assets qualify, which are excluded, and how anti-churning rules apply is essential for buyers and sellers alike.
Goodwill in a Business Sale: Tax Basis, Personal Goodwill, and the Allocation Battle
Goodwill is often the largest asset in a business sale — and one of the most contested. Whether goodwill is enterprise goodwill or personal goodwill, and how it is allocated in the purchase price, can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in after-tax proceeds.
Partnership Rollover Equity: Tax Treatment, Disguised Sales, and the 721 Exchange
When a business owner sells to a private equity buyer and rolls over a portion of the proceeds into the acquiring partnership, the tax treatment depends on whether the transaction is structured as a contribution or a disguised sale. Getting it wrong triggers immediate gain recognition.
Installment Sales: Deferring Gain, Calculating Gross Profit Ratio, and Avoiding the Traps
An installment sale lets you spread gain recognition over the years you receive payments — but the rules governing interest, depreciation recapture, related-party sales, and the installment obligation at death are more complex than most sellers expect.
Expat Tax Returns: Filing Requirements, FEIE, FTC, and the Bona Fide Residence Test
U.S. citizens living abroad must file U.S. tax returns regardless of where they live or where their income is earned. But the foreign earned income exclusion, foreign tax credit, and treaty provisions can dramatically reduce — or eliminate — the U.S. tax owed.
FATCA Explained: Form 8938, Foreign Financial Asset Reporting, and Penalties
FATCA requires U.S. persons with specified foreign financial assets above certain thresholds to file Form 8938 with their tax return. It operates alongside — but separately from — the FBAR, and the penalties for non-compliance are severe.
Cross-Border Business Operations: U.S. Tax Rules for International Expansion
Expanding a U.S. business internationally — or a foreign business into the U.S. — triggers a complex set of tax obligations: entity selection, transfer pricing, Subpart F income, GILTI, BEAT, and permanent establishment risk. Here is the framework.
Disguised Sale Rules: When a Partnership Contribution Is Treated as a Taxable Sale
Contributing property to a partnership and receiving a distribution back can trigger the disguised sale rules under IRC § 707(a)(2)(B) — turning what looks like a tax-free contribution into a fully taxable transaction.
Inventory Allocation in a Business Sale: How Purchase Price Allocation Affects Ordinary Income
In an asset sale, inventory is allocated under IRC § 1060 and taxed as ordinary income — not capital gain. Understanding how inventory is valued and allocated can significantly affect the after-tax proceeds for both buyer and seller.