Planes, Yachts & Automobiles: Depreciation Rules for Listed Property Under IRC §280F
Is that business jet, RV, yacht or luxury automobile really deductible?
This course tackles the tricky terrain of listed property depreciation, helping tax professionals navigate IRC §280F with confidence and clarity. Whether your client is flying high, cruising the coast, or hitting the highway, this session will help you determine what qualifies, what doesn’t, and how to keep the IRS at bay.
In this course, you’ll learn how to:
- Apply the Qualified Business Use (QBU) tests for aircraft, automobiles, yachts, and RVs.
- Distinguish between personal use and deductible business use.
- Calculate depreciation limits and apply ADS when needed.
- Avoid costly depreciation recapture under §280F(b).
- Meet the strict substantiation requirements of IRC §274(d).
- Handle entertainment use, commuting rules, and luxury vehicle caps.
Who should attend:
CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals advising clients with high-value transportation assets, especially those in industries with mobile operations or luxury perks.
2 CPE hours
Thriving with Less IRS: Smart Self-Help Strategies for Tax Pros
The IRS continues to face significant staffing reductions, leaving tax professionals and taxpayers to rely increasingly on self-help tools and digital services. This session explores practical ways to navigate IRS resource constraints by leveraging online accounts, secure communication platforms, and other technology-driven solutions. Participants will gain strategies to streamline compliance, improve client outcomes, and reduce frustration while maintaining high professional standards. The presentation also highlights external resources — from advocacy groups to professional networks — that can strengthen tax practice in an era of limited IRS capacity.
In this course, you will be able to:
- Describe how IRS staffing challenges affect taxpayer service and practitioner interactions.
- Identify the most effective IRS self-help tools and digital resources for resolving client issues.
- Apply practical strategies to streamline compliance and communication with the IRS.
Who should attend:
CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals advising clients with the IRS.
1 CPE hour
Unpaid Payroll Taxes: A Time Bomb You Can Defuse
Description: Unpaid payroll taxes and missing payroll tax returns can create the severest of financial pains and result in possible prison time, but most employers are not aware of it until it is too late. It’s a time bomb that will detonate if ignored, leaving its victims devastated from the aftermath. The civil penalties alone can be approximately 50% of the tax due alone and can be assessed personally against the business owner and others. The good news is that the time bomb can be defused if the right actions are taken by the tax professional before it is too late.
Although the small business owner doesn’t have malice or evil desires, the IRS doesn’t take lightly unpaid payroll taxes and it has great powers and authority to collect. And when the employer is caught by the IRS years later, the damage has already been done. Businesses can be closed. Friendships can be strained. Marriages sometimes end in divorce.
Tax professionals must understand the responsibilities and potential civil and criminal implications for unpaid payroll taxes. The better they understand, the better they can help their clients mitigate risk, and protect their firms from civil penalties. This course will help the CPA evaluate their client’s payroll tax problems and advise their client on the best path to resolving the tax debt.
Program Content: The major topics covered in this class include:
- The common statutes guiding the assessment and collection of payroll taxes.
- “Responsible party” and how it relates to the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty.
- The steps of the TFRP process
- The various civil penalties for unpaid payroll taxes.
- Seven options to resolve tax debts.
- How IRS evaluates and investigates employment tax fraud.
Learning Objectives: After attending this presentation, you will be able to…
- Recall the common statutes guiding the assessment and collection of payroll taxes.
- Recognize when someone is a candidate for the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty.
- Create a plan to defend a taxpayer against the TFRP.
- Identify the criteria the IRS uses to evaluate collection potential.
- Implement a strategy to resolve tax debts.
Who should attend: CPAs with clients who have small businesses; payroll tax return preparers.
2 CPE hours