The Retirement Tax Podcast

In this episode, Ben peppers Steven with questions about a recent IRS audit he participated in. Steven shares the ins and outs of going through an IRS audit, best practices for the actual process, and why it's so important to take the "straight face" approach to taxes whether you ever get audited or not. Listen in as Ben asks questions you've probably always had, and Steven takes some of the mystery out of what an IRS audit can be like. No, they aren't fun, but they don't have to be scary.

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In this episode Ben and Steven talk about the weather (it was only a quick tangent, we promise), the upcoming election and the kind of tax planning that will get a professional sued. As always they are focused on helping people consistently do the little things over time that add up to a big difference and help listeners tune out the noise and confusion that inevitably comes with an election year, including on tax topics. Steven and Ben also answer a listener question, which we love receiving so keep sending them in.

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With only a few weeks until the election, Ben and Steven share their thoughts on how you should change your tax planning based on who wins. Spoiler Alert: regardless of the outcome of the election, you are most likely going to keep doing the same foundational things. Tax laws change; it's normal. The people who do their best to minimize their lifetime tax bill take a proactive, long-term approach, and that means not overreacting to headlines and sound bites. Listen in as Ben and Steven share their thoughts on how to navigate uncertainty on taxes.

Ben and Steven are back and in this episode they are helping you get ready for the end of the year. With 91 days until 2025 there are still actions you can take but it pays to get started and avoid the end of the year crunch. In addition to sharing tax planning strategies you should be thinking about Steven shares some of the most common "bumps" he sees DIY taxpayers run into and how you can avoid them.

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The dynamic duo are back together to discuss the IRS's latest "change" to tax rules. This isn't a new topic but the IRS has recently "finalized" the rules originally proposed years ago around inherited IRAs. Ben and Steven provide insight for how to think about inherited IRAs, the the 10 year rule, the value of long term planning and the requirements around required minimum distributions

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In this episode Ben is generous enough to share a personal tax experience to help all our listeners better understand a confusing topic: real estate. Listen in as Ben and Steven talk through the details of Ben's real estate journey including the taxes along with other pieces people don't always think about when they are trying to decide if an investment was in fact "a good deal". Most people just look at "how much did I pay for it and how much can I sell it for" but that leaves out the cost of ownership each year and the potential tax liability. With taxes there is almost always more to the puzzle.

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In this episode Ben and Steven share stories about everyone's favorite Office couple "Jim and Pam" and some of the tax situations they can find themselves in. More specifically they talk about what you can do when you have a CPA who is unwilling or unable to help you. They both share examples of how this situation can come about and what you can do if you are "lucky" enough to end up on the receiving end of confusing communications from the IRS. As always Steven and Ben give you actionable advice that can help you the next time you are feeling tax puzzled.

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Steven and Ben are back sharing their insight on real world tax situations they have personally helped clients deal with. First, they discuss the unfortunate (but all too common) scenario when two professionals are providing you with different opinions. Ben shares his first-hand experience dealing with this as one of those two professionals and what he learned along the way. They also discuss the challenges that can come up with tax planning when the IRS doesn't seem to understand their own rules. While it's great to have a tax pro Ben and Steven discuss why it's important to understand your responsibility as well. https://zurl.co/3Z6I

In this episode Ben and Steven share insight on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) specifically prompted by listener questions. In addition to covering the basics of what everyone should know about contributing to, investing in and using an HSA, the guys also cover some more unique situations that come up with HSAs. In particular they give you the run through on how using an HSA changes when Medicare comes into the picture. Whether you currently have an HSA or not this episode will provide great insight.

Once again (this is their third year!) Ben and Steven are giving you the highlights of the IRS Dirty Dozen, an annual list of frauds, schemes and scams to be on the look out for. This episode is not meant to scare, just make you aware. Steven and Ben share insight on what's out there and what you can do to help protect yourself from bad actors and unfortunate situations that can pop up. The great news is that there are resources available and you can absolutely the craziness this list represents.

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