» LeClair L. Flaherty

The IRS doesn’t like it when debts are cancelled. When a lender forgives a loan, the tax code generally treats the amount of cancelled debt as income to the borrower, who then pays income tax on that amount. Fortunately, there are some exceptions t… Read More

Telephone scammers have gotten pretty sophisticated. Tim and I got a phone message the other day from an individual who claimed to be from the IRS. He sounded professional and left his title and surname, IRS badge number and a message laced with just… Read More

Extraordinary generosity and compassion have been enduring hallmarks of American culture for many generations, but the spirit of American benevolence particularly shines at this time of year. Perhaps it’s the good will that accompanies the holiday… Read More

The first day of school always results in a large stack of forms sitting on my desk at home, waiting to be completed and returned. Sifting through this year’s stack, I found a request for updated immunization records for my 7th and 9th graders, pur… Read More

I love dogs! As a bona fide dog person, I was delighted to learn of amazing new technology that uses facial recognition to reunite lost dogs with their owners. The technology is available to the public for free through the Finding Rover app and the F… Read More

As surely as the warm weather brings vacations, barbecues and fireworks, it also brings inquiries from parents preparing to send their children off to college in the fall. Most commonly, our clients call about getting general and health care powers o… Read More

A criminal conviction can make it difficult for a person to find good work, or even to gain access to higher education, long after a sentence has been served. In recognition of the significant consequences that can flow from having a felony convictio… Read More

Although we don’t prepare income tax returns in our office, I am frequently asked about the tax consequences of various types of gifts. The general rule is that all gifts are taxable unless they fit into an exception. Fortunately, the exceptions ar… Read More