In the blogs: Of buds and bits

Back to school; a possible bitcoin bubble; good uses for reverse audits; and other highlights from our favorite tax bloggers.

Setting dates

• The Wandering Tax Pro (http://wanderingtaxpro.blogspot.com/): Lesson one for parents of new college students: The U.S. Tax Code provides several benefits to help pay for a college education but you better save that documentation.
• Tax Girl (http://blogs.forbes.com/kellyphillipserb): The start of a new school year and an apparently growing economy make for a busy time for the housing rental market. Here’s what to remind your tenant-clients about possible tax benefits for renters.
• TaxMama (http://taxmama.com): TaxMama reminds all in the gig economy about estimated tax payments being due, and some tips for maintaining both a livelihood and some dignity.
• TurboTax (http://Blog.turbotax.intuit.com): What to tell them when they miss the deadline for paying estimated tax.
• Solutions for CPA Firm Leaders (http://ritakeller.com/blog/): How to combat those late-summer, laid-back lazy days.
• Rubin on Tax (http://rubinontax.floridatax.com): Applicable Federal rates for September.
• John R. Dundon II EA (http://johnrdundon.com/): Fiscal 2018 per diem rates, the standard of which is up two bucks.

Of buds and bits

• Taxable Talk (http://www.taxabletalk.com/): Tulips in 1637 cost more than a house, which in the light of the passed centuries seems downright silly. But are cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin riding a similar silly bubble?
• Don’t Mess With Taxes (http://dontmesswithtaxes.typepad.com/): The U.S. and the U.K.: Two peoples separated by a common language but united in the sharing of similar problems with tax law complexity.
• AG Tax (http://agtax.ca/tax-tips-and-articles): The “Mid-Year Tax Review for Canadian Taxpayers” provides a new perspective on a common American tax tip.
• The Income Tax School (http://www.theincometaxschool.com/blog/): Forget Everything You’ve Been Told Dept.: A look at new guidelines for old passwords.
• Focus (https://sgcpa.com/resources/focus-blog/): Blogger Peter Soman examines the handy-dandy reverse audit to find overpayments that can lead to refunds.

Cases in point

• Due Diligence (http://www.mahanyertl.com/mahanyertl/): In this week’s collection: “SEC Charges FEBC (Federal Employee Benefits Counselors) for Targeting Federal Employees in Variable Annuity Scheme”; “ICBC Prosecution: Intersection of Customs Duty Evasion and Money Laundering”; “Medicare Fraud Investigation – Always Best Care of Michiana.”
• Procedurally Taxing (http://www.procedurallytaxing.com/): Trimmer v. Commissioner provides good news for taxpayers who fail to roll over their IRAs on a timely basis -- and perhaps good news for taxpayers in other circumstances who have a good equitable argument.
• Houston Tax Attorney (http://www.irstaxtrouble.com/category/tax-blog/): Passive activity loss rules can prevent real estate investors from being able to deduct their real estate losses — but rules and how they have been interpreted “draw some known but arbitrary lines in the sand” as addressed in the recent Hickam v. Commissioner.