This course, recorded on February 4, 2026, provides clear, practical guidance on navigating common tax season challenges affecting individual and small-business returns. Using current 2025 and 2026 tax rules, the course addresses filing accuracy, credit eligibility, deduction limitations, and deadline-driven decisions that frequently impact outcomes.
Participants review issues such as office-in-the-home deductions, dependent and child-related credits, earned income credit limitations, retirement contribution timing, estimated tax planning, digital asset reporting, and foreign account disclosure requirements. The included Q&A portion reinforces key concepts by addressing frequently asked questions and real-world scenarios encountered during tax season.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze extension and estimated tax payment strategies to minimize penalties, interest, and cash-flow disruptions
- Identify and correct common filing errors related to credits, dependents, filing status, and documentation
- Apply current RMD rules and retirement contribution deadlines for the 2025 and 2026 tax years
- Evaluate eligibility and limitations for key credits, deductions, and exclusions commonly claimed on individual returns
- Recognize FBAR and digital asset reporting thresholds and filing obligations
- Implement proactive tax season planning techniques to reduce amended returns and IRS notices
This course counts for 2 Hours of Federal Tax Law for IRS Continuing Education.
About the Presenter:
Doug Stives is considered a worldwide leader in public and management accounting by AICPA & CIMA. He is a CPA, MBA, and recently retired professor of Accounting at Monmouth University and a professional speaker at many organizations and conferences. Doug was honored as Monmouth's Outstanding Business Professor of the Year in 2009, 2016, and 2024 and was awarded an Outstanding Educator award in 2021 by the New Jersey Society of CPAs. Frequent media exposure includes The Wall Street Journal and other national publications and television, including CNN, CNBC, PBS, NBC, Fox, CBS, ABC, and several cable networks. Doug was once dubbed as the "Most Tax Efficient Man in America" by the Wall Street Journal.
