When to Trust Your Gut – and How to Listen to It
I once heard a story about a woman addressing a group; her subject was gut instinct. One day, she was leaving her house for a busy morning. As she locked her door, something told her she’d better go back and unplug her old toaster. But she was running late and had left the toaster plugged […]
Q3 Is Your Secret Weapon as a Business Owners – Don’t Waste It!
The end of any year’s second quarter marks a lot of things which don’t directly have to do with business. The kids are out of school, maybe off to summer camp, maybe not. Either way, isn’t a summer vacation just what we need? By all means, go for it! Carpe diem! . But when you return, […]
One Big Beautiful Bill: New Tax Law!
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, makes sweeping changes to the tax code, though some of the provisions merely make permanent items from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. The bill touches almost every aspect of taxation; we can’t cover them all, but […]
2025 Tax Changes for Louisiana!
In December of 2024, Governor Jeff Landy signed into law a legislative package comprising numerous bills and making sweeping changes to the Louisiana tax code and its applications to both individuals and corporations. Some of the more significant highlights include: Individual Income Taxes The three-tier calculation (1.85%, 3.5%, and 4.25% for tax years 2022 through […]
One Big Beautiful Bill: Proposed Senate Changes to House Tax Provisions
On Monday, June 16, 2025, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee (Committee) released its preferred vision of proposed tax changes for the budget reconciliation bill Congress hopes to pass by July 4, 2025. The Senate is considering preparing its own version of the reconciliation bill, in compliance with rules and criteria which would exempt the bill […]
Jazz Fest 2025 – Attendance Was Down, But the Music Lifts Us All Higher!
Many have noted the downtick in attendance at this year’s Jazz Fest―especially the first Thursday and Friday. Overall attendance was about 460,000, down from last year’s total of around 500,000. But last year offered The Rolling Stones’ first-ever appearance at the festival. It was also lower than 2022’s 475,000 tally, but that followed two years […]
Revised House Reconciliation Bill = Tax Benefits!
As we discussed last week, early on the morning of Thursday, May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives (House) narrowly passed, by a vote of 215-214, a revised reconciliation bill, which will now go to the U.S. Senate. To get the revised bill passed, the House waived a clause in its rules which requires […]
Real Estate Investors Benefit via New House Reconciliation Bill’s Tax Changes
Early Thursday morning, May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives (House) passed, by a vote of 215-214 (quite the squeaker!), a revised 2025 reconciliation bill, incorporating changes to the tax code from the House Ways and Means Committee, Budget Committee, etc. The House bill will now proceed to the U.S. Senate. Most of the […]
Self-Employed? Avoid These IRS Audit Flags – Part II
As promised, here is Part II of our tips for Schedule C filers and other small business owners on avoiding triggers that make an IRS audit likelier. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that the IRS will not audit you, as a business, even if you’ve been scrupulous. However, there are some things small business owners […]
Self-Employed? Avoid These IRS Audit Flags – Part I
Many entrepreneurs file their tax returns as self-employed individuals, reporting their business income and deductions on Schedule C within their personal tax returns. While we generally recommend against this practice, most entrepreneurs are, in our opinion, better protected by establishing S Corporations, LLCs, or partnerships for their businesses; there may be good reasons in individual […]