The phrase "IRS Audit" is made up of eight letters. Few pairs of four-letter words pack the punch of finding out that you've been selected for an IRS audit. In recent years, the IRS has increased the number of tax returns they are looking at. What are your chances of being audited in the near future? One of the biggest concerns of the IRS these days is the "tax gap", which is the difference between the total taxes that should have been remitted and the amount of tax revenues actually collected. The IRS most recently estimated the tax gap for 2001 and determined that tax revenues fell short by approximately $345 billion that year. During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss who the IRS is currently targeting for their audits, what documentation the IRS will request if you are audited, and what you should do if you receive notification from the IRS that your tax return is under examination.

Basic Estate Planning

Being self-employed has lots of advantages. For starters, you get to be your own boss, make your own hours, and decide how hard you want to work. Plus, there are quite a few lucrative tax breaks available to people who work for themselves.

Whether you work for yourself on a full-time basis, or just do some consulting and moonlighting on the side, are you taking full advantage of the tax breaks that are available to you? During this hour, Andrew and his guests will explore the tax savings opportunities available to you if you’re self-employed.

Back in the old days, saving for a child's college education was much simpler. Not only was sending a child to college more affordable, but there were also a lot fewer college savings options available. You either socked away as much money as possible in your savings account, or, during the pre-"kiddie tax" days that ended in 1986, you might have opened an account in your child's name. These days, you now need to decide between 529 Plans, Coverdell ESAs, and saving money in your own name. You also need to navigate through the tax code to decide whether to claim the Lifetime Learning or Hope Education Tax Credits, the non-taxability of US Government Bond interest, or certain other deductions or credits that pop up from time to time. During this hour, Andrew and his guests will explore the different tax-advantaged ways to save for your child’s college education, and the various tax breaks available to you once you begin paying for college.

To incorporate or not to incorporate? It's an age-old question. One Hamlet probably asked to his CPA on more than one occasion, assuming he did some moonlighting or consulting on the side. In certain instances, creating a business entity is a must. If you open a business with another person or have other professionals working for you, you'll want set up your business as either a corporation or a Limited Liability Company (LLC) to protect yourself from your co-workers mistakes. And if you're worried about potential product liability, or want to protect against certain other risks, then incorporating might be the way to go. But what if you earn a good salary each year, and then earn some extra money on the side by moonlighting or consulting? Does it make sense to incorporate? During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss many of the tax breaks and pitfalls associated with incorporating your business.

When deciding how to invest your money, don't get stuck holding the fad bag. While some people may make oodles of money while an investment fad remains in vogue, most end up losing the bulk of what they invest when the fad turns out to be nothing more than a fraud. One of the earliest investments fads that you read about is the tulip fad back in Holland. Somehow, people were convinced to pay extraordinary sums of money for a flower. While most investment fads don't reach the level of the tulip, by recognizing a fad as nothing more than a fraud, many average investors could have significantly cut their losses by not getting caught up in the hype. During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss the common signs of an investment fad. One of Andrew’s guests is a nutritionist, and together they’ll compare how similar investment fads are with diet fads.

Looking for money to pay your holiday shopping bills? That’s exactly what you’ll get by tuning in to tonight’s show.

Andrew and his guests will start by exploring any remaining last-second tax saving opportunities for 2007. Believe it or not, there are still steps you can take to cut your tax bill.

We’ll then discuss the various ways individuals can save lots of taxes with their retirement accounts, focusing on 401k and 403b accounts at work and IRAs. We’ll also make sure to address the pros and cons of Roth accounts, and whether it makes sense to give up a tax deduction this year in exchange for the promise from the government of tax-free growth.

In the long run, many people might find that real estate makes a nice complement to their portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Even so, owning real estate provides people with unique risks and concerns, including a very specific and relatively complicated set of tax rules.

Whether you own your primary residence, a vacation home, or real estate that you rent out to others, are you aware of the tax breaks and pitfalls affecting you? During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss the tax issues you should understand if you currently own real estate or plan to purchase real estate in the future.

We will also evaluate the red-hot topic known as the "cost segregation study", which is a method you can use to depreciate a portion of the cost of purchasing or improving your building much quicker than over 39 years prescribed by the IRS.

Making New Year's resolutions is a piece of cake, especially after a few glasses of champagne. Following through on your resolutions is much more challenging. Last January 1st, did you make any resolutions concerning your personal finances? If so, how'd you do? Did you attain your financial goals, or was 2007 a total financial washout? The good news about New Year's resolutions is that you get to make new ones each year. During January, invest some time to set your 2008 financial goals, and then set up or adjust your automatic transfers to bring them in line with each of your goals. During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss some attainable and tax-savvy financial planning goals, and steps to take during January to help ensure that you’ll reach your goals.

With energy costs skyrocketing, being green is becoming very trendy. Did you know that back in 2004, Congress passed the Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005 that rewards people for being environmentally friendly? Whether you’ll be purchasing a Hybrid vehicle, making energy efficient improvements to your home or commercial property, or buying a newly constructed energy efficient home, there is a tax credit or deduction waiting for you.

During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss the energy efficient tax breaks available to you, paying close attention to the tax credit for energy efficient home improvements slated to expire on 12/31/07.

Contributing to a retirement plan is one of the best tax shelters available to you during your working years. The money contributed generally saves you taxes today and always grows tax deferred. Plus, with the future of social security up in the air and traditional corporate pension plans on the path towards extinction, contributing to a retirement plan provides some peace of mind that you'll be able to retire comfortably. During this hour, Andrew and his guests will explore the various tax-advantaged retirement savings plans available to people who either work as an employee or are self-employed, small business owners. We will also discuss Roth IRA and 401(k) accounts, and whether you can realistically trust the government to not change the rules down the road.

Whether or not claiming the home office deduction is a red flag with the IRS is an ongoing debate. Even so, most of the recent tax law changes involving the home office rules have gone in the taxpayer's favor. Back in 1999, the tax rules changed making it easier for you to claim the home office deduction. You no longer had to perform your “income producing activity”, such as seeing patients or clients in your home, to qualify. A few years later, the rules were changed again. Under the current rules, if the office is located within your home (and not a separate structure on your property), you will no longer be taxed on the portion of the gain attributable to your home office when you sell your home. During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss the tax breaks and risks associated with the popular Home Office Deduction.

Tax planning is a year round process. Even so, there are still steps you can take to minimize your 2007 tax burden as the year winds down. Remember, once the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, most tax saving opportunities pull a “Cinderella’s carriage” and become as useless as a pumpkin. Have you thought about what you should be doing during the final few weeks of December to cut your taxes? During this hour, Andrew and his guests will discuss a variety of easy-to-implement year-end tax saving opportunities.