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Flex Tax and Consulting Group

Taxes made simple. We’re here to optimize your taxes, so you save time and money.

Diagram: nonresident sells a partnership interest; section 751 gain changes character only and is sourced to the seller's home state

California Loses Its “Hot Asset” Argument: What a New Ruling Means for Nonresidents Selling a Partnership Interest

A new California ruling sources nonresidents’ gain on a partnership interest sale, including 751 hot-asset gain, to their home state. See who it affects.

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Diagram of a 351 exchange ETF: appreciated stock transferred to a new ETF and redeemed out to an authorized participant, treated as a taxable sale under Rev. Rul. 2026-20

The IRS Just Ruled Against Some 351 Exchange ETFs: What Investors With Concentrated Stock Need to Know

New IRS ruling treats some 351 exchange ETF conversions as taxable sales. See who is affected, what is still allowed and California rules. Book a review.

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Scale AI / Meta Transaction — What That Cash Dividend Actually Means for Your Taxes (Simple Breakdown + Case Study)

If you held shares affected by the Scale AI Meta transaction, you may have received a large Form 1099-DIV. Here is what that cash payment means for your taxes, in plain terms. What we’re seeing with the Scale AI Meta transaction This tax season, we’ve worked through many cases involving transactions like the Scale AI

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Managing Your Assets When Married Filing Separately in Community Property States

Married filing separately works differently in a community property state. Under state law, most income and assets acquired during the marriage belong to both spouses equally. So even when you file separate returns, each spouse usually reports half of the community income. This guide explains how to manage your assets and taxes in that situation.

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Understanding the Correspondence Audit: Simplifying IRS Documentation Requests

Getting an IRS audit letter can be stressful. However, not all audits are the same. A correspondence audit, handled entirely by mail, is the most common type. It is also usually the simplest. Here is what you need to know to handle a correspondence audit well. What is a correspondence audit? In a correspondence audit,

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Understanding Cost Segregation: A Strategic Tax Savings Tool

A cost segregation study can speed up depreciation on real estate you own for business or investment. By moving parts of a property into shorter recovery periods, owners can take larger deductions sooner. This guide explains what a cost segregation study is, who can benefit and how we help. What is a cost segregation study?

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The Strategic Advantages of Being a Real Estate Professional: Tax Implications and Cost Segregation Benefits

Qualifying as a real estate professional for tax purposes can change how your rental losses are treated. Paired with cost segregation, it can also create large deductions against your other income. This guide explains the rules and the benefits. Who qualifies as a real estate professional? Under Section 469(c)(7), you qualify as a real estate

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Unlocking the Benefits of Active Rental Real Estate: A Guide to Tax Implications and Strategies

Many landlords hear that being “active” in rental real estate unlocks tax benefits. That’s partly true. However, the rules use two different terms, active participation and material participation, and they mean different things. This guide explains how active rental real estate is taxed and which benefits you can actually claim. Rental real estate starts out

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Understanding the Tax Advantages of Long-Term Rentals Without Substantial Services

Long-term rentals without substantial services are one of the simplest real estate investments to handle at tax time. They are usually passive activities, reported on Schedule E and free of self-employment tax. This guide covers the tax advantages of long-term rentals and the limits to watch. Reporting long-term rentals on Schedule E You report income

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Understanding Tax Implications for Short-Term Rentals More than 7 days and less than 30 days: Schedule E vs. Schedule C

Short-term rentals with average stays between 8 and 30 days sit in the middle of the tax rules. Depending on the services you provide, your income may be passive rental income on Schedule E or business income on Schedule C. This short-term rental tax guide explains the difference. How average stay length affects short-term rental

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Navigating the Tax Implications of Short-Term Rentals Under 7 Days

Short-term rentals with an average guest stay of seven days or less follow special tax rules. Many owners assume all rental income is passive. However, the IRS treats these short stays differently. This guide explains how short-term rentals under seven days are taxed and what that means for you. Why short-term rentals under seven days

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Elevating Business Finance with Fractional CFO Services

In a competitive market, managing your business finances well is key to steady growth and profit. At Flex Tax and Consulting Group, we offer fractional CFO services that move your financial management from reactive to proactive. That way, your business can do more than survive. It can thrive. What is a fractional CFO? A fractional

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Understanding Legal Compliance for Nonresident Aliens Selling U.S. Property: The Role of ITIN

Selling U.S. real estate as a foreign owner brings special tax rules. Nonresident aliens face FIRPTA withholding, a U.S. tax return and, in most cases, the need for an ITIN. This guide explains each step so you can plan ahead. What is an ITIN and why do nonresident aliens need one? An Individual Taxpayer Identification

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Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Reporting: Who Must File Now

Beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting has changed a lot since it began in 2024. Today, most U.S. businesses no longer need to file. Instead, the rules mainly apply to foreign companies registered to do business in the United States. Here is what beneficial ownership information reporting requires now. What is beneficial ownership information reporting? The

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Understanding Refunds for Excess Withholding Tax and 8288-B Withholding Certificates

When a foreign person sells U.S. real estate, the buyer generally must withhold 15% of the sale price under FIRPTA. This excess withholding often far exceeds the seller’s actual tax. For example, a foreign seller might make a $200,000 profit on a $1.2 million sale. That seller might owe about $30,000 in tax, yet $180,000

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California Equity-Based Compensation

California Equity-Based Compensation Guidelines – Move from CA to Other States

Last reviewed September 30, 2026. The rules below still reflect current California law. Moving out of California can change how your stock awards are taxed. This guide explains California equity compensation rules for restricted stock units (RSUs), incentive stock options (ISOs), nonqualified stock options (NSOs) and employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs). In short, California taxes

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REIT

How to Form a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)

A real estate investment trust (REIT) lets investors own income-producing real estate through shares. REITs get special tax treatment. However, to form a real estate investment trust, a company must meet strict organizational, operational, distribution and compliance rules. Here is a general summary. How a real estate investment trust must be organized A U.S. REIT

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Analyze Personal Finances

How to Analyze Your Current Finances

An earlier version of this article was written with wikiHow and featured on its website. We updated and shortened it for 2026. Before you can improve your financial health, you need to analyze your current finances. Start by tracking your spending for a month. Then look at where most of your money goes. After that,

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Reduce your tax on salary income

How to Reduce Your Taxes on Salary Income

An earlier version of this article was written with wikiHow and featured on its website. We updated it for 2026. If you earn a salary, you still have ways to lower your tax bill. First, you can shrink your taxable salary income with pre-tax contributions to retirement and health accounts. Then you can claim every

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