Practical tax guidance, in plain language.
Articles by Harry H. Holmes, EA on the questions we hear most often — from year-end planning to responding to an IRS notice.
The topics we're writing about first.
Rather than fill this page with generic syndicated tax content, we're publishing original guidance from Harry as it's approved. Below is the outline in progress — let us know which of these you'd read first.
01
Tax opportunities commonly missed
Where individual and small-business filers most often leave legitimate deductions and credits on the table.
02
Recordkeeping that protects your deductions
Simple habits that hold up under IRS scrutiny — and stop end-of-year scrambling.
03
Planning before December 31
Decisions that must be made in the current tax year, not at filing time.
04
Multistate filing basics
How residency, domicile, and remote work interact with state tax returns.
05
Moving between California and Florida
What actually changes on your return when you relocate — and what has to happen before December.
06
Rental-property taxation
Depreciation, passive-loss rules, and the records that make an audit uneventful.
07
Small-business bookkeeping
The monthly rhythm that makes tax time short and planning conversations useful.
08
Responding to an IRS notice
The first seven days after a notice arrives — what to do, and what not to do.
09
Avoiding repeat tax problems
The three structural fixes that stop the same balance-due letter from arriving next year.
Hot on the Trail of Every Deduction
Let Holmes take a closer look.
Start with a review. We'll examine the return you filed, the situation in front of you, and the opportunities most preparers never open up.