Do you think you spend too much time on your taxes? In this webinar you’ll learn what are the common missed deductions that real estate agents can overlook. We’ll review tax strategies that can be used for either new or seasoned agents. There will also be opportunities to review different business entities and the impact taxes can have on each. With these tips, this session will help point out ways to pay the least amount to the IRS.

Michael Westwick:

Michael is a licensed Certified Public Account and licensed financial Advisor. He has worked at numerous accounting firms and investment firms before Stitely & Karstetter. Michael is in charge of the individual and small business tax practice at Stitely & Karstetter. Michael is also the Director of Finance for Capitol View Wealth Management. Michael uses his knowledge to help his clients pay the least in taxes and save for retirement. He started his financial advising career working with real estate agents. To date he has set up hundreds of retirement plans for real estate agents and real estate related clients. Michael also serves on the board of directors for the Loudoun Estate planning council and the Dulles Chamber.

Taxes are complicated in the best of times, and the last couple of years have not been the best of times. Constant changes in the tax law, redesign of basic forms, and changes in enforcement priorities have left a lot of people with unexpected tax liabilities, not to mention fines, late fees, and interest. We’ll talk about how to get back on the right foot with tax withholding and reporting, and what to do if you find yourself at odds with the IRS.

• How to avoid owing money: Estimated taxes, managing your withholding, and the importance of filing
• IRS errors: How to spot them; how to handle them
• What if it’s not your fault? Injured spouse and innocent spouse remedies
• Worst-case scenarios: liens, garnishments, and more
• Statutes of Limitations
• Mitigations: Appeals, payment plans, amended returns

Heather C. Liston:

Heather Liston is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and an Enrolled Agent. She does fee-only financial planning through Hargrave Fiduciary Advisors (HargraveFA.com), and also prepares tax returns. Heather studied liberal arts at Princeton University and earned a Masters in Accounting at the New York University Graduate School of Business Administration, and a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from the University of California at Berkeley. She teaches financial planning courses (including Income Tax and Retirement Planning) and Accounting at UC Berkeley Extension, and at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Now is the time to gather your documents and go through the process of completing your return. This is also the time when many taxpayers feel a little anxiety and uncertainty as they ask themselves:

• Did I do the best I could to minimize taxes and create more opportunities for personal wealth?
• Is there anything more I can do to take advantage of my unique position as a REALTOR® and independent contractor?
• What exactly should I be looking for in my return, and what does it mean?

In this webinar, a Certified Financial Planner will walk through a federal income tax return and point out frequently missed planning opportunities. He will explain areas in the Form 1040 that offer the most opportunity to save taxes and build personal wealth. These are lessons that can help you for this year, and the rest of your life. Following a 45-minute walk through and education, he will take questions that are important to you.

Rich Arzaga:

Rich Arzaga is a Certified Financial Planner, an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, a former REALTOR®, and the founder and CEO of Cornerstone Wealth Management. He is also a long-time Adjunct-Professor in the UC Berkeley Personal Financial Planning program. Rich has offered to make himself available as a resource to members of the National Association of REALTORS® and participants in its Financial Wellness Program.

Tax issues are everywhere you look in the real estate world. From deciding whether you will operate as a sole proprietor filing a Schedule C on your Form 1040 to deducting the costs of a home office to understanding the basics of the qualified business income deduction, tax decisions are integral to the business of a real estate professional.

Many of your clients (or maybe you) own rental property. How well do you understand the basics of depreciating real property or the vacation home rules? This webinar will cover these topics, as well as the fundamentals of 1031 like-kind exchanges and gains and losses on sales of real estate.

Evan Liddiard:

Evan Liddiard, CPA, joined NAR in 2013 after serving for more than 20 years on the staff of Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), former chairman of the Finance Committee. Mr. Liddiard was Senator Hatch’s lead advisor on tax policy issues. Evan also has extensive experience working for several CPA firms. Mr. Liddiard received his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Utah and also has graduate degrees from George Washington University and American University, where he is an adjunct professor in the tax program.