Galek Tax Law Insights https://galek.tax/insights Tax summaries and published work from Galek Tax Law. en-us Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Are Conversations With Your CPA or Tax Attorney Privileged? When Confidentiality Protects You and When It Fails https://galek.tax/insights/tax-professionals/cpa-tax-attorney-privilege https://galek.tax/insights/tax-professionals/cpa-tax-attorney-privilege Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Professionals When attorney-client privilege, work product, and the CPA privilege protect tax communications, and when confidentiality can fail. Moving Out of California Before a Business Sale: Residency, Timing, and Sourcing https://galek.tax/insights/tax-planning/california-residency-liquidity-event https://galek.tax/insights/tax-planning/california-residency-liquidity-event Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Planning Moving out of California before a business sale, stock sale, or option exercise raises residency and sourcing questions. What the FTB examines, and when to plan. Investor, Trader, or Dealer? How Tax Classification Changes Gains, Losses, and Deductions https://galek.tax/insights/tax-planning/investor-trader-dealer-tax-rules https://galek.tax/insights/tax-planning/investor-trader-dealer-tax-rules Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Planning How the investor, trader, or dealer classification can change gains, losses, deductions, and planning choices. All Your Basis Are Belong to You https://galek.tax/insights/tax-policy-legislation/all-your-basis-are-belong-to-you https://galek.tax/insights/tax-policy-legislation/all-your-basis-are-belong-to-you Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Policy & Legislation Why Congress should let taxpayers elect a one-time deemed sale of appreciated property, pay current tax, and establish a fair-market-value basis. IRS Audit Documents: What You Need and Why https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-audit-documents https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-audit-documents Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Audits The records an IRS audit may request, how to organize support for each item, and what to do when a document is missing. What Triggers an IRS Audit? https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/what-triggers-irs-audit https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/what-triggers-irs-audit Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Audits There is no single IRS audit trigger. Learn how the IRS selects returns for examination, which common red flags are myths, and why documentation matters. IRS Audit Reconsideration: Sending a Message in a Bottle https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-audit-reconsideration https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-audit-reconsideration Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Audits When new evidence can reopen a closed IRS audit, how finality and limitation periods apply, and which remaining rights a request should preserve. IRS Notice of Deficiency: What the 90-Day Letter Means https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-notice-deficiency https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-notice-deficiency Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Audits What an IRS notice of deficiency means, why the 90-day deadline matters, and how to protect your options before the proposed tax becomes assessed. Reasonable Cause Penalty Relief: IRS and California Penalty Abatement https://galek.tax/insights/tax-penalties/reasonable-cause-abatement https://galek.tax/insights/tax-penalties/reasonable-cause-abatement Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Penalties IRS and California penalty relief, including reasonable cause, administrative waivers, documentation, procedural defenses, and appeal options. California’s 20-Year Tax Collection Clock Has a Constitution Problem https://galek.tax/insights/tax-collection/california-20-year-tax-collection-clock https://galek.tax/insights/tax-collection/california-20-year-tax-collection-clock Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Collection A 1932 constitutional amendment presumes every tax paid after 30 years. Whether that protection reaches California income-tax collection remains an open question. How Far Back Can the IRS and California Audit and Collect? https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/how-far-back-irs-audit https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/how-far-back-irs-audit Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Audits Federal and California audit, assessment, extension, and collection time limits for old tax years. Tax Attorney vs CPA: Whom Should You Call First? https://galek.tax/insights/tax-professionals/tax-attorney-vs-cpa https://galek.tax/insights/tax-professionals/tax-attorney-vs-cpa Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Professionals Choosing the right first call when a tax issue involves compliance, legal risk, privilege, IRS disputes, payroll tax, or cross-border reporting. When Does an IRS Criminal Investigation Start? https://galek.tax/insights/criminal-tax-investigations/when-irs-criminal-investigation-starts https://galek.tax/insights/criminal-tax-investigations/when-irs-criminal-investigation-starts Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Criminal Tax Investigations How criminal tax exposure can begin quietly, what IRS CI formally opens, and why willfulness matters more than the size of the tax problem. IRS Audit Letter: What to Do Before You Respond https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-audit-letter https://galek.tax/insights/tax-audits/irs-audit-letter Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Audits A practical first-response guide for verifying an IRS audit letter, understanding the audit type, protecting deadlines, and organizing the right records.