Tax Trending Topics

To help with your writing efforts, here’s what people are looking for in Tax Law online. Trending topics culled from JD Supra, search analytics, social media conversations, and other sources:

Trump Tariffs’ Implications for the Insurance Industry 

Consider writing about:

The impact on the insurance industry of the Trump administration’s trade policy and existing or potential tariffs. How might the tariffs impact policyholders, insurers, or the overall insurance sector? What are the most likely repercussions, and for whom? What types of insurance coverage might address tariff-related business disruptions or other economic losses? How can policyholders prepare for the tariff-related impacts on their insurance coverage? What adjustments might they want to contemplate making to their coverage and their insurance portfolio?

Is Harvard University’s Tax-Exempt Status in Peril? 

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President Trump’s threat to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status; supposed basis for doing so; what the process would be, under current laws, for revoking an institution’s tax-exempt status; status of a congressional bill that could give the president and the secretary of the Treasury Department more leeway to go after colleges’ tax exemptions; whether a college or university has previously lost its tax-exempt status (and, if so, for what reasons); how tax-exempt entities (whether in the education sector or otherwise) can protect that status from attacks, whether by the Trump administration or otherwise.

Related information:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/15/trump-threatens-harvard-university-tax-exempt-status/83097386007

Estate and Inheritance Taxes: Tips and Trends 

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Estate and inheritance taxes. Take your pick from any of the following points: common pitfalls, oversights, or misconceptions about these types of taxes; planning and preparation tips for addressing applicable taxes; how to minimize the impact of estate and inheritance taxes. Alternatively, you may choose to write about emerging state or federal trends or other recent developments that may affect tax obligations pertaining to estates and inheritances.

Private Placement Life Insurance: Implications for Tax and Estate Planning, and More 

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Private placement life insurance; what it consists of; who qualifies for it or whom it is best suited for; related tax advantages; potential downsides for individuals considering this form of insurance; concerns raised by legislators or others over private placement life insurance’s impacts.

Last-Minute Tax Tips for Individuals [Ongoing] 

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Last minute advice for individual taxpayers who have not yet filed; steps to reduce tax liabilities; tips for deducting such items as charitable donations, medical expenses, job search costs, moving-related expenses, and other eligible expenses; how to maximize the tax benefits of retirement accounts; how to get a filing extension; how to spread out payments to the IRS.

Tax-Related Pointers for Expats [Ongoing] 

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Tax tips for expats. Common tax questions, misunderstandings, or blind spots that may arise for U.S. citizens when living or working outside the United States; related pointers involving tax benefits, credits, obligations, or potential pitfalls; relevant best practices, or related pointers on how to simplify one’s tax reporting process or perhaps minimize one’s tax bill after relocating to another country, whether full-time or part-time.

What to Know Before Harnessing AI for Your Tax Filing 

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AI tools as an aide in preparing or reviewing tax returns. Are any current-day AI tools up to these tasks? What should individuals or businesses know before incorporating AI technology into their tax season routine? What are the potential pitfalls to look out for? And if someone makes a tax error due (to whatever extent) to an AI resource’s performance, will blaming the error on AI cut any ice with tax authorities?

What Triggers the IRS’ Filing of a Substitute Tax Return? 

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Substitute tax returns. What do these consist of, and what factors trigger the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to create and file one for a taxpayer? How does the IRS determine the details for a substitute filing? What are a taxpayer’s rights regarding such key points as being notified by the IRS of the existence of the substitute return and regarding the ability to contest the filing and the IRS’ related determination about tax owed? (Alternatively or additionally, consider exploring whether state tax authorities, or tax bodies in other countries, create similar substitute tax returns under certain conditions.)

What Do Trump Tariffs Mean for Tech Industry? 

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What President Trump’s tariff actions and proposals mean for the U.S. tech industry specifically. What noteworthy initiatives of special interest to the tech industry have already been implemented, or are likely to be rolled out? What is the rationale behind these tariffs, and what are the pros and cons of these actions, whether for the tech industry, international relations, trade policy, consumers, or others?

Is Trump Tax Plan Gunning for Foreign Companies, Nationals? 

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What a Jan. 20 executive memo from President Trump could mean for tax liabilities for foreign nationals and companies; what to know about related tax code details; how such a tax could potentially be implemented and enforced; risks of imposing such a tax; whether the executive memo may be more of a bargaining chip in trade negotiations than a serious signal of actual tax changes on the horizon.

Related information:

https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-90-year-old-tax-rule-trump-could-use-to-double-us-taxes-on-foreigners-248154

https://financialpost.com/financial-times/donald-trump-threatens-tax-war

Tax Cuts, Tax Credits and Congress: What to Know 

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Tax cuts that may be in the United States’ near future; potential impact on individuals and on the economy; new or resurrected tax credits in the offing; conversely, existing tax credits that may be on thin ice with Congress these days; what else individuals or businesses should know, in terms of their tax strategies and overall financial planning.

Are VAT Systems a Taxing Topic Under Trump 2.0? 

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How Donald Trump’s continuing emphasis on tariffs may be raising implications for value-added tax systems; how widely used VAT systems are globally; how they function and whom they most affect; grounds for potentially viewing, and responding to, VAT systems as tariffs; what a trade war over VAT systems could mean for international relations, global trade, businesses, and/or consumers.

What Are Prospects for Global Tax Deal? 

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Developments involving a global corporate minimum tax; background and intent of an international agreement originating with the Organization for Economic Cooperation; reasons for President Trump turning thumbs down on the global tax agreement; what Trump’s action means for the current status and future prospects of the international tax deal; alternative taxation plans that may be on the table in response to the Trump administration’s stance.

How Can Businesses Survive the Ride on the Tariff Merry-Go-Round? 

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Your choice of points on President Trump’s tariff pronouncements or other tariff-related actions; how the tariffs being announced so far compare to those issued under the first Trump administration; how businesses can interpret Trump actions so they can cope with the rapid-fire back-and-forth developments on this front; the feasibility of a business having a Plan B waiting in the wings in case tariffs really do hit home for a particular industry; options for mitigating the financial toll that tariffs can take; lessons that businesses may have learned from tariff measures taken by the first Trump administration, and whether those lessons could prove useful this time around; how changes in the overall economic and political landscape since Trump’s first term may have changed the stakes for governments and businesses contemplating tariffs under Trump 2.0.

DHS Aims to Tap IRS Agents for Immigration Crackdown 

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s idea of having agents from the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation unit join up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of the Trump administration’s emphasis on immigration enforcement; any precedent for such a use of the IRS workforce; potential pros and cons of doing so; what employers should know about actions likely to be taken by the IRS Criminal Investigation unit; whether employer interactions with IRS agents can, or should, differ from interactions with ICE agents; what else employers should know about their rights, compliance obligations, and liability risks.

Related information:

https://apnews.com/article/armed-irs-agents-immigration-enforcement-0065756e7e44b0de2027d5a6f60e60a5

Are Changes Afoot for Catch-Up Contributions and Automatic Enrollment? 

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Proposed regulations released this month by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury regarding the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022; purpose of, and potential timeline for, these changes; what the proposed regulations could mean for catch-up contributions to workplace retirement plans and for automatic enrollment processes for 401(k) and 403(b) plans.

Related information:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/13/2025-00350/catch-up-contributions

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/14/2025-00501/automatic-enrollment-requirements-under-section-414a

What’s the Outlook for U.S. Tax Cuts Under Trump 2.0? 

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Political wrangling over continued or new tax cuts; proposals that are currently under consideration, or anticipated, in Congress; possible roadblocks to consensus, and prospects for passage; potential implications for individual or corporate taxpayers, federal debt, spending cutbacks, and more.

IRS Pilot Program to Test Changes to Fast Track Settlement Process 

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A pilot program recently announced by the Internal Revenue Service; potential changes that the program will test in conjunction with the IRS’ Fast Track Settlement programs; what to know about the Fast Track programs and whom they may benefit, and how, both in their current form and in the event of changes resulting from the pilot program; timeline for testing, and possibly implementing, proposed changes.

Related information:

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/a-25-06.pdf

Assisting Employees Affected by Wildfires: Related Tax Rules, Guidance 

Consider writing about:

Internal Revenue Service rules that apply to employer-provided assistance to individuals affected by natural disasters; types of assistance that may be worth exploring; eligibility criteria, limitations, deductions, reporting obligations, and other matters that employers should know about before deciding whether, and how, to provide assistance; additional tax-related considerations for employees or co-workers; where to turn for additional practical guidance.

What Does Donald Trump Have in Mind for the IRS? 

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Potential changes in leadership and direction for the Internal Revenue Service, once Donald Trump is back in the Oval Office; questions being raised over Trump’s pick to head the IRS; likelihood of cuts in funding and/or workforce size hitting the IRS, and what it could mean for the IRS’ functioning or for taxpayers; potential for Trump to leverage IRS powers as a political weapon against his perceived enemies or critics.

Related information:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-billy-long-irs-ertc-tax-credit-senator-elizabeth-warren

Tax Considerations Following a Natural Disaster 

Consider writing about:

Tax issues involving businesses or individuals impacted by a natural disaster. What is the relevant guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (or other taxation authorities) regarding taxpayer obligations, deadline extensions, missing or destroyed records, options for factoring in business or personal losses, and other key points on avoiding tax penalties or mistakes or claiming tax credits? What additional best practices should people keep in mind?

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Bankruptcy Clawback Case 

Consider writing about:

Dec. 2nd oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Miller; what to know about the dispute at hand, and key issues in the case involving sovereign immunity, clawback actions, creditor rights, and the Internal Revenue Service’s powers vs. those held by bankruptcy trustees; what interested parties should be watching for from the high court in this case.

Tax Highlights From 2024: Make Your Case 

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Your choice of three or more noteworthy tax-related developments or trends from 2024. Take your pick of legislation, Biden administration initiatives, enforcement trends, court rulings, and more. Also consider how much you want to delve into the immediate or longer-term implications of each, as well as any related liability or compliance issues.

Crypto Investor Draws Two-Year Prison Sentence in Tax Evasion Case 

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The sentencing of a bitcoin investor in a tax fraud case; how this case marks a first; what this case illustrates regarding the crypto sector, potential for tax evasion, resources available to investigators and prosecutors, and liability risks; related enforcement trends (whether by the Internal Revenue Service or tax authorities in other countries).

Related information:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/12/dont-use-crypto-to-cheat-on-taxes-bitcoin-bro-gets-2-years

Top Takeaways From Tax Court Ruling 

Consider writing about:

The U.S. Tax Court’s Nov. 18 ruling in Mukhi v. Commissioner; key issues in this case; your takeaways from the court’s ruling; implications for Internal Revenue Service powers and actions, and for taxpayers’ reporting obligations.

When Do Employer Gifts Create Tax Obligations for Employees? 

Consider writing about:

The timely subject of employer gifts, in time for the holiday gift-giving season. When do these gifts create tax obligations for employees? What should employers and employees know regarding this matter and related best practices and potential pitfalls?

How Financially Strapped Is the IRS? 

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The funding outlook for the Internal Revenue Service, both in the immediate future and under a second Trump administration; the IRS’ current fiscal situation, and how it may be affecting its operational and enforcement capabilities; and perhaps a wider-angle look at the outlook for the IRS over the next two to four years, given the GOP’s electoral wins and priorities.

Related information:

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-irs-lose-billion-economy-1992233

Planning for the Likelihood of Trump Tariffs 

Consider writing about:

President-elect Trump’s support for tariffs; what to know about a president’s power over tariffs; realistic prospects for the implementation of tariffs, what they are likely to consist of, and whom they would most affect; the first Trump administration’s legacy regarding tariffs and trade wars; what contingency plans businesses should be considering this time around, and/or what they may have learned, or how they responded, to Trump policies on this front during his prior time in office.

Recent IRS Guidance or Year-End Tax Tips for Businesses 

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Your choice of recent Internal Revenue Service guidance or other year-end tax alerts or tax tips of your own that companies would benefit from following; related compliance obligations; potential penalties; any grace periods or extension options worth knowing about.

Post-Election Tax Priorities 

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Tax matters that are likely to be top priority for the Trump administration or Congress in the new year; potential changes to, or reversals of, Biden-era measures; what individuals, businesses, or other entities should be watching for, and planning for accordingly.