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Chanukah was not only a struggle for simple religious freedom; it was also a revolt against financial desecration. The Greek-Seleucid oppression before Chanukah is usually remembered for forced Hellenization: bans on Torah observance, desecration of the Temple, and attempts to erase Jewish identity. But there was another, less discussed dimension of the tyranny: economic persecution used as a religious weapon. This was not ordinary imperial taxation. The Seleucid regime treat

Many people in Israel, especially US expats, say the past year felt financially brutal. There’s a clear reason, and official statistics don’t fully capture it. If the currency of your income is not indexed to the shekel, your buying power can quietly shrink even if your salary never changes. For USD earners in Israel, two things happened at once in 2025:  • Local prices officially rose about 3%, in a year which was widely regarded as having high inflation across the board, fu

For the last few years, we’ve all seen the TikTok and Instagram “tax hack” videos: “Write off your whole life” “Turn your vacation into a deduction” “Pay no self-employment tax with this one trick!” Most of these came from well-meaning but clueless young influencers who didn’t understand the Internal Revenue Code or even basic tax principles.  Bad advice, but easy to spot. But something has changed, and it’s far more dangerous. We’re now seeing licensed CPAs and EAs posting t

Many people are confused about the recent IRS disaster relief for taxpayers living in Israel. It is important to understand what this relief is and what it is not. The IRS extended filing and payment deadlines for taxpayers in Israel under IRC 7508A. This provision allows the Treasury Department to postpone deadlines for individuals affected by a terrorist attack or military action. It is a narrow category of relief and only affects deadlines. This is completely different fro

One of the Most Abused Tax Strategies: Hiring Your Children You have probably heard this one: "Just [theoretically] hire your kids and pay each one $15,000. They will owe no tax and you get a big business deduction. Plus no FICA taxes, either, for both of you." Most people think this works in real life. In reality it is almost entirely theoretical.  Many believe they can simply claim the deduction without actual work, without actual payment, and without documentation. The IRS

This week someone asked me to file their 2021 US tax return to claim a refund, believing the Israel disaster extensions also extended the deadline to claim refunds. They didn’t. This misunderstanding is extremely common. Here’s the rule in plain English: Disaster relief extends your time to file and your time to pay, however: It does not extend your time to claim a refund. Refund claims follow a strict 3-year statute of limitations based on the original due date of the return

One of the most overlooked tax-planning opportunities for U.S. expats is what happens when a U.S. citizen and a non-U.S. spouse jointly own foreign real estate. Here’s a scenario I see often: A couple owns an investment apartment abroad 50/50. One spouse is a U.S. citizen; the other is a true nonresident alien (NRA). They want to sell the property. From the U.S. side: The U.S. spouse is taxed on worldwide capital gains. The NRA spouse is not taxed by the U.S. on foreign real

Many US citizens who are Israel-based freelancers and work for both U.S. and Israeli clients hear about an Israeli tax strategy that classifies U.S. client income as foreign source.  The goal is to stay in Osek Patur status and avoid having to charge Ma'am for Israeli resident clients (Israeli 18% VAT) on the first 120,000 ILS of Israeli revenue. This strategy can save about $6,660 USD (21,600 ILS) per year. However, it only makes financial sense at lower income levels. The s

Big win here! A taxpayer who lives in NJ was very late with filing his 2023 tax return, and asked me to prepare his tax return so that he can utilize the disaster extension for Israel.  Since this disaster extension includes if the accountant resides in Israel, even if the taxpayer is not, this was smart planning on his side - and completely legal.  His tax bill went down from $55,473 owed to $14,916 owed (a savings of $40,557), using the Israel disaster extension. An importa

If you’re selling into the United States from abroad, for instance the UK, EU, Israel, or anywhere else: One of the most confusing topics is sales tax nexus. “Nexus” simply means a connection strong enough that a state can require you to register, collect, and file sales tax. There are four ways you can create that obligation: 1. Physical Nexus If you have any physical presence in a state, you have nexus. This includes:  • Inventory stored in a U.S. warehouse  • Amazon FBA st

If you’re running a business outside the U.S. and selling into the American market, one of the biggest surprises is how complicated and decentralized U.S. sales tax really is. There’s no single national VAT. There’s no federal guidance. There are 50 separate state systems, each with its own rules, thresholds, filings, and penalties. (Five states have no statewide sales tax, but the compliance landscape still spans all 50.) And here’s what many non-U.S. founders don’t realize:

Many struggling expats who sell an investment property ask me whether it is possible to enter Currently Not Collectible (CNC) status and simply let the IRS 10-year Collection Statute Expiration Date (CSED) run out. The answer, in real life, is usually yes. The tax code allows the IRS to suspend the 10-year statute for time spent abroad. But the IRS system does not apply that suspension automatically.  It requires a manual override by an IRS employee, and that override is almo

I had an interesting case recently that shows how misunderstood IRS collection rules can be, especially for Americans living abroad. A family came to me after selling a foreign rental property with about $500,000 of capital gain, which created roughly $50,000 of US tax.  Their income is modest, and they have many children. On paper it looked impossible for them to pay this bill. Most people think there are only two choices: 1) Pay the tax 2) Go on a payment plan In reality, t

Officially confirmed: The IRS is still issuing refund checks to international taxpayers.  Although their website does not explicitly list any exceptions to the new rule of direct deposit only, which was implemented in late September, this is the current actual practice.  One client received a check today, mailed out 2 weeks ago, about 5 weeks after the law was changed. Another was told on the phone that a check will be mailed to them since international has an exception.

How I Use AI in Tax Planning (and Why Most Accountants Aren’t Doing This Yet): AI is not yet replacing accountants. But it is transforming the way a small number of us work. Most accountants still approach tax projections the same way they did ten years ago: entering dummy data into test returns, building complex Excel sheets, and manually running scenario after scenario.  It works, but it is slow, rigid, and mentally exhausting. I used to do it myself that way. My approach n

Trump Accounts Are Coming: What Parents (Especially U.S. Parents in Israel) Need to Know: Many parents are confused about the new Trump Accounts for children. Some believe it is similar to Israel’s 50-shekel per month program. Others think it is automatic or guaranteed money. Here is what is actually known so far, based on the official White House policy document. It is important to note that many details are still unclear, and the IRS has not yet released final regulations.

Who snitched on Cody from the famous WhistlinDiesel Youtube channel? He did. He inadvertently snitched on himself and triggered the criminal tax fraud allegation. The car was registered through a Montana LLC using a Montana address.  This is a common tactic to avoid sales tax because Montana does not charge any on vehicles. Simply using a Montana LLC for the purchase can is legal by itself. But Tennessee requires a use tax on any vehicle that is brought into the state and use

Cody from WhistlinDiesel is innocent! Or maybe not? Cody Detwiler, the 27-year-old creator behind the "WhistlinDiesel" channel, with over 10 million subscribers, is facing a serious legal challenge: two felony counts of tax evasion.  The charges relate to $30,000 in sales tax allegedly owed on a 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo, which he purchased in January 2023. The Tax Strategy (or Blunder): Cody, a Tennessee resident, bought the Ferrari in Montana using a Montana-based LLC. Since

US Self-Employed people in Israel: Are you being double-taxed on Social Security/Bituach Leumi, and not utilizing efficient mitigation strategies?  Many are, and you may not know it. This common mistake can cost thousands annually. I'm offering a focused, high-value, Second Opinion Tax Audit to identify where your current structure is vulnerable and what your options are. Who is this for? If you file yourself and unsure if you missed a major credit or strategy. Just want a se

My email started exploding a few days ago with inquiries about a "$2000 payment per person" from the US government. Sounds exciting, huh? The $2000 you may have heard about in the news was just President Trump floating an idea, which sounds very far fetched and it does not seem like he was being serious.  His idea was to give back part of the funds collected through tariffs to the American public.  So for now that is not happening, and most probably will never happen.