WHY IT’S GOOD TO BE GRATEFUL

On February 23, 2018, The Wall Street Journal published an article, “How to Raise More Grateful Children.” The subtitle for the article stated: “A sense of entitlement is a big problem among young people today, but it’s possible to teach gratitude.” This last idea is what I hope to do with my clients.

WHY IT’S GOOD TO BE GRATEFUL

On February 23, 2018, The Wall Street Journal published an article, “How to Raise More Grateful Children.” The subtitle for the article stated: “A sense of entitlement is a big problem among young people today, but it’s possible to teach gratitude.” This last idea is what I hope to do with my clients.

Much of what I’ve learned about Gratitude has come from personal experience. When I look back, every personal crisis I’ve had has ultimately led me to Gratitude. Whether it’s a serious, life threatening illness for me, my wife, or loved ones; a major setback in business; or a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy, I now see the positives in those events and feel more grateful for what I‘ve learned from them. I’ve learned that adversity can be a great teacher, if you pay attention to the lessons, but, it wasn’t always that way.

Like most people, I grew up complaining about the way things were and resenting those who I viewed as “lucky” because they were born into families with monetary wealth. Now, I view it as a blessing that I had to work hard for everything I now have. I’ve learned to be grateful that I chose the career that I have and that I can help so many people with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained. I’ve learned to appreciate the material wealth that I have, modest as it is, and to be content making an honest living and serving others.

I’ve also learned a lot about Gratitude from my coach, Lee Brower, at Strategic Coach. Like myself, he and members of his family have had health issues, but we have all learned to appreciate and not take good health for granted. Through Lee’s teachings on Gratitude, I have learned the value of having family members who get along and care about each other; as well as, the value of friendship and being part of a community where I feel like I belong. Most of all, Lee and members of his firm, Empowered Wealth, have emphasized that Gratitude is a lifestyle. A practice that starts with self-respect and respect for others, grows into appreciation for the many blessings we all have, and inspires the spirit of generosity that gives fulfillment and meaning to the way we live our lives.

Charles Sarowitz, CPA/PFS

Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.

                                                                               Eckhart Tolle

TAXES AND GRATITUDE?

You probably never thought you would see these two words paired together.  Let me share my perspective on how this unique combination arises.

TAXES AND GRATITUDE?

You probably never thought you would see these two words paired together.  Let me share my perspective on how this unique combination arises.

During this time of year, many clients come into my office upset about taxes and expressing concerns about how the upcoming changes in the tax code will impact them, their interests, their finances, and their legacies.  Many people are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to avoid taxes and let their fear of the unchartered waters of the new tax polices keep them from leaving port.  And while my professional career largely incorporates minimizing the amount of taxes my clients owe, in an effort to maximize the amount of money they can have, now and in the future, I have learned to recognize that there are more important things to focus on than simply tax minimization.

I advise them to consider “What's more important to you than money?”  I wonder, would they:

• Sacrifice their health for more money?  Health is vital to one’s happiness and well-being, yet too many of us are allowing stress and overworking to ruin our health.
• Compromise their closest relationships for more money?  Too many people put their quest for more money above their connection to their family and friends.
• In order of importance, value having money higher than their moral, ethical, or spiritual beliefs? I've seen people of great wealth live empty lives and suffer at the end of life.

Wouldn't you rather have the satisfaction of living a good, honest life – a life of simple joys and pleasures, a life of health and well-being, a life of close relationships – than only having more money?

In the course of my career, I have come to realize and believe that there is much more to “true wealth” than just accumulating money and minimizing taxes.  In my experience, the key to “true wealth” is the practice of gratitude.  Gratitude leads us all to a happier, fulfilled, and more meaningful life.

Charles Sarowitz, CPA/PFS

Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.

                                                                  Fred De Witt Van Amb

THE STORY OF THE GRATITUDE ROCK

How I started practicing Gratitude

My coach and mentor, Lee Brower, is well-known as a thought leader on Gratitude.  He’s been featured on television, in articles, and in the movie, “The Secret,” on the topic of Gratitude. But Lee, by his own admission, wasn’t always a grateful person.  In fact, one of the defining moments of his life started out as one of his most ungrateful moments.

THE STORY OF THE GRATITUDE ROCK

How I started practicing Gratitude

My coach and mentor, Lee Brower, is well-known as a thought leader on Gratitude.  He’s been featured on television, in articles, and in the movie, “The Secret,” on the topic of Gratitude. But Lee, by his own admission, wasn’t always a grateful person.  In fact, one of the defining moments of his life started out as one of his most ungrateful moments.

It happened more than two decades ago.  Lee was at the apex of his rise as a successful estate planner in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He was both a leader in his church and a respected member of his local business community. Yet, he had a personal challenge within his family: His teenage daughter developed a substance abuse problem.  Lee initially saw her problem as a personal and family embarrassment.  He wondered how something like this could happen to him and thought that other people must be judging him negatively.

But one day, while walking on the beach, he picked up a rock that, to his eye, had the image of a butterfly embedded in it.  Suddenly he felt differently because, coincidentally, his daughter’s nickname was “Mariposa,” meaning “butterfly” in Spanish.  He saw it as the hand of God speaking to him, reminding him of how precious his daughter is to him.  Ever since then, he carries that rock in his pocket as a daily reminder that he should be grateful for the blessings in his life.

Inspired by Lee’s story, I’ve done my best to do the same, to be grateful for the good fortune I have and to help others realize that we’re all so much better off than we perceive from moment to moment.  My wish for you is that it doesn’t take a personal crisis for you to experience the difference that Gratitude can make in your life.

ABOUT THIS LETTER

This is no ordinary letter to clients or newsletter briefing.  When I had a recent health scare, it was Gratitude for the many blessings in my life (and, really, all of our lives) that got me through the tough time I went through.  Now, I want to help you, and all of our clients, to live happier, more-fulfilled, and more meaningful lives. To me, there’s no better way to start than through practicing and living Gratitude daily.  Please enjoy and share this message if it inspires you as well.

Charles Sarowitz, CPA/PFS

The IRS has announced that, under the phased implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), there will be no changes to individual information returns or federal income tax withholding tables for the tax year at issue. 

The IRS has announced that, under the phased implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), there will be no changes to individual information returns or federal income tax withholding tables for the tax year at issue. Specifically, Form W-2, existing Forms 1099, Form 941 and other payroll return forms will remain unchanged for 2025. Employers and payroll providers are instructed to continue using current reporting and withholding procedures. This decision is intended to avoid disruptions during the upcoming filing season and to give the IRS, businesses and tax professionals sufficient time to implement OBBBA-related changes effectively.

In addition to this, IRS is developing new guidance and updated forms, including changes to the reporting of tips and overtime pay for TY 2026. The IRS will coordinate closely with stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition. Additional information will be issued to help individual taxpayers and reporting entities claim benefits under OBBBA when filing returns.

IR-2025-82

The IRS issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) relating to several energy credits and deductions that are expiring under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) and their termination dates. The FAQs also provided clarification on the energy efficient home improvement credit, the residential clean energy credit, among others.

The IRS issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) relating to several energy credits and deductions that are expiring under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) and their termination dates. The FAQs also provided clarification on the energy efficient home improvement credit, the residential clean energy credit, among others.

Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit

The credit will not be allowed for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Residential Clean Energy Credit

The credit will not be allowed for any expenditures made after December 31, 2025. Due to the accelerated termination of the Code Sec. 25C credit, periodic written reports, including reporting for property placed in service before January 1, 2026, are no longer required.

A manufacturer is still required to register with the IRS to become a qualified manufacturer for its specified property to be eligible for the credit.

Clean Vehicle Program

New user registration for the Clean Vehicle Credit program through the Energy Credits Online portal will close on September 30, 2025. The portal will remain open beyond September 30, 2025, for limited usage by previously registered users to submit time-of-sale reports and updates to such reports.

Acquiring Date

A vehicle is “acquired” as of the date a written binding contract is entered into and a payment has been made. Acquisition alone does not immediately entitle a taxpayer to a credit. If a taxpayer acquires a vehicle and makes a payment on or before September 30, 2025, the taxpayer will be entitled to claim the credit when they place the vehicle in service, even if the vehicle is placed in service after September 30, 2025.

FS-2025-5

IR-2025-86

The IRS has provided guidance regarding what is considered “beginning of constructions” for purposes of the termination of the Code Sec. 45Y clean electricity production credit and the Code Sec. 48E clean electricity investment credit. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act (P.L. 119-21) terminated the Code Secs. 45Y and 48E credits for applicable wind and solar facilities placed in service after December 31, 2027.

The IRS has provided guidance regarding what is considered “beginning of constructions” for purposes of the termination of the Code Sec. 45Y clean electricity production credit and the Code Sec. 48E clean electricity investment credit. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act (P.L. 119-21) terminated the Code Secs. 45Y and 48E credits for applicable wind and solar facilities placed in service after December 31, 2027. The termination applies to facilities the construction of which begins after July 4, 2026. On July 7, 2025, the president issue Executive Order 14315, Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources, 90 F.R. 30821, which directed the Treasury Department to take actions necessary to enforce these termination provisions within 45 days of enactment of the OBBB Act.

Physical Work Test

In order to begin construction, taxpayers must satisfy a “Physical Work Test,” which requires the performance of physical work of a significant nature. This is a fact based test that focuses on the nature of the work, not the cost. The notice addresses both on-site and off-site activities. It also provides specific lists of activities that are to be considered work of a physical nature for both solar and wind facilities. Preliminary activities or work that is either in existing inventory or is normally held in inventory are not considered physical work of a significant nature.

Continuity Requirement

The Physical Work Test also requires that a taxpayer maintain a continuous program of construction on the applicable wind or solar facility, the Continuity Requirement. To satisfy the Continuity Requirement, the taxpayer must maintain a continuous program of construction, meaning continuous physical work of a significant nature. However, the notice provides a list of allowable “excusable disruptions,” including delays related to permitting, weather, and acquiring equipment, among others.

The guidance also provides a safe harbor for the Continuity Requirement. Under the safe harbor, the Continuity Requirement will be met if a taxpayer places an applicable wind or solar facility in service by the end of a calendar year that is no more than four calendar years after the calendar year during which construction of the applicable wind or solar facility began. Thus, if construction begins on an applicable wind or solar facility on October 1, 2025, the applicable wind or solar facility must be placed in service before January 1, 2030, for the safe harbor to apply.

Five Percent Safe Harbor for Low Output Solar Facilities

A safe harbor is available for a low output solar facility, which is defined as an applicable solar facility that has maximum net output of not greater than 1.5 megawatt. A low output solar facility may also establish that construction has begun before July 5, 2026, by satisfying the Five Percent Safe Harbor (as described in section 2.02(2)(ii) of Notice 2022-61).

Additional Guidance

The notice provides additional guidance regarding: construction produced for the taxpayer by another party under a binding written contract; the definition of a qualified facility; the definition of property integral to the applicable wind or solar facility; the application of the 80/20 rule to retrofitted applicable wind or solar facilities under Reg. §§ 1.45Y-4(d) and 1.48E-4(c); and the transfer of an applicable wind or solar facility.

Effective Date

Notice 2025-42 is effective for applicable wind and solar facilities for which the construction begins after September 1, 2025.

Notice 2025-42

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration suggested the way the Internal Revenue Service reports level of service (ability to reach an operator when requested) and wait times does not necessarily reflect the actual times taxpayers are waiting to reach a representative at the agency.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration suggested the way the Internal Revenue Service reports level of service (ability to reach an operator when requested) and wait times does not necessarily reflect the actual times taxpayers are waiting to reach a representative at the agency.

"For the 2024 Filing Season, the IRS reported an LOS of 88 percent and wait times averaging 3 minutes," TIGTA stated in an August 14, 2025, report. "However, the reported LOS and average wait times only included calls made to 33 Accounts Management (AM) telephone lines during the filing season."

TIGTA stated that the agency separately tracks Enterprise LOS, a broader measure of of the taxpayer experience which includes 27 telephone lines from other IRS business units in addition to the 33 AM telephone lines.

"The IRS does not widely report an Enterprise-wide wait time- as the reported average wait time computation includes only the 33 AM telephone lines," the report states. "According to IRS data, the average wait times for the other telephone lines were much longer than 3 minutes, averaging 17 to 19 minutes during the 2024 Filing Season."

TIGTA recommended that the IRS adjust its reporting to include Enterprise LOS in addition to AM LOS and provide averages across all telephone lines.

"The IRS disagreed with both recommendations stating that the LOS metric does not provide information to determine taxpayer experience when calling, and including wait times for telephone lines outside the main helpline would be confusing to the public," the Treasury watchdog reported. "We maintain that whether a taxpayer can reach an assistor is part of the taxpayer experience and providing average wait times across all telephone lines for the entire fiscal year demonstrates transparency."

The Treasury watchdog also noted that the National Taxpayer Advocate has stated the AM LOS is "materially misleading" and should be replaced as a benchmark.

TIGTA also warned that the reduction in workforce at the IRS could hurt recent improvements to LOS and wait times, noting that the agency will lose about 23 percent of its customer service representative employees by the end of September 2025.

"The staffing impact on the remainder of Calendar Year 2025 and the 2026 Filing Season are unknown, but we will be monitoring these issues."

It also noted that the IRS is working on a new metric – First Call/Contact Resolution – to measure the percentage of calls that resolve the customer’s issue without a need to transfer, escalate, pause, or return the customer’s initial phone call. TIGTA reported that analysis of FY 2024 data revealed that 33 percent of taxpayer calls were transferred unresolved at least once.

By Gregory Twachtman, Washington News Editor

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has granted exemptive relief to covered investment advisers from the requirements the final regulations in FinCEN Final Rule RIN 1506-AB58 (also called the "IA AML Rule"), which were set to become effective January 1, 2026. This order exempts covered investment advisers from all requirements of these regulations until January 1, 2028.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has granted exemptive relief to covered investment advisers from the requirements the final regulations in FinCEN Final Rule RIN 1506-AB58 (also called the "IA AML Rule"), which were set to become effective January 1, 2026. This order exempts covered investment advisers from all requirements of these regulations until January 1, 2028.

The regulations require investment advisers (defined in 31 CFR §1010.100(nnn)) to establish minimum standards for anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) programs, report suspicious activity to FinCEN, and keep relevant records, among other requirements.

FinCEN has determined that the regulations should be reviewed to ensure that they strike an appropriate balance between cost and benefit. The review will allow FinCEN to ensure the regulations are consistent with the Trump administration's deregulatory agenda and are effectively tailored to the investment adviser sector's diverse business models and risk profiles, while still adequately protecting the U.S. financial system and guarding against money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit finance risks. Covered investment advisers are exempt from the obligations of the regulations while the review takes place.

FinCEN intends to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to propose a new effective date for these regulations no earlier than January 1, 2028.

This exemptive relief is effective from August 5, 2025, until January 1, 2028.

FinCEN Exemptive Relief Order