Freedman CPA, P.C.

Does your business provide complimentary on-site food and beverages for employees? The rules for deducting certain business meals have changed. Beginning in 2026, employers generally can’t deduct 1) meals treated as de minimis fringe benefits, or 2) employer-provided meals that are excludable from an employee’s income and provided for the employer’s convenience on business premises. For the 2025 tax year, generally the former were 100% deductible and the latter were 50% deductible. Contact us at (212) 509-6700 to discuss whether this change will affect your company and how to plan accordingly.

The stepped-up basis rules can reduce capital gains tax for family members who inherit your assets. Under these rules, when your loved one inherits an asset, its tax basis is “stepped up” to its fair market value at the time of your death. If the heir later sells the asset, he or she will owe capital gains tax only on any appreciation after your date of death, rather than on the entire gain since you acquired it. Investment accounts, business interests, real estate and personal property are among the assets affected by the stepped-up basis rules. Call us at (212) 509-6700 for details.

Do you dream of retiring early? As in, really early? So do adherents of FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). Many FIRE followers aim to retire in their 40s or even 30s! They make it happen by saving at least 50% of their current income, which some maximize by working second jobs. Obviously, this requires discipline and planning. But if early retirement is a priority, call us {Phone%} so we can help you make it happen.

The IRS has issued final regulations on the tax deduction for qualified cash tips. The legislation commonly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” created the deduction of up to $25,000 per year for 2025 through 2028. Qualified tips generally refer to cash tips received by an individual in an occupation that “customarily and regularly” received tips on or before Dec. 31, 2024. The final regs list more than 70 eligible occupations. In addition to occupations previously listed in the proposed regs, the final regs add visual artists, floral designers and gas pump attendants. The final regs also provide clarifications to the definition of a qualified cash tip. For more details, call us at (212) 509-6700.

A donor-advised fund (DAF) is one option available to support charities while reducing your taxable estate. By contributing cash or appreciated assets to a DAF, you also may qualify for an immediate charitable income tax deduction without needing to identify the specific charitable recipients right away. This gives you more time to research potential recipients or change the organizations you support from year to year. For families focused on legacy planning, DAFs can also help align heirs around charitable goals. Contact us at (212) 509-6700 for additional details.

The Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program offers tax breaks on capital gains from eligible long-term investments in designated low-income and rural communities. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the QOZ program permanent and established a new 10-year designation cycle. The IRS has issued guidance on how to nominate population census tracts for designation as QOZs. The next round of QOZs will be effective from Jan. 1, 2027, to Dec. 31, 2036. Generally, state and territory governors can begin nominating eligible census tracts for QOZ designation on July 1, 2026. The nomination period lasts 90 days, with the option of a single 30-day extension. Contact us at (212) 509-6700 with any questions about QOZ tax breaks.