Question
Your office is picking up a new high-profile client and you have been assigned the task of preparing her 2020 tax estimate. In the past,
Your office is picking up a new high-profile client and you have been assigned the task of preparing her 2020 tax estimate. In the past, she used an accountant to file a tax return with her (now ex) husband, so this change in her personal circumstances, as well some significant changes in her asset holdings, have her reaching out to a professional for assistance. She wants an understanding of her estimated 2020 liability so she can project her cash flow needs for taxes and free cash for investing. Easter Bunny is a successful entrepreneur. She spent many years operating a gift boutique and investing in real estate with her husband, but they divorced in 2019. As part of the divorce settlement Easter was awarded approximately ½ of the marital assets (outside of their business ventures) and alimony of $5,000 per month for 10 years. Her husband retained the business and Easter took ownership of the apartment building and one personal residence which she now lives in and refinanced in her name only. When she has free time, she occasionally works as a delivery driver if her friend, Tooth Fairy, needs assistance. She expects to make about $15,000. She is treated as an independent contractor, so no taxes are withheld. She sold a portion of her stock investments to make upgrades to her rental property as well as her personal residence. Last year she invested in a new logistics start-up venture formed by her good friend, Santa Claus, but the company was not successful and will close by year’s end. She has a sizable investment portfolio of stocks as well as excess cash that is currently not generating significant returns and is open to tax planning suggestions as she looks to the future. She needs to save for retirement, send her daughter to college and fund a pledge that she made to a local charity to fund the development of an outdoor recreation center for young children. She will provide information on 2020 – to the best of her ability – via the client portal. Unfortunately, she does not have access to her 2019 return. Your reviewer has asked you to prepare a 2020 Federalincome tax projection for Easter based on the information she has provided. Your projection will be used during a meeting and discussion with Easter, so it should be in a user-friendly format, with necessary supporting details for your manager to review. Use Excel to build your projection model. It should contain necessary details from the information provided. Take advantage of features in excel so that numbers can be easily updated (copy, sum total, formulas etc.) The lead sheet, which is the client deliverable,should contain the summary; details for supporting calculations can be shown on additional sheets (which make up the reviewer package), if needed. Highlight areas of significant importance or planning opportunities. You can footnote or explain as you deem appropriate.
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