University of Illinois Tax School

09/01/2026

The IRS has introduced the Automatic Exemption from Penalty program, which provides automatic penalty relief to qualifying taxpayers with a history of timely compliance.

Learn which returns are covered, when the program takes effect, and how it differs from First Time Abate.

https://taxschool.illinois.edu/post/irs-announces-new-automatic-exemption-from-penalty-program/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=blog&utm_content=automatic-exemption-penalty-program

Learn how the IRS Automatic Exemption from Penalty program works, who qualifies, which returns it covers, and how it differs from First Time Abate.

08/20/2026

A taxpayer dies. Their tax problems don't.

Unfiled returns, IRS tax debt, insolvent estates and executor responsibilities can leave tax professionals with plenty to sort out.

On Aug. 27, join estate and tax attorney Klaralee Charlton for practical strategies to help address tax problems after a taxpayer dies.

Learn more and register: https://taxschool.illinois.edu/educational-events/cleaning-up-deceased-taxpayers-tax-problems/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=webinar_deceased_taxpayers

08/19/2026

Trump Accounts and §529 plans can both help families save for a child’s future, but they aren’t designed to accomplish the same thing.

How do the contribution rules, tax treatment, flexibility and long-term objectives compare? Our latest blog looks at the differences and explores several ways families might incorporate both accounts into a broader savings strategy.

Read more: https://taxschool.illinois.edu/post/trump-accounts-and-%c2%a7529-plans-planning-considerations-for-families/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=blog_trump_accounts_529

Trump Accounts and §529 plans can serve different savings goals. Compare contribution limits, education uses, retirement potential, flexibility, and planning considerations.

08/18/2026

The $15 million basic exclusion amount has reshaped the estate planning conversation, but higher thresholds don’t mean planning matters less.

Join the University of Illinois Tax School on Sept. 10 for Estate Planning After OBBBA. Michael Miranda, CPA, will discuss strategies including portability elections, asset protection and special needs trusts, lifetime gifting, intentionally defective grantor trusts, charitable trusts, and more.

Sept. 10 | 10 AM–12 PM CT | 2 CPE credits | $115

Register: http://uofi.tax/estate26?utm_source=facebook...

Estate planning strategies after OBBBA: learn how the $15M exclusion, portability, trusts, and anti-clawback rules impact planning decisions for high-net-worth clients.

08/06/2026

Day 2 of the Federal Tax Workbook Review Meeting!

Authors, reviewers, instructors, and national partners spent another day collaborating, discussing, and refining the 2026 Federal Tax Workbook before it heads to print.

Behind every chapter is a team committed to providing tax professionals with timely, practical guidance.

Tomorrow, the work continues with instructor planning.

08/05/2026

Every chapter of the University of Illinois Federal Tax Workbook is carefully reviewed before publication. Here’s the behind-the-scenes look at day 1 of this year‘s review meeting, where authors, reviewers, instructors, and tax professionals work together to strengthen the content used at Fall Tax School and throughout the filing season.

08/05/2026

What goes into the Federal Tax Workbook before it's published?
Two days of thoughtful discussion, careful review, and collaboration.
This week, authors, reviewers, instructors, and tax professionals from across the country are examining every chapter before it goes to print. They discuss technical issues, suggest improvements, and refine explanations to help ensure the content is accurate, current, and practical.
That collaborative process helps shape the University of Illinois Federal Tax Workbook used at Fall Tax School and by tax professionals throughout the filing season.
Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the morning of Day 1 of this year's Federal Tax Workbook review meeting.

08/05/2026

What goes into the Federal Tax Workbook before it’s published?

Months of writing, editing, technical research, and preliminary virtual reviews, followed by two days of thoughtful discussion, careful review, and collaboration.

This week, authors, reviewers, instructors, and tax professionals from across the country are examining every chapter before it goes to print. They discuss technical issues, suggest improvements, and refine explanations to help ensure the content is accurate, current, and practical.

The result is the University of Illinois Federal Tax Workbook, the foundation for Fall Tax School instruction and a trusted resource for tax professionals throughout the filing season.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at Day 1 of this year’s Federal Tax Workbook review meeting.

07/23/2026

When a taxpayer dies, the tax work doesn't end.

Executors and fiduciaries may face missing returns, unpaid tax liabilities, IRS notices, and questions about personal liability. Knowing the right steps can help avoid costly mistakes.

Join estate and tax attorney Klaralee Charlton on August 27 for a practical webinar covering:
• Communicating with the IRS after a taxpayer's death
• Filing missing income tax returns and securing refunds
• Managing insolvent estates and federal tax liens
• Penalty relief and offers in compromise
• Helping fiduciaries reduce personal liability

Learn more and register:
https://taxschool.illinois.edu/educational-events/cleaning-up-deceased-taxpayers-tax-problems/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=webinar_deceased_taxpayers

This practical, real world webinar equips tax and accounting professionals with the tools needed to clean up a deceased taxpayer’s unresolved tax matters efficiently and defensibly. Participants will learn how to communicate properly with the IRS on behalf of a decedent, prepare missing income tax...

07/21/2026

Clients often assume they can deduct self-employed health insurance premiums if paying for coverage outside a spouse's employer-sponsored plan is the less expensive option. Unfortunately, eligibility, not affordability, determines whether the deduction is allowed.

The first article in our two-part series explains one of the most misunderstood rules under IRC § 162(l), why it catches taxpayers by surprise, and how to explain it to clients.

https://taxschool.illinois.edu/post/self-employed-health-insurance-deduction-understanding-the-eligibility-trap-in-irc-%c2%a7-162l/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=blog&utm_content=self-employed-health-insurance-deduction-eligibility