budget

The Big Tax Update You Haven’t Heard About

Recently, I was catching up on tax updates in the latest issue of Accounting Today, and I came across an article that stopped me in my tracks. Have you all heard about the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help Act (IRS MATH Act, or H.R.998)?

In the midst of the confusion that happened with the federal government shutdown (which I’ve already written about here and here), this bill was quietly passed by Congress and sent to President Trump for his signature. This bill aims to promote more clarity with IRS notices, particularly with math or clerical notices that are sent to taxpayers after filing their returns.

While I’m usually skeptical of any tax legislation that is passed (as we all should be), I think H.R. 998 is an excellent step in the right direction. When I worked for IRS, I spent a large amount of time explaining notices to taxpayers, both as a contact representative and as an auditor and tax specialist. Even with the push for plain English writing (no jargon allowed), taxpayers were still confused about what certain notices meant, as well as the appropriate response after getting those notices.

H. R. 998 outlines a number of requirements for IRS contact with taxpayers via notices. When the IRS issues a notice for a math/clerical error, it must:

  • Deliver the notice to the taxpayer’s last known address.  
  • Provide a clear description of the error including the specific type of error, the applicable Internal Revenue Code section, and the exact line of the tax return it pertains to.
  • Include an itemized computation showing the adjustments required to correct the error.
  • Provide the telephone number for the IRS automated transcript service so taxpayers can follow up.
  • Clearly state the deadline for the taxpayer to request an abatement of any tax assessed because of the error.

Additionally, the bill clarifies the penalty abatement procedure and subsequent notices, letting taxpayers know that they can use their formal, flexible right to request abatement in any case where they believe that the tax calculation is incorrect. Further, the bill instructs the IRS to design and implement a pilot program exploring alternative delivery methods for math/clerical-error notices (such as certified or registered mail).

The beauty of this bill is that if your return triggers a math/clerical error notice from the IRS, you should expect more detailed information in subsequent notices. This will help you – or your tax professional – assess and respond more effectively. This clearer notice and abatement process strengthens taxpayer rights and transparency: it makes it easier to understand where the error lies, how to respond, and what timeframe applies.

I’m curious about how the IRS will implement the pilot program and ensure compliance with the new standards. I’ll be looking out for updates on this program in the future. In any case, I’m excited for how improved IRS communications will impact compliance, and I’m thrilled to see how the tax system is evolving in favor of more clarity for taxpayers.

There’s only one thing missing from this fantastic bill: a presidential signature! This bill passed Senate unanimously on October 20, 2025, and has been sent to the President for his signature. As we wait for the bill to become a law, we can peruse Congress’s website, which lists all of the bills currently in process. If you want to see which tax bills are on the horizon, check out the Ways & Means committee. They write the legislation that ends up as tax law.

There are several other tax updates that I’m excited to share with you all. Look out for those post soon! Take care.

Shutdown Updates – What’s Happening With The IRS

Well, as this federal government shutdown toils on, many people may have questions regarding their tax obligations. After all, October 15th is the deadline for submitting tax returns after requesting an extension of time to file. What will happen to those returns that are submitted while nearly half of IRS’s employees are furloughed? And, what if you have some other tax questions that you need answered?

If you aren’t aware, IRS had a contingency plan that covered five shutdown days, but with the shutdown extended into its second week, nearly half of the workforce has been furloughed. You can expect that any IRS contact you need to make may be impacted by the reduced workforce. (You can read more about some of the general details here: IRS Shutters ‘Most Operations’, Furloughs Employees as Shutdown Continues). Fortunately, IRS published its contingency plan on its website, which spells out which functions will continue to operate, and which will cease. You can view the contingency plan here.

The functions that will continue during the furlough are:

  • Criminal Investigations (CI) (law enforcement operations, ongoing investigations, and protection of officials)
  • Data and property protection (computer systems management and taxpayer remittances)
  • Limited taxpayer services (disaster relief or safety focused only)
  • Filing season preparation (forms design, IT testing and modernization)
  • Contract oversight (for contacts necessary for life/property safety or exemption functions)

The functions that will cease during the furlough are:

  • Routine taxpayer services (call centers, walk-ins)
  • Non-disaster transcript processing
  • Non-automated collections and legal counsel for non-exempt matters
  • Research, planning and training not related to exempt activities
  • Most administrative and HQ functions not tied to safety or property protection

For those that have tax concerns, you may be wondering what should you do while you wait for IRS to go back to fully operational status. I tried the 1-800 number for IRS earlier today and found that indeed they are receiving calls, but you won’t be able to connect to a live person unless its related to disaster relief or some major safety concern. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the October 15th extension deadline is looming, and this furlough is unlikely to be a valid reason for not submitting your tax returns. So you will want to remit your returns anyway, since the data and property protection teams are still operating during this time (they will receive the documents, but processing wont’ resume until the furlough ends). Unfortunately, if you need a transcript and you’re not living in a disaster area, your request will not be processed during this time (keep this in mind if you were completing a process that requires income verification, like asset purchases).

Please know that in cases of shutdown, there are usually no pauses in automated collection actions: the time frames and system-generated documents generally continue as normal. So if you are currently under a payment plan, the shutdown will not stop or prevent you from having to pay on your balance owed. Also, if you were anticipating a refund, there is a good chance that that too will be automatically (systemically) issued if you were anticipating a direct deposit. I am unsure how this will impact paper checks. Additionally, if you are under criminal investigation (hopefully not!) and were hoping that the furlough meant you’d get a break, I hate to be the one to tell it to you, but the CI team is still hard at work and investigations will continue.

These reduced services can be a bit frustrating, but the shutdown is temporary and will be resolved at some point. Right now is a great time to sort through your documents in anticipation of your next year filing, or you can review some of the changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (if you want me to share my notes in a future post, let me know!) Previously, we heard talks of tax collections being reduced or the IRS being eliminated. But with an estimated 80% or so of government funding coming from the IRS, the chances of a completely dissolved Internal Revenue Service are slim. So if you’re hoping that the temporary government shutdown will lead into a permanent shutdown of Internal Revenue Service, I wouldn’t bet on it. But who knows? Anything is possible.

Do you have any tax questions or are you still wondering what’s next for the federal government? Leave your questions below, and I’ll do my best to answer them!

One Week Into The Government Shutdown: What’s Happening Now

It’s Day 8 of the 2025 Government Shutdown, and it looks like the federal government is no closer to an approved budget than it was last week. I’m guessing that this won’t be resolved within the week; in fact, I think it could be almost November before the funding bill is approved.

I’m writing this post as a furloughed federal employee who has prepared for this sort of thing, and I want to assure you all that I’m doing just fine. The unscheduled time off was perfect: I had just finished helping a friend relocate to her new home, and I was walking nearly 22,000 each day during the move. Additionally, I was helping her after I finished work every day, so I was helping with the move between 7 PM and 3 AM each night, for several days. By the time the shutdown was announced, I was sleep deficient and running on absolute fumes, so having a few days to properly rest and take care of myself was perfect.

Foresight has been a savior during this time. I save my money and live sensibly so that I can weather changes in income, and, given the many shutdown threats I’ve lived through over the past 20(!) years of federal employment, I am NOT surprised that this happened. I was working as a federal employee in 2013, which was when I experienced my first shutdown. My daughter was small and that was the perfect time to do some domestic travel and catch up on the sleep I’d been missing as a long-distance daily commuter. So, being wise, keeping a positive outlook, and using the break to my advantage has been good for me.

For those impacted by the shutdown, I’m sorry for any inconveniences you may have experienced. And for those that are just annoyed with all of this, just know that every federal employee understands and agrees with you. I sincerely hope that this gets resolved soon, so that we can get back to serving the public.

Why I’m Diving Deeper into Tax Law Right Now

Sometimes legacy work calls you into new terrain.

Or, more accurately, into old terrain with fresh urgency.

I’ve described myself as a tax alchemist, someone who reads and interprets codes and designs wealth strategies that are sacred and sophisticated.

But in light of recent developments, I’ll be turning even more of my attention to the evolving world of tax law — and I want to bring you along for the journey.

The landscape is shifting

A newly passed comprehensive bill — the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — has introduced sweeping changes that will ripple through tax planning, compliance, and wealth structuring for years to come.

Simultaneously, a recent Supreme Court decision regarding the IRS, the tax court, and collections due process has redefined certain guardrails that taxpayers have long relied on.

Translation?

The frameworks that protect your wealth, your legacy plans, and even your day-to-day financial serenity are all being re-negotiated in real time.

What this means for you

Most people only discover these shifts when it’s too late — when they’re hit with unexpected liabilities, audits, or discover that their previously sound strategies no longer hold.

But in the Aureum Sanctum, we approach this differently.

We stay ahead by weaving regulatory changes into our rituals of wealth stewardship before they become crises.

This is why I’ll be dedicating more of my offline time to unpacking these new legal currents — what they mean, how they might impact your trusts or business entities, and how we can continue to shape them into elegant, protective structures for your family’s future. And, as I uncover crucial details, I’ll bring these insights back to the Sanctum.

The Aureum Sanctum approach: calm, clear, strategic

If the idea of diving into dense tax law makes you anxious, take a breath.

We approach this the same way we approach everything here: with calmness, clarity, discernment, foresight, and the steady reminder that wealth design is both art and architecture.

Together, we’ll navigate these changes without panic — only with precision and the quiet confidence of knowing your financial house rests on solid, beautifully crafted foundations.

What’s next

So expect to see more updates in the coming weeks and months:

  • Thoughtful explorations of the new bill’s most impactful provisions
  • Insights on the Supreme Court’s most recent collection due process decision and what it might mean for audits and collections
  • And practical, graceful guidance on how to pivot your tax and legacy planning strategies in light of it all.

Because at the end of the day, my mission remains unchanged:

To help you build wealth that is elegant, enduring, and exquisitely aligned with the life you’re here to live — no matter what the laws of the land decide to rearrange.

From Chaos to Calm: Creating a Budget That Feels Like a Sanctuary

For this discussion about money, I figure we can just rip the bandage off and start with the most triggering term of them all.

BUDGET.

Whenever I mention the word “budget” to someone, I can usually see them tense up and look a bit uncomfortable. I can understand why they have that reaction: after all, a budget establishes boundaries and restrictions, and most people recoil at anything that looks like constriction. What I’ve found, upon further discussion, is that people aren’t actually afraid of budgeting, nor are they afraid of money: they’re afraid of what a budget (and money) means in their lives. This area of their lives is often where fears of failure and shame crop up, and THAT’s why they flinch when budgets are discussed. No one wants to fail at budgeting or feel embarrassed when discussing financial missteps.

But . . . what if we could view budgeting from a different perspective? How about if we viewed budgeting as something other than a harsh framework for spending and saving money? What if . . . we could build budgets centered around care instead of control? It’s not only possible to have a budget you are comfortable with, it is possible to have a budget you (believe it or not) enjoy.

Let’s think of some words that are often used to describe budgets. Structured, contained, and orderly come to mind. You know what else shares those same descriptors? The home. Interestingly, we can apply those descriptors to a happy home just as easily as we can apply them to an unhappy one. So let’s take those words, and apply them to a budget. Much like a good home offers us a structured and orderly space that has contains us, our loved ones and our belongings, a budget can offer our finances a structured and orderly space that contains our needs, wants, and great goals. Our budget shouldn’t be a prison for our money: it should be a sanctuary.

You can make your budget a sanctuary by blending practical approaches with soulful rituals. Working with a budget is much more delightful when it has been infused with self-honoring and peaceful practices that soothe the nervous system, create feelings of safety and shifts your mindset from judgment to respectful observance. So, before you sit down with your accounts and start crunching numbers, think of a couple of sensory pleasures that you can indulge before, during, and after reviewing your finances. Perhaps you can make a delicious smoothie that you can sip as you review, or you can light a scented candle that relaxes you or that brings up happy feelings, or you can even make it a practice to work on your budget after you’ve enjoyed some time in your favorite massage chair or after you’ve done a yoga session. Whatever makes you feel relaxed and stable is great for incorporating into your budget practice.

More importantly, speak kindly of yourself and your financial decisions as you review the figures. Remember that you are a respectful observer of your past financial choices: you aren’t judging yourself, you’re simply noting the pattern and perhaps digging a little deeper to figure out the motive behind the decisions. Don’t speak harshly about the past decisions you’ve made: thank those decisions for the lessons they’ve provided, then commit to make future decisions that are aligned with the person you’re becoming. Remember to bless the decisions you made (yes, even the ones that you aren’t happy with!) and, if you struggle with them, come up with at least three positive things about previous money decisions. You can do this for anything, I promise!

As an example, perhaps you enjoy eating takeout (I know I do!) but you don’t enjoy how much money you’ve spent in the past quarter. Bless those decisions and move on, and if you can’t, list those three positive reasons for buying lots of takeout. I’d probably write down how buying takeout made it easier for me to eat a more balanced meal than what I had prepared in my home, how amazing it was to purchase a meal that supports a local business that employees people in your neighborhood, and how much energy I saved by outsourcing meal preparation to someone else. There is ALWAYS a silver lining, and if you struggle with this, you can either comment below or email me at tia@tiadelano.com so I can help you with that.

Embrace self love as you start budgeting, and view every decision as a loving act toward your future self. Treat your budget time as a sacred occasion that allows you to adjust your patterns to reflect the person you’re becoming and the life you want to live. Finally, allow your budget to be an entity with its own personality, something that you can befriend as you step onto the path to the financial reality you desire. With these things in mind, you’ll be able to structure a budget that feels like a sanctuary: it will be a peaceful refuge that you’ll enjoy retreating to.

How do you feel about budgeting? Let me know your thoughts and experiences below!

3 Things To Do In March For Financial Health

Welcome to March! As we get closer to the spring equinox, we can’t help but feel the freshness and the energy of “new starts”. While this may be the beginning of the next season, this is also the season for completion, specifically, the completion of major financial obligations, such as tax filing. For the month of March, here are three things you can do to ensure and promote your financial health.

  • Review your budget and see how you’re doing. If you set up a budget for the year, this is a good time to look at how you’re doing and make adjustments. I’ve found it’s best to look at the previous quarter objectively: don’t beat yourself up over financial missteps, just commit to doing better in the future, and move on. Looking at your numbers at this point is also good if you have a tax year that differs from the standard calendar (January to December). Fiscal year filers may find it useful to see what’s happening in March, as this is often their mid-year point, and as such, a good time to make big changes to ensure that they finish strong.
  • File Forms 1120S and 1065, as well as applicable Schedule Ks. This is the time to file tax returns for partnerships and S-corps (unless you’re on a different tax year schedule). Schedule Ks should also be filed at this point. If this doesn’t apply to you, then start gathering the financial documents needed to file your tax returns (especially if you file a 1040). Review those documents and make sure that the information that has been reported is correct.
  • Update your beneficiaries on insurance policies and retirement accounts. While you’re in the process of reviewing and reconciling, it may be a good idea to review all of your insurance policies and retirement accounts. Make sure that the correct beneficiaries are listed, and take time to read through the benefits available under each policy. It’s worthwhile to check these regularly, and confirm whether your comprehension is still clear and accurate.

That’s all for March. Do you have any financial moves you’re making this month? I’d love to hear all about it!

Keeping Track Of The Good Stuff

After a few weeks of keeping tabs on the highly misinformed conversations surrounding the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA 2022), I decided that I needed something lighter, but still beneficial, to discuss over here. Now, if something big comes up with IRA 2022 that I need to discuss, then of course I’ll share it (staying informed about tax legislation is what I love to do). But for today, we’re taking a break and doing something refreshing.

Many times, as we talk about finance, money, budgets, and the like, most of the conversation centers around the tasks needed to create more cash and less stress. Conversations about money almost always come from a place of restriction, instead of abundance. Most of us to taught to focus on what we eliminate, and how much we hold on to, to measure our success with our budgets and our financial freedom journeys.

But what if, instead of only focusing on what stays in our grasps, we focus on what flows in with ease? What if we counted the non-monetary “wins” alongside the others, like when someone gives us priceless information, or when find the perfect parking space, or when the store is fully stocked with everything that you want and need to buy?

What if we kept a log of all of the good stuff that happens each day?

Well, let me tell you all: I’ve done this very exercise as part of my work with my business and lifestyle coach. And this approach has really opened the floodgates of abundance into my life.

The more we realize that everything is interconnected, the more we can see and believe that small, positive changes in one area absolutely creates positive changes (small and large) in other areas of our lives. Nothing exists in a bubble, and calibrating our minds and lifestyles for goodness creates fertile soil for welcoming even more of the things we want (like more money coming in an enjoyable way, more time to do the things we love, etc.,).

So, for a week, try keeping a Goodness Log. Write down every good thing that happens to you – whether it connects directly to money or not – and see how you feel at the end of the week when you review it. It does wonders for shifting your mindset and opening you up to more possibilities, better emotions and, yes, more abundance. I will keep a log this week, too, and share my results in a future post!