Robert Trinz

In many cases, the profitable sale of a second home will result in a tax-favored capital gain.

Despite the uptick in interest rates, an improved economy may lead to a resurgence of interest in vacation or second homes.

While many victims of the recent hurricanes and storms remain busy salvaging what they can and seeing what their insurance will cover, they also want to know what tax help they're entitled to.

When the extent of their losses becomes clear, hurricane victims will want to know what tax help they're entitled to.

Taxpayers who have decided to convert a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA may be wondering if they should take the plunge now and pay tax on the conversion this year, or wait till next year when tax rates may be lower under the reform plan Congress will reportedly consider this fall.

Even if there are no new laws from President-elect Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress, practitioners still will have to cope with a number of changes that go into effect for the first time this year or apply for the first time for tax returns filed this year.

Although the year is ending soon, it's not too late to implement some planning moves that can improve a client's tax situation for 2016 and beyond. This article reviews some actions that clients can take before December 31 to improve their overall tax picture.