If you’re severely behind on your taxes, the IRS may ground you from leaving the country until you pay up. Last month, the agency announced

that it will start notifying the State Department of taxpayers who owe a “seriously delinquent tax debt.” The State Department, in return, is required to deny that individual a passport application or renewal. In some cases, a passport can even be revoked.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, let’s look at how marriage affects taxes. After all, taking a closer look at how marriage can save tax dollars can be quite heartwarming.

Small business owners are overcome with questions surrounding the recent tax changes. Foremost, will it help us or hurt us? While we don’t have all the answers (the IRS still needs to issue its interpretations of the changes), we have been spending time reading and analyzing various business aspects of this legislation. For an overview, take a look at our recent Bankler Report

along with the following additional highlights on what aspects of your business may be affected.

Taxpayers may be getting savvy but we’re still losing millions to scammers every single year. For this reason, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) J. Russell George recently cautioned taxpayers to be on  “High Alert” for IRS impersonators

 this tax season.

A recent law firm salary study reveals associate salaries and base pay are increasing in 2018

, along with perks like signing bonuses, relocation reimbursement and other benefits. Even perks like pet insurance and emergency child care—which you may be completely unfamiliar with—are on the list of non-traditional benefits that win big with top legal talent.

Escalating health insurance costs, property taxes and other expenses caused Career Pivot Founder Marc Miller and his wife to consider something completely outside their comfort zone: a move to Ajijic, Mexico. After reading the book Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud

, the consideration became a shockingly practical one for Marc.

If you live in or have a business within the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey this past year, the IRS has extended tax relief and safe harbor methods that might apply to your situation. Some of these opportunities expire January 31, however, so it’s important to act quickly.

It’s a bad idea not to pay your taxes. Eventually, the IRS will catch up with you and assess some major penalties on top of your back taxes. It’s an even worse idea to continue to ignore paying your taxes once you’re caught, which is what a Tennessee dentist recently found out the hard way, including potential “hard time” in prison.

We often advise clients to restructure their business entities and add new ones to help reduce their taxes and other financial liabilities. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the strategy and, in fact, the IRS extends many key opportunities for businesses to do it. However, according to the IRS, there are right and wrong reasons to restructure or start business entities. If the IRS senses your motivation is rooted in deception, be prepared to pay the price.

With President Trump’s bold tax reform plan on the table for 2018, there are sure to be plenty of changes in store. That means your tax strategies in 2017 are even more important than ever. Below is a quick rundown of some of the factors you may want to consider now to reduce your tax burden over the next two tax years.