Home  |  Tax & Financial Services  |  Newsletters  Reviews  Addiction Expert  |  PrevenTragedy.com  |  Order Books  |  Site Search  |  Contact Thorburn
Tax & Financial Services


Doug Thorburn: Enrolled Agent, Financial Expert
Speaking engagements for Enrolled Agents and
other tax and financial practitioners:
January 8, 2007 Practice Management: Taxes, Addiction and Your Clients -- Discusses problems that can be expected of tax clients who may be alcohol or other-drug addicts and advice that can be offered to those who may be dealing with such addicts. San Fernando Valley Chapter,
California Society of
Enrolled Agents
December, 2001
Alternative Minimum Tax: the not so simple flat tax -- Using a 110-page outline that included actual cases, Doug showed how the incomprehensible AMT can hit where it's least expected. Two hours, or four. San Fernando Valley Chapter, California Society of Enrolled Agents
October 22, 1986
Tax and Financial Aspects of Real Estate for the Late 1980s San Gabriel Valley Chapter, California Society of Enrolled Agents
October 28, 1985
Simplified K-1s -- Are You Doing Everything You Can for Your Clients?
1985
Maximizing the Sales Tax Deduction (While it Lasts!) -- Doug proves that most people understate their personal expenses unless they keep track and add them up. Los Angeles Chapter, California Society of Enrolled Agents
September 16, 1985
Why Government Licensing of Financial Planners Will Not Protect Consumers Financial News Network
July 24, 1985
1040s and K-1s -- Are Your Clients Getting Everything They’re Supposed to Get? -- Help for financial planners in determining whether their clients are correctly reporting income and losses from K-1s. San Fernando Valley Chapter, Institute of Certified Financial Planners,
September 24, 1984
How to Publish a Client Newsletter Los Angeles Chapter, California Society of Enrolled Agents
1984
Marriage Penalty Tax Planning -- Should clients marry in December or January? Will getting married cost too much? Doug hits upon some penalties few realized existed. One or two-hour update available. San Gabriel Valley Chapter, California Society of Enrolled Agents
Speaking engagements for the public on tax and financial issues:
October 15–16, 2008 Financial Planning: Tax Preparation and Business Strategies for Realtors® -- Alongside Marty Kreisler, RIA, Doug explained some of the key principles in financial and tax planning with a focus on Realtors. California Association of Realtors "Realtor-Expo"
May 14, 1986
Tax Avoidance by Attrition -- How little deductions here and there can add up to big tax savings. Libertarian Supper Club
November 16, 1982
How to Prepare for your Tax Preparer Polycomp Financial Group
Articles for Enrolled Agents and other tax and financial practitioners:
June/July, 2008 Elder Abuse--and FREE Lunch! -- Why those "free" lunch seminar invitations could cost you or your parents a fortune. The California Enrolled Agent
January, 2008 "What Tax Bracket Am I In?" Part 3: A Focus on Low Income Earners -- Doug shows how helping the poor can complicate their taxes beyond human comprehension. The California Enrolled Agent
December, 2007 "What Tax Bracket Am I In?" Part 2: A Focus on Social Security Recipients -- Doug explores the incredibly complicated answers to the question for the elderly. The California Enrolled Agent
November, 2007 "What Tax Bracket Am I In?" -- Doug explains why the question is meaningless without asking the purpose of the question. The California Enrolled Agent
October, 2007 The Power of Compound Growth in an Inherited IRA -- Stretch out the distributions from an inherited IRA and the long-term value could easily double any amount you withdraw today. The California Enrolled Agent
January 8, 2007 Practice Management: Taxes, Addiction and Your Clients -- Discusses problems that can be expected of tax clients who may be alcohol or other-drug addicts and advice that can be offered to those who may be dealing with such addicts. San Fernando Valley Chapter,
California Society of
Enrolled Agents
April, 1993
Taxation and Economic Growth -- High taxation is negative, not only for personal freedoms, but also for economic growth. The California Enrolled Agent
January, 1992
Should your spouse work? -- A cost-benefit analysis -- High marginal tax rates greatly reduce the benefits of a working spouse whose partner is a high-income earner. The California Enrolled Agent
Fall, 1991
Marriage Penalties and Tax Policy -- Doug discusses the numerous penalties built into the tax code and concludes that the only fair system is one that would allow married people the option of filing as if legally single. EA Journal: The Journal of the National Association of Enrolled Agents
October, 1991
Accurate Withholding Can Save Money (and Aggravation) -- A detailed primer on the effective use of IRS form W-4 and why breaking even can be so challenging. Taxation for Accountants (Warren, Gorham & Lamont)
Winter, 1991
When is a Law a Law? -- Taking what may seem moderately aggressive positions on issues is not only appropriate, but also essential to free and healthy discourse. EA Magazine: The Journal of the National Association of Enrolled Agents
December, 1990
W-4 Calculations Without Tears -- A precursor to the "Taxation for Accountants" article The California Enrolled Agent
November, 1990
Paperless extensions could change the way EAs do business -- Doug was perhaps the first in the country to advocate the automatic paperless extension. Much of his idea has been adopted by both state and federal tax authorities. The California Enrolled Agent
April, 1990
Land ownership: tax risks and problems -- In order to compensate for the absence of rental income, a far greater rate of appreciation is necessary for vacant land than for income property. The California Enrolled Agent
March, 1988
A Penalty-Free and Extension-Free Extension of Tax Filing Season EA Alert
December, 1987
Why planner licensing would cripple competition -- The history of all licensing and regulatory bodies is one in which the regulated take over the regulatory authority and purposely squelch the competition. Financial Product News
November, 1987
Income Stability Cuts Tax -- A continuation of the groundbreaking work on why many are better paying more tax now, so they can pay less later. The California Enrolled Agent
September, 1987
Baby Boomers Face the Housing Dilemma -- Pros and cons of buying versus renting. (an extract of the original article from Reason Magazine) The California Enrolled Agent
September, 1987
Commentary on licensing Los Angeles Chapter, IAFP
Fall, 1986
The Effect of Interest Rates and Tax Trends on Real Estate EA Journal: The Journal of the National Association of Enrolled Agents
February, 1986
The Versatile IRA: It’s Not Just for Retirement Anymore -- Details the "other" uses for Individual Retirement Accounts. California Planner: The Magazine for California Financial Planners
November, 1985
The OTHER Uses for IRAs -- Doug explains how IRAs can be profitably used for planned work-breaks as well as emergencies, and that they’re not just "retirement insurance." The California Enrolled Agent
January, 1985
Member Feels Regulation Won’t Help CFPs, Consumers -- Why private regulation is far superior to government regulation. Newsworthy, The Institute of Certified Financial Planners
December, 1984
Methods of Smoothing Income and Marginal Tax Brackets -- Techniques for shifting income and deductions out of low bracket years. The California Enrolled Agent
November, 1984
The Significance and Techniques for Smoothing Marginal Tax Brackets -- Groundbreaking work on the subject of why many profit by paying more tax when in low tax brackets, as well as strategies for doing so. The California Enrolled Agent
16-Jan-84
Special Report: Social Security -- Discussion of methods of Social Security tax avoidance. Sound Advice
Articles for the public on tax and financial issues:
May, 2008 Cleaning Out the Shoebox: Part ll -- the question of how long records should be kept is finally answered....sort of. International Bowling Industry magazine
April, 2008 Cleaning Out the Shoebox: Part 1 -- Doug explains how to simplify the process of maintaining tax records. International Bowling Industry magazine
May, 1992
Saving Spree: Adequately Prepare for Market Downturns, Retirement and Other Long-Term Financial Objectives -- A terrific primer on how to adequately prepare for changing markets and long term financial goals, and how to make the miracle of compound growth work for you. California Real Estate Magazine (official magazine of the California Association of Realtors®)
November/December, 1991
On the Creation of Wealth -- The Great Law of Wealth and it’s corollaries: start early and swing for base hits. High rates of growth are inherently unstable. A classic article. Personal Investing News
November, 1991
The Health Insurance Dilemma: Confiscation versus Privatization The California Enrolled Agent
November, 1991
How to Survive the California Real Estate Recession -- An extremely prescient look at what became California’s worst real estate market in decades. Valley Real Estate Magazine
August, 1990
What Price Oil? -- If the oil companies hadn’t been nationalized in the Middle East we’d have no need to go to war over oil. Gold Standard News
April, 1990
An American’s Visit to East Germany --Doug parties on the Wall with East and West Germans in December, 1989, and offers some insights on freedom versus totalitarianism. Gold Standard News
January-February, 1988
Recordkeeping: No Longer a Taxing Experience -- An always timely article on how to simplify record-keeping by tracking as expenses are incurred. California Real Estate Magazine (official magazine of the California Association of Realtors®)
September, 1987
Baby Boomers in the Booming ‘80s -- The pros and cons of buying a home. The principles are still timely (late ‘80s prices and tax rates are used). Reason Magazine