Shop Courses > Family Tax Planning

Family Tax Planning #491526

Course Overview

Credit

Amount

CPA

CFP^®

CDFA^®

EA / OTRP

Course Author: Danny Santucci, J.D. Field of Study (CPA): Taxes Field of Study (CFP): Tax Planning Field of Study (CDFA): Tax Field of Study (EA/OTRP): Federal Tax Law

Course Description

Course publication/revision date: This course was updated on 7/24/2026 (covers 2026 tax year).

While the nuclear family remains the centerpoint of society, today it is under tremendous economic and social pressure. This mini-course is designed to cover “hot” topics having a direct impact on the practitioner who represents any client with family tax planning needs. The emphasis is on using tax solutions to ease family economic concerns, permitting the practitioner to be a real tax hero.

Table of Contents

Filing Status1

Marital Status	1
Unmarried	1
Abandoned Spouse Rule	1
Married	2
Joint Return	2
Innocent Spouse Relief - §6015	2
Refund Offset Program - §6402	3
Injured Spouse - Form 8379	3
Separate Returns	4
Separate vs. Joint Dilemma	4
Disadvantages of a Separate Return	4
Advantages of a Separate Return	4
Joint Return after Separate Returns	5
Head of Household	5

Exemptions Repealed5

Former Phaseout of Exemptions

Divorce Costs6

Tax Advice - §212(3)	7
Fees to Obtain Alimony or Protect Income - §212(1) & (2)	7
Fees to Obtain Property - §1012 & 1016	7

Living Together7

Married v. Unmarried Tax Rate Comparison	8
Sham Divorce	8
Dependency Exemption	8
Alimony & Property Divisions	8

Children's Income9

Unearned Income of Children Under 18 - The "Kiddie Tax"	9
Application	9

Adoption Credit - §23 & §13710

Qualified Adoption Expenses	11
Exclusion from Income for Employer Reimbursements - §137	11

Child or Dependent Care Credit - §2111

Eligibility	12
Employment Related Expenses	12
Qualifying Out-of-the-home Expenses	12
Payments to Relatives	12
Allowable Amount	13
Dependent Care Assistance - §129	13
Reporting	13

Dependent Care Assistance - §12913

Amount of Assistance	13
Requirements	13
55% Test	14
Conflict with Dependent Care	14
The exclusion under §129 reduces dollar-for-dollar the expenses eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Credit under §21. An employee cannot double count the same dependent care expenses for both the exclusion and the credit	14

Work-Related Educational Expenses - §16214

Qualified Individuals	15
Qualifying Education	15
Requirements	15
Exception	15
Education Required by Employer or by Law	16
Education to Maintain or Improve Skills	16

Education Expense Credits - §25A16

American Opportunity (former Hope) Tax Credit - §25A(b)	17
Phase Out - §25A(d)	18
Refundable	18
Lifetime Learning Credit - §25A(c)	18
Phase Out - §25A(d)(1)	18

Education Savings (or Coverdell) Accounts - §53021

Contribution Limits	21
Beneficiary Limit	21
Contributor Limit	21
Phased Out of Contribution	22
Qualified Expenses	22
Homeschooling	23

"Trump" Accounts23

Student Loan Interest - §22124

Qualified Education Loan	24
Related Party Loan	24
Qualified Higher Education Expenses	24

Qualified Tuition Programs - §52925

Distributions	25
Form 1099-Q Reporting	26
Education Expenses - §529(e)(3)	26

Cancellation of Student Loans - §10826

IRA Withdrawals for Education - §72(t)27

Scholarships & Fellowships - §11727

Degree Candidate	27
Student Loans	28
Qualified Tuition Reduction	28

Educational Savings Bonds - §13528

Limitation

Medical Costs - §21329

Spouse	29
Dependents	29
Health Savings Account - §223	29
Eligible Individuals	30
Contributions	30
Health Insurance For Self-Employed	30

Charitable Contributions - §17030

Requirements for Deductibility	31
Limitations on Charitable Contributions	31
50% Ceiling	31
30% Ceiling	31
20% Ceiling	31
Carryovers - Five Years	31

Personal Casualty & Theft Losses - §16532

Casualty	32
Theft	32
Limitations	32
Special Residence Rule	33
Disaster Area Losses	33
Unsafe Home	33
Special Residence Rule	33

Home Sales34

Exclusion Amount	34
Two-Year Ownership & Use Requirements	34
Tacking of Prior Holding Period	35
Prorata Exception	35
Limitations on Exclusion	35
Reduced Home Sale Exclusion for Periods of Nonqualified Use	35

Moving Expenses - §21735

Moving Expense Reimbursement

Home Mortgage Interest36

Home Acquisition Debt	36
Home Equity Debt	37
Points	37
Exception - Fully Deductible Points	37

Property Rights38

Marital Property	38
Common Law Property	38
Community Property	38
Equitable Distribution	39
Separate Property	39
Premarital Agreements	40
Limitations	40
Enforceability Requirements	40
Property Settlements	40
Passive Activity Loss Property	40
Residence	41
Qualified Domestic Relations Order	41

Alimony41

Alimony Restrictions & Requirements	42
Pre 2019 Decrees	42
2019 & Later Decrees	42
Pre-2019 Recapture of Alimony	43
Child Support	43
Contingency Relating To the Child	43
Clearly Associated With a Contingency	43

Elderly & Disabled Planning44

Managing the Estate	44
Catastrophic illness	44
Health Care Decisions	44
Accelerated Death Benefits	45
Terminally Ill Individual	45
Chronically Ill Individual	45
Exclusion Limited	45

Estate Planning46

Simple Will	46
Applicable Exclusion	46
Portability – Deceased Spousal Unused Exclusion Amount	46
Danger for Larger Estates	46
Probate	46
Living "A-B" Revocable Trust	47
Living "A-B-C" (QTIP) Trust	50
Impact of Spousal Portability on Trust B	50

Course Details

Author: Danny Santucci, J.D.

Danny earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Irvine in 1969. He received his Juris Doctorate from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley in 1972, at which time he began practice as a tax attorney in Southern California. His legal career was initiated with the business and litigation firm of Edwards, Edwards and Ashton. Later he joined the Century City entertainment firm of Bushkin, Gaims, Gaines & Jonas working for many well-known celebrities. In 1980, Danny established the law firm of Santucci, Potter and Leanders, in Irvine, California. With increasing lecture and writing commitments, Danny went into sole practice in 1995. His practice emphasizes business taxation, real estate law and estate planning. Danny has been an officer and active member in various organizations including the Glendale Bar Association, Century City Bar Association, Orange County and Los Angeles County Bar Associations, California State Bar Association, Toastmasters and Lions Club. He also avidly supports the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has been admitted to practice before all California and federal courts including the United States Tax Court and the United States Supreme Court. Serving as a lecturer for the Continuing Education of the Bar of California, Golden Gate University, and numerous state C.P.A. societies, Danny teaches a variety of tax, business and real estate courses. Danny has been in demand all across the country as a speaker for all levels of professional and civic organizations and numerous major seminar circuits. Danny spoke to over 2,000 people per month and traveled more than 150,000 miles annually. In 2015, he withdrew from the lecture circuit to devote himself to tax research and writing. The author of numerous texts, he is listed in "Who’s Who in Creative Real Estate" and is admitted to the American Exchangor’s Hall of Fame.

Publication/Revision Date: 7/24/2026

Course Exam Questions (online): 10 (multiple-choice)

Program Delivery Method: Self-Study (NASBA QAS Self-Study)

Available Formats of Course Text: PDF or PDF plus printed copy sent in the mail

Course Level, Prerequisites, and Advance Preparation Requirements

License	Course Level	Prerequisites	Advance Preparation Requirements
CPA	Overview	None	None
CFP®	Intermediate	Basic familiarity with federal taxation	None
CDFA®	Overview	None	None
EA/OTRP	Overview	None	None

* This program is appropriate for professionals at all organizational levels.

Sponsor ID Numbers

National Registry of CPE Sponsors ID: 107615

CFP Board Sponsor ID: 1008 — Course ID: 298400

Registered with the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts

IRS Qualified Sponsor ID: FWKKO — Course ID: FWKKO-T-00789-26-S

State CPA Board Sponsor ID Numbers (where applicable)

Florida Division of Certified Public Accounting: 0004761

Hawaii Board of Public Accountancy: 14003

New York State Board for Public Accountancy: 002146

Ohio Accountancy Board: CPE .51 PSR

Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy: PX178025

Texas State Board of Public Accountancy: 009349

Learning Objectives

As a result of studying the course material, you should be able to meet the objectives listed below:

Recognize the effect of marital status on filing status, identify the advisability of filing a joint return in light of the innocent spouse rules, specify available exemptions, and determine the differences between deductible and nondeductible divorce costs.
Identify the costs and fees that qualify for the tax credit for adoption expenses and cite the requirements for educational expenses, dependent care assistance and Coverdell ESAs.
Determine medical cost deductions available to individuals under §213, specify items qualifying as deductible §163 home mortgage interest, and recognize the taxation of §1041 interspousal transfers particularly as to property settlements.