In Jones,1 an officially reported case that produces precedent for all taxpayers, the Tax Court ruled that one-on-one training produces a seminar for tax purposes. Before this case, most tax professionals would not have assigned seminar status to one-on-one training.

The two-person seminar creates tax planning possibilities.

Example. Two dentists travel to Orlando to discuss and debate a patient treatment. The daily meetings last a little over four hours and qualify the days as business days.2 The dentists designed the discussions to help each other provide superior dental care.

Using the Jones case as precedent, which it is, the daily meetings qualify as deductible out-of-town business education seminar days.

Let’s move one of these meetings to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, add a few personal days, and see how these dentists benefit. ... Log in to view full article.