MAS LLC

If I had a nickel for everyone with whom I discuss the following...well I would probably still not retire. Here is our latest article on SSA and credible solutions...(hint...they are bipartisan and require debunking myths.)

Social Security’s solvency challenge is not a mystery. It is arithmetic with a deadline. According to the 2026 Trustees Report, the Old‑Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund is projected to be depleted in the fourth quarter of 2032. If Congress does not act, benefits will be reduced automatically by 22 percent, with only 78 percent payable from incoming payroll taxes.

The trust fund has always been a ledger rather than a vault. The core drivers of the shortfall are demographic: longer lifespans, lower fertility, and fewer workers supporting each beneficiary. The worker‑to‑beneficiary ratio is now 2.9 to 1 and is projected to fall to 2.2 to 1.

Immigration, contrary to popular belief, slows insolvency by contributing an estimated 26 billion dollars annually in payroll taxes from undocumented workers alone.

Real solutions fall into three categories:

• Increasing revenue through adjustments to the payroll cap, closing pass‑through loopholes, modest rate changes, or redirecting benefit‑tax revenue

• Adjusting eligibility ages

• Modifying benefit formulas, particularly for higher earners

Balanced bipartisan proposals already exist, including a Brookings plan that restores 75‑year solvency through a mix of revenue changes, targeted benefit adjustments, and improvements for survivors, disabled workers, and children.

The practical takeaway for advisors and taxpayers is clear. Social Security will endure, but it is being renegotiated. Retirement plans should be able to withstand potential benefit reductions while anticipating eventual congressional action.

The Arithmetic of 2032 - MAS LLC Retirement & Fiscal Policy Social Security is neither a fraud nor a mystery. It is a math problem with a known deadline, a short list of workable levers, and a narrowing window in which to pull them. Jessica Marschall, CPA     ·     Marschall Accounting Services, LLC     ·     July...

This is a troubling finding. As a CPA of 26 years, I can attest that there are some great people at the IRS who have helped my clients push to resolution after years of communications.

However, more than once IRS representatives have asked me for clarification on an IRC interpretation and have said, "That is why we send people to their CPAs."

It did not help that 25% of employees were eliminated and it has been my experience that these were some of the most experienced employees who did not want to deal with some of the changes initiated.

What is left is a mess for our clients, minimal TAC appointments available, and now a study that shows 46% of IRS TAC employees provided the wrong tax law guidance and 33% received incomplete or inaccurate responses. .and for more fun news, IRS chatbot advice might be wrong...leading to a lack of wonder as to why so many CPAs are retiring or leaving tax advisory work! https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-chatbot-results-may-be-wrong?cx_testId=1&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=0&cx_experienceId=EX0SQ413PQVZ&cx_experienceActionId=showRecommendationsTYQLRH4X7TPS17

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-taxpayer-assistance-centers-provided-wrong-answers-to-tax-questions?utm_campaign=NL_ACT_Daily_Briefing_07062026&position=1&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&campaignname=NL_ACT_Daily_Briefing_07062026&oly_enc_id=2248C5898912A2V

IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers provided wrong answers The Internal Revenue Service's Taxpayer Assistance Centers staff provided incorrect advice about the tax laws in nearly half the visits by inspectors.

Savoring the summer sun, Team Stafford? ☀️ While you take this well-deserved time to rest, don’t forget that the application window for the Amazon.com, Amazon Web Services Innovative Teaching Grant stays open all summer long! The hard deadline is September 7, which means right now is the perfect, stress-free window to type up your project proposal before the back-to-school rush begins in August.

Spend 10 minutes checking out the rubric criteria today: https://www.thestaffordeducationfoundation.com/innovative-teaching-grant

Hyperlocal social impact thrives when community organizations and corporate leaders share a unified vision. The Stafford Education Foundation’s collaboration with Amazon.com, Amazon Web Services represents a milestone in how we fund public education. By empowering Stafford County Schools educators with multi-tiered grants up to $10,000, we are creating an agile, resource-rich ecosystem that actively bridges the gap between learning opportunities and technical career access.

Tag a local business or corporate partner in the comments who is doing incredible work to support youth and education in your area! Let's celebrate them.