Where TCP goes beyond REG
REG tests whether you can correctly compute a taxpayer's liability under current rules. TCP tests whether you can identify the better outcome across legitimate alternatives — timing, character, and structure all matter here, not just calculation.
Timing strategies
- Income deferral: Delaying a bonus or year-end invoice into the next tax year when a lower rate or bracket is expected
- Deduction acceleration: Prepaying deductible expenses (within limits) before year-end when in a higher bracket this year
- Bunching itemized deductions: Concentrating deductible expenses (e.g., charitable contributions) into alternating years to exceed the standard deduction threshold periodically, rather than falling just short every year
EXAMPLE: A taxpayer's itemized deductions are typically $11,000/year, just under the $13,850 standard deduction (single). By "bunching" two years of charitable giving into one year ($9,000 instead of $4,500 twice), itemized deductions reach $15,500 in year one (itemize) and drop to $6,500 in year two (take the standard deduction) — total deductions across two years exceed simply taking the standard deduction both years.
Character of income
Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends are taxed at preferential rates (0%/15%/20%) versus ordinary income rates up to 37%. Planning around holding period (crossing the one-year mark before selling an appreciated asset) is a core, low-risk planning technique.
IMPORTANT: Tax planning must stay within the law — the line between legitimate tax avoidance (minimizing tax through legal means, e.g., timing and elections) and illegal tax evasion (concealing income or falsifying records) is itself an exam-relevant ethical concept.
EXAM TIP: When a TCP question gives a taxpayer's expected income in two different years, think about which techniques shift income or deductions to the lower-taxed year — that's usually the crux of the question.