Check out our April newsletter!
APRIL 2025 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4
TOPH’S TAX RESOLUTION TIMES
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A Football Fan’s Dream ELITE SEATS FOR THE BUCKEYES’ BLOWOUT VICTORY
As students at The Ohio State University years ago, my friends and I had season tickets for Buckeyes football that placed us in sky-high seats in the stadium’s top row — giving us a bird’s-eye view of the ant-size players below. Imagine my delight when a business partner offered me two premium tickets to watch this season’s College Football Playoff National Championship game from a corporate suite! It was a unique experience that far exceeded my expectations. I was going about business as usual when I got a call from an advertising sales rep with an offer I couldn’t refuse: “Do you want to go to the game?” The terms he suggested for a TV ad contract were attractive, and I started to get excited. Is this really going to happen? One by one, the pieces fell in place. Ashley was supportive. Mac and Rex wanted to come, but I had to turn them both down because I only had two tickets and couldn’t take one without the other. Instead, I called my former roommate at Ohio State, Dan, and not surprisingly, he was all in. He flew up from Miami and met me in Atlanta on the morning of the game.
At the stadium on game day, we received the VIP treatment. We found ourselves in a corporate suite where the food and drinks were free — the whole nine yards. Emotions were running high among Ohio State fans. Supporters expected so much from the Buckeyes all season that it was almost as if anything short of a national championship would be a failure. The team had had its ups and downs during the season, including losses to the Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Football Championship game and to the archrival University of Michigan Wolverines over Thanksgiving weekend. But once Ohio State made the playoffs, it was as if the pressure was off. They looked like a different team and dominated every team they played. In the first few minutes of the championship game, the Buckeyes faltered briefly. Notre Dame drove right down the field in their first possession and scored, and it appeared at first as if the Fighting Irish would be really competitive. But once the Buckeyes offense took the field, the rest of the game was a total blowout. Dan and I reminisced about our college days as we watched, including one year when the Buckeyes also won the national championship. A group of our fellow students drove to Arizona in a van for that game, but tickets were too spendy for us, so we stayed in Columbus and watched on TV. Seeing the Buckeyes dominate yet another opponent brought back all those memories and more. Of course, the outcome is history. Ohio State won the game resoundingly, landing its ninth national championship, and being there to watch far exceeded my expectations. It was one of those experiences you have maybe once in a lifetime. It was great fun. Fortunately, it was also a quick trip. My being away for a few days didn’t put Ashley too far behind the 8 ball in caring for all the kids at home. It was just a fun thing to do. I was fortunate to have the opportunity, and as our kids grow older, I hope to share some of the excitement of watching college football with them!
–Toph Sheldon
DON’T LIVE IN FEAR - TOPH IS HERE!
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Capture Nature’s Beauty Like a Pro
QUICK TIPS FOR BETTER OUTDOOR PHOTOS
TOPH’S TAX TRIUMPH
Nature photography offers a great way to get outside and capture the beauty of the natural world. Whether you’re new to this hobby or have been snapping photos for years, you can always enhance your skills with these four tips for producing compelling outdoor photos. Plan Ahead Before heading outside with your camera and other gear, research your chosen location and the subject you aim to photograph. Understanding the local wildlife, plant life, and weather conditions can inform your equipment selection. Timing is also key. Early morning and late afternoon, known as the “golden hours,” offer soft, diffused light that enhances natural scenes.
When a self-employed construction contractor came to us for tax help in 2022, neither of us knew it would take years to settle with the IRS. Don’t Pop the Champagne Yet! Waiting on the IRS This client had not filed any tax returns for five years and wanted to clean up his financial life. We helped him get up to date on recent taxes and then filed for the delinquent taxes. When all was tallied up, the back taxes totaled $45,000. We contacted the IRS in February 2023 and offered $100 to settle his obligations. A few months later, we received an unusual response: The IRS rejected our offer outright. The message was, “Sorry, but we’re not settling. … We think you can afford to pay $110,000 over the next 10 years” — more than twice what we had agreed he owed. We quickly appealed the decision. And then we waited. Six months later, we had an initial hearing with the appeals department, which, by comparison, was a resounding success! The appeals officer agreed to settle the case for $6,745, just 15% of my client’s total debt. But wait! There was another problem. For some reason, one of the five delinquent returns my client had filed hadn’t yet been processed. The appeals officer refused to finalize the settlement until that last return could be included. I was a little worried. Even though we had a deal worked out, it wasn’t final. I’ve learned from experience that these cases can change without warning. If talks drag on for six months or more, any number of things can derail a tentative settlement, from changes in a client’s current income to a slip-up in filing estimated taxes. At worst, the agency could even come back to us and want to start over. I prepared my client for the worst. Fortunately, the missing return was finally processed and last November, two years after our first contact, we formally accepted the IRS’s offer. And my client took it all in stride.
Master Your Equipment Be sure to familiarize yourself with your camera’s settings. Some of the most important include aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, which control exposure and depth of field. For instance, a wide aperture (low f-stop) can help create a shallow depth of field and isolate your subject from the background, which is particularly effective for wildlife photography. Conversely, a narrow aperture (high f-stop) is ideal for landscape shots because it increases the depth of field and helps keep more of the scene in focus.
Consider Composition In photography, composition is key. When taking nature photographs, apply compositional rules such as the rule of thirds (placing subjects off-center), leading lines (guiding the eye with pathways or rivers), and framing (using natural elements to highlight the subject). Experimenting with different perspectives and angles can also add depth to your photos. Be Respectful Whenever you’re out in the field, respect the environment by following local guidelines, maintaining a safe distance from wildlife, and minimizing your impact on natural habitats. Always stay on designated paths and never remove any natural objects. Following a few simple rules protects wildlife and the landscape and maintains the integrity of your photography. With these tips in mind, you’re ready to enjoy the outdoors while capturing images that reflect the beauty of the natural world.
This case just confirmed my longstanding belief that when the IRS is involved, nothing is final until it’s in writing.
–Toph Sheldon
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ASHLEY’S CORNER Beat the Winter Blues: Try a Trip to the Zoo
Winter can be a gloomy time. Spending so much time indoors can make everyone feel kind of blah. For us, one of the best ways to break out of the winter blues is to head to the zoo. We take turns picking which animal we will see next, and everyone is engaged and happy. Anything we can do outdoors after the long winter is great for the kids. Everybody just feels better! As Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden members, we appreciate Zoo Lovers’ Day on April 8. Each of our kids has a favorite animal. Kip loves the tigers, Tess likes the hippos, and the boys are drawn to the cheetahs. And May is Zoo Baby time, featuring all the baby animals. We do zoo camps, and Kip and Tess take Zoo Troop, a once-a-week classes for kids as young as preschool. We usually make a play date to go with friends. The zoo is hilly, so walking around is good outdoor exercise. Pushing a stroller up and down those hills, especially when I was pregnant, was a good workout! I wish everyone could have a zoo membership. It’s much cheaper than buying individual tickets. We are only 20 minutes from the zoo, and we can go anytime with our pass. We do the carousel and the choo-choo
train, and we feed the giraffes. The zoo also stages a bird show, and the kids love the playground. We look forward to it every spring
The zoo comes home with us, too. The kids have stuffed versions of every animal on the planet. Tess has multiple hippo friends. Kip’s favorite is
the tiger and the elephants. We have birds and tigers and cheetahs and leopards. The kids have pretty great imaginations, and they line up all the animals, make up stories about them, and play “zoo.” They repeat what they have learned there: “Okay, two-finger touch of the animals!” My advice for April: Put the winter gloom behind you. Get out and enjoy the zoo! And consider getting a zoo membership if you can swing it. At 150 years of age, the Cincinnati Zoo is the second-oldest zoo in the country. And it’s definitely worth the investment!
Take a Break
CLASSIC FISH FRY
Ingredients
Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
• Vegetable oil • 2 lbs fresh cod • Salt and pepper, to taste •
• 2 tbsp water • 2 cups plain bread crumbs • 1/2 tsp mustard powder • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper • Lemon wedges
1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
• 2 large eggs
Directions
1. Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Cut cod into 4 servings and season with salt and pepper. 3. Place flour into a pie tin. Whisk egg and water in a second pie tin. Combine bread crumbs, mustard powder, and cayenne in a third pie tin. 4. Coat your fish in the flour tin, then the egg tin, then the bread crumb tin. 5. Set coated fish in hot oil and fry for 5 minutes on each side. 6. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!
Solution on Page 4
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Cincinnati Tax Resolution Powered by Toph Sheldon 9200 Montgomery Rd., Ste. 7B Cincinnati, OH 45242
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INSIDE 1
Toph Scores a Dream Trip to a Championship Game
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Mastering the Art of Nature Photography With the IRS, It’s Not Over Until the Final Whistle Blows Ashley’s Corner: We’re Wild About the Zoo! Classic Fish Fry
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Hip-Hop Star Offset Hit by Tax Liens
BROKE BOY: FEDS HIT FAMED RAPPER FOR $1.6 MILLION TOPH’S TAX NIGHTMARES
It is often said that bad luck comes in threes. That old saying held true for the rapper Offset last year. Within the space of a few months, the former star of the hip-hop group Migos was hit by two federal tax liens totaling nearly $1.6 million, followed closely by divorce papers from his estranged wife, Cardi B. The tax liens were filed in April 2024 and first reported by the U.S. Sun last August, around the same time Cardi B filed for divorce after seven years of marriage. Last summer, the state of California also filed a lien of $32,963 against Offset. Cardi B was not named in the tax liens. Offset’s estranged wife reportedly was seeking an agreement to divide equally the personal property they had acquired during their six- year marriage. Cardi B also demanded primary
custody and child support for the couple’s three children, ages 6, 3, and 3 months.
The news for Offset hasn’t gotten better. In recent months, he and Cardi B have feuded on social media over Cardi B’s demand that Offset sign their divorce papers. Offset insisted that, in turn, she share custody of their three children. Offset was born Kiari Kendrell Cephus in Gwinnett County, Georgia. He emerged as a solo performer after his former group, Migos, broke up. He has also appeared in television drama series and ads for a variety of fashion and footwear products. Cardi B is a top rap star, winner of one Grammy and other industry awards. At a high point in their relationship, the couple’s 2019 Grammy-nominated hit single together peaked at No. 39 on the Hot 100 list.
The couple purchased a five-bedroom, 22,000-square-foot home on 5.8 acres in Atlanta a few years ago. Cardi B’s 2020 video tour of the home has drawn millions of views on YouTube.
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DON’T LIVE IN FEAR - TOPH IS HERE!
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