North Star Tax and Legal Briefing

A bankruptcy court avoided two merchant cash advance obligations as constructively fraudulent — wiping out promises to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars at triple-digit effective rates. We break down how the constructive fraud rules reach MCA debt, why New Mexico's repealed usury caps make this theory the main event, and what to check in any advance agreement before you sign. Full written analysis with citations: https://nm-legal.net/mca-merchant-cash-advance-fraudulent-transfer-new-mexico/

Congress just advanced seven bills that change how the IRS operates, and five of them passed without a single no vote. This episode walks through what they would do — real penalties for ghost preparers, a theft-loss deduction for romance and impersonation scam victims, and oversight for AI-driven audit selection — and why they matter for New Mexico taxpayers. Full written analysis with citations: https://nm-legal.net/ways-means-tax-administration-bills-2026-new-mexico-taxpayers/

Trump Accounts opened for contributions this summer, and the IRS's new Revenue Procedure 2026-25 safe harbor decides whether funding one is a reportable gift. This episode walks through the five all-or-nothing conditions, the routine family moves that quietly break the harbor, and the sequencing rule that keeps a family's contributions clean. Read the full analysis with citations at https://nm-legal.net/trump-accounts-gift-tax-safe-harbor-rev-proc-2026-25/

Pig butchering scams cost victims billions, but the tax code may return a meaningful piece of what was stolen — if the loss qualifies as an investment-motivated theft. This briefing walks through who still qualifies after the 2017 law change, why the deduction lands in the year the theft is discovered, and what a retired Albuquerque couple's $120,000 loss is really worth at filing time. Full written analysis with citations: https://nm-legal.net/pig-butchering-scam-theft-loss-deduction-new-mexico/

A California bankruptcy court just dismissed a company's Chapter 11 petition because the receivership order had already stripped management of the power to file it. This episode breaks down the Mount Acadia decision, why the receiver's silence was not ratification, and what the tactic means for both lenders and borrowers heading into a Texas workout. Read the full written analysis at https://htx-legal.net/receivership-order-chapter-11-filing-authority-mount-acadia

An IRS wage levy needs no lawsuit and no judgment, and there is no percentage cap on what it can take from a New Mexico paycheck. This briefing explains how the levy actually works, the notice that opens your thirty-day hearing window, and the five paths that get a levy released — plus the separate New Mexico state tax levy that a federal fix leaves untouched. Read the full written analysis at https://nm-legal.net/stop-irs-wage-garnishment-new-mexico/