Terms of Use & Disclaimers

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of thecarryforward.com (the “Site”), published by The Carryforward(“we,” “us”). By using the Site you accept these Terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the Site.

1. Educational content only — not tax, legal, or accounting advice

Everything on the Site — articles, briefs, courses, glossary entries, charts, tables, worked examples, and FAQ answers — is general educational information about United States federal tax law and related subjects. It is not tax advice, legal advice, accounting advice, investment advice, or a substitute for any of them. Tax outcomes depend on facts, elections, and procedural history specific to each taxpayer, none of which we know. Nothing on the Site is directed at, or a recommendation for, your particular situation.

Before acting or refraining from acting on anything you read here, consult a qualified professional — a CPA, enrolled agent, or tax attorney — who can apply the law to your facts and who is accountable to you for the result. Our article on choosing a specialty tax provider explains how to evaluate one.

2. No professional relationship

Reading the Site, completing a course, or relying on any material here does not create a client relationship of any kind — attorney–client, accountant–client, advisor–advisee, or fiduciary — between you and The Carryforward, its publisher, or any contributor. No communication through or about the Site constitutes engagement of professional services. Course “completion” reflects only that pages were opened in your browser; it is not a credential, certification, license, or evidence of competence, and it confers no continuing professional education (CPE/CLE) credit.

3. No penalty protection

Written tax advice that protects a taxpayer from penalties must come from a practitioner engaged on the taxpayer’s specific facts. The Site is general-circulation publishing: nothing here is written advice you can rely on to avoid penalties under the Internal Revenue Code (including the accuracy- related penalties of Section 6662) or to establish reasonable cause, and it is not a “covered opinion” or reliance opinion of any kind. See our articles on accuracy penalties and the reasonable-cause defense for how penalty protection actually works.

4. Accuracy, currency, and change in law

We work hard to be accurate and we cite primary sources, but tax law changes by statute, regulation, ruling, and case law — sometimes retroactively. Articles state their publication and revision dates and describe the law as we understood it on those dates. We do not warrant that any page is current, complete, or error-free on the day you read it, and we have no obligation to update any particular page. Where our summary and the primary authority differ, the statute, regulations, and official guidance control — which is why we link to them.

5. Worked examples and charts are illustrations

Numeric examples, charts, and tables are simplified illustrations built to teach a mechanism. They omit interactions (state taxes, AMT, limitations, phase-outs, elections) that change real outcomes, and figures labeled “illustrative” are exactly that. Do not use them as calculations for a return, a provision, a model, or a transaction.

6. Independence and no endorsement

We do not sell tax studies or professional services, accept sponsorships or affiliate compensation, or receive payment for placement, and no provider is endorsed by appearing in, or being described on, the Site. References to third-party firms, tools, software lists, or government programs are for identification and education only. Links to external sites (including IRS.gov and other government resources) are provided for convenience; we are not responsible for their content or availability.

7. Intellectual property and permitted use

The Site’s content, design, and compilation are protected by copyright and other intellectual-property laws and are owned by The Carryforward or its licensors. You may read, print, and share links freely, and quote reasonable excerpts with attribution and a link. You may not republish substantial portions of the Site, use its content to train commercial products that substitute for it, scrape it at disruptive volume, or present its material as your own or as advice to clients without independent verification. Statutes, regulations, and other government works quoted on the Site remain in the public domain.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to interfere with the Site’s operation, attempt to circumvent its security, misrepresent affiliation with it, or use it in violation of applicable law. We may restrict access that violates these Terms.

9. Disclaimer of warranties

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. YOUR USE OF THE SITE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

10. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE CARRYFORWARD, ITS PUBLISHER, AND CONTRIBUTORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, TAX BENEFITS, OR DATA, ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE SITE OR RELIANCE ON ITS CONTENT — INCLUDING ANY TAX POSITION TAKEN, RETURN FILED, ELECTION MADE OR MISSED, PENALTY OR INTEREST ASSESSED, OR EXAMINATION OUTCOME — WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER THEORY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IF, NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, LIABILITY IS FOUND, OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY WILL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS (US $100). Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in those jurisdictions, these limitations apply to the fullest extent permitted.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Carryforward, its publisher, and contributors from claims, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your misuse of the Site or violation of these Terms.

12. Changes to the Site and these Terms

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Site at any time. We may revise these Terms by posting an updated version with a new effective date; continued use after a change constitutes acceptance. Material changes will be flagged rather than made silently — the same standard we apply to articles.

13. Governing law and severability

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas and applicable federal law, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules, and any dispute will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Texas. If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remainder continues in effect. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement regarding use of the Site.

Questions

Our editorial standards and what this publication is (and is not) are described on the About page.