Many existing businesses pivoted from their regular operations into a different sort of enterprise during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, a distributor of consumer goods may have shifted into medical supplies to help fill a void. Interestingly, some businesses that made a move emerged in better shape than they were before the pandemic.

People often ask: Is the interest paid during the year deductible on my federal income tax return? The answer is, "It depends." Generally, the interest you incurred must be allocated among the following five "baskets" for tax purposes. Based on how the interest is classified, it may be nondeductible, partially deductible or fully deductible. Other special limits also may apply.

I'll do your family's dental work for free if you build a deck onto my house." If you're in the construction industry, you've probably received an offer like this or made a similar offer to someone else in a different line of business. It's a modern variation of the age-old practice of barter. What makes it especially intriguing in this day and age is the idea that you can exchange services or products with someone without exchanging money.

Let's say an established not-for-profit organization provides medical services to low-income families. The organization is approached by a group that wants to serve the same population with periodic reduced-cost dental clinics, and it has already lined up several large donations. The fledgling group, however, doesn't have 501(c)(3) status and wants the established organization to act as its fiscal sponsor.