Wipfli logo

Partners, principals and associates

Christenson_Crystal Milwaukee (Headquarters)

10000 W Innovation Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Tel:

414.431.9322


Fax:


Email: cchristenson@wipfli.com

Crystal Christenson, CPA, MST

Partner

As a tax partner, Crystal Christenson offers Wipfli’s clients more than 30 years of expertise. She currently serves as chairperson of the firm’s construction and real estate tax practice, designated firmwide leader for both partnership tax issues and the TCJA, and top-line member of the firm’s National Tax Office. She was previously a co director of the firm’s tax practice. Crystal is dedicated to providing proactive services to the firm’s clients, with emphasis on the development of innovative tax strategies and technical assistance with complex transactions. Her client base consists entirely of businesses and individuals involved in the construction and/or real estate development industry at both the local and national levels.

Certifications

  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Master of Taxation
  • Graduate Certificate in State and Local Tax

Awards

  • Elijah Watt Sells Award - Honor given to the top 0.2% of those sitting for the national CPA examination for scores of extraordinary merit
  • Meldman Award - Top graduate in the master of taxation program

Professional Organizations and Activities

  • UW-Milwaukee Master of Taxation Program - Past instructor for the Partnership, S Corporation, and LLC Tax course and the Tax and Business Strategies course
  • UW-Milwaukee Accounting program - Past instructor for Business Tax course
  • Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Women (WCREW) - Past board member and treasurer
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) - Member
  • Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA) - Member
  • Author of tax-related articles for local, national, and academic publications
  • Frequent trainer and speaker on numerous tax-related topics for both internal and external audiences

Services

CPA Tax Services

Areas of Focus

  • Business formation and capitalization
  • Choice-of-entity issues and accounting methods
  • Business mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and other changes in ownership
  • Tax planning for business sales and liquidations
  • Cancellation and restructuring of debt
  • Tax-deferred exchanges
  • Real estate-related tax credits and incentives
  • IRS and WDR audit and appeals assistance
  • Owner and key employee tax issues, including equity compensation

Education

St. Norbert College - De Pere, Wisconsin
  • Bachelor of business administration degree in accounting - Graduated magna cum laude
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Master of taxation degree
  • Graduate certificate in state and local tax

Recent Insights

Articles

How the Inflation Reduction Act expands the tax deduction for energy-efficient buildings
Aug 11, 2022

House Ways & Means Committee releases first draft of tax proposals
Sep 28, 2021

House Ways & Means Committee tax proposals’ impact on individuals
Sep 28, 2021

House Ways & Means Committee tax proposals’ impact on retirement plan rules
Sep 27, 2021

House Ways & Means Committee tax proposals’ impacting on businesses
Sep 27, 2021

House Ways & Means Committee tax proposals’ impact on estates, gifts and trusts
Sep 27, 2021

How the Biden tax proposals might impact your real estate business: Part 1
May 20, 2021

How the Biden tax proposals might impact your real estate business: Part 2
May 20, 2021

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund: A $29 billion grant program for struggling food and beverage businesses
Apr 29, 2021

IRS requirements for electronic delivery of partnership Schedule K-1s
Feb 18, 2021

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 extends sec. 45L through 2021
Feb 01, 2021

The Consolidated Appropriations Act permanently extends section 179D
Jan 28, 2021

Landlord tax issues during COVID-19: Lease modifications and terminations
May 20, 2020

Landlord tax issues during COVID-19: Late or unpaid rents
May 19, 2020

The “retail glitch” is finally fixed — and it applies to non-retail commercial properties too
Apr 28, 2020

The CARES Act: Cash-generating tax provisions for the construction and real estate industries
Apr 21, 2020

How the CARES Act can benefit the hospitality industry
Apr 09, 2020

The cloudy state of Sec. 1031 exchanges during COVID-19
Apr 07, 2020

A breakdown of Congress’ $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package
Mar 27, 2020

Significant change to Sec. 1031 alters like-kind exchange transactions
Mar 19, 2020

Sec. 179D and Sec. 45L retroactively extended for taxpayers
Mar 17, 2020

IRS defers some 2019 partnership return disclosures
Mar 16, 2020

Beware of potential trap for year-end like-kind exchanges
Mar 09, 2020

IRS defers some (but not all) 2019 partnership return disclosures
Dec 17, 2019

IRS Is Coming After Partnerships and LLCs
Dec 03, 2019

Structuring a Transaction: Ways to Minimize Income Tax Implications for Sellers
Mar 12, 2019

Electing out of the new centralized partnership audit rules
Jan 30, 2019

The Role of the Personal Representative Under the New Centralized Partnership Audit Rules
Jan 30, 2019

Draft Instructions for 2018 Form 1040 Released by IRS
Nov 01, 2018

Update on Tax Reform 2.0 – The Road to Nowhere
Oct 31, 2018

Employer Credit for Paid Family and Medical Leave
Oct 30, 2018

First Guidance on New Opportunity Zones Issued
Oct 29, 2018

Expected Timing of Additional TCJA Guidance
Oct 17, 2018

Time Running out for Certain Taxpayers to Elect out of 100 Percent Bonus Depreciation
Oct 17, 2018

Moving Expenses Paid by Employer
Oct 16, 2018

Deductibility of Business Meals
Oct 15, 2018

IRS Issues Guidance on Section 199A: The 20 Percent Passthrough Deduction
Aug 28, 2018

Bonus Depreciation Expanded
Aug 23, 2018

Prepayment of 2018 State Property Taxes in 2017
Aug 15, 2018

New Automatic Method Change for Citrus Replanting Costs
Aug 14, 2018

Like-Kind Exchanges
Aug 13, 2018

Thirty-Percent Limitation on Business Interest Expense – The Exceptions
Aug 08, 2018

Thirty-Percent Limitation on Business Interest Expense – The General Rules
Aug 07, 2018

Roth Conversions and Recharacterizations
Aug 01, 2018

Rollover of Retirement Plan Loans
Jul 31, 2018

Surrender Versus Sale of a Life Insurance Policy
Jul 30, 2018

TCJA Improves Tax Benefits of ABLE Accounts
Jul 19, 2018

Tax Reform 2.0 – An Update
Jul 18, 2018

Curious About What the New Form W-4 Might Look Like for 2019?
Jul 17, 2018

Long-Promised “Postcard 1040” Makes Tentative Appearance
Jul 16, 2018

A Final Farewell to the Sec. 199 Domestic Production Activities Deduction (DPAD)
Jul 12, 2018

Research Credit and Expenditures – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Jul 11, 2018

Come Work for My Startup! Qualified Equity Grants
Jul 09, 2018

U.S. Withholding on Foreign Partner’s Disposal of Interest in Partnership
Jun 28, 2018

Taxation of Foreign Partner’s Disposal of Interest in Partnership
Jun 27, 2018

Basis Adjustments for Charitable Contributions and Foreign Taxes
Jun 26, 2018

The TCJA Terminates Technical Terminations
Jun 19, 2018

Hold On! There’s Now a Longer Holding Period for Certain Carried Interests
Jun 18, 2018

Income Tax Implications of Alimony Agreements Post-TCJA
Jun 14, 2018

What About the Children? The Impact of TCJA on Kiddie Tax
Jun 13, 2018

The #MeToo Movement – Income Tax Implication for Employers
Jun 12, 2018

Wait … What? I Can’t Carryback My NOL and I Can’t Use My NOL Carryforward to Eliminate All My Income?
May 30, 2018

Wait … What? I Can’t Deduct All My Business Losses This Year?
May 29, 2018

Small Businesses Need to Know These Recent Accounting Method Changes
May 23, 2018

With the Expansion of Bonus Depreciation, Why Is Section 179 Still Important?
May 17, 2018

States Developing “Solutions” to the New $10,000 Cap on Individual Taxpayers’ State and Local Tax Deductions
May 16, 2018

Opportunity Funds
May 14, 2018

Depreciation – Down on the Farm
May 03, 2018

Fiscal Year Corporations Need to Do More Math to Calculate Both Their Regular and AMT Tax Liabilities
May 01, 2018

That’s a Nice Ride! What Kind of Tax Deduction Does It Get?
Apr 30, 2018

I Created That!! Self-Created Intangibles No Longer Qualify for Favorable Capital Gains Tax Rates
Apr 26, 2018

Congratulations! It’s a Girl!! Employers Who Provide Paid FMLA Have a New Tax Credit
Apr 25, 2018

It's Going to Be a Busy Summer at the IRS
Apr 23, 2018

Update: Is Your Business in the Zone?
Apr 19, 2018

You Are Not the Only One With Questions in Search of Answers
Apr 17, 2018

Makes You Wonder Whether Congress Just Doesn’t Like College Sports
Apr 16, 2018

Sneak Peek at the IRS’s Thoughts on the Application of the 30% Business Interest Limitation
Apr 12, 2018

Donor-Advised Funds – You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Apr 11, 2018

It Probably Won’t Make Any Top 10 List of New Nonfiction Books, but …
Apr 10, 2018

Attention Farmers, Partnerships and Developers of and Investors in Low-Income Housing Projects!
Apr 05, 2018

Are You Sure You Can Use the Small Taxpayer Exception to Avoid the 30% Limitation on Interest Expense?
Apr 04, 2018

There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch (or in This Case, a Tax-Free Grant)
Apr 03, 2018

Is Your Business in the Zone?
Apr 02, 2018

Tax Extenders
Mar 30, 2018

Will you need to reorganize your operations to maximize Section 199A flow-through deduction?
Mar 29, 2018

What’s the word on technical corrections?
Mar 27, 2018

If I have carried interest in an S corporation, can I avoid the three-year holding period?
Mar 26, 2018

TCJA makes home equity loan interest nondeductible – Or does it?
Mar 25, 2018

Hey, why did my paycheck go up?
Mar 22, 2018

Tax Reform Impacting Construction and Real Estate Companies
Dec 28, 2017