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 ServicesAreas 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
Industries
Construction and Real EstateEducation
St. Norbert College - De Pere, Wisconsin- Bachelor of business administration degree in accounting - Graduated magna cum laude
- 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
Webinars
Milwaukee Town Hall Meeting: Tax code changes to help generate cash for your CRE business
Jun 23, 2020
[Recorded webinar] COVID-19, qualified businesses, individuals and nonprofits: What’s next?
Mar 27, 2020
Recorded Webinar: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: What Businesses Need to Know
Feb 13, 2018
Recorded Webinar: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: What Individuals Need to Know
Feb 13, 2018
