[Note: this column was originally published in November 2012, but due to the Band-Aid approach to tax law favored by Congress, it is relevant once more]

If you are one of the 97% of the population whose home is worth significantly less than when you purchased it (relax real estate brokers of America, I’m exaggerating for effect), you’ve likely been seeking out some type of debt modification with your lender. Or perhaps things have gotten so bad that you’re contemplating a foreclosure or short sale.

Here’s the thing: anytime a mortgage is modified (i.e., reduced), the borrower is required to recognize cancellation of indebtedness (COD) income under Section 61(a)(12) to the extent of the debt forgiveness. Similarly, if a property is sold at foreclosure or in a short sale and the underlying mortgage is recourse (meaning the borrower has personal responsibility for any excess loan deficiency remaining after the sale), then to the extent the remaining deficiency is forgiven, the borrower will again recognize COD income.

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An updated tax rule is causing restaurants to rethink the practice of adding automatic tips to the tabs of large parties.

Starting in January, the Internal Revenue Service will begin classifying those automatic gratuities as service charges—which it treats as regular wages, subject to payroll tax withholding—instead of tips, which restaurants leave up to the employees to report as income.

The change would mean more paperwork and added costs for the restaurants—and a potential financial hit for waiters and waitresses who live on their tips but don’t always report them fully.

Darden Restaurants Inc., DRI +0.58% owner of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Red Lobster, has long included automatic 18% tips on the bill for parties of eight or more at its more than 2,100 restaurants, but is experimenting with eliminating them because of the IRS ruling, said a spokesman.

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Investing is a complex undertaking. The supply of investment alternatives is seemingly endless. Evaluating various alternatives can be quite difficult and very time consuming.

And unless held in check, the actual decision-making process is fraught with human emotions that often lead investors to make counterproductive investment choices. Add to this the myriad tax rules and regulations that impact investments and you have enough to overwhelm many investors.

Trusted financial professionals are in a position to help make sense of it all. Certainly, appropriate portfolios should be structured for investors, and suitable investments should be chosen given the current economic environment and the investor’s unique set of circumstances. But tax consequences must also be carefully considered, and the accountant often plays a role in this. Tax treatment, good or bad, can make or break an investment decision.