Unfortunately, many of the details in DeMuth's The Overtaxed Investor will be irrelevant if the currently proposed tax bill passes.
The concepts, however, remain. I'm sure he will adjust his recommendations with a new edition once a new tax bill passes.
Overall, this is an easy read written in a punchy style. Many of the concepts are not new relative to years of reading the blogosphere, but they are succinctly and clearly delivered.
I have three take-home lessons from the book:
1. A tax deferred is a tax not paid (yet). Minimize taxes to maximize the gains you keep.
2. Minimizing taxes is a strategic process. The book's value derives in large part from DeMuth's clearly elucidated approach to strategy.
3. Dividend-free stocks are essential for minimizing taxes on investments that cannot be tax-protected in another way.
The fourth lesson, which I will admit I incompletely understand, is to maximize tax-loss harvesting. Somehow this feels incredibly counterintuitive.
