Our Financial Blog
Your Annual Reminder to File Worker 1099s
This is our annual reminder that if you use workers other than employees to perform services for your business and pay them $600 or more for the year, you are required to issue each one a Form 1099-NEC after the end of the year to avoid facing the loss of the...
Didn’t Get Your Economic Impact Payment? You Can Claim It on Your 2020 Return.
One of the more tax-troubling issues this year has been the distribution of what Congress referred to as the recovery rebates. You may know these payments as the Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) or stimulus payments, names that the IRS took the liberty of creating....
Renting Your Home or Vacation Home for Short Periods
Many taxpayers rent out their first or second homes without considering tax consequences. Some of these rules can be beneficial, while others can be very detrimental. If you renting your home to others, then you should be aware of some special tax rules that probably...
Is that Inheritance Taxable?
Is inheritance taxable? This is a frequently misunderstood taxation issue, and the answer can be complicated. When someone passes away, all of their assets (their estate) will be subject to estate taxation, and whatever is left after paying the estate tax passes to...
What Happens if I Receive an IRS CP2000 Notice?
There are few things that can send a chill down your spine more than mail from the IRS. Just seeing the agency’s name on an envelope’s return address creates anxiety. If you find yourself in that position and open the mail to find a CP2000 notice inside, you don’t...
Don’t Miss the Opportunity for a Spousal IRA
One frequently overlooked tax benefit is the spousal IRA. Generally, IRA contributions are only allowed for taxpayers who have compensation (the term “compensation” includes wages, tips, bonuses, professional fees, commissions, taxable alimony received, and net income...
Don’t Fall Behind in Saving for Retirement
Some folks have been tapping or suspending their retirement savings to make ends meet during this COVID-19 pandemic, and although understandable, it is important that they continue saving for retirement as quickly as financially possible. Still other people have...
Preparing for 2021: Tax Planning Strategies for Small Business Owners
If you are a small business owner, every penny of your income counts. This means that you not only want to optimize your revenue, but also minimize your expenses and your tax liability. Unfortunately, far too many entrepreneurs are not well-versed on the tricks and...
December 2020 Individual Due Dates
December 1 - Time for Year-End Tax Planning December is the month to take final actions that can affect your tax result for 2020. Taxpayers with substantial increases or decreases in income, changes in marital status or dependent status, and those who sold...
December 2020 Business Due Dates
December 1 - EmployersDuring December, ask employees whose withholding allowances will be different in 2021 to fill out a new Form W4 or Form W4(SP).December 15 - Social Security, Medicare and Withheld Income Tax If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the...
Employee Holiday Gifts May Be Taxable
It is common practice this time of year for employers to give their employees gifts. Where a gift is infrequently offered and has a fair market value so low that it is impractical and unreasonable to account for it, the gift’s value would be treated as a de minimis...
Is a Living Trust Appropriate for You!
You have probably heard others discussing living trusts but may not understand the reasons for them or whether you should have one. Living trusts are an estate-planning tool, and there is not a one-type-fits-all living trust. Each one is customized to suit the special...
12 Financial Metrics Small Business Owners Should Track
Operating a small business is an exhilarating and, at times, overwhelming endeavor. There are so many details to keep track of that it’s easy to forget about the nuts and bolts of your organization’s finances – especially if you didn’t start out as a “numbers person.”...
There is More to Deducting Health Insurance than Meets the Eye
Health insurance premiums, especially in the wake of the Affordable Care Act, have risen dramatically and are one of the greatest expenses that most individuals pay. Although the cost of health insurance is allowed as part of an individual’s medical deductions when...
Solar Tax Credit is Sunsetting Soon
A federal tax credit for the purchase and installation costs of a residential solar system is fading away. After being 30% of the cost for several years through 2019, the credit amount drops to 26% in 2020 and then 22% in 2021, the final year of the credit. The credit...
What Happens if I Missed the October 15 Tax Extension Deadline?
We’ve all been there. Life is super busy. We have to take care of our families and friends, work obligations, and all our other everyday responsibilities. With all of the hustle and bustle, you realize that the October 15th tax extension deadline has...
The SBA Issues a Simplified PPP Loan Forgiveness Application
If you are the owner of a small business that obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, you are most likely aware that the loan can be partially or totally forgiven if you used the loan proceeds for the required purposes. Loan forgiveness is not automatic and...
Effect of PPP Loan Forgiveness on Taxable Income
We now have official guidance from the I.R.S. that the advice provided by our Firm related to not being able to deduct eligible expenses related to PPP loans in 2020 is confirmed. While most PPP loans will not be forgiven in 2020 due to the time provided between...
Don’t Miss Out on Year-End Tax-Planning Opportunities
To say COVID-19 has made 2020 a disastrous year for just about everyone would be an understatement. In response to the economic slowdown and losses of income, Congress passed several extensive laws to benefit individuals and businesses that suffered financial hardship...
The Importance of SEO in Website Design
While it is important to have an aesthetically appealing website, it may be more important to have good “under the hood” structure that supports SEO (search engine optimization) and inbound marketing. One of the primary purposes, if not THE primary purpose, of a...