Our Financial Blog
November 2022 Individual Due Dates
November 10 - Report Tips to EmployerIf you are an employee who works for tips and received more than $20 in tips during October, you are required to report them to your employer on IRS Form 4070 no later than November 10. Your employer is required to withhold FICA...
Health Savings Accounts Fill Multiple Tax Needs
The Health Savings Account (HSA) is one of the most misunderstood and underused benefits in the Internal Revenue Code. Congress created HSAs as a way for individuals with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to save for medical expenses that are not covered by...
Bunching Your Deductions Can Provide Big Tax Benefits
If your tax deductions normally fall short of itemizing your deductions or even if you are able to itemize, but only marginally, you may benefit from using the “bunching” strategy. The tax code allows most taxpayers to utilize the standard deduction or itemize their...
Read This Before Tossing Old Tax Records
Now that your taxes are complete and filed for the year, you are probably wondering what old tax records can be discarded. If you are like most taxpayers, you have records from years ago that you are afraid to throw away. To determine how to proceed, it is helpful to...
Late on Filing Taxes? Penalty Relief for Reasonable Cause
You may qualify to have certain penalties removed or reduced if you acted with reasonable cause and in good faith. On This Page Reasonable CauseFailure to File or Pay PenaltiesAccuracy-Related PenaltiesInformation Return PenaltiesApply for a Payment PlanHow to Request...
If You Want to Maximize Your Social Security Income, You Need to Start Planning Now
According to one recent study, about 27% of people in the United States between the ages of 55 and 67 years old have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. If you needed just one statistic to outline how important it is to plan ahead when you're younger, let it be...
Best Practices for Avoiding Cash Flow Problems With Your Business: A Guide
If you had to make a list of some of the biggest issues that plague small business owners on a regular basis, cashflow problems would undoubtedly be right at the top. Cash flow is about more than just the money coming into and going out of your business. It represents...
Everything You Need to Know About Starting a Business: Your Step-by-Step Guide
According to one recent study conducted by the Small Business Administration, there are approximately 32.5 million organizations that classify as a small business in operation in the United States. Half of all American workers are either employed by a small business...
IRS Appeals revises initial contact letters as part of effort to enhance the taxpayer experience
WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service Independent Office of Appeals is taking important steps to improve how taxpayers interact and communicate with the IRS by revising their initial contact letters. “Appeals resolves federal tax disputes, without litigation, in a...
Home Energy Improvement Credit Is Enhanced
Going all the way back to 2006, except for 2008, the federal tax code has offered a tax credit for making energy-saving improvements to a taxpayer’s home. This credit had expired after 2021 but has been given renewed life and substantially enhanced by the Inflation...
October 2022 Due Dates
October 2022 Individual Due Dates October 11 - Report Tips to EmployerIf you are an employee who works for tips and received more than $20 in tips during September, you are required to report them to your employer on IRS Form 4070 no later than October 11. Your...
Retirement Plans and Small Businesses
The IRS Nationwide Tax Forum wrapped up in August with more than 10,000 tax professionals attending the virtual sessions. IRS Employee Plans presented the seminar, Retirement Plans: Avoid These Pitfalls When Managing Your Small Employer Plan. Checklists: Part of our...
Electric Vehicle Credit Undergoes Major Overhaul
With the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the electric vehicle credit has undergone some major changes. Although most of the changes take effect in 2023, to qualify for the current credit, vehicles purchased after August 15, 2022, are...
2022 Tax Changes
Child Tax Credit The child tax credit is going back to its pre-2021 form. That means the 2022 credit amount drops back down to $2,000 per child. Children who are 17 years old don't qualify for the credit this year, because the former age limit (16 years old) returns....
IRS Providing Penalty Relief to 1.6 Million Taxpayers
To help struggling taxpayers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRS has issued a notice, which provides penalty relief to most people and businesses who file or filed certain 2019 or 2020 returns late. This includes nearly 1.6 million taxpayers who will...
October Extended Due Date Just Around the Corner
If you could not complete your 2021 tax return by April 18, 2022 and are now on extension, that extension expires on October 17, 2022. Failure to file before the extension period runs out can subject you to late-filing penalties. There are no additional extensions...
Life Changing Events Can Impact Your Taxes
Throughout your life there will be certain significant occasions that will impact not only your day-to-day living but also your taxes. Here are a few of those events: Getting Married – If you just got married or are considering getting married, you need to be aware...
What You Need to Know About the 2022 Virginia One-Time Tax Rebate
The 2022 Virginia General Assembly passed a law earlier this year giving taxpayers with a liability a rebate of up to $250 for individual filers and up to $500 for joint filers. Virginia will send eligible taxpayers a one-time rebate of up to $250 for individuals and...
Inflation and an Economic Slowdown: A Double Whammy for your Finances
Newspapers and media reports have been filled with talk of inflation and recession. Experts are arguing about the definition of the latter. Pundits are pondering whether the slow down reflected in the latest consumer price index report means that inflation has peaked....
Basic Things All Businesses Should Know About Excise Tax
Basic things all businesses should know about excise tax. (2022, August 1). Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/basic-things-all-businesses-should-know-about-excise-tax "Excise tax is an indirect tax on specific...