Our Financial Blog
How President Biden’s Rescue Plan Might Impact Your Taxes
President Biden released his “American Rescue Plan” on January 14. It is a wish list of proposals he wants Congress to enact to address the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis. While some of the proposals are intended to be in effect for just one year, it...
Beware: These Tax Return Red Flags Could Catch the Eye of the IRS
Tax time can be one of the most hated times of the year. Just preparing the forms is enough to be an irritant, and if you owe the government money there’s a good chance that you’re downright annoyed. But neither of those things compare to the feeling that accompanies...
4 Questions Business Owners Should Consider During the 2020 Tax Season
As if 2020 wasn’t challenging enough, tax-filing this 2020 tax season is going to be even more complicated than usual. Though the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program were put into place to help small businesses, the old adage about “no such thing as a free...
Sold or Thinking of Selling Your Home?
In spite of (or in some cases, because of) the COVID-19 pandemic, and with near-record-low home mortgage interest rates, the housing market has been booming. September 2020 existing home sales were up 9.4% from August 2020 and 20.9% from 2019, according to the...
Increased Business Meal Deductions for 2021 and 2022
If you recall, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), effective beginning in 2018, eliminated business meal deductions for entertainment, amusement or recreation expenses. However, it did retain a deduction for business meals when the expense is ordinary and necessary for...
W-2 or 1099-NEC: Which Form Should Your Small Business Use for Which Worker?
Filing annual wage reports is just one of the many end-of-year responsibilities expected of every business. But the task is not as straightforward as some would think. The reports get sent to the people who have received wages, and at the same time they get filed with...
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...