Service charge reporting deadline postponed
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
The Internal Revenue Service has given businesses an extra year to comply with new rules on how to treat service charges, until January 1, 2014. The new rules had been scheduled to take effect January 1, 2013, but the deadline was extended in response to public comments to allow companies time to make their accounting […]
Read More »Medicare premiums are business deductions
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
A self-employed person may get a business deduction for health insurance premiums. The IRS has clarified that Medicare premiums paid by self-employed persons qualify as deductible health insurance premiums. If you did not include Medicare premiums in your self-employed health insurance deduction, you may want to consider amending your tax returns to include them. Before […]
Read More »Effective audit representation saves money
Thursday, March 15th, 2012
The local IRS office has stepped up its audits on individuals and businesses. More and more people are coming to us for effective audit representation. Several of them had suffered costly outcomes after their initial meetings with auditors, and they came to us for help. We were able to improve upon their original assessment through […]
Read More »What's a 1099-K?
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Have you received a 1099-K this year? This new form reports electronic financial transactions. If your business takes debit or credit card payments, then you will receive a 1099-K if you process more than $20,000 AND more than 200 transactions. Business tax returns contain a new line to report 1099-K amounts. For this tax season […]
Read More »2012 standard mileage rates
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
The IRS has announced standard mileage rates for 2012. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2012, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 55.5 cents per mile for business miles driven 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes 14 cents per mile driven […]
Read More »6 Year-end tax reduction tips
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
Use these six tax reduction tips to reduce your 2011 tax bill, but act before December 31, 2011. Make charitable contributions by December 31. Keep a canceled check, a bank statement, credit card statement or a written statement from the charity, showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution […]
Read More »Preserve estate tax portability
Monday, October 24th, 2011
To preserve estate tax portability, executors must file Form 706 Estate Tax Return for decedents dying in 2011 and later. The nine month filing deadline may be extended an additional six months. This election is not available for decedents dying before 2011. In the law reinstating the estate tax in 2010, Congress established an exclusion […]
Read More »Estate tax filing relief
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
The IRS has provided some estate tax filing relief for executors of the estates of those who died in 2010. Notice 2011-76 provides an automatic extension of time to file and pay the estate tax due. The rules generally apply to estates exceeding $5 million. The estate tax was repealed for 2010 and was replaced […]
Read More »Standard mileage rates change
Friday, July 1st, 2011
The IRS has adjusted the standard mileage rates beginning July 1, 2011, in response to higher gasoline prices. The new standard mileage rates will apply through the end of 2011. Mileage Rate Changes Purpose Rates 1/1 through 6/30/11 Rates 7/1 through 12/31/11 Business 51 55.5 Medical/Moving 19 23.5 Charitable 14 14 You have the option […]
Read More »Chevy Volt tax credit may not be yours
Monday, June 6th, 2011
The Chevy Volt, General Motors’ electric car, may bring a $7500 tax credit to the original purchaser of the car. But is that you or the dealership? Stories are surfacing that dealers are using the common practice of dealer trades to get the cars titled, claim the tax credits for themselves, and then sell the […]
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