It’s tempting to take a break from everything this summer, but you may regret it come tax season if you push off tax planning. Here are some tips to help you keep your head in the game even when your feet are in the pool: If you are a sole proprietor with children, consider putting them on the payroll during…
Millions of taxpayers receive refunds each year. Will you be among them? Most of us will happily accept our tax refund checks, because we can usually use the money. However, it’s important to understand that refunds actually cost you money. Here’s why: * The government pays no interest on refunds. Kept in your hands, those dollars could have been productive.…
It’s the start of wedding season! If you are approaching your wedding date (congratulations!), the tax implications of marriage are probably not the first thing on your mind. But paying a little attention to it now can save time and even money later. Here are a few tips to help those who are about to embark on a new life…
Some tax-cutting strategies make good financial sense. Others are simply bad ideas, often because tax considerations are allowed to override basic economics. Here’s one example of the tax tail wagging the economic dog. Let’s say that you operate an unincorporated consulting business. You want an additional tax write-off, so you decide to buy $10,000 of office furniture that you don’t…
Do you regularly monitor your company’s cash accounts? Being aware of where your cash is going can help prevent theft or improper expenditures, which are among the chief sources of loss for small companies. Do you regularly monitor your company’s cash accounts? Being aware of where your cash is going can help prevent theft or improper expenditures, which are among…
If you own a calendar-year corporation, you can benefit from planning moves you make before December 31. For example, corporations can accelerate or defer income or deductions to stay within a certain tax bracket. You’ll also want to look at your corporate alternative minimum tax exposure to determine whether you qualify for an exception to the tax. Finally, reviewing estimated…
If you or a member of your family is off to college this fall, you may be eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Eligible students may take this credit for the first four years of higher education. The credit can be up to $2500 annually. Expenses that qualify for the credit include tuition, fees, and related expenses. Forty percent…
Is your cabinet overflowing? Do you hesitate to purge tax information because you’re not sure what to keep and what to discard? Here’s a quick guide to help you cut through the clutter. Expenses. Substantiation for deductions includes charitable donation acknowledgments, receipts for employee business expenses, and automobile mileage logs. Retain these at least seven years after you file the…
A tax-deferred exchange is a tax planning technique which should be considered by any taxpayer that is relocating or disposing of property. Often referred to as a “tax-free exchange,” the tax-deferred exchange allows you to exchange certain business or investment property for other “like-kind” business or investment property and pay no income taxes currently. Your tax liability is deferred until…
Business Accounting Systems, P.C. has been named to the 100 best in South Jersey Business List by South Jersey Biz Magazine, 2015. The specialty to which we have been named this time is Bookkeeping. In 2014, we were named to the list for our Payroll Services. We are proud and thankful for the nomination and win. Thank you for…
Even if you don’t itemize deductions on your tax return, you may be entitled to certain “above-the-line” deductions. These deductions are subtracted from your income to arrive at your adjusted gross income, an important number because it determines your qualification for certain tax credits and various tax breaks. Above-the-line deductions include such things as IRA contributions, health savings account contributions,…
If your child has a summer job, consider opening an IRA for him or her. According to the tax rules, anyone under age 70 1/2 who has earned income can contribute to a traditional IRA. There’s no age restriction for Roth accounts, though the amount of the contribution phases out at higher income levels. The advantage of a Roth over…
Take time this summer to examine your investment portfolio for potential tax savings, such as selling stocks that are worth less than you paid to offset your capital gains. You might also donate appreciated stock that you have held for more than one year to charity and avoid capital gains altogether – plus getting a deduction for the stock’s fair…
How you classify your workers – as “independent contractors” or “employees” – matters a great deal to the IRS. The IRS is aware that employers prefer to treat workers as independent contractors to avoid paying fringe benefits and payroll taxes. The IRS estimates that 80% of workers who are classified as independent contractors are actually employees. About 100 new auditors…
Next year, taxpayers will get a few extra days to file their 2015 income tax returns. The District of Columbia will be observing Emancipation Day on April 15, 2016, the usual filing deadline. Because April 16 and 17 fall on a weekend, the 2016 filing deadline is moved to the next business day which is April 18. Taxpayers in Maine…
A new law, the “Don’t Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act,” was signed on May 22, 2015, to clarify the tax treatment of federal and state benefits for public safety officers killed or injured in the line of duty. Under the law, such benefits will not be subject to federal income tax.
In a survey of small businesses conducted by the National Small Business Association, 59% of respondents said taxes were more of an administrative burden than a financial one. Most businesses put payroll taxes at the top of the list of taxes with the greatest administrative burden. Payroll taxes also outranked other taxes, such as income, property, and sales taxes, as…
Keep your college student qualified as your dependent by meeting the “support” test. Generally, your child cannot provide over one-half of his or her own support during the year. Add up funds your child will have received from work, student loans, and other sources of income. Do you need to increase your level of support during the rest of year…
If you itemize your deductions, you can deduct the mortgage interest and property taxes paid for your vacation home. A boat or RV can qualify as a vacation home if it has sleeping quarters, cooking facilities, and a bathroom. If a retreat also serves as rental property, you can control your tax deductions by changing the number of days you…
Here’s another filing deadline that might apply to you: April 15 is the due date for filing 2014 gift tax returns. If you made gifts last year in excess of the $14,000 annual limit to any one individual, you may need to report the transaction to the IRS. If you and your spouse agree to “gift-splitting,” you could give up…
If you didn’t have health insurance in 2014 or the insurance you had did not meet minimum requirements, you may have to pay a penalty on your 2014 Federal Income Tax Return – unless you qualify for an exemption. Exemptions include unaffordable coverage when premiums would have exceeded 8% of your household income, a coverage gap of three months…
There are several sources of revenue that are not subject to income tax. Here are the most common sources of money that are not taxed on your federal income tax return: Borrowed money such as from banks or personal loans. Money received as a gift or inheritance from family or friends. Money paid on your behalf directly to a school…