2020 is a year we will all remember. While we focus on COVID-19 cures and the upcoming holidays, there are a few tried and true estate planning techniques that are easy to implement and can have a substantial economic impact over the long term for you and your family. The Annual Exclusion Never underestimate the [...]
With so much election news in the air, small business owners are focused on something other than the coronavirus for a change: tax plans. President Donald Trump’s and former Vice President Joe Biden’s proposed tax policies both have the potential to change the playing field for small business owners. With so much riding on [...]
Will year-end tax plans look different this year? Absolutely. “The future is uncertain” maxim holds true every election year, but the coronavirus has amplified the uncertainties inherent in this year’s election. Regardless of who controls the White House and Congress, we cannot avoid change; in the months that follow, government leaders will need to determine [...]
Business growth, especially growth during economically trying times, is a great success and should be celebrated. But new growth can also bring a certain level of stress. To deliver promised products and services to new customers, most leaders will need to hire more workers. This responsibility can feel overwhelming, especially when leaders are unsure how [...]
The Tax for Certain Children Who Have Unearned Income, informally known as the Kiddie Tax, has been a hot topic in legislative circles these days. Congress altered the Kiddie Tax rules when they enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) at the end of 2017 but reversed those changes when they passed the Setting [...]
The IRS has provided new relief for qualified opportunity zone (QOZ) investors and qualified opportunity funds (QOFs) in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 180-Day Investment Window Opens Wider On April 9, 2020, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS provided relief to taxpayers affected by the COVID-19 emergency by postponing due dates with [...]
Today’s workforce is structured differently than it was 10 or 20 years ago. The gig economy began to take hold in the early 2000s, and today, almost a third of working Americans are self-employed or work for the self-employed. Self-employment can be a great opportunity for workers who want to chart their own path, ditch [...]
On May 12, 2020, the IRS issued a notice permitting employers to allow the increased flexibility to make mid-year changes to their employer-sponsored health coverage, flexible spending accounts (FSAs), and dependent care assistance programs. Due to the impacts of the novel coronavirus, workers' needs and access to health care and childcare have vastly changed, thus [...]
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacted on March 27, 2020, provides a number of tax changes that offer relief during the Coronavirus crisis. Three significant changes include: 1. Rollback of restrictions on using tax losses to recover taxes paid in profitable years, 2. Cash payments to individuals and families, and 3. [...]
The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, allows a “qualified individual” to take $100,000 in distributions from an IRA, 401k, or other qualified retirement plan during 2020 and reap the following benefits: You will not have to pay the 10% early distribution penalty if you are under the age of [...]
To further aid taxpayers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS have elected to extend further critical tax deadlines affecting individuals and businesses. This notice expands the relief announced in March that allows most taxpayers until July 15, 2020, to file and pay federal income taxes that were originally [...]
Taxes on Individuals Recovery Rebates The CARES Act contains rebate amounts equal to $1,200 for individuals, or $2,400 for joint filers, with a $500 credit for each qualifying child. These rebates are advanced refund credits against 2020 taxes. The rebate amounts are phased out based on the 2018 adjusted gross income (unless a 2019 return [...]
Updated 3.23.2020 In the fast-moving and ever-changing environment surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Treasury announced that the tax filing deadline of April 15, 2020, will be pushed back to July 15, 2020. This was a change of course from announcements made only days earlier. Earlier this week, Treasury and the IRS announced that they [...]
Individual taxpayers are able to defer paying up to $1 million of federal income and self-employment taxes for 90 days without penalties or interest. The $1 million cap is per tax return regardless of the filing status (single filer or a married couple) of the return. Corporations can defer paying up to $10 million of [...]
You certainly don’t need one more item on your to-do list. But attention to a few items right now can help make tax-filing season much more pleasant. Here are a few things that can make an impact on your 2019 tax liability: Make a Tax Payment Taxpayers who paid too little tax during 2019 can [...]
The Internal Revenue Service has issued final regulations (T.D. 9889) providing details about the tax treatment of investments in qualified opportunity zones (QOZs). This guidance modifies and finalizes proposed regulations that were issued on Oct. 28, 2018, and May 1, 2019. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) created the opportunity zone as a new incentive for [...]
The IRS released final guidance this fall to help taxpayers figure out when rental real estate activities might qualify as a “trade or business” for purposes of the Section 199A 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction. The final guidance sets forth four requirements that, when met, provide a taxpayer with some assurance that the IRS [...]
Many people enjoy hobbies that are also a source of income. From painting and pottery to scrapbooking and photography, these activities can be sources of both fun and finances. If you start to make money from a hobby, you will need to report that income on your tax return. Until 2018, certain hobby expenses were [...]
Working from home is becoming more and more popular. And while W-2 employees are no longer eligible to deduct their home expenses, those who own or co-own a business can take advantage of the deduction. Here’s what you need to know about the home office deduction and how you might be able to use it [...]
On Friday, December 20, 2019, the President signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (the “Act”) which addresses several tax provisions such as retirement plan funding and distribution reform, items related to expiring or expired tax provisions (“tax extenders”), and disaster tax relief. RETIREMENT PLAN FUNDING AND DISTRIBUTION REFORM The Act also includes the SECURE [...]
