2022 Tax Insights
Convert Your Partnership Into an S Corporation To Reduce Taxes!
Let’s say you’re considering converting your partnership into an S corporation. The reason might be to reduce exposure for you and the other owners to Social Security and Medicare taxes, which come in the form of the self-employment tax for partners. Specifically, each partner’s ... (continued)
Energy Saving Tax Credits Under New Tax Law!!
The President signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on August 16, 2022. It contains some valuable tax credits for homeowners. When it comes to taxes, nothing is better than a tax credit since it is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the taxes you must ... (continued)
Beat the TAXMAN with These 11 Tax-Free Income Sources!
I was perusing the Internal Revenue Code (it’s one of the things I do) and started to think about the various sources of tax-free income. Here are the 11 that jumped out at me: Roth IRAs Social Security benefits ... (continued)
Expanded Tax Credits for Your BUSINESS Electric Vehicle
You may have heard that the newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act includes an expanded tax credit for electric vehicles. Although this personal credit has gotten most of the publicity, the new law launched a new commercial clean vehicle credit—specifically for business-use electric vehicles. And ... (continued)
Defer Taxes With This Tax Strategy-Installment Sale
Do you own investment property? What about a small business? Sooner or later, you will probably want to sell. One of the downsides of selling a business or investment property is the huge tax bill at the end. Profits are likely subject to the ... (continued)
Here's How to defeat $10,000 SALT Cap
Maybe the least popular change brought about by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was a first-ever cap on the federal personal income tax deduction for state and local taxes. From 2018 through 2025, the TCJA caps itemized deductions for state income taxes ... (continued)
Non-Working Spousal IRA's-What You Need to Know
You may have joined the Great Resignation, maybe temporarily or maybe for good. Or your non-working status might have nothing to do with the Great Resignation. For instance, you could be a stay-at-home parent. In any case, as a spouse with no tax-defined earned ... (continued)
You Still Can Claim ERC-Here's How!
During much of 2020 and 2021, you may have qualified for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). With the ERC, you found (or could find) tax credits of up to $26,000 per employee. That’s a lot. With 10 employees, that’s $260,000. Key point. If you have not ... (continued)
How to Switch From Mileage to Actual Costs for your Vehicle
Is the mileage rate sticking it to you? Could you increase your tax deductions by switching from the IRS mileage rate to the actual-expense method? If so, you will be happy to learn you can make that switch. When you choose the mileage rate, you elect ... (continued)
Deducting Mortgage Interest When Your Name is NOT on Deed
Tax law has an amazing break for unconventional homeowners. You can deduct your mortgage interest payments even when the deed to the house and the mortgage are in someone else’s name. Here’s what happened to Sue Davis. Sue could not personally qualify for a home loan. Her ... (continued)
ALERT-New FinCEN Regulations Coming Soon!
Do you own or advise a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability limited partnership, or business trust? Or are you planning to form one of these entities? If so, be alert. There’s a new federal filing requirement coming. Back ... (continued)
Pros & Cons of LLC's-Maybe Just Form a Corporation?
Limited liability companies (LLCs) are a popular choice of entity for small businesses and investment activities. LLC owners are called members. Single-member LLCs have one owner, although spouses who jointly own an LLC in a community property state can elect treatment as a single member ... (continued)
Legal Way to Deduct Home Office for Your S Corporation
You likely know that the home-office tax deduction provides tax savings to business owners. It turns otherwise nondeductible personal expenses into valuable business deductions. When you operate your business as a proprietorship, you simply deduct home-office expenses on Schedule C. But when you operate ... (continued)
Here's How to Maximize Your Business Mileage Deductions!
I absolutely, positively don’t like commuting mileage. You should dislike it, too. It’s personal. It’s not deductible. But with knowledge, it’s avoidable. Let’s eliminate commuting and make those trips from your home to your office deductible. The law gives you two ways to eliminate commuting from your ... (continued)
Why S Corporation to Reduce Self Employment Tax-Legally!!
I know you report your business on Schedule C of your Form 1040. Have you noticed that the self-employment tax significantly drains your cash? The S corporation may plug a good chunk of that leak because only the W-2 wages that the S corporation ... (continued)
When Your Income Subject to Self Employment Tax
If you own an unincorporated business, you likely pay at least three different federal taxes. In addition to federal income taxes, you must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, also called the self-employment tax. Self-employment taxes are not insubstantial. Indeed, many business owners pay ... (continued)
You Are Still Able to Claim the Emplyee Retention Credit (ERC)-Please Read ON!
With the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, millions of small-business owners like you still qualify for the employee retention credit (ERC), thanks to three big changes: You can now obtain the ERC and the Paycheck Protection Program loan, but not ... (continued)
90 Day Mileage Log Rule-Important!
Often in an IRS audit, the examiner will ask for your mileage log at the beginning of the audit. If you do not have a mileage log, you are in what former presidential candidate Ross Perot called deep doo-doo. Think about it. If you don’t ... (continued)
The Unpardonable Sin in an IRS Audit
What is the unpardonable sin in an IRS audit? Suppose you just received that lovely letter from the IRS telling you that you are the subject of an IRS audit. What one record receives special attention? What one record can create a nightmare for you? What ... (continued)
How to Nail Down Your Travel Deductions
As you likely know by now, your travel meals continue under tax reform as tax-deductible meals subject to the 50 percent cut. And tax reform did not change the rules that apply to your other travel expense deductions. One beauty of being in business for yourself ... (continued)
Watch Out For This Coming to Your Business-Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Do you own or advise a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability limited partnership, or business trust? Or are you planning to form one of these entities? If so, be alert. There’s a new federal filing requirement coming. Back ... (continued)
There's Relief from Improperly Classifying Workers as Independent Contractors
The IRS Classification Settlement Program (CSP) offers a chance to settle your employment tax debt due to worker misclassification, if you do not qualify for Section 530 relief. CSP agreements typically result in a substantial reduction of assessed employment taxes, especially if you misclassified ... (continued)
Legal Way to Deduct Home Office for Your Corporation
Here\'s the 2 boilerplate explanations IRS agents use to deny home office deductions:1. IRS has disallowed your deductions for office-in-the-home expense because you have not established that is was for the convenience of your employer. Voluntary, vocational, or incidental use of part of your ... (continued)
$75 Receipt Rule for Business Vehicles
The $75 rule is contained in IRS Regulaton 1.274-5(c)(2)(iii), and the best explanation of what this rule says is found in IRS Notice 95-50, which states that the $75 rule applies to travel, entertainment, gifts, and listed property. IRC Section 280(f)(d)(4) states that listed ... (continued)
Selling Your Vacation Home? Here's the Tax Consequences
The tax-code-defined vacation home rules come into play when you have both rental and personal use of a home. Thus, you can have tax-code-defined vacation homes in the city, in the suburbs, and in recreation areas. If you have no combined rental and personal use ... (continued)
Now May Be the Time to Transfer Your Residence to Your Children
With today’s home prices and the crazy real estate market, it’s likely difficult for your children to buy a home. And it’s conceivable that you are ready to move on from your existing home. If this is true, consider the three options below. Option 1: ... (continued)
Misclassification of Independent Contractors- Please Read--- IRS Relief
The IRS Classification Settlement Program (CSP) offers a chance to settle your employment tax debt due to worker misclassification if you do not qualify for Section 530 relief. CSP agreements typically result in a substantial reduction of assessed employment taxes, especially if you misclassified ... (continued)
QSEHRA-For Small Business Health Insurance Plans-Still Works!
Finally, the health insurance rules that apply to small businesses make more sense and allow some benefits. Beginning January 1, 2017, you can install a new qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement (QSEHRA) and start helping your employees pay for their health insurance and other ... (continued)
S Corporation & Health Insurance Rules-Important!
You and your S corporation continue to enjoy good news in 2018 when it comes to your health insurance. And that good news also applies to your 2017 taxes. You first have to thank the 21st Century Cures Act for: Reinstating and extending ... (continued)
Own More than 1 Business-Please Read This
When you own more than one business, you need to consider the grouping rules that apply for passive-loss purposes. Should one of your businesses lose money, you may not deduct the losses from that business during the current tax year unless you materially participate in the ... (continued)
Here's How to Mail Documents to the IRS
You have heard the horror stories about mail sent to the IRS that remains unanswered for months. Reportedly, the IRS has mountains of unanswered mail pieces in storage trailers, waiting for IRS employees to process them. Because the understaffed IRS is having so much trouble ... (continued)
Deducting Mortgage Interest When Your Name is NOT on Deed
Tax law has an amazing break for unconventional homeowners. You can deduct your mortgage interest payments even when the deed to the house and the mortgage are in someone else’s name. Here’s what happened to Sue Davis. Sue could not personally qualify for a home loan. Her ... (continued)
Small Business-Read This!!
Don’t let this happen to you. Here’s what happened to Mr. Kazmi. First, a little background. Urgent Care Center Inc., an Illinois corporation, employed Mr. Kazmi as a part-time hourly bookkeeper. He had no ownership interest in Urgent Care. He was not an officer of Urgent Care. ... (continued)
Health Savings Accounts (HSA's)-Ultimate Health Plan?
It isn’t easy to make predictions, especially about the future. But there is one prediction we’re confident in making: you will have substantial out-of-pocket expenses for health care after you retire. Personal finance experts estimate that an average retired couple age 65 will need ... (continued)
How to Avoid the Self-Rental Trap
Let’s say you own the building. Now, let’s say that you rent this building to your business. With no tax planning, you have a self-rental, and that makes rental income from this building nonpassive, meaning that it cannot offset any ... (continued)
Precious Metals--Tax Implications!
These days, some IRA owners and investors may be worried about being overexposed to equities. That could be you. But the safest fixed income investments (CDs, Treasuries, and money-market funds) are still paying microscopic interest rates. For example, when this was written, the 10-year Treasury ... (continued)
Q & A on Health Insurance Premiums & Medicare
Taxable income has consequences. It causes income taxes.And it causes you to pay either more or less for Medicare.It boils down to this: there’s always a need to reduce your taxable income. The monthly premium for the current year depends on your modified adjusted gross income ... (continued)
Independent Contractor Misclassification-Section 530 To The Rescue!
As a business owner, you are obligated to collect and remit payroll taxes for your employees. But you are not required to collect and remit payroll taxes for independent contractors. That’s why it’s important to correctly classify workers as either employees or independent contractors. But ... (continued)