Tax

The Home Office Tax Deduction for Small Business

If you’re a small business owner who uses your home for business you may be eligible to claim the home office deduction, which allows you to deduct certain home expenses on your tax return. The benefit to this, of course, is that it can reduce the amount of your taxable income.

Here are seven tips to help you understand the home office deduction and determining whether you can claim the home office deduction on your tax return:

1. The home office deduction is available to both homeowners and renters.

2. There are certain expenses taxpayers can deduct including mortgage interest, insurance, utilities, repairs, maintenance, depreciation, and rent.

3. Taxpayers must meet specific requirements to claim home expenses as a deduction; however, the deductible amount of these types of expenses may be limited.

4. The term “home” for purposes of this deduction is defined as a house, apartment, condominium, mobile home, boat or similar property. It also includes structures on the property such as an unattached garage, studio, barn or greenhouse. It does not include any part of the taxpayer’s property used exclusively as a hotel, motel, inn or similar business.

5. To qualify for the home office deduction your home must meet two basic requirements:

• There must be exclusive use of a portion of the home for conducting business on a regular basis. For example, a taxpayer who uses an extra room to run their business can take a home office deduction only for that extra room so long as it is used both regularly and exclusively in the business.
• The home must be the taxpayer’s principal place of business. A taxpayer can also meet this requirement if administrative or management activities are conducted at the home and there is no other location to perform these duties. Therefore, someone who conducts business outside of their home, but also uses their home to conduct business may still qualify for a home office deduction.

6. Expenses that relate to a separate structure not attached to the home qualify for a home office deduction only if the structure is used exclusively and regularly for business.

7. Taxpayers who qualify may choose one of two methods to calculate their home office expense deduction:

Please contact the office if you have any questions about the home office deduction.

• By Leon Clinton
• September 27, 2019

7 Tips to Help You Figure out if Your Gift Is Taxable

If you’ve given money or property to someone as a gift, you may owe federal gift tax. Many gifts are not subject to the gift tax, but there are exceptions. Because gift tax laws can be confusing, here are eight tips you can use to figure out whether your gift is taxable.

1. Most gifts are not subject to the gift tax. For example, there is usually no tax if you make a gift to your spouse or to a charity. If you make a gift to someone else, the gift tax usually does not apply until the value of the gifts you give that person exceeds the annual exclusion for the year. In 2019, the annual exclusion amount is $15,000.

2. Gift tax returns do not need to be filed unless you give someone, other than your spouse, money or property worth more than the annual exclusion for that year.

3. Generally, the person who receives your gift will not have to pay any federal gift tax because of it. Also, that person will not have to pay income tax on the value of the gift received.

4. Making a gift does not ordinarily affect your federal income tax. You cannot deduct the value of gifts you make (other than deductible charitable contributions).

5. The general rule is that any gift is a taxable gift. However, there are many exceptions to this rule. For example, the following gifts are not taxable:

• Gifts that do not exceed the annual exclusion for the calendar year,
• Tuition or medical expenses you pay directly to a medical or educational institution for someone,
• Gifts to your spouse,
• Gifts to a political organization for its use, and
• Gifts to charities.

6. You and your spouse can make a gift up to $30,000 to a third party without making a taxable gift. The gift can be considered as made one-half by you and one-half by your spouse. If you split a gift you made, you must file a gift tax return to show that you and your spouse agree to use gift splitting.

7. You do not have to file a gift tax return to report gifts to political organizations and gifts made by paying someone’s tuition or medical expenses.

If you have any questions about the gift tax, please contact the office for assistance.

• By Leon Clinton
• September 24, 2019

5 Tips for Applying for Tax-Exempt Status

If you’re thinking about starting a nonprofit and want to apply for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, you’ll need to use Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Here are five tips to ensure a successful application:

1. The application must be complete and must include the user fee.

2. Some organizations may be able to file Form 1023-EZ, a streamlined version, if they meet certain criteria such as projected or past annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less for a period of three years.

3. Churches and their integrated auxiliaries (organizations affiliated with a church or association of churches that receives financial support primarily from internal church sources and not public or governmental sources), as well as public charities whose annual gross receipts are normally less than $5,000 do not need to apply for 501(c)(3) status to be tax-exempt.

4. Every tax-exempt organization, including a church, should have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) regardless of whether the organization has employees. An employer identification number is an organization’s account number with the IRS and is required for the organization to apply for tax-exempt status. Once the EIN is received by the organization, it must include it on the application.

5. Generally, an organization that is required to apply for recognition of exemption must notify the IRS within 27 months from the date it was formed.

If you have any questions about applying for tax-exempt status, please call the office for assistance.

• By Leon Clinton
• September 20, 2019