News

Tax rules on rental income from second homes can be complicated, particularly if you rent the home out for several months of the year, but also use the home yourself. There is, however, one provision that is not complicated. Homeowners who rent out their property for 14 or fewer...

As a small business owner, figuring out which form of business structure to use when you started was one of the most important decisions you had to make; however, it’s always a good idea to periodically revisit that decision as your business grows. For example, as a sole proprietor,...

Under tax reform, individuals who itemize should be aware that deductions they may have previously counted on to reduce their taxable income have disappeared in 2018. Here are five of them. 1. Moving Expenses For tax years 2018 through 2025, moving expenses are no longer deductible unless you are...

July 10 Employees Who Work for Tips – If you received $20 or more in tips during June, report them to your employer. You can use Form 4070. July 16 Employers – Nonpayroll withholding. If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in June. Employers – Social Security, Medicare,...

Every opportunity you have to interact with your customers and vendors is critical. Whether it’s a phone call, an in-person connection, or an email, how you present yourself reveals a lot about you. Are you efficient? Friendly? Do you handle orders and problems and payment issues quickly and carefully?...

Thanks to the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act last year, there’s a new tax benefit for employers: the employer credit for paid family and medical leave. As the name implies, employers may claim the credit based on wages paid to qualifying employees while they are on...

U.S. taxpayers with undisclosed foreign financial assets should take advantage of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) before the program closes on September 28, 2018. The planned end of the current OVDP also reflects advances in third-party reporting and increased awareness of U.S. taxpayers of their offshore tax and...

Each year, the IRS mails millions of notices and letters to taxpayers for a variety of reasons. If you receive correspondence from the IRS here’s what to do: Don’t panic. You can usually deal with a notice simply by responding to it. Most IRS notices are about federal tax...

In yet another new twist on an old scam–this time affecting non-resident aliens and international taxpayers–criminals are using a fake IRS Form W-8BEN to solicit detailed personal identification and bank account information from victims. Here’s how the scam works: 1. Criminals mail or fax a letter indicating that although...

Contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) are used to pay current or future medical expenses of the account owner, his or her spouse, and any qualified dependent and are adjusted annually for inflation. For 2019, the annual inflation-adjusted contribution limit for a Health Savings Account (HSA) increases to...

Many businesses hire part-time or full-time workers, especially in the summer. These types of employees are referred to as seasonal workers, which the IRS defines as an employee who performs labor or services on a seasonal basis (i.e., six months or less). Examples of this kind of work include...

If you’re thinking about hiring new employees this this year you won’t want to miss out on tax breaks available to businesses with employees. 1. Payroll Tax Deduction for Startups As part of the Research & Development Tax Credit, for tax years 2016 and beyond, startup businesses (C-corps and...