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Earlier is better when it comes to working on your taxes but many people find preparing their tax return to be stressful and frustrating. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be. Here are six tips for a stress-free tax season. Don’t Procrastinate. Resist the temptation to put off your taxes until...

Form W-2 You should receive a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from each of your employers for use in preparing your federal tax return. Employers must furnish this record of 2017 earnings and withheld taxes no later than January 31, 2018 (allow several days for delivery if mailed). If...

February 12 Employees – who work for tips. If you received $20 or more in tips during January, report them to your employer. You can use Form 4070. Employers – Social Security, Medicare, and withheld income tax. File Form 941 for the fourth quarter of 2017. This due date applies only...

Getting all of your accounting tasks done in December is always a challenge. Besides the vacation time you and your employees probably took for the holidays, there are those year-end, “Let’s-wrap-it-up-by-December-31” projects. How did you do last month? Were you ready to move forward when you got back to the office...

Safe harbor methods are used by individual taxpayers when determining the amount of their casualty and theft losses for their homes and personal belongings. Four of the safe harbor methods may be used for any qualifying casualty or theft loss, and three are specifically applicable only to losses occurring...

Beginning on January 1, 2018, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck are: 54.5 cents for every mile of business travel driven, up 1 cent from the rate for 2017. 18 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, up...

The due date for certain entities to provide 2017 health coverage information forms to individuals in 2018 has been extended. Insurers, self-insuring employers, other coverage providers, and applicable large employers now have until March 2, 2018, to provide Forms 1095-B or 1095-C to individuals, which is a 30-day extension...

Taxpayers may sometimes find themselves in situations when they need to withdraw money from their retirement plan early. What they may not realize is that taking money out early from your retirement plan may trigger an additional tax. Here are 10 things taxpayers should know about early withdrawals from...

More than half of all businesses today are home-based. Every day, people are striking out and achieving economic and creative independence by turning their skills into dollars. Garages, basements, and attics are being transformed into the corporate headquarters of the newest entrepreneurs–home-based business people. And, with technological advances in...

When you decide to start a business, one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is choosing a business entity. It’s a decision that impacts many things–from the amount of taxes you pay to how much paperwork you have to deal with and what type of personal...

If you are having trouble paying your debts, it is important to take action sooner rather than later. Doing nothing leads to much larger problems in the future, whether it’s a bad credit record or bankruptcy resulting in the loss of assets and even your home. If you’re in...

Small business identity theft is a big business for identity thieves. Just like individuals, businesses may have their identities stolen, and their sensitive information used to open credit card accounts or used to file fraudulent tax refunds for bogus refunds. As such, small business owners should be on guard...