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Two types of IRAs are available to fund your retirement: Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. While both are subject to many of the same rules there are several important differences. It’s important to understand these differences because the type of individual retirement account (IRA) you choose can significantly impact...

August 10 Employees Who Work for Tips – If you received $20 or more in tips during July, report them to your employer. You can use Form 4070. Employers – Social Security, Medicare, and withheld income tax. File Form 941 for the second quarter of 2017. This due date applies only...

Your QuickBooks company file contains some of the most sensitive information on your computer. You may have customers’ credit card numbers and employees’ Social Security numbers. An intruder who captured all that data could create tremendous problems for you and a lot of other people. That’s probably the worst-case...

Federal law requires most employers to withhold federal taxes from their employees’ wages. Whether you’re a small business owner who’s just starting out or one who has been in business a while and is ready to hire an employee or two, here are five things you should know about...

If you’re one of the more than 3.4 million taxpayers who claimed deductions for business use of a home (commonly referred to as the home office deduction)–but haven’t taken advantage of it because you thought it was too complicated–then you might be interested in the simplified option. Available since...

Under a joint IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury ruling issued in 2013, same-sex couples, legally married in jurisdictions that recognize their marriages, are treated as married for federal tax purposes, including income and gift and estate taxes. The ruling applies regardless of whether the couple lives in...

You may be an injured spouse if you file a joint tax return and all or part of your portion of a refund was, or is expected to be, applied to your spouse’s legally enforceable past-due financial obligations. Here are seven facts about claiming injured spouse relief. 1. To...

Taxpayers should be aware of the most recent scam linked to the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), where fraudsters call to demand an immediate tax payment through a prepaid debit card. In the latest twist, the scammer claims to be from the IRS and tells the victim about...

If you’re a savvy investor, you probably know that you must generally report as income any mutual fund distributions whether you reinvest them or exchange shares in one fund for shares of another. In other words, you must report and pay any capital gains tax owed. But if real...

If you’re thinking about hiring new employees this year, you won’t want to miss out on these tax breaks. 1. Work Opportunity Credit The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit for employers that hire employees from the following targeted groups of individuals: A member of...

Crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe, Indiegogo, and Lending Club have become increasingly popular for both individual fundraising and small business owners looking for start-up capital or funding for creative ventures. The upside is that it’s often possible to raise the cash you need, but the downside is that...

Tax law generally treats mutual fund shareholders as if they directly owned a proportionate share of the fund’s portfolio of securities and you must report as income any mutual fund distributions, whether or not they are reinvested. Thus, all dividends and interest from securities in the portfolio, as well...