• Inflation Reduction Act expands deductions for energy-efficient construction

    Mitigating the adverse effects of climate change is one of the primary targets of the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). To that end, the legislation is packed with tax incentives, including the significant expansion and extension of two tax deductions for energy-efficient construction. The changes to the Section 179D deduction for commercial buildings and the Section 45L credit for residential homes increase their potential value and [...]

    Published On: October 26, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • Inflation Reduction Act expands valuable R&D payroll tax credit

    When President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law in August, most of the headlines covered the law’s climate change and health care provisions. But the law also enhances an often overlooked federal tax break for qualifying small businesses. The IRA more than doubles the amount a qualified business can potentially claim as a research and development (R&D) tax credit to offset its [...]

    Published On: October 7, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • Clean Vehicle Credit comes with caveats

    The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes a wide range of tax incentives aimed at combating the dire effects of climate change. One of the provisions receiving considerable attention from consumers is the expansion of the Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit (IRC Section 30D), now known as the Clean Vehicle Credit. While the expanded credit seems promising, questions have arisen about just how immediate its impact [...]

    Published On: September 13, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • IRS offers penalty relief for 2019, 2020 tax years

    While the recently announced student loan debt relief has captured numerous headlines, it’s estimated that another federal relief program announced on the same day will provide more than $1.2 billion in tax refunds or credits. Specifically, IRS Notice 2022-36 extends penalty relief to both individuals and businesses who missed the filing deadlines for certain 2019 and/or 2020 tax and information returns. The relief covers many of the [...]

    Published On: September 12, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • CHIPS Act poised to boost U.S. businesses

    The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act (CHIPS Act) was recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.  Among other things, the $52 billion package provides generous tax incentives to increase domestic production of semiconductors, also known as chips. While the incentives themselves are narrowly targeted, the expansion of [...]

    Published On: August 18, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • The Inflation Reduction Act includes wide-ranging tax provisions

    The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law shortly. The IRA includes significant provisions related to climate change, health care, and, of course, taxes. The IRA also addresses the federal budget deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the IRA is projected to reduce the deficit by around [...]

    Published On: August 17, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • Businesses: Act now to make the most out of bonus depreciation

    The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) significantly boosted the potential value of bonus depreciation for taxpayers — but only for a limited duration. The amount of first-year depreciation available as a so-called bonus will begin to drop from 100% after 2022, and businesses should plan accordingly. Bonus depreciation in a nutshell Bonus depreciation has been available in varying amounts for some time. Immediately prior [...]

    Published On: August 1, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • Standard business mileage rate will increase for the second half of 2022

    The IRS recently announced that it’ll increase the standard mileage rate for qualified business driving for the second half of 2022. The adjustment reflects the soaring cost of gasoline this year. In fact, as of June 13, the nationwide average price of regular unleaded gas was $5.01 a gallon, according to the AAA Gas Prices website. This is compared with $3.08 a gallon a year [...]

    Published On: June 18, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • Proposed regs for inherited IRAs bring unwelcome surprises

    Back in late 2019, the first significant legislation addressing retirement savings since 2006 became law. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act has resulted in many changes to retirement and estate planning strategies, but it also raised some questions. The IRS has been left to fill the gaps, most recently with the February 2022 release of proposed regulations that have left many [...]

    Published On: May 27, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • After tax day: Take these action steps

    The April tax filing deadline has passed, but that doesn’t mean you should push your taxes out of your mind until next year. Here are three tax-related actions that you should consider taking in the near term (if you filed on time and didn’t file for an extension). Retain the requisite records Depending on the specific issue, the IRS has years to audit your tax [...]

    Published On: May 16, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • Congress eyes further retirement savings enhancements

    In 2019, the bipartisan Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) — the first significant legislation related to retirement savings since 2006 — became law. Now Congress appears ready to build on that law to further increase Americans’ retirement security. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act by a 414-5 vote. Also known as SECURE 2.0, the [...]

    Published On: May 3, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • The IRS again eases Schedules K-2 and K-3 filing requirements for 2021

    The IRS has announced additional relief for pass-through entities required to file two new tax forms — Schedules K-2 and K-3 — for the 2021 tax year. Certain domestic partnerships and S corporations won’t be required to file the schedules, which are intended to make it easier for partners and shareholders to find information related to “items of international tax relevance” that they need to file their [...]

    Published On: March 21, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • New tax reporting requirements for payment apps could affect you

    If you run a business and accept payments through third-party networks such as Zelle, Venmo, Square or PayPal, you could be affected by new tax reporting requirements that take effect for 2022. They don’t alter your tax liability, but they could add to your recordkeeping burden, as well as the number of tax-related documents you receive every January in anticipation of tax-filing season. Form 1099-K primer [...]

    Published On: February 23, 2022Categories: ETRA
  • 2022 tax calendar

    To help you make sure you don’t miss any important 2022 deadlines, we’ve provided this summary of when various tax-related forms, payments and other actions are due. Please review the calendar and let us know if you have any questions about the deadlines or would like assistance in meeting them. © 2022

    Published On: February 4, 2022Categories: ETRA