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  If you received a large refund after filing your 2017 income tax return, you’re probably enjoying the influx of cash. But a large refund isn’t all positive. It also means you were essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. That’s why a large refund for the previous tax year would usually indicate that you should consider reducing the amounts you’re having withheld (and/or what [...]

IRS examiners use Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs) to prepare for audits — and so can small business owners. Many ATGs target specific industries, such as construction. Others address issues that frequently arise in audits, such as executive compensation and fringe benefits. These publications can provide valuable insights into issues that might surface if your business is audited. What do ATGs cover? The IRS compiles information [...]

“That’s just the cost of doing business.” You’ve probably heard this expression many times. It’s true that, to invoke another cliché, you’ve got to spend money to make money. But that doesn’t mean you have to take rising operational costs sitting down.Cost control is a formal management technique through which you evaluate your company’s operations and isolate activities costing you too much money. This isn’t [...]

The summer months are almost here and, with them, the prospect of many employers offering unpaid internships to high school and college students. If your organization is considering such a move, tread carefully. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), if an intern is determined to actually be an employee, the employer must pay him or her at least minimum wage, plus overtime to the [...]

Does your nonprofit add to its income with sponsorships or advertising programs? Any payments received may be subject to unrelated business income tax unless the activities are substantially related to your tax-exempt purpose or qualify for another exemption. Qualified sponsorship payments are made with no arrangement to receive, or expectation of receiving, any substantial benefit in return, and aren’t taxed. But payments for advertising a [...]

IRS examiners use Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs) to prepare for audits — and so can small business owners. Many ATGs target specific industries, such as construction. Others address issues that frequently arise in audits, such as executive compensation and fringe benefits. These publications can provide valuable insights into issues that might surface if your business is audited. What do ATGs cover? The IRS compiles information [...]

You may have breathed a sigh of relief after filing your 2017 income tax return (or requesting an extension). But if your office is strewn with reams of paper consisting of years’ worth of tax returns, receipts, canceled checks and other financial records (or your computer desktop is filled with a multitude of digital tax-related files), you probably want to get rid of what you [...]

With the April 17 individual income tax filing deadline behind you (or with your 2017 tax return on the back burner if you filed for an extension), you may be hoping to not think about taxes for the next several months. But for maximum tax savings, now is the time to start tax planning for 2018. It’s especially critical to get an early start this [...]

  If you received a large refund after filing your 2017 income tax return, you’re probably enjoying the influx of cash. But a large refund isn’t all positive. It also means you were essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. That’s why a large refund for the previous tax year would usually indicate that you should consider reducing the amounts you’re having withheld (and/or what [...]

Whether you’re claiming charitable deductions on your 2017 return or planning your donations for 2018, be sure you know how much you’re allowed to deduct. Your deduction depends on more than just the actual amount you donate.Type of giftOne of the biggest factors affecting your deduction is what you give:Cash. You may deduct 100% gifts made by check, credit card or payroll deduction. Ordinary-income property. [...]

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the second quarter of 2018. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. April 2 Electronically file 2017 Form 1096, Form 1098, Form 1099 [...]

Home ownership is a key element of the American dream for many, and the U.S. tax code includes many tax breaks that help support this dream. If you own a home, you may be eligible for several valuable breaks when you file your 2017 return. But under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, your home-related breaks may not be as valuable when you file your [...]

Yesterday, the Internal Revenue Service released Internal Revenue Notice 2018-52, in which it announced it would begin to ramp down the 2014 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) and close the program on Sept. 28, 2018. If you have undisclosed foreign financial assets, time is running out to get into compliance. The full text of IR-2018-52 follows: WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today announced it [...]

(UPDATED: 3-13-18) Under the pre Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act) rules, you could deduct interest on up to a total of $1 million of mortgage debt used to acquire your principal residence and a second home, i.e., acquisition debt. For a married taxpayer filing separately, the limit was $500,000. You could also deduct interest on home equity debt, i.e., other debt secured by [...]