Federal Tax Posts

Coming on the heels of its recent passage of the proposed Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, the U.S. House of Representatives may soon vote on another tax-related bill, the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act. It addresses the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, which was capped at $10,000 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill would increase the deduction for [...]

One of the most common misunderstandings about filing an income tax return is the difference between deductions and credits. Deductions reduce the amount of a taxpayer’s income before tax is calculated. For example, on your individual return, you can either take the standard deduction or itemize deductions if it will reduce your taxable income more. Credits, on the other hand, reduce the actual tax due, [...]

Now that Jan. 29 has been announced as the start of the 2024 tax season, the IRS is reminding taxpayers about free tools that can make filing easier. It strongly encourages taxpayers to set up accounts at irs.gov/account to file, make payments, monitor the status of refunds, manage tax records and electronically sign power of attorney authorizations from their tax advisor. If you anticipate owing [...]

Mark your calendar for Jan. 29! The IRS announced that’s the date the 2024 tax season opens, meaning it’s the first day the tax agency will accept tax returns. It expects more than 128.7 million individual tax returns to be filed by the April 15 tax deadline. The agency recommends taxpayers file electronically with direct deposit if they want to receive refunds, if eligible for [...]

Are you due for a refund from the 2019 tax year? You must submit a 2019 tax return by July 17, 2023, to receive your refund. According to the IRS, almost $1.5 billion in refunds may be waiting for nearly 1.5 million taxpayers who didn’t file for 2019. Note: if you are due a 2019 refund but haven’t filed a 2020 or 2021 return, your [...]

Educators: As you file your 2022 taxes, be aware there’s a tax deduction just for you. Even if you take the standard deduction, an eligible educator can deduct up to $300 in unreimbursed, out-of-pocket expenses. If you’re married filing jointly and both spouses are eligible, you may deduct up to $300 each. Based on inflation, this will increase in $50 increments in future years. Among [...]

If you file an amended tax return electronically, you can now get a direct deposit refund. The IRS announced that taxpayers e-filing Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, have this option. Previously, taxpayers who filed Form 1040-X had to wait for a paper check refund. Taxpayers may still submit a paper Form 1040-X and receive a paper check, but direct deposit isn’t available [...]

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) is planning aggressive oversight of the IRS. To that end, he’s established an online form to assist IRS personnel who want to submit information confidentially to the committee. Smith said such information can include concerns, information or documents related to misconduct, maladministration, taxpayer mistreatment, wrongdoing or any other agency matter an employee believes deserves the committee’s [...]

At tax time, age matters. Taxpayers who take distributions from their retirement accounts before age 59½ will generally owe a penalty of 10% of the amount. Exceptions exist, such as the need to pay documented medical bills (within statutory limits). One taxpayer, a software developer under age 59½, took a distribution after losing his job. He claimed to qualify for a disability exception due to [...]

Are you properly accounting for your “digital asset-related” income? The IRS is reminding taxpayers that they must answer a digital asset question and report all digital asset-related income when they file their 2022 income tax returns. Be aware that the term “digital assets” has replaced “virtual currencies,” a term used in previous years. The question, which appears at the top of Forms 1040, 1040-SR and [...]

Is the IRS holding you responsible for a debt that your spouse or ex-spouse owes? If you file jointly, the IRS may offset the debt using a refund that YOU have coming. Or the agency may file a federal tax lien or levy to collect the debt from you. The IRS Tax Advisor Service (TAS) states that if you aren’t legally responsible for the entire [...]

Investors with inaccessible assets tied up in cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading Ltd. will need to wait until court proceedings conclude before learning if loss deductions will be available. FTX filed for bankruptcy in early November. Legible, a cryptocurrency tax and accounting platform, has stated that consumers are likely to incur deductible losses but not soon. Instead, because FTX filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Legible explained these [...]

Immediate guidance is needed regarding the financial reporting requirements of the new corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT) provisions mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act. That is what the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) told the IRS and Treasury officials in a letter. “Companies focused on financial statement reporting will face a challenge unless guidance is available by the time the impact will need [...]

With the end of the year just several weeks away are you sure you’re having the right amount of tax withheld? The IRS urges taxpayers to check their tax withholding while there’s time left. By making an adjustment now you may avoid a big surprise, such as a balance due when you file your tax return in 2023. Conversely if you’re having too much withheld [...]