News and Posts

Many people own Series E and Series EE bonds that were bought many years ago. They may rarely look at them or think about them except on occasional trips to a file cabinet or safe deposit box. One of the main reasons for buying U.S. savings bonds (such as Series EE bonds) is the fact that interest can build up without the need to currently [...]

Are you a charitably minded individual who is also taking distributions from a traditional IRA? You may want to consider the tax advantages of making a cash donation to an IRS-approved charity out of your IRA. When distributions are taken directly out of traditional IRAs, federal income tax of up to 37% in 2022 will have to be paid. State income taxes may also be [...]

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has issued an audit that evaluates whether the IRS timely and accurately processed individual paper and e-filed tax returns during the 2022 filing season. As of March 4, 2022, the IRS received 54.7 million tax returns and issued $129.2 billion in refunds. The audit found that “significant staffing shortages continue to hamper the IRS’s efforts to address [...]

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 [...]

What happens if taxpayers can’t pay the taxes the IRS says they owe? An “offer in compromise” (OIC) may allow them to settle their tax debts for less than full liability. It can be difficult to get an OIC accepted, but individuals are eligible to apply if they’ve filed all required tax returns, made required estimated tax payments and met other requirements. (Taxpayers in open [...]

Business owners and investors are understandably concerned about skyrocketing inflation. Over the last year, consumer prices have increased 8.3%, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) covers the prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation, doctors’ and dentists’ services, drugs, and other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. This was a slightly [...]

Taking care of an elderly parent or grandparent may provide more than just personal satisfaction. You could also be eligible for tax breaks. Here’s a rundown of some of them. 1. Medical expenses. If the individual qualifies as your “medical dependent,” and you itemize deductions on your tax return, you can include any medical expenses you incur for the individual along with your own when [...]

Like many people, you may have dreamed of turning a hobby into a regular business. You won’t have any tax headaches if your new business is profitable. But what if the new enterprise consistently generates losses (your deductions exceed income) and you claim them on your tax return? You can generally deduct losses for expenses incurred in a bona fide business. However, the IRS may [...]

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 [...]

You can roll over funds from one IRA to another tax free as long as you complete the rollover within 60 days. What if you miss the deadline? You may owe tax and an early distribution penalty if you’re under age 59½. The IRS may waive the penalty if there are extenuating circumstances. In a recent private letter ruling, the IRS waived the 60-day requirement [...]

Have you ever heard about the “tax gap” and wondered what it is? According to the IRS, “the gross tax gap is the difference between true tax liability for a given period and the amount of tax that is paid on time.” The tax agency explains that estimates consistently show the United States “enjoys a relatively high and stable voluntary tax compliance rate.” However, it [...]

Financial statements look at historical performance. But there are times when you want forward-looking reports to help your business make strategic investment decisions, evaluate the viability of a turnaround plan or apply for a loan. Your accountant can help ensure the assumptions underlying prospective financial statements make sense in today’s volatile marketplace. Key definitions When creating forward-looking financials, you generally have two options under AICPA [...]

Operating as an S corporation may help reduce federal employment taxes for small businesses in the right circumstances. Although S corporations may provide tax advantages over C corporations, there are some potentially costly tax issues that you should assess before making a decision to switch. Here’s a quick rundown of the most important issues to consider when converting from a C corporation to an S [...]

Does your not-for-profit offer programs that may have started out promising, but have become disappointing? Do you have replacement programs in mind but haven’t yet secured funding for them? Consider subjecting your programming lineup to a good spring cleaning. That way, you can reallocate funds to offerings that have the best potential to meet your organization’s strategic objectives. Perform new research Instead of relying on [...]