There’s more to paying taxes than just federal and state income taxes. Another major tax chore for employers is payroll taxes. These expenditures can be significant, and the reporting requirements can be onerous. So it’s important for small business owners to understand the basics. First off, employers are required to report and deposit payroll taxes […]

Here’s a little-known secret for parents planning to send their children to college in the future: Some of the tax-saving moves you make now could hurt your student’s chances for getting financial aid later. That’s because of the way the financial aid system treats different assets. Retirement plans and IRAs don’t count for college aid […]

You taught them how to read and how to ride a bike, but have you taught your children how to manage money? Many college students and graduates carry a significant amount of student loan debt. Unfortunately, many of them will either default or be delinquent in repaying those loans, which may affect decisions they make for […]

Let’s say a person is planning to take a plane trip out of the country. And further suppose that individual owes the federal government a fair amount of back taxes. The person may not be able get a passport if he or she owes the government a significant amount of back taxes. The IRS is […]

Inflation is generally bad news. But a favorable side effect is bigger annual inflation adjustments to federal tax breaks. In fact, many federal tax parameters for the 2023 tax year are up about 7% over the amounts for 2022. Here are the details — plus inflation-adjusted estimates for the 2024 tax year to tide you […]

Hiring someone as an independent contractor can have many advantages for employers. Among them are that independent contractors: Perhaps the biggest risk of engaging an independent contractor is that the IRS will eventually determine that the person is actually an employee. In such an event, you could be held liable for back taxes, penalties and […]

The federal income tax treatment of business-related meal and entertainment expenses has been a moving target the last few years. If you’re confused about what rules currently apply, you’re not alone. Here’s a refresher on what’s currently deductible — and what’s not. TCJA Impact Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) went into effect, […]

Seniors who must take withdrawals from their IRAs may be able to benefit from a special tax provision for qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). Briefly stated, this provision allows people in their 70s and older to transfer funds directly from an IRA to a charity without any adverse tax consequences. The new SECURE 2.0 law enhances […]

Crypto Investors: Loss Deductions, Regulation and Oversight There have been three recent developments in the cryptocurrency arena: 1. Loss tax deductions for FTX investors. Investors with inaccessible assets tied up in cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading Ltd. will need to wait until court proceedings conclude before learning if loss tax deductions will be available. FTX filed […]

Every year, the amounts allowed for various federal tax benefits are subject to change based on inflation adjustments and legislation. Here are some tax figures for 2023, compared with 2022, including the estate tax exemption, Social Security wage base, qualified retirement plan and IRA contribution limits, driving deductions and more. Good news: Many increases are […]