To say that there is a lot going on in the world right now is truly a bit of an understatement. Starting a few years ago with the onset of the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the role of the accounting professionals in the context of a small business began to change. It's truly become a role that acts as a sounding board for solid [...]
Article Highlights: Physical Injury Wrongful Death Emotional Distress Employment Discrimination Sexual Harassment Human Trafficking Restitution Wrongful Incarceration Damages Related to Business Interests Legal Expenses Frequent questions that arise are: Are amounts received from settlement of lawsuits and other legal remedies taxable? Are the legal fees paid in connection with these payments tax deductible? The tax code specifies that all income is taxable from whatever [...]
Not too long ago in Orlando, Florida, a federal investigation uncovered a situation where 22 workers were denied overtime by a Florida-based equipment rental company. The company was paying flat salaries to certain employees, regardless of how many hours they worked in a given week. It was revealed that they were doing this in an attempt to skirt the overtime requirement of the Fair [...]
Article Highlights: Tax-Free Income from Working Abroad Foreign Earned Income and Housing Exclusions Foreign Self-Employment Income Claiming or Revoking the Exclusion U.S. citizens and resident aliens are taxed on their worldwide income, whether they live in the U.S. or in another country. However, qualifying U.S. citizens and resident aliens who live and work abroad may be able to exclude from their income all or [...]
Article Highlights: Payroll Taxes Corporate Officers Employees of a Corporation Reasonable Salaries Factors Flow-Through Deductions Wage Limitations Unlike a C corporation, which itself pays the tax on its taxable income, an S corporation does not directly pay taxes on its income; instead, its income, losses, deductions, and credits flow through to its shareholders’ individual tax returns on a pro rata basis. These distributions are [...]
Article Highlights: Reason for Conversion Basis Depreciation Cash Flow versus Tax Profit or Loss Passive Losses Home Gain Exclusion Other Tax Issues Becoming a Landlord With the current substantial appreciation in home values and demand for housing exceeding the available inventory, along with low home mortgage interest rates, more and more homeowners are converting their existing homes into rentals when they buy a new [...]
Article Highlights: Statute of Limitations Filing Before April Due Date Filing After April Due Date Extension Amended Returns Three-year Statute Understatement Exceeds 25% No Filing or Fraud Ten-year Collection Period Tax Records State Statutes of Limitation Have you ever wondered how long the IRS has to question and assess additional tax on your tax returns? For most taxpayers who reported all their income, the [...]
Article Highlights: Stepped-Up Basis Inherited Basis Inheritance Basis Example Step Down Basis Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Rates Jointly Owned Property Gifting Prior to Death You may hear people use the term “Stepped-Up Basis” that many believe is a tax provision that allows beneficiaries of an inheritance to reduce or even avoid taxes when and if they sell inherited property. When an individual sells property, [...]
Article Highlights: Charity Auctions Use of an Asset Charity Volunteer Away-From-Home Travel Expenses Entertainment Vehicle Use Uniforms Vehicle Donations Valuing Non-cash Contributions Documentation Charitable contributions are deducted as part of a taxpayer’s itemized deductions on IRS Schedule A, except for the special 2020 and 2021 provisions that allow up to $300 ($600 for married taxpayers filing jointly for 2021) of cash donations as a [...]
Article Highlights: Reverse Mortgages Reverse Mortgage Terms When Is the Interest Deductible? Who Deducts the Interest? Other Options The annual inflation rate in the U.S. accelerated to 7.5% in January of 2022, the highest since February of 1982, hitting those on fixed retirement income, namely seniors, the hardest. On top of escalating living expenses due to inflation, some retirees are faced with a significant [...]
