When taxpayers have seriously delinquent tax debt (SDTD), they may face more than financial consequences. That is, the IRS may revoke or limit their passports. How is SDTD defined? In 2022, an unpaid tax bill becomes an SDTD when the assessed federal tax liability exceeds...
Employer-provided life insurance can be a great benefit, with the cost of part of it excluded from an employee’s taxable income. Participating employees need to be aware that this exclusion only applies to the first $50,000 in coverage, and the employer-paid cost of the excess...
Traditionally, important tax and financial records have been stored as hard copies in desk drawers, filing cabinets and safe deposit boxes. These days, it has become increasingly popular and easy to digitize documents and store them electronically. This article explores the advantages and risks of...
Inventory is expensive, so it needs to be as lean as possible without compromising revenue and customer service. This article provides some suggestions to help businesses trim the fat from inventory and some useful inventory ratios for benchmarking and evaluating product mix....
A good family budget should be simple yet comprehensive. As this brief article explains, this objective can be accomplished by addressing both the near term (such as day-to-day items) and the long term (such as college education and retirement)....
Business owners may be wondering whether alternative energy technologies can help them manage their business energy costs. A valuable federal income tax benefit — in the form of a business energy credit — applies to the acquisition of many types of alternative energy property. The...
Individuals who plan to transfer real estate, a family business or other assets that are expected to appreciate dramatically in the future may want to consider an installment sale. This option may provide benefits, including the ability to freeze asset values for estate tax purposes...
When teachers are setting up their classrooms for the new school year, it’s not uncommon for them to pay for a portion of their classroom supplies out-of-pocket. A special tax provision allows them to recoup some of the cost at tax time. In light...
Americans who are 65 and older qualify for basic Medicare insurance, but they may need to pay additional premiums to get the level of coverage they desire. The premiums can be expensive — especially for a married couple with both spouses paying them. One aspect...
This calendar notes important tax deadlines for the third quarter of 2022....
Do you have significant investment-related expenses, including payment for financial service subscriptions, home office maintenance and clerical support? Under current tax law — specifically the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — these expenses aren’t deductible through 2025 if they’re considered investment expenses to produce...
Married couples may not be able to save as much as they need for retirement when one spouse doesn’t work outside the home. In general, an IRA contribution is allowed only if a taxpayer earns compensation. However, there’s an exception involving a “spousal” IRA. It...
Despite a seemingly endless period of COVID-19 setbacks, last year the country experienced a large increase in new businesses launched. The latest figures available from the U.S. Census Bureau (June 2020 through June 2021) show that business applications rose 18.6%. Entrepreneurs often don’t know that...
No matter the season, scam artists look for new victims, including those who would pick the pockets of older people in search of money and financial data. This article offers seven ways to help prevent elder financial abuse and fraud....
Among the many challenges of parenthood is what to do with the kids when school lets out. Parents who choose to send a child to day camp may qualify for a valuable tax break: that is, the child and dependent care credit. This article explains...
Everyone loves a juicy tax refund, but why wait to receive the money? By adjusting one’s withholding and/or estimated tax payments, a taxpayer can enjoy that money throughout the year. This article lists some circumstances under which adjustments are particularly advisable and explains how to...
Taxpayers who have filed their 2021 tax returns may be eager to start clearing out some tax-related paper clutter. Paring down is a good idea, as long as essential records that may be needed in the event of an IRS audit are kept. Some documents...
Business owners may be able to hire their minor children this summer and get tax breaks and other nontax benefits. While owners save on payroll taxes and lower some costs, the kids also benefit. They can gain on-the-job experience, learn practical skills and at the...
There’s a harsh tax penalty that business owners could have to pay personally if they own or manage a business with employees. It’s called the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty and it applies to the Social Security and income taxes required to be withheld by a...
In recent months, some Americans have been victimized by severe storms, flooding, wildfires and other disasters. No matter where someone lives, an unexpected disaster may cause damage to his or her home or personal property. Before the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,...
Individuals who have a life insurance policy probably want to ensure that the benefits their families will receive after their deaths aren’t included in their estates. That way, the benefits won’t be subject to the federal estate tax. This article discusses the ins and outs...
Business owners who have been audited by the IRS are likely aware that the process may be stressful. It might help to understand what IRS auditors know about the business’s industry. IRS examiners generally do research on a specific industry and on issues on a...
This calendar notes important tax deadlines for the second quarter of 2022....
It may not be too late to lower your 2021 tax bill. Qualified individuals can still make deductible contributions to traditional IRAs until the tax filing date of April 18, 2022, and claim the deduction for 2021. This article provides details, including alternate strategies....
Business owners who intend to hire should be aware of a recent law that has extended through 2025 a valuable credit to those that hire members of certain targeted groups. This article provides the limits and other details of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and...
It’s an awful feeling to learn that your credit or debit card has been used fraudulently. Whether you’re liable for charges typically depends on the type of card, whether you still possess the card and when the card issuer is alerted. This article provides further...
An employer-sponsored flexible spending account allows participants to pay health care costs with pre-tax dollars and be reimbursed, tax-free. Unused funds at year-end may be forfeited unless the plan includes one of two exceptions. In 2021, the IRS added some items to the list of...
They say the early bird gets the worm. Early federal income tax filers may get a couple worms. This article discusses two benefits to filing early. A sidebar addresses the idea of not filing a 2021 tax return until one’s delayed 2020 tax refund is...
COVID-19’s rapid spread and the economic havoc that followed are vivid reminders of how unpredictable and volatile the broad economy — and each family’s personal finances — can be. This article discusses three financial lessons that may be learned from the pandemic....
People with aging parents may worry about whether they could be held financially responsible for their parents’ nursing home bills if the parents can’t afford to pay them. This article explores filial responsibility laws, which are rarely enforced, and Medicaid’s estate recovery process....
