How Do Taxes Affect Your Financial Picture?
Do you know how much you’re paying in taxes? You may have a sense of what you spend on income taxes, but have you also considered the taxes you pay on utilities, gasoline, cigarettes and alcohol, hotel stays and numerous other items? The CPA profession’s Total Tax Insights™ calculator (www.totaltaxinsights.org) can put these numbers in […]
Let Us Help You Leverage What You Can Learn from Your Tax Return
What does your tax return say about your financial situation? The fact is, the paperwork you file each year offers excellent information about how you are managing your money—and about areas where it might be wise to make changes in your financial habits. If you have questions about your financial situation, remember that we can […]
Is Your Will Up To Date?
When was the last time you reviewed your will? People generally make wills to guarantee the proper disposition of their money and property, which is why it’s a good idea to consult your CPA when it’s time to create or update your will. We recommend that you revisit your will every time you experience a […]
Is a Like-Kind Exchange a Good Option for Your Business?
Normally, when companies sell properties, they must pay taxes on any gain they receive. Like-kind exchanges, transactions in which companies trade properties, may be carried out without any immediate tax consequences. They must satisfy IRS rules, however, which include: • The properties must have the same “nature or character,” as set forth in IRS guidance. […]
How Do New Estate Tax Rules Affect You?
You may have heard that there are new rules on estate taxes as a result of the new tax law enacted in early 2013. Effective Jan. 1, 2013, the top tax rate on estates rose to 40% from 35%, but no tax will be imposed on the first $5.25 million of an estate (adjusted for […]
Does the Investment Income Tax Apply to You?
As of Jan. 1, 2013, there is a 3.8% net investment income tax on some categories of passive investment income for individuals, trusts and estates that exceed certain income thresholds. As a result, it is in your best interest to identify these income sources and adopt strategies to lower your modified adjusted gross income or […]
What You Should Know about Changes in Education Provisions in the Tax Law
Are you making the most of tax benefits designed to offset some of the high costs of education? The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which settled the year-end fiscal cliff debate, extended the American Opportunity Tax Credit through 2017.The credit provides a tax break of up $2,500 for qualified college expenses. The Act also […]
Stop Tax Identity Theft in Its Tracks
Imagine after sending in your annual tax return, you receive a notice from the Internal Revenue Service saying that another return has already been filed using your name and Social Security number—and claiming a refund. Sound impossible? It can happen if you become one of a growing number of victims of tax return identity theft. […]
Student Loan Debt: We Can Provide the Decision-Making Details You Need
Did you know that the average student loan balance is $24,803? Student debt is taking a heavy toll on borrowers, according to an American Institute of CPAs survey, which found that 75% of respondents or their children had made personal or financial sacrifices because of monthly student loan payments. Sacrifices included putting off saving for […]
A Simplified Home Office Deduction
Do you work at home or have a home-based business? If so, you should be aware that the IRS has created a simpler option for calculating the deduction for the business use of your home. The new option makes recordkeeping easier because, instead of maintaining records of specific home office expenses, you can use a […]