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 income. But they are deductible if they’re considered trade or…
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How start-up costs of a new business affect your tax return
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, government officials are seeing a large increase in the number of new businesses being launched. The latest data available from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that for the period of June 2020 through June 2021, business applications were up 18.6%. The Bureau measures this by the number of businesses applying for…
Hiring your minor children for summer jobs
If you’re a business owner and you hire your children this summer, you can obtain tax breaks and other nontax benefits. The kids can gain on-the-job experience, save for college and learn how to manage money. And you may be able to: Shift your high-taxed income into tax-free or low-taxed income, and Realize payroll tax…
After filing your taxes, what records can you toss?
If you’ve filed your 2021 tax return, you may want to do some spring cleaning, starting with tax-related paper clutter. Paring down is good. Just be careful to hold onto essential records that may be needed in the event of an IRS audit. Some documents may be needed to help you collect a future refund…
Could you be hit with the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty?
There’s a harsh tax penalty that you could be personally responsible to pay if you own or manage a business with employees. It’s called the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. It applies to the Social Security and income taxes required to be withheld by a business from the wages of its employees. Because taxes are considered…
Taking casualty loss tax deductions is now harder
Unexpected disasters such as severe storms, flooding and wildfires can happen anywhere, causing damage to your home and personal property. Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), eligible casualty loss victims could claim a deduction on their tax returns. But restrictions make it tougher to qualify for these deductions. What’s considered a casualty for…
