Depreciation-related breaks on business real estate: What you need to know when you file your 2018 return
Commercial buildings and improvements generally are depreciated over 39 years, which essentially means you can deduct a portion of the cost every year over the depreciation period. (Land isn’t depreciable.) But special tax breaks that allow deductions to be taken more quickly are available for certain real estate investments. Some of these were enhanced by…
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There’s still time to get substantiation for 2018 donations
If you’re like many Americans, letters from your favorite charities have been appearing in your mailbox in recent weeks acknowledging your 2018 year-end donations. But what happens if you haven’t received such a letter — can you still claim an itemized deduction for the gift on your 2018 income tax return? It depends. Basic requirements…
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A refresher on major tax law changes for small-business owners
The dawning of 2019 means the 2018 income tax filing season will soon be upon us. After year end, it’s generally too late to take action to reduce 2018 taxes. Business owners may, therefore, want to shift their focus to assessing whether they’ll likely owe taxes or get a refund when they file their returns…
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Partnerships: New IRS Audit Rules Are Here
For partnerships, including limited liability companies taxed as partnerships, the new audit rules are a game changer. The rules apply to returns for partnership tax years that begin after December 31, 2017, including amended returns. The changes aren’t merely procedural; they substantially alter the taxation of partnerships, effectively imposing entity-level taxes on partnerships. If you…
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Donate Appreciated Stock for Twice the Tax Benefits
A tried-and-true year end tax strategy is to make charitable donations. As long as you itemize and your gift qualifies, you can claim a charitable deduction. But did you know that you can enjoy an additional tax benefit if you donate long-term appreciated stock instead of cash? 2 Benefits From 1 Gift Appreciated publicly traded…
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Buy Business Assets Before Year End to Reduce Your 2018 Tax Liability
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has enhanced two depreciation-related breaks that are popular year-end tax planning tools for businesses. To take advantage of these breaks, you must purchase qualifying assets and place them in service by the end of the tax year. That means there’s still time to reduce your 2018 tax liability…
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Business Deductions for Meal, Vehicle and Travel Expenses: Document, document, document!
Meal, vehicle, and travel expenses are common deductions for businesses. But if you don’t properly document these expenses, you could find your deductions denied by the IRS. A Critical Requirement Subject to various rules and limits, business meal (generally 50%), vehicle and travel expenses may be deductible, whether you pay for the expenses directly…
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The Tax Impact of the TCJA on Estate Planning
The massive changes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made to income taxes have garnered the most attention. But the new law also made major changes to gift and estate taxes. While the TCJA didn’t repeal these taxes, it did significantly reduce the number of taxpayers who’ll be subject to them, at least for…
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How to Reduce the Tax Risk of Using Independent Contractors
Classifying a worker as an independent contractor frees a business from payroll tax liability and allows it to forgo providing overtime pay, unemployment compensation and other employee benefits. It also frees the business from responsibility for withholding income taxes and the worker’s share of payroll taxes. For these reasons, the federal government views misclassifying a…
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Do you need to make an estimated tax payment by September 17?
To avoid interest and penalties, you must make sufficient federal income tax payments long before your April filing deadline through withholding, estimated tax payments, or a combination of the two. The third 2018 estimated tax payment deadline for individuals is September 17. If you don’t have an employer withholding tax from your pay, you likely…
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