The IRS provides you with a choice of two methods for claiming business mileage on your taxes. You can use the actual expenses method to calculate your mileage deduction, which requires adding up all of the money spent operating your vehicle and multiplying it by the percentage that you used it for business. Or, you
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On Friday, the IRS announced the opening of its Free File program, which provides free electronic filing to qualifying taxpayers, generally those who earned $66,000 or less last year. The program is opening before the regular filing season, which will begin Jan. 28, and is available only through the IRS website at irs.gov/freefile. After they access
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Responding to concerns that some partnerships required to report capital account information may be unable to comply, the IRS is postponing the requirement to report partners’ shares of partnership capital on the tax-basis method for 2019 (for partnership tax years beginning in calendar 2019) until 2020 (for partnership tax years that begin on or after
Partnership capital reporting requirements postponed until 2020 Read More »
Tenant allowances are payments a lessor makes to a lessee to provide the tenant with funds to prepare the rented space for its intended business use. Generally, the tenant treats a tenant allowance received from the landlord as an ordinary income. Normally, the tenant would recognize income when the allowance received and depreciate the assets
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IRS Tax Treatment of Cryptocurrency “hard forks”and “airdrops” A “hard fork” of a cryptocurrency owned by a taxpayer does not result in gross income for a taxpayer. If the taxpayer receives no units of the new cryptocurrency. However, taxpayers receiving an “airdrop” of units of a new cryptocurrency after a hard fork have ordinary
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The IRS issued interim guidance on how eligible small businesses can take advantage of a new provision that allows them to apply part or all of their Sec. 41 research tax credit against their payroll tax liability instead of their income tax liability. Before 2016, taxpayers could only take the research credit against their income
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Some people who give up U.S. citizenship can get expatriate tax relief from the IRS. Under special procedures announced in 2019 (News Release IR-2019-151), certain former citizens may avoid the exit tax under Section 877A. In addition, they may avoid other unpaid taxes and penalties. Who can use expatriate tax relief? The relief applies to
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If a federally declared disaster damages your property, you may be able to deduct the casualty losses a year early. Under Section 165(i), you can elect to claim the loss on your return for the year before the disaster. As a result, you may get a refund sooner, when you need cash most. Which casualty
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The IRS on Wednesday issued the 2020 annual inflation adjustments for many tax provisions as well as the 2020 tax rate tables for individuals and estates and trusts (Rev. Proc. 2019-44). These adjusted amounts will used to prepare the tax year 2020 returns in 2021. Many amounts will increase in inflation in 2020. The standard
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The IRS on Tuesday updated the rules for using per-diem rates to substantiate the amount of ordinary and necessary business expenses paid or incurred. While traveling away from home in light of changes enacted by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97 (Rev. Proc. 2019-48). The revenue procedure supersedes and
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Among your responsibilities as an employer is the requirement to collect, report, and pay payroll tax as required by federal and state laws. Helping clients avoid employment tax criminal penalties. If you are a corporate officer or other “responsible party,” as defined by the IRS, you may be personally liable for payroll taxes not reported
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Smaller businesses have more ways to use the R&D credit than many owners realize. In particular, qualifying companies can claim the R&D credit against payroll taxes or the alternative minimum tax (AMT). How the PATH Act expanded the R&D credit The Protecting Americans From Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act) helped businesses that spend
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Limited liability companies are everywhere today. Because their management structure is flexible, LLCs have become a common way to own and run a business. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers and software companies all use them. Many other small businesses do too. LLCs give their owners, called members, the liability protection of a corporation. At the same
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Deciding Between an Asset Sale or Entity Sale The information below was first published by the Sustainable Economies Law Center, East Bay Community Law Center, and Green-Collar Communities Clinic in their Legal Guide to Cooperative Conversions Businesses can be sold, and their assets transferred, either through an asset sale or entity sale.1 In an asset sale,
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Qualified small business stock (QSBS) can let founders, employees and investors sell C corporation shares partly or fully free of federal income tax. The benefit comes from Section 1202 of the tax code. However, the rules are strict, and the 2025 tax law changed them for stock issued after July 4, 2025. This guide explains
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IRS rolled out a new tool to prevent nasty refund surprises at tax time This tax season a bunch of stories hit the press full of taxpayer grumbling about bigger bills and smaller refunds. If this happened to you, that might be a cue to adjust the amount that your employer (or you, if you’re
TIME FOR A WITHHOLDING CHECKUP? Read More »
Home- and Mortgage-Related Deductions Mortgage interest deductions capped In the past, homeowners who took itemized deductions could count interest payments on debt related to buying, building or “substantially improving” a home — on debt up to $1 million. That’s been capped at $750,000 and applies to homes purchased after Dec. 15, 2017. Homes bought prior
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With so many forms to complete and numbers to keep track of, tax preparation can quickly become a stressful, time-consuming activity—testing the limits of your patience and taking time away from what’s important. But with some careful record-keeping and organization, you can take away some of that stress and make filing next year’s tax return
FOUR TAX PREPARATION TIPS TO CONSIDER FOR 2020 Read More »
Although nearly 200 million Americans file tax returns every year, not everyone has to. But new tax laws and other filing requirements may have changed. Whether some of these citizens who haven’t had to file before legally require to file a tax return now. Previously, your age, income level, and filing status (married, single, etc.)
DO I HAVE TO FILE TAXES? Read More »
If you borrow money to invest, the interest you pay may be deductible. The investment interest deduction can offset part of the tax on your investment income. Here is how it works and how to claim it. What counts for the investment interest deduction? Investment interest is interest on money you borrow to buy property
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W-4 allowances were removed in 2020. Here’s how the 2026 Form W-4 works, what’s new from the 2025 tax law, and why California’s DE 4 still uses allowances.
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You’ve submitted your tax return for the year, so now what do you do? Instead of shoving all your records into a disheveled pile in a closet, now is a good time to get organized. Here are some tips on organizing tax records after you file to make sure you’re ahead of the game next year.
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Depending on your business type, there are different ways to prepare and file your taxes. When it’s time to file a federal income tax return for your small business, there are various ways you can do it, depending on whether you run the business as a sole proprietorship or use a legal entity such as
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Here are the taxes coming out of your paycheck — and how you can change them. Payroll taxes, including FICA tax, are what your employer deducts from your pay and sends to the IRS, state or other tax authority on your behalf. Here are the key factors, and why it’s important to monitor your withholding tax.
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How to determine what your business is worth There are many reasons to have an up-to-date business valuation. For example: You may need to sell the business due to retirement, health, divorce, or family reasons. You may need debt or equity financing for expansion or due to cash flow problems. Potential financiers or investors will
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