Traveling With Your Spouse on Business? Know What’s Deductible

Social Security Benefits

If you own a company and travel for business, you may wonder whether you can deduct all the costs of having your spouse accompany you on trips. It’s possible, but the rules are restrictive. When Your Spouse Is Also Your Employee If your spouse is your employee, you may be able to deduct most of […]

The High Cost of Worker Misclassification: Tax Implications and Risks

gig worker

The consequences of misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor can be costly. You could be liable for back taxes (including the employee’s shares of unpaid payroll and income taxes), penalties and interest. There may be serious nontax consequences as well. How Important Is This? Businesses must withhold federal and state income taxes and the […]

Your Return Is Filed! 3 Things to Keep in Mind Post-Filing

small business

Most people feel some relief after filing their income tax returns each year. But even if you’ve successfully filed your 2024 return, you may still have questions. Here are three common ones. 1. What’s the Status of Your Refund? You can learn the status of your tax refund using an IRS online tool. Go to […]

Reporting Gambling Income and Losses

gambling

Whether you’re a casual or professional gambler, your winnings are taxable. However, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reports that gambling income is vastly underreported. Failing to report winnings accurately can lead to back taxes, interest and penalties. Here’s what you need to know to stay compliant and potentially minimize your tax liability. Reporting […]

Tax Season Cleanup

4 ways ensure compensation is “reasonable”

Which Records Can You Toss? If you’ve filed your 2024 tax return, you may be eager to do some spring cleaning, starting with tax-related paper and digital clutter. The documentation needed to support a tax return may include receipts, bank and investment account statements, K-1s, W-2s, and 1099s. How long must you save these records? […]

Could You Be Hit with the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty?

state payments

If you own or manage a business with employees, you could be personally responsible for paying a harsh tax penalty. It’s called the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP). It applies to the mishandling of Social Security and income taxes that must be withheld from employees’ wages. These taxes are government property employers collect and hold […]

File Your FBAR on Time to Avoid Penalties

heaven and alvarez

Any U.S. person with a financial interest in or authority over foreign financial accounts may be required to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). An FBAR is required if the aggregate value of the accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year. FBARs are due April 15 of the […]

It’s Not Too Late to Make an IRA Contribution

retirement

If you’re preparing to file your 2024 federal income tax return and your tax bill is higher than you’d expected or your tax refund is smaller than you’d hoped, there might still be an opportunity to change it. If you qualify, you can make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA until the filing date […]