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Please click the heading below to jump to the section you like to read! Individual Income Tax Provisions Individual Tax Changes New income tax rates and brackets. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, seven tax rates apply for individuals: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%.  The…

If you’ve recently received a settlement or award from a lawsuit, or you’re expecting one, you may be wondering how the IRS views this money. Will you need to pay taxes on it? The short answer: It depends on the type of damages you received. Understanding the basic rules can help you avoid surprises. Taxable…

Determining “reasonable compensation” is a critical issue for owners of C corporations and S corporations. If the IRS believes an owner’s compensation is unreasonably high or low, it may disallow certain deductions or reclassify payments, potentially leading to penalties, back taxes and interest. But by proactively following certain steps, owners can help ensure their compensation is seen…

Even after your 2024 federal return is submitted, a few nagging questions often remain. Below are quick answers to five of the most common questions we hear each spring. 1. When will my refund show up? Use the IRS’s “Where’s My Refund?” tracker at IRS.gov. Have these three details ready: Enter them, and the tool will…

Your business can set up an educational assistance plan that can give each eligible employee up to $5,250 in annual federal-income-tax-free and federal-payroll-tax-free benefits. These tax-favored plans are called Section 127 plans after the tax code section that allows them. Plan basics Sec. 127 plans can cover the cost of almost anything that constitutes education, including…

Stock, mutual fund and ETF prices have bounced around lately. If you make what turns out to be an ill-fated investment in a taxable brokerage firm account, the good news is that you may be able to harvest a tax-saving capital loss by selling the loser security. However, for federal income tax purposes, the wash…

Suppose you’re thinking about setting up a retirement plan for yourself and your employees. However, you’re concerned about the financial commitment and administrative burdens involved. There are a couple of options to consider. Let’s take a look at a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) and a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE). SEPs offer easy…

If you inherit assets after a loved one passes away, they often arrive with a valuable — but frequently misunderstood — tax benefit called the step-up in basis. Below is an overview of how the rule works and what planning might need to be done. What “basis” means First, let’s look at a couple definitions. Basis is…

With summer fast approaching, you might be considering hiring young people at your small business. If your children are also looking to earn some extra money, why not put them on the payroll? This move can help you save on family income and payroll taxes, making it a win-win situation for everyone! Here are three…

Once your 2024 tax return is in the hands of the IRS, you may be tempted to clear out file cabinets and delete digital folders. But before reaching for the shredder or delete button, remember that some paperwork still has two important purposes: Keep the return itself — indefinitely Your filed tax returns are the…

Some tax sins are much worse than others. An example is failing to pay over federal income and employment taxes that have been withheld from employees’ paychecks. In this situation, the IRS can assess the trust fund recovery penalty, also called the 100% penalty, against any responsible person. It’s called the 100% penalty because the entire…