Small businesses: Stay clear of a severe payroll tax penalty

  One of the most laborious tasks for small businesses is managing payroll. But it’s critical that you not only withhold the right amount of taxes from employees’ paychecks but also that you pay them over to the federal government on time. If you willfully fail to do so, you could personally be hit with…

Selling securities by year end? Avoid the wash sale rule

  If you’re planning to sell assets at a loss to offset gains that have been realized during the year, it’s important to be aware of the “wash sale” rule.

2019 Tax Considerations

You can click this button to download pdf file.   2019 Tax Considerations are categorized in the following sections: Individual Income Tax Provisions Education Trust and Estate Income Tax Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes Pension and IRA Provisions Business Provisions Sole Proprietorships, S Corporations & Partnerships Tax Changes Extender Provisions Illinois Makes Changes in…

Setting up a Health Savings Account for your small business

  Given the escalating cost of employee health care benefits, your business may be interested in providing some of these benefits through an employer-sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA). For eligible individuals, HSAs offer a tax-advantaged way to set aside funds (or have their employers do so) to meet future medical needs. Here are the key…

Watch out for tax-related scams

  “Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams,” according to the IRS. Criminals can contact victims through regular mail, telephone calls and email messages. Here are just two of the scams the tax agency has seen in recent months.

How to treat your business website costs for tax purposes

  These days, most businesses need a website to remain competitive. It’s an easy decision to set one up and maintain it. But determining the proper tax treatment for the costs involved in developing a website isn’t so easy. That’s because the IRS hasn’t released any official guidance on these costs yet. Consequently, you must…

Take advantage of the gift tax exclusion rules

  As we head toward the gift-giving season, you may be considering giving gifts of cash or securities to your loved ones. Taxpayers can transfer substantial amounts free of gift taxes to their children and others each year through the use of the annual federal gift tax exclusion. The amount is adjusted for inflation annually….

2019 Q4 tax calendar: Key deadlines for businesses and other employers

  Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the fourth quarter of 2019. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements.

Should you elect S corporation status?

  Operating a business as an S corporation may provide many advantages, including limited liability for owners and no double taxation (at least at the federal level). Self-employed people may also be able to lower their exposure to Social Security and Medicare taxes if they structure their businesses as S corps for federal tax purposes….

Getting a divorce? There are tax issues you need to understand

In addition to the difficult personal issues that divorce entails, several tax concerns need to be addressed to ensure that taxes are kept to a minimum and that important tax-related decisions are properly made. Here are four issues to understand if you are in the process of getting a divorce.