Click on the links below to jump to each section in this article: The “Nanny Tax” Must Be Paid for Nannies and Other Household Employees Discovering a Mistake After Your Tax Return Is Filed What to Do if Your Business’s Data Security Is Breached The “Nanny Tax” Must Be Paid for Nannies and Other Household Employees If you employ a household worker who isn’t an independent contractor, you may be required to pay employment taxes on the worker’s cash wages. This is commonly referred to as...
Posts by Caras & Shulman
Is Your Business Closing? Here Are Your Final Tax Responsibilities
Businesses shut down for many reasons. Examples include an owner’s retirement, a lease expiration, staffing shortages, partner conflicts and increased supply costs. If you’ve decided to close your business, you might need assistance with some steps in the process, including handling various tax obligations.
4 ways corporate business owners can help ensure compensation is “reasonable”
If you own a C corporation, you know there’s a tax advantage to taking money out as compensation rather than as dividends. The reason: A corporation can deduct the salaries and bonuses that it pays executives, but it can’t deduct dividend payments. Therefore, if funds are paid as dividends, they’re taxed twice, once to the corporation and once to the recipient. Money paid out as compensation is taxed only once, to the recipient employee.
Tax records: What can you toss and what should you keep?
Generally, the IRS has three years to audit a tax return, from the later of the due date of the return or the date you file. You can also file an amended return within this time frame if you overlooked something. Here’s what you need to know about keeping financial records involved in your tax returns.
Tax Tips for April 2024
Click on the links below to jump to each section in this article: Payable-on-Death Accounts: Beneficial Tools if Used Correctly Avoid Misinformation About Tax-Favored Health Accounts 2024 Depreciation Limits for Business Vehicles Payable-on-Death Accounts: Beneficial Tools if Used Correctly Payable-on-death (POD) accounts can be a quick, simple and inexpensive way to transfer assets outside of probate. They can be used for bank or credit union accounts, certificates of deposit and even...
Have You Recently Reviewed Your Life Insurance Needs?
At one time, life insurance played a much larger part in an estate plan than it does now. Why? Families would often use life insurance payouts to pay estate taxes. But with the federal gift and estate tax exemption at $13.61 million for 2024, far fewer families currently are affected by estate tax.
Hiring? How to Benefit from the Work Opportunity Tax Credit
If you’re a business owner or manager who is seeking to hire, you should be aware of the details of a valuable tax credit for hiring individuals from one or more targeted groups. Employers can qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which is worth as much as $2,400 for most eligible employees (higher or lower for certain employees). The credit is limited to eligible employees who begin work for an employer before January 1, 2026.
Retirement Saving Options for Your Small Business
If you’re looking for a retirement plan for yourself and your employees but worried about the financial commitment and administrative burdens involved, there are some options to consider. One possibility is a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP). This plan, which comes with relative ease of administration and the discretion to make or not make annual contributions, is especially attractive for small businesses.
Tax Tips for March 2024
Click on the links below to jump to each section in this article: A Strategy to Raise Your Medical Expense Deduction Handling Large Cash Transactions Erroneous Refund A Strategy to Raise Your Medical Expense Deduction With a little planning, you may be able to boost your itemized medical expense deduction when you file your 2024 tax return next year. Only eligible expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income are deductible. It’s not an easy hurdle to clear, short of a major...
Tracking Down Donation Substantiation
If you’re like many Americans, your mailbox may have been filling up in recent weeks with letters from your favorite charities acknowledging your 2023 donations. But what happens if you haven’t received such a letter for a contribution? Can you still claim a deduction on your 2023 income tax return for the gift? It depends.