Should You Charge Late Fees? QuickBooks Can Help
Do you have a lot of aging receivables? Assessing finance charges can speed up customer payments. Have your customers been submitting payments later than usual these last several months? It wouldn’t be surprising. Many businesses are struggling to pay bills these days. Still, you need to get paid – and on time. Tardy receivables have…
Read MoreIRS Offers New Identity Protection for Taxpayers
Article Highlights: IP PIN Identity Verification Opt-in Program Application Process : In the past, the IRS has assigned verification numbers to victims of identity theft to file their tax returns, if requested by the victimized individual. These numbers are referred to as identity protection (IP) PINs. The IP PIN is a six-digit code known only…
Read MoreCharitable Contributions Deduction Liberalized for 2021
As a means to stimulate charitable contributions during the COVID crisis, Congress made two notable changes for 2020—one allowing taxpayers that don’t itemize their deductions an above-the-line deduction for cash contributions of up to $300 and another for those itemizing their deductions to increase the maximum deduction for cash contributions to 100% of their adjusted…
Read MoreRetirement Plan and IRA Required Minimum Distributions FAQs
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) became law on December 20, 2019. The Secure Act made major changes to the RMD rules. If you reached the age of 70½ in 2019 the prior rule applies, and you must take your first RMD by April 1, 2020. If you…
Read MoreIRS Lowers Standard Mileage Rate for 2021 to 56 Cents per Mile
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, the optional standard mileage rate used in deducting the costs of operating an automobile for business will be 56 cents per mile, down 1.5 cents from 2020, the IRS announced Dec. 22 in Notice 2021-02. Businesses often use this amount—also called the safe harbor rate—to pay tax-free reimbursements to employees who use…
Read MoreIncreased Business Meal Deductions for 2021 and 2022
Article Highlights: Business Meals Under TCJA 100% Deduction for 2021 and 2022 Qualifications If you recall, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), effective beginning in 2018, eliminated the business-related deduction for entertainment, amusement or recreation expenses. However, it did retain a deduction for business meals when the expense is ordinary and necessary for carrying…
Read MoreWhat Are the Tax Advantages of Home Ownership?
Article Highlights: Historically Low Interest Rates Purchase Costs Points Mortgage Payments Refinancing Property Taxes Inflation Gain Exclusion Renting Versus Owning Worksheet to Analyze Costs Housing is a big expense for everyone. The choice generally involves either renting or purchasing – and financing that purchase with a home loan. As of November 2020, the nationwide average…
Read More2021 Standard Mileage Rates Announced
Highlights: Standard Mileage Rates for 2021 Business, Charitable, Medical and Moving Rates Important Considerations for 2021 Switching between the Actual Expense and Standard Mileage Rate Methods Employer Reimbursements Employee Deductions Suspended Special Allowances for SUVs The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), each year, computes standard mileage rates for the use of a vehicle for business, medical and…
Read MoreBeware: These Tax Return Red Flags Could Catch the Eye of the IRS
Tax time can be one of the most hated times of the year. Just preparing the forms is enough to be an irritant, and if you owe the government money there’s a good chance that you’re downright annoyed. But neither of those things compare to the feeling that accompanies an envelope bearing an IRS return…
Read More4 Questions Business Owners Should Consider During the 2020 Tax Season
As if 2020 wasn’t challenging enough, this season’s tax-filing is going to be even more complicated than usual. Though the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program were put into place to help small businesses, the old adage about “no such thing as a free lunch” is proving true once again as business owners sit…
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