Fraud? Negligence? Know the Difference!

Each year the IRS opens thousands of investigations looking for possible tax fraud. In 2017 alone, the Criminal Investigation (CI) arm of the IRS identified $2.5 billion in potential tax fraud with a 91.5 percent conviction rate. While the IRS takes tax fraud seriously, they also understand that mistakes happen. Here is what you need…

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Time to Launch Your Tax Strategy

Consider conducting a final tax planning review now to see if you can still take actions to minimize your taxes this year. Here are some ideas to get you started. Assess your income. Begin by determining how your income this year will compare to last year. Then apply any tax implications this income change may…

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Education: Tax Changes You Need to Know

As students gear up to head back to school, there are some changes to education deductions that could save or cost you more in taxes and even raise college tuition costs. Here is what you need to know to get up to speed: What is gone Continuing Education as an itemized deduction: In previous years,…

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Is a Tax Surprise Waiting for You?

Often lost in the excitement of large-scale tax change is how they can negatively impact some individual situations. Check out the questions below to see if you might be in for a tax surprise this year. Will you pay more than $10,000 in state and local taxes? Previously, you could take a full deduction for…

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Manage Capital Gains Tax Tips

If not tracked and managed properly, capital gains tax can come as a large surprise at tax-filing time. In fact, many taxpayers don’t realize they have a capital gain until they get their 1099 form in January and see a capital gain distribution. Here’s what you need to know. Understand capital gains and their taxability…

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Dramatic Sales Tax Change

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the South Dakota vs Wayfair case that opens the door for states to impose sales tax on sellers outside their borders. The case highlights a new standard of business presence called “economic nexus” that may have major implications for businesses and consumers alike. Economic nexus explained The…

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Ideas to Improve Your Financial Health

No-one likes to be blindsided by financial hardship. Listed here are 10 ideas to help ensure your financial situation stays healthy. Create a safety net. Plan to have a minimum savings balance to cover at least three months’ of expenses (ideally, this should be six to 12 months). If your reserves are light, start saving…

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Student Loan Forgiveness Creates New Tax Trap

There’s a new student loan repayment program that forgives some student loan debt if other payments are made. This new debt forgiveness is creating a tax surprise for the unsuspecting student. Here is what you need to know. The debt forgiveness program dilemma To combat the hardship of high student loan debt, a popular new…

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Is It Worth It to Amend Your Return?

Whether it makes sense to amend your tax return depends on which of these situations you’re in: If you owe the IRS If you discover an omission on your tax return that results in you owing additional tax, you need to correct it with an amendment and provide the tax due. Don’t delay if this…

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Five Tax Breaks for New Parents

New parents have their work cut out for them. Not only are they dealing with lost sleep, they also face the extra cost of raising a child. At least there are a lot of potential tax breaks available to them. Check out this list and share it with any new parents you know. Child Tax…

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