Category: IRS

The IRS recently announced that it’ll increase the standard mileage rate for qualified business driving for the second half of 2022. The adjustment reflects the soaring cost of gasoline this year. In fact, as of June 13, the nationwide average price of regular unleaded gas was $5.01 a gallon, according to the AAA Gas Prices website. This is compared with $3.08 a gallon a year ago. Beginning July 1, 2022, the standard mileage rate for business travel will be 62.5… Read more ›

The IRS’ “Where’s My Refund?” tool has been expanded to share taxpayers’ refund status to the two previous years. The IRS refund tool has provided taxpayers with the status of their refund payment during the current filing year. Now, taxpayers may also review their tax refund for the past two years according to the following details: • Information about a refund from a 2021 tax return will be available 24 hours after e-filing the return • Information about a refund… Read more ›

It’s difficult for many people to write off medical expenses because of the limits imposed under the tax laws. But you may qualify by including every expense allowed. Some of the qualified procedures may surprise you. For example, most insurance plans won’t cover laser eye surgery, such as radial keratotomy or “Lasik,” because they consider it a cosmetic procedure. But it generally qualifies for a medical deduction and as an expense in a flexible spending account. (The IRS used to… Read more ›

  Let’s say you have an unincorporated sideline activity that you think of as a business, including an activity involving horses. If you have a net loss (deductible expenses exceed revenue) on that activity and you think you can deduct that loss on your personal federal income tax return, think again! In IRS audits and in court cases involving money-losing sidelines, the tax agency frequently argues the activities are hobbies, rather than businesses. Be aware that the federal income tax… Read more ›

Court Determines that an Activity Was Engaged in for Profit Taxpayers who are in business to make a profit can generally deduct related expenses on their tax returns. If the IRS doubts a profit motive exists, it may deem an activity to be a hobby with a limited ability to deduct costs. The burden to prove there’s a profit motive is on the taxpayer. In one recent case, the IRS found a “green” home construction partnership was engaged in for… Read more ›

  The IRS continues to zero in on what it calls the “tax gap” — the amount between the taxes that are voluntarily paid and the amount the tax agency believes is actually due. To this end, the IRS has issued a series of documents to provide better understanding of the tax code. One example is specifically directed at the construction industry. The tax agency emphasizes instances where taxpayers failed to report, or under-reported, income from construction activities. This applies… Read more ›

If you want a retirement plan for your small company or self-employed business — but you don’t want to be buried in paperwork — consider a simplified employee pension plan or SEP. Among the appealing advantages: SEPs are set up by simply filling out a brief form. Annual reports aren’t required to be filed with the IRS, although you must provide a copy of the SEP form to each covered employee. (Most retirement plans require detailed reports to be filed… Read more ›

  For charitable donors, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provided some tax breaks and took away others. Here’s what charity-minded individuals need to know. Increased Charitable Deduction Limit Under prior law, deductions for cash contributions to public charities and certain private foundations were limited to 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). The TCJA, which passed in December of 2017, increased the deductible limit to 60% of AGI for the 2018-2025 tax years. Deductions that are disallowed by… Read more ›

  If your company has a qualified retirement plan or you have set one up in self-employment — such as a 401(k), profit-sharing, or Keogh plan — the participants might be allowed to borrow from their accounts. (This option is not available for traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEPs, or SIMPLE-IRAs.) In the right circumstances, taking out a plan loan can be a smart financial move because a participant gains access (within limits) to his or her retirement account money without… Read more ›

  There’s a world of tax difference between repairs to real estate property and capital improvements. And it’s not just semantics. The characterization could result in an increase or decrease of thousands of dollars on your tax return. Basic premise: Repairs are currently deductible in full and can be used to offset the tax from rental income. On the other hand, improvements must be written off over a period of years. It takes 27.5 years to write off improvements for… Read more ›