Category: IRS

IRS examiners usually do their homework before meeting with taxpayers and their professional representatives. This includes reviewing any relevant Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs) that typically focus on a specific industry or audit-prone business transaction. Though designed to help IRS examiners prepare for audits, ATGs are available to the public. So, small business taxpayers can review them, too — and gain valuable insights into issues that might surface during audits. Auditor Specialization In the past, IRS examiners were randomly assigned to… Read more ›

Are you feeling generous? Qualified charitable contributions can be rewarded with sizeable tax breaks during the second calendar year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent legislation includes the following four temporary tax law changes that are designed to help individuals and businesses that donate to charities through the end of 2021. 1. Deductions for Non-Itemizers In the past, you could claim significant itemized deductions on your federal income tax return for contributing money or property (or both) to qualified charitable organizations… Read more ›

Payments made to liquidate a retired partner’s ownership interest in the partnership (other than payments for his or her share of certain partnership assets) are usually subject to the federal self-employment tax (also known as SE tax). That can amount to a large tax bite. Fortunately, there is a taxpayer-friendly exception. When it applies, this exception can exempt partner retirement payments from SE tax. If the retirement plan is properly structured, even large payments made in the years just after… Read more ›

  For purposes of the Child Tax Credit for the 2021 tax year, a qualifying child is one who doesn’t turn 18 before January 1, 2022, and who satisfies certain other conditions. Taxpayers who don’t qualify for the Child Tax Credit because their children are too old may have an alternative. The Credit for Other Dependents maxes out at $500 per dependent if certain conditions are met. To qualify, a dependent must: Be age 17 or older; Have an individual… Read more ›

  Almost three months after it passed the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), better known as the bipartisan infrastructure bill. While the bulk of the law is directed toward massive investment in infrastructure projects across the country, a handful of noteworthy tax provisions are tucked inside it. Here’s what you need to know about them. Early termination of the Employee Retention Credit The IIJA terminates the Employee Retention Credit… Read more ›

The IRS has announced that the federal tax filing deadline will be extended this year from Thursday, April 15 to Monday, May 17, 2021. New legislation that passed recently, which provides economic, tax and other relief from the pandemic, has created a complex tax filing season for individuals, businesses and tax preparers, leading to the extended deadline. The extension does not impact all tax deadlines, however. First-quarter estimated tax payments are still due April 15. Deadlines for state tax returns… Read more ›

The IRS often provides taxpayers with recommendations for preparing for the latest tax season. Based on a recent email CBM received from the IRS, we thought it might be valuable to share the following tips and advice. Get organized – Identify all the records you will need for tax season including any W-2s, 1099s, cancelled checks and other documents you’ve accumulated through 2020 related to your income, deductions or credits in one location. Organizational tools – Do you have software,… Read more ›

During these financially challenging times, many not-for-profit organizations have had to get creative to raise adequate revenue to sustain operations. But new activities, however well-intentioned, can lead to tax trouble. Your nonprofit risks exposure to the unrelated business income tax (UBIT) if it operates outside its usual charitable scope. Here’s how to avoid unwanted tax exposure. Regular and Unrelated For tax-exempt organizations, unrelated business income generally is defined as the profits generated by regular trade or business activities that aren’t… Read more ›

The CARES Act and Relief for Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 On Friday, March 27, President Trump signed into legislation the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. The $2.2 trillion legislation represents the largest stimulus package in U.S. history—dwarfing the $800 billion package signed during the 2008 financial crisis—and provides a variety of economic relief measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on American society. The Act provides for five options for businesses in search of relief,… Read more ›

On Friday, March 27, President Trump signed into legislation the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. The $2.2 trillion legislation represents the largest stimulus package in U.S. history—dwarfing the $800 billion package signed during the 2008 financial crisis—and provides a variety of economic relief measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on American society. Not-for-profits should be aware of certain parts of the CARES Act as it pertains to the impact of COVID-19 on their… Read more ›