Category: Taxes
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The easy way to file a tax extension
This year about half of all my tax document and information responses were received by text message. This week text message service is helping to get tax extensions filed for people who are not ready to file their tax returns yet. Minimum requirements for filing an extension To file an extension, at a minimum, tax…
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2018 Changes to Employee Benefit Plans
This article lists the primary changes triggered by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that have an impact on employee benefit plans. They are listed here roughly in the order of impact on small business employers. For example, health benefits changes and work-related travel changes at the top of the list impacts most businesses, whereas…
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Annotated IRS Collection Statutes
This is an annotated copy of IRS statute controlling collection actions. 8.21.5 Collection Statutes Manual Transmittal November 17, 2015 Purpose (1) This transmits revised IRM 8.21.5, Collection Statutes. Background This IRM provides guidelines for verifying, updating, and monitoring statutes on collection cases in Appeals. Material Changes (1) Changes to this IRM are as follows: IRM Section…
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What to do if you owe money to the IRS: 4 steps to resolution
There is a clear and direct 4 step path to resolving IRS tax problems but you must follow this path in the proper sequence. An interesting discussion came up yesterday among tax professionals that indicates a need for us to communicate more effectively on the basic steps of resolving an income tax problem. By “income…
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Implications of blockchain in everyday accounting
The AICPA co-published a new report on blockchain that is written primarily by accountants at Deloitte & Touche LLP. The report covers a range of issues from introduction of concept to a call for action for CPAs. It is not an accounting standards publication but rather a white paper on the issue of blockchain. The decentralized…
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Questions about a QSEHRA?
(This inform is not updated to reflect 2019 proposed regulations so should be presumed to be partially obsolete). Yesterday I was hired for a single consultation engagement for a small business in Silicon Valley to answer a few simple questions about setting up a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA). This is a simple,…
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Husband and wife partnerships are complicated
I’m talking taxes here, not relationship advice. I’m the last person who should be giving advice on marital relationships. Unfortunately, I might not be much help on the tax and legal issues either. The best I hope to accomplish in this blog post is to list some of the issues, in bullet format, that should be…
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Don’t replace common sense with technology
Tax filing is like grocery shopping Technology has transformed the annual tax filing ritual but far too many people are replacing good judgement with purely online mechanical tools. The result is a recent spike in errors leading to costly tax penalties and higher tax payments over the long-term. The most important part of the tax…
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One door closes, another opens
“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us”. – Alexander Graham Bell A poorly matched tax engagement ended early yesterday on the same day as I brought in a record amount of new business. I hardly have time…
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Impact of Tax Reform on the Finances of Seniors
Most of the changes included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are already effective for 2018. These are mostly good news for seniors. Retirees will be less affected by the tax law changes than other Americans since the changes do not affect the way Social Security and investment income are taxed.However, changes that become effective…