Category: Taxes
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Tax refund in less than 4 days
2016 cash refund received from IRS in less than 4 days In one of the fastest transactions I’ve seen, I submitted a 1040A tax return this past Sunday afternoon and the refund was in the taxpayer’s bank account Thursday morning. The key to such a fast refund is to have clear and complete records, no…
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Support for ADP clients
Many of us think of ADP as a payroll company, and for good reason. The company is the market share leader in payroll processing and handles 1 in 6 of all paychecks issued in the United States. But in reality, ADP has transformed into a Human Resources management platform with over 100 specialized applications running…
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IRS refunds dropped sharply
IRS issued surprising data on personal income tax refunds today. The average amount of a refund declined from $3,385 last year to $1,994 this tax season. The reason probably has to do with changes to Earned Income Credit processing. Tax refunds have a significant impact on the consumer goods economy.
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Update on 2017 tax reform
There is no easy button for tax reform. Republicans tax reform plans have changed since my last report on tax reform about six weeks ago. The Republican Senate agenda that was based on using the reconciliation process instead of needing 60 votes in the Senate, the republicans only need a simple majority of 51 votes for…
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We help with Turbotax returns
Self-preparers have an easy option for professional support! For many years I’ve promoted the concept that most people should be able to file their own tax return without outside help. In cases where the taxes are based on salaried income, investment income and other well-documented sources, it makes sense to file your own taxes online and…
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Church and taxes
The topic of church and taxes in is the news this week as Trump plans to dispose of the federal law known as Johnson Amendment that has effectively separated church and state for most of our lives. Let’s be clear this is not about expressing opinions- we all get to do that. This is about money…
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Limitations on free tax preparation for 2016 returns
Each tax season I am pleased to prepare some individual tax preparation services for n fee except the filing fee. My online filing service provider’s fee is $20 per return so the tax filer must cover this cost. My offer is usually made to a small number of middle income neighbors as a way to promote my…
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Signs of further division in tax practice
I recently resigned from a large online group of tax professionals that I had grown to rely upon for daily advice and news. My past work in the tax field has primarily focused on political forecasting (efforts that were not so successful lately, by the way) and small business lobby efforts. My future plans revolve around…
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Tax planning for small business owners in 2017
Tax laws change every year, often providing new opportunities for business and personal planning that can save money and improve our overall financial results. This year is no exception. While there are no major changes to tax law affecting small business owners this year, there are a number of more subtle developments in tax procedure…
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Trump sparks tax protest plans
Over the past month I’ve heard and read about a number of tax protest plans. Some are idiotic, others are criminal. Some might actually work. Some taxpayers want to take advantage of imagined tax reductions promoted by scammers. Other refuse to support the federal government led by Donald Trump and are looking for the safest…