Category: Taxes
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Big tax change for small businesses
The IRS reminds employers that starting in tax year 2020, payers must complete the new Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation, to report any payment of $600 or more to a payee. This is likely the biggest change that affects a large number of small businesses this year. Generally, payers must file Form 1099-NEC by January 31.…
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New Jersey Taxes 4th Highest in U.S.
Kiplinger’s Magazine, November 2020, ranked New Jersey as the 4th worst state for total taxes paid by middle income residents. This poor ranking was triggered solely by our high property taxes. Kiplinger’s wrote: “For middle-class families in the Garden State, income taxes are relatively low when compared with other states. New Jersey checked with the…
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Low Income Taxpayer Clinics
Time and again we see that taxpayers who run into trouble should not attempt to resolve the problem themselves. It almost always makes sense to rely on professional representation. A professional will usually reduce the tax liability by far more than their fee. But tax professionals can be expensive and not all taxpayers can afford…
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TAX ALERT: Non-employee compensation
SIGNIFICANT TAX NEWS CHANGE ABOUT NON-EMPLOYEE COMPENATION: The IRS revived the use of Form 1099-NEC for use in reporting non-employee compensation for 2020. This form was last used in 1982 but now will be used to report 2020 non-employee compensation. Corresponding changes were made to the old 1099-MISC form. The due dates are also changed.…
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2020 IRS Report on its Operations
IRS just released the 195 page “General Report of the 2020 Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council“. I read the applicable sections on small business and nonprofits that affects me and my clients. The key relevant concepts are: 1) IRS currently lacks the funding to operate effectively to collect the taxes necessary to run federal government.…
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Seven observations from COVID tax season
Many of us tax professionals are wrapping up the most challenging tax season of our lives. I’m pretty well on pace to finish early for the deadline on the 15th so I paused to write a few short reflections: At least one client won’t file taxes this year primarily due to depression. A few others…
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IRS announced a “major milestone in tax administration”
The Internal Revenue Service will now allow taxpayers to submit Form 1040-X electronically when they want to file an amended tax return through commercial software. This will significantly reduce costs and increase efficiency for taxpayers who want to amend a prior tax return to claim a credit or correct an error. The IRS calls this…
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Trends in tax crimes
I missed a continuing professional education program on IRS criminal tax procedures yesterday due to ongoing problems restoring utilities after the storm on Tuesday. But I just read the program materials and the IRS 2019 report on criminal tax investigations and one thing jumps out at me: Drug related cases far outweigh all other categories…
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Average New Jersey tax preparation fees in 2020
THIS PAGE IS OUTDATED. FEES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NOW. SEE SOUTHJERSEY.CPA/PRICING FOR CURRENT PRICING These are the most recent published average industry prices for tax preparation services in the state of New Jersey as of the date of this blog post. These are not my rates, although I do pay attention to this type of…
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Unrealistic advice from IRS to gig workers
IRS says: “The gig economy, also called sharing or access economy, is activity where taxpayers earn income providing on-demand work, services or goods. Often, it’s through a digital platform like an app or website. While there are many types of sharing economy businesses, ride-sharing and home rentals are two of the most popular. Here are…