Tax

The business use of websites is widespread, and you are likely to have business website costs associated with that. But surprisingly, the IRS hasn’t yet issued formal guidance on when Internet website costs can be deducted. Fortunately, established rules that generally apply to the deductibility of business costs, and IRS guidance that applies to software […]

As a result of the current estate tax exemption amount it’s now important to plan for income taxes ($11.58 million in 2020), many estates no longer need to be concerned with federal estate tax. Before 2011, a much smaller amount resulted in estate plans attempting to avoid it. Now, because many estates won’t be subject to […]

In some cases, investors have significant related expenses, such as the cost of subscriptions to financial periodicals and clerical expenses. Are they tax deductible? Under the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, these expenses aren’t deductible through 2025 if they’re considered expenses for the production of income. But they are deductible if they’re considered trade or […]

COVID-19 has changed our lives in many ways, and some of the changes have 2020  tax implications. Here is basic information about two common situations. 1. Working from home. Many employees have been told not to come into their workplaces due to the pandemic. If you’re an employee who “telecommutes” — that is, you work […]

If you’re buying a home, or you just bought one, you may wonder if you can deduct mortgage seller paid points on your behalf by the seller. Yes, you can, subject to some important limitations described below. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that existing home sales and prices are […]

Under current law, 100% bonus depreciation will be phased out in steps for property placed in service in calendar years 2023 through 2027. Thus, an 80% rate will apply to property placed in service in 2023, 60% in 2024, 40% in 2025, and 20% in 2026, and a 0% rate will apply in 2027 and […]

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, students are going back to school this fall, either remotely, in-person or under a hybrid schedule. In any event, parents may be eligible for certain tax breaks to help defray the cost of education. Here is a summary of some of the tax breaks available for education. 1. Higher education tax […]

Wouldn’t it be great if your employees worked as if they owned the company? Employee stock ownership plan (ESOPs) could make this a reality. Under an ESOP, employee participants take part ownership of the business through a retirement savings arrangement. Meanwhile, the business and its existing owner(s) can benefit from some tax breaks, an extra-motivated […]

Many businesses now offer, as part of their health care account benefits, various types of accounts that reimburse employees for medical expenses on a tax-advantaged basis. These include health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRAs) and Health Savings Account (HSAs, which are usually offered in conjunction with a high-deductible health plan). For employees […]

If you’re getting close to retirement, you may wonder: Are my Social Security benefits going to be taxed? And if so, how much will you have to pay? It depends on your other income. If you’re taxed, between 50% and 85% of your benefits could be taxed. (This doesn’t mean you pay 85% of your […]