25 Jul 2019
0

Donating Your Vehicle to Charity May Not Yield A Big Tax Deduction

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Individual Tax Briefs
Donating Your Vehicle to Charity

You’ve probably seen or heard ads urging you to donate your car to charity. “Make a difference and receive tax savings,” one organization states. But donating a vehicle may not result in a big tax deduction — or any deduction at all. Donating your vehicle, trading it in, or selling it? Let’s say you’re buying a new car and want to get rid of your old one. Among your options are trading in the vehicle to the dealer, selling it yourself or donating it to charity. If you donate, the tax deduction depends on whether you itemize and what the charity does with the vehicle. For cars worth more than $500, the deduction is the amount for which the charity actually sells the car, if it sells without...

24 Jul 2019
0

Don’t Mistake Kickbacks for Gifts

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Fraud Briefs
Dont Mistake Kickbacks for Gifts

Kickbacks return a portion of the money exchanged in a business transaction as compensation for favorable treatment. They’re illegal in the United States and many other countries. Don't mistake kickbacks for gifts.  Because kickbacks are often disguised as gifts, travel and entertainment, they can be hard to identify. Don't mistake kickbacks for gifts: intention of the gift-giver Gifts, gratuities or courtesies of modest value associated with ordinary business practices are usually acceptable. The key consideration is the intention of the giver. Your employees shouldn’t accept any gift offered with the intent to improperly influence business decisions — or that would give the impression of compromising the employee’s ability to act in the best interests of the company. The same integrity test should be applied in deciding whether to...

23 Jul 2019
0

Consider Taxes When Retiring in Another State

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Individual Tax Briefs
Consider Other State Taxes

When you retire, you may consider moving to another state — say, for the weather or to be closer to your loved ones. That said, don’t forget to consider taxes when retiring in another state as part of the equation. Establishing residency for state tax purposes may be more complicated than it initially appears to be. Consider taxes when retiring in another state: Step 1, identify all applicable taxes It may seem like a no-brainer to simply move to a state with no personal income tax. But, to make a good decision, you must consider all taxes that can potentially apply to a state resident. In addition to income taxes, these may include property taxes, sales taxes and estate taxes. If the states you’re considering have an income...

22 Jul 2019
0

Summer Hire Tax Credits May Be Available

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Summer Hires May Qualify for Tax Credits

Is your business hiring this summer? If so, there may be some summer hire tax credits available to you.  If the employees come from certain “targeted groups,” you may be eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This includes youth whom you bring in this summer for two or three months. The maximum credit employers can claim is $2,400 to $9,600 for each eligible employee. Summer hire tax credits: WOTC 10 targeted groups An employer is generally eligible for the credit only for qualified wages paid to members of 10 targeted groups: Qualified members of families receiving assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, Qualified veterans, Designated community residents who live in Empowerment Zones or rural renewal counties, Qualified ex-felons, Vocational rehabilitation referrals, Qualified...

28 Jun 2019
0

Social Security Phone Scams

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Fraud Briefs
Social Security Phone Scams

Despite the National Do Not Call registry and features such as caller ID, phone fraud is thriving in the mobile phone era. Using spoofed numbers — which appear to be connected to legitimate government offices and businesses or that resemble your own number — fraud perpetrators say anything and everything to try to steal your money. Recently, scammers have posed as Social Security officials to steal from unsuspecting consumers. Since January 2018, the Federal Trade Commission has received more than 63,000 reports about this scam. Only 3% of reporting call recipients lost money, but the losses total $16.6 million. Social Security phone scams: anatomy of a crime Here’s how the Social Security scheme works: Criminals call from spoofed phone numbers and tell consumers that their Social Security number has been...

28 Jun 2019
0

Beware the 100% Payroll Tax Penalty

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Beware the 100% Payroll Tax Penalty

If federal income tax and employment taxes (including Social Security) are withheld from employees’ paychecks and not handed over to the IRS, the so-called 100% Payroll Tax Penalty can be imposed. To make matters worse, the penalty can be assessed personally against a “responsible individual.” If a business makes payroll tax payments late, there are escalating penalties. And if an employer fails to make them, the IRS will crack down hard. With the “Trust Fund Recovery Penalty,” also known as the “100% Payroll Tax Penalty,” the IRS can assess the entire unpaid amount against a responsible person who willfully fails to comply with the law. Some business owners and executives facing a cash flow crunch may be tempted to dip into the payroll taxes withheld from employees....

28 Jun 2019
0

Dynasty Trusts Provide a Legacy

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Estate Planning Briefs
Dynasty Trusts Provide a Legacy

If a prime objective of your estate plan is to leave your mark, dynasty trusts provide a legacy.  That means it might be the right estate planning vehicle for you. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act substantially increased the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption.  That makes a dynasty trust more appealing than ever. GST tax and dynasty trusts Dynasty trusts provide a legacy in that they allow substantial amounts of wealth to grow and compound free of federal gift, estate and GST taxes.  In so doing, tax-free benefits are provided for your grandchildren and future generations. The longevity of a dynasty trust varies from state to state.  It’s becoming more common for states to allow these trusts to last for hundreds of years or even in perpetuity. Avoiding...

28 Jun 2019
0

Chances of IRS Audit are Down

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Individual Tax Briefs
Chances of IRS Audit are Down

The IRS just released its audit statistics for the 2018 fiscal year, and the chances of IRS audit are down.  Fewer taxpayers had their returns examined as compared with prior years. Even though less returns are being audited, that will be little consolation if yours is one of them. Chances of IRS audit are down: latest statistics Overall, just 0.59% of individual tax returns were audited in 2018, as compared with 0.62% in 2017. This was the lowest percentage of audits conducted since 2002. However, as in the past, those with very high incomes face greater odds. For example, in 2018, 2.21% of taxpayers with AGIs of between $1 million and $5 million were audited.  That's down from 3.52% in 2017. The richest taxpayers, those with AGIs of $10...

28 Jun 2019
0

Consider a Roth 401(k) Plan

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Consider a Roth 401(k) Plan

Roth 401(k) accounts have been around for 13 years now. Studies show that more employers are offering them each year. A recent study by the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) found that Roth 401(k) Plans are now available at 70% of employer plans, up from 55.6% of plans in 2016. However, despite the prevalence of employers offering Roth 401(k)s, most employees aren’t choosing to contribute to them. The PSCA found that only 20% of participants who have access to a Roth 401(k) made contributions to one in 2017. Perhaps it’s because they don’t understand them. If you offer a Roth 401(k) Plan or you’re considering one, educate your employees about the accounts to boost participation. Roth 401(k) Plans: a 401(k) with a twist As the name implies, these...

ROGER ROSSMEISL, CPA

Kho & Patel CPAs
160 E. Arrow Highway
San Dimas, CA 91773

(714) 325-0442
roger@khopatel.com

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