2 major tax law changes for individuals in 2019
Posted January 8, 2019 / No comments
While most provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) went into effect in 2018 and either apply through 2025 or are permanent, there are two major changes under the act for 2019. Here’s a closer look. Medical expense deduction threshold With rising health care costs, claiming whatever tax breaks related to health care
Read More4 ideas for fostering a partnership between internal and external auditors
Posted January 4, 2019 / No comments
External audits aren’t required for every business. But whether required or not, they can provide lenders and investors with assurance that your financial statements are free from material misstatement and prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). How can you help facilitate efficient, timely audit fieldwork? The keys are frequent communication and
Read MoreIf you’re driven to transfer a vehicle’s ownership to a trust, know the risks
Posted January 3, 2019 / No comments
A revocable trust — often referred to as a “living trust” — can help ensure smooth management of your assets during life and avoid probate at death. And you may know that the trust isn’t effective unless you “fund” it — that is, transfer ownership of your assets to the trust. But what about assets
Read MoreA review of significant TCJA provisions impacting individual taxpayers
Posted January 2, 2019 / No comments
Now that 2019 has begun, there isn’t too much you can do to reduce your 2018 income tax liability. But it’s smart to begin preparing for filing your 2018 return. Because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was signed into law at the end of 2017, likely will have a major impact on
Read MoreA refresher on major tax law changes for small-business owners
Posted December 28, 2018 / No comments
A refresher on major tax law changes for small-business owners The dawning of 2019 means the 2018 income tax filing season will soon be upon us. After year end, it’s generally too late to take action to reduce 2018 taxes. Business owners may, therefore, want to shift their focus to assessing whether they’ll likely owe
Read MoreAutomatic extension available for making portability election
Posted December 20, 2018 / No comments
Automatic extension available for making portability election Portability allows a surviving spouse to apply a deceased spouse’s unused estate tax exemption amount toward his or her own transfers during life or at death. To secure these benefits, however, the deceased spouse’s executor must have made a portability election on a timely filed estate tax return.
Read More6 last-minute tax moves for your business
Posted December 17, 2018 / No comments
Tax planning is a year-round activity, but there are still some year-end strategies you can use to lower your 2018 tax bill. Here are six last-minute tax moves business owners should consider: Postpone invoices. If your business uses the cash method of accounting, and it would benefit from deferring income to next year, wait until
Read MoreA prenup or a DAPT: Which is the better choice?
Posted December 13, 2018 / No comments
If you or one of your adult children is getting married, you may be concerned about protecting your family’s assets in the event of a divorce. A prenuptial agreement can be an effective tool for overriding marital property rights and keeping assets in the family. But these agreements have disadvantages. For many families, a better
Read MoreYear-end tax and financial to-do list for individuals
Posted December 11, 2018 / No comments
With the dawn of 2019 on the near horizon, here’s a quick list of tax and financial to-dos you should address before 2018 ends: Check your FSA balance. If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health care expenses, you need to incur qualifying expenses by December 31 to use up these funds or
Read MoreCan a PTO contribution arrangement help your employees and your business?
Posted December 10, 2018 / No comments
As the year winds to a close, most businesses see employees taking a lot of vacation time. After all, it’s the holiday season, and workers want to enjoy it. Some businesses, however, find themselves particularly short-staffed in December because they don’t allow unused paid time off (PTO) to be rolled over to the new year,
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