General News and Information Archives - Page 26 of 40

Nov
15
2017

The Senate’s Tax Framework

For businesses, the Senate’s tax framework would permanently lower the corporate tax rate to 20%, starting in 2019. Other key points: a “simple and easy-to-administer deduction for pass-through businesses of all sizes” and the full and immediate expensing of new equipment. It also would allow more businesses to use cash-basis accounting, and retain both the research and development credit and the interest deduction for “Main Street employers.” Internationally, the current “worldwide” system of U.S. taxation would be replaced by a territorial system.

Nov
09
2017

Arizona Tax Credits 2017

We would like to suggest you consider the great tax credit benefits offered through the State of Arizona. The first four (4) credits are non-refundable and provide a dollar-for-dollar credit towards your Arizona income tax liability. If your total tax credit contributions exceed your tax liability, the unused portion can be carried forward for up to five years. Of course, even if you are not able to claim the Arizona tax credit for a donation,

Sep
06
2017

Watch out for potential tax pitfalls of donating real estate to charity

Charitable giving allows you to help an organization you care about and, in most cases, enjoy a valuable income tax deduction. If you’re considering a large gift, a noncash donation such as appreciated real estate can provide additional benefits. For example, if you’ve held the property for more than one year, you generally will be able to deduct its full fair market value and avoid any capital gains tax you’d owe if you sold the property.

Aug
28
2017

Yes, you can undo a Roth IRA conversion

Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA can provide tax-free growth and the ability to withdraw funds tax-free in retirement. But what if you convert a traditional IRA — subject to income taxes on all earnings and deductible contributions — and then discover that you would have been better off if you hadn’t converted it? Fortunately, it’s possible to undo a Roth IRA conversion, using a “recharacterization.”

Reasons to recharacterize

There are several possible reasons to undo a Roth IRA conversion.

Aug
25
2017

Tax Deadlines Approaching

Tax extension deadlines are approaching fast for returns with a calendar year end.

Individuals 1040 – 10/15/17
Partnerships 1106 – 09/15/17
S-Corp 1120S – 09/15/17
Corporation 1120 – 10/15/17
Trusts 1041 –

Aug
16
2017

Material participation key to deducting LLC and LLP losses

If your business is a limited liability company (LLC) or a limited liability partnership (LLP), you know that these structures offer liability protection and flexibility as well as tax advantages. But they once also had a significant tax disadvantage: The IRS used to treat all LLC and LLP owners as limited partners for purposes of the passive activity loss (PAL) rules, which can result in negative tax consequences. Fortunately, these days LLC and LLP owners can be treated as general partners,

Aug
11
2017

Will Congress revive expired tax breaks?

Most of the talk about possible tax legislation this year has focused on either wide-sweeping tax reform or taxes that are part of the Affordable Care Act. But there are a few other potential tax developments for individuals to keep an eye on.

Back in December of 2015, Congress passed the PATH Act, which made a multitude of tax breaks permanent. However, there were a few valuable breaks for individuals that it extended only through 2016.

Aug
07
2017

Reporting collaborative activities: A complex issue for nonprofits

More and more not-for-profits are joining forces to better serve their clients and cut costs. But such relationships can come with complicated financial reporting obligations.

Starting with the simplest

For accounting purposes, the simplest relationship between nonprofits may be a collaborative arrangement. These are typically contractual agreements in which two or more organizations are active participants in a joint operating activity — for example, a hospital that’s jointly operated by two nonprofit health care organizations.

Aug
04
2017

A refresher on the ACA’s tax penalty on individuals without health insurance

Now that Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal and replacement efforts appear to have collapsed, at least for the time being, it’s a good time for a refresher on the tax penalty the ACA imposes on individuals who fail to have “minimum essential” health insurance coverage for any month of the year. This requirement is commonly called the “individual mandate.”

Penalty exemptions

Before we review how the penalty is calculated,

Aug
02
2017

ESOPs offer businesses tax and other benefits

With an employee stock ownership plan (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 potential tax breaks, an extra-motivated workforce and potentially a smoother path for succession planning.

How ESOPs work

To implement an ESOP, you establish a trust fund and either: