Archive for Taxes

Tax Filing Deadline Rapidly Approaching

Just a reminder to those who have not yet filed their 2011 tax return that April 17, 2012 is the due date to either file your return and pay any taxes owed, or file for the automatic six-month extension and pay the tax you estimate to be due. Normally the deadline is April 15, but […]

Using Direct Deposit is a Smarter Option for your Refund.

Want your refund faster? Have it deposited directly into your bank account. More taxpayers are choosing direct deposit as the way to receive their federal tax refunds. More than 79 million people had their tax refunds deposited directly into their bank accounts in 2011. It’s a secure and convenient way to get your money in […]

Reporting Stock Transactions Becomes More Complicated

Beginning with the 2011 tax return, reporting stock transactions has become significantly more complicated because of the new requirement for brokerage firms to track the purchase price of stocks acquired in 2011 and subsequent years and to include that information on the information-reporting document 1099-B. For several years now, the IRS has required brokerage firms […]

Recently Enacted Tax Breaks for Small Businesses

Keeping track of tax changes these days is quite a task. Congress is constantly tweaking the tax laws in an effort to stimulate the economy and deal with the budget deficit. The following is a compilation of recent changes to keep you up date. Cell Phones No Longer Listed Property – This means that cell […]

Charity Purchases and Auctions

A regular form of fundraising by charitable organizations consists of sales or auctions of property or services at a price in excess of value. These are referred to as “quid pro quo” contributions or dual payments made that consist partly of a charitable gift and partly of consideration for goods or services provided to the […]

QuickBooks Income Tax Reports And Filtering Options: Target The Right Output

April 15 is getting uncomfortably close. QuickBooks, of course, can’t do your taxes for you. But it helps you lay some of the groundwork. Following up on last month’s column on customizing reports, we’ll look at the program’s tax-related reports and its powerful report-filtering options. But first, you’ll need to make sure that this output […]

It’s Not Too Late

It’s not too late to make an IRA and/or SEP contribution or undo a Roth IRA conversion for 2011. Generally, after the close of the year you can no longer take steps to alter the outcome of your tax return. However, both IRA contributions and SEP contributions can be made for a year after it […]

Modifying QuickBooks Reports: Part 1

If you make one resolution about improving your accounting procedures in 2012, it should be this: Make extensive use of the tools that QuickBooks offers for report modification. Comprehensive, meticulously-shaped reports that flow out of your carefully-constructed records and transactions are your reward for pounding on the keys every day, conscientiously recording income and expenses. […]

Are You Liable for a Gift Tax Return?

Frequently, taxpayers think that gifts of cash, securities, or other assets they give to other individuals are tax-deductible and, in turn, the gift recipient sometimes thinks income tax must be paid on the gift received. Nothing is further from the truth. To fully understand the ramifications of gifting, one needs to realize that gift tax […]

New Credits for Hiring Veterans

Congress recently passed legislation that extends and expands the Work Opportunity Credit (WOTC) for hiring unemployed veterans. This effectively gave a one-year lease on life to the WOTC, but only with respect to qualified veterans who begin work for the employer before January 1, 2013. For all other classifications, the credit ended at the close […]