The “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” (Cares Act) includes many tax and financial breaks for both individuals and businesses. We broke down many of the essential elements and how they can assist you and your business during this troubling time.
As part of the efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, the elderly, especially those over the age of 80 who are most susceptible the dangers of the virus, have been asked to self-isolate themselves. At the same time, the public has been asked to assist family, friends and neighbors who can’t do their own their grocery shopping, pick up medication, or need other assistance.
On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that the deadline for US taxpayers to pay income taxes for 2019 will be pushed back by 90 days in an effort to soften the financial fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. The reprieve applies for up to $1 million in taxes owed, and would cover many pass-through entities and small businesses, he said.
Looking for a quick source of cash? – your retirement savings may look like a tempting option. However, if you are under age 59½ and withdraw money from a traditional IRA or qualified retirement account, you will likely pay both income tax and a 10% early-distribution tax (also referred to as a penalty) on any previously untaxed money that you take out.
Tax time is always a bit unnerving, but when you’re hit with a large, unexpected tax bill, it can be shattering. There are few people who have the resources to simply pull out their checkbook and write a check for thousands of dollars, yet it can feel like that’s your only choice.
This is a question many taxpayers ask during this time of year, and the question is far more complicated than people believe. To fully understand, we need to consider that there are times when individuals are REQUIRED to file a tax return, and then there are times when it is to the individuals’ BENEFIT to file a return even if they are not required to file.
If your business engages the services of an individual (independent contractor), other than one who meets the definition of an employee, and you pay him or her $600 or more for the calendar year, then you are required to issue that person a Form 1099-MISC to avoid penalties and the prospect of losing the deduction for his or her labor and expenses in an audit. Payments to independent contractors are referred to as non-employee compensation (NEC).
At the last minute, Congress passed a large number of tax changes, including retirement plan issues that will become effective in 2020, as well as extensions through 2020 of a number of tax provisions that had expired or were about to end. The list of changes is quite large, so we have only included those that are most likely to affect individual tax returns. The following is a run-down on some of the new tax provisions:
If you asked brand-new entrepreneurs to make a list of everything they think might one day pose a threat to their startup, you’d probably hear a variety of answers with similar themes.
Some might be (rightfully) worried about ultimately developing a product in search of a marketplace. Others may be worried about how they’re going to overcome the cash flow issues they’ll likely face. Others still might be worried about getting “taken for a ride” by the venture capital people they’re putting so much of their faith in.While all of these are understandable concerns, none of them should be at the top of that list. The fact of the matter is, the number-one threat to your business isn’t an external factor at all. It’s the people you’ve cofounded that business with.
Here are some examples of holiday gifts you provide to members of your family, employees and others that may also yield tax benefits.
Gifts for Employees – It is common practice this time of year for employers to give employees gifts. Although gifts are generally excluded from the recipient’s gross income, an employee cannot exclude gifts from his or her employer as a gift.