5 Surprising Taxable Items Wages and self-employment earnings are taxable, but what about the random cash or financial benefits you receive through other means? If something of value changes hands, you can bet the IRS considers a way to tax it. Here are five taxable items that might surprise you: Scholarships and financial aid. Applying for…

This year is a little more challenging With tax season now officially underway, here are several tax documents that may be easy to miss in your mailbox or inbox: Child tax credit letter. From July through December 2021, the IRS paid out 50% of projected child tax credit payments to qualified households. The IRS is sending…

There’s good news for your retirement accounts in 2022! The IRS recently announced that you can contribute more pre-tax money to several retirement plans in 2022. Take a look at the following contribution limits for several of the more popular retirement plans: What You Can Do Look for your retirement savings plan from the table…

Fire survival occurs before the first signs of smoke It’s the dead of night. Something wakes you from a deep sleep. It sounds like popcorn. Is someone in the house? Now you are alert. You grab your phone, open the door and head for the sound. It’s coming from the kitchen. At the same time,…

Prepare for this year’s tax return filing season Tax return filing season usually gets a little crazy, but this year will be more turbulent than most. Due to new tax legislation and guidance from the IRS, you will have to cope with a wide variety of tax changes, some of which relate to the pandemic….

Eight ideas to make filing your tax return easier Consider these suggestions for helping to make tax season smooth sailing this year for your small business: Make your estimated tax payments. Tuesday, January 18th is the due date to make your 4th quarter payment for the 2021 tax year. Now is also the time to create…

Getting a bill for an unexpected expense can put a significant dent in your business’s cash flow. Here are some tips your business can use to deal with a surprise bill. Stick to a reconciliation schedule. The best advice is to be prepared for the unexpected. Do this by knowing how much cash you have in…

Creating a sound financial foundation for you and your family is anything but easy. With low interest rates as an incentive to borrow more and even lower interest rates on savings accounts is it any wonder that it’s tough to retain the discipline to save? Here are five thoughts that may help. Pay yourself first. Treat…

How well do you know the holiday shortages of yesterday? With all the talk around ports being clogged and transportation backups causing product shortages, why not take a look back at famous holiday shortages caused by the demand for the toy EVERYONE just had to have! So grab your family and friends, put away the…

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest and severe weather events, the Tax Court has continued to churn out decisions affecting individual and business taxpayers. Here’s a brief sampling of several cases that may be of particular interest. Coming Up Aces. (Coleman, TC Memo 146, 10/22/20) You can generally deduct gambling losses up to the amount of your…