IRS to table changes planned for Form W-4 until 2020

The IRS announced that as a result of feedback from payroll and tax professionals, extensive changes it had planned to make to the 2019 Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, will be postponed until 2020. Last year, the IRS published a draft of the 2019 Form W-4 and instructions intended to better incorporate the personal …

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IRS Announces Free File Launch

On Friday, the IRS announced the opening of its Free File program, which provides free electronic filing to qualifying taxpayers, generally those who earned $66,000 or less last year. The program is opening before the regular filing season, which will begin Jan. 28, and is available only through the IRS website at irs.gov/freefile. After they …

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Meals continue to be deductible under IRS guidance

The IRS issued guidance clarifying that taxpayers may generally continue to deduct 50% of the food and beverage expenses associated with operating their trade or business, despite changes to the meal and entertainment expense deduction under Sec. 274 made by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97. According to …

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The IRS Loves Your Business … and That is NOT Good

The IRS continues to focus their audit activities in key small business areas. The wise business owner is well advised to be able to defend the following five areas to keep the IRS at a comfortable distance: Business or hobby? Be ready to provide proof your business is truly a business and not a hobby. …

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2019 standard mileage rates announced

The optional standard mileage rates for business use of a vehicle will increase significantly in 2019, after increasing slightly last year, the IRS announced Friday (Notice 2019-2). For business use of a car, van, pickup truck, or panel truck, the rate for 2019 will be 58 cents per mile up from 54.5 cents per mile …

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IRS explains disallowance of qualified transportation fringe benefits for parking

In Notice 2018-99, the IRS, responding to questions from taxpayers, provided guidance about how to determine the amount of parking expenses that is nondeductible when employers provide parking for their employees. Under Sec. 274(a)(4), expenses incurred for providing parking to employees that are Sec. 132(f) qualified transportation fringes (QTF) are nondeductible by employers. They are …

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