Tips to Protect Yourself From Tax Scams

Too many people downplay the threat of identity theft because it hasn’t been witnessed or experienced firsthand. This false sense of security can leave you exposed, especially during tax season. Here are some tips to keep your identity safe from scammers: Be naturally suspicious. Understand that there are people out there trying to get your …

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Accounting Tasks Every Small Business Should Do in January

For small business, filing taxes can be a big undertaking. Here are tips for staying ahead of deadlines with a proactive approach. As most of the country slogs through short days and cold snaps, it can be difficult to feel motivated enough to be proactive. And while the April 15 tax deadline still looms off …

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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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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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IRS issues proposed regs. on 100% bonus depreciation

The IRS issued proposed regulations providing guidance on Sec. 168(k), which was amended by P.L. 115-97, known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), to increase the allowable first-year depreciation deduction for qualified property from 50% to 100%. The TCJA extended and modified bonus depreciation, allowing businesses to immediately deduct 100% of the cost …

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