Wednesday, December 28, 2011

TAX CALENDAR- January 1-31, 2012

January 6, 2012
Deposit payroll tax on Jan 1-3 if the semiweekly deposit rules applies to you.

January 10, 2012
Employees who work for tips. If you received $20 or more in tips during December, report them to your employer. You can use Form 4070, Employee's Report of Tips to Employer.

January 11, 2012
Deposit payroll taxes for payments on January 4-6. if the semiweekly deposit rules applies.
January 13, 2012
Deposit payroll taxes for payments on January 7-10, if the semiweekly deposit rules applies.

January 16, 2012 Holiday Martin Luther King's Birthday.
January 17, 2012
Individuals. Make a payment of your estimated tax for 2010 if you did not pay your income tax for the year through withholding (or did not pay in enough tax that way). Use Form 1040-ES. This is the final installment date for 2010 estimated tax. However, you do not have to make this payment if you file your 2011 return (Form 1040) and pay any tax due by January 31, 2012.
Farmers and Fishermans: Pay your estimated tax for 2011. Use form 1040ES.
Employers: Deposit payroll tax for December 2011 if the monthly deposit rules applies.

January 19, 2012
Deposit payroll taxes for payments on January 11-13, if the semiweekly deposit rules applies.
January 20, 2012Deposit payroll taxes for payments on January 14-17, if the semiweekly deposit rules applies.

January 25, 2012Deposit payroll taxes for payments on January 18-20, if the semiweekly deposit rules applies.
January 27, 2012Deposit payroll taxes for payments on January 21-24, if the semiweekly deposit rules applies.
January 31, 2012Individuals who must make estimated tax payments. If you did not pay your last installment of estimated tax by January 17, you may choose (but are not required) to file your income tax return (Form 1040). Filing your return and paying any tax due by today prevents any penalty for late payment of the last installment. If you decided to wait, then file and pay your tax by April 17.
(Disclosure: We are not responsible for due dates since it is not within our control, but the IRS.  We are not responsible for choices you made either based on the information provided here, you must consult your tax consultant or get an appointment with us to better explain the IRS due dates and related regulations that may apply to your particular situation.  Allways refer back to the IRS website for a more up-to-date nformation.)
Source: IRS.gov


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Friday, December 23, 2011

Do you qualify as an "Acredited Investor", under the SEC rules?

Interested in purchasing Unregistered Securities? 

New Security and Exchange Commission regulations prevent you from including your primary residence value as an Asset in the calculation.  In the past, investors were allowed to count their principal residence value plus other investments and in the agregate mee the $1 million Net Worth thereshold.   

Who are these Unregister Securities?
These securities may could be; hedge funds to derivatives and private debt.  Generally, these instruments could be less transparent and risky than other publicly registered offerings.  Because, they are highly leverage and risky these securities are only limited to oly acredited investors.

Why the change?
The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) wants to define an accredited investor the same way is defined under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

(Source:  SEC website, 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation.)
Revised wording on 12/26/2011.



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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Tax, Accounting, and Auditing: Year end tax tips...do not close the year without ...

Tax, Accounting, and Auditing: Year end tax tips...do not close the year without ...: With a few days to end the year, you must not overlook this last minute tips to reduce your 2011 taxes. Charitable Contributions – Itemiz...


Year end tax tips...do not close the year without reading this..

With a few days to end the year, you must not overlook this last minute tips to reduce your 2011 taxes.

Charitable Contributions – Itemize deductions, Schedule A, donations to qualified charities no later than Dec. 31 can be deductible for 2011.  Clothing or household items, must be in good used condition or better to be deductible
       Documentation required: canceled check, a bank statement, credit card statement or a written statement from the charity, showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution for all cash donations. Rules varied with the amount donated. Consult your CPA.
       Caveat: charges to a credit card by Dec. 31 are deductible for 2011, even if the bill isn't paid until 2012.

Energy-Efficient Home Improvements – Green-energy home improvements to qualify for either of two home energy credits.  What's included?  Generally, insulation, new windows and water heaters to your main home can provide up to $500 in tax savings.

Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit- another Green Credit.  The credit equals 30 percent of the cost of qualifying solar, wind, geothermal, or heat pump property.
Portfolio Adjustment – Very important, you must do this every year.  Generally  net capital losses up to the amount of capital gains, then again $3,000 from other income. The trick is on the carryforward; you must know how to do the matching on your portfolio and going forward planning.

Retirement Accounts – Elective deferrals for next year final date is Dec 31, 2011.  401(k) plans or similar workplace retirement programs. 
        -Do not forget to set up a new IRA or add money to an existing IRA and still have it count for 2011.  If 50 or over, up to $6,000, $1,000 more

Retirement Savings Contribution Credit-  Available to low- and moderate-income workers who voluntarily contribute to an IRA or workplace retirement plan. The maximum Saver’s Credit is $1,000, and $2,000 for married couples. 
Qualified Charitable Distribution – For TP who are 70½ or over, you can make a distribution paid directly from your individual retirement account to a qualified charity.  The maximum annual exclusion is $100,000.
      Mayor benefit is- can be used to satisfy any required minimum distributions. Available even if you do not itemize deductions.

Small Business Health Care Tax Credit – a tax credit of up to 35 percent of the premiums paid; provided you paid up to 50%+ of the premiums.  Employers with fewer than 25 full-time employees who pays an average wage of less than $50,000 a year may qualify.

Merry X-Mass and Happy New year, and remenber that most of you need to have a tax check up at least once a year.
Source: IRS.gov


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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

2015 Mileage Standard Rates

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 
  • 57.5 cents per mile for business miles driven  
  • 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
  • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

Source (IRS.gov)





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Friday, December 2, 2011

IRS historical perspective

The roots of IRS go back to the Civil War when President Lincoln and Congress, in 1862, created the position of commissioner of Internal Revenue and enacted an income tax to pay war expenses. The income tax was repealed 10 years later. Congress revived the income tax in 1894, but the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional the following year.
In 1913, Wyoming ratified the 16th Amendment, providing the three-quarter majority of states necessary to amend the Constitution. The 16th Amendment gave Congress the authority to enact an income tax. That same year, the first Form 1040 appeared after Congress levied a 1 percent tax on net personal incomes above $3,000 with a 6 percent surtax on incomes of more than $500,000.

In 1918, during World War I, the top rate of the income tax rose to 77 percent to help finance the war effort. It dropped sharply in the post-war years, down to 24 percent in 1929, and rose again during the Depression. During World War II, Congress introduced payroll withholding and quarterly tax payments.

In the 50s, the agency was reorganized to replace a patronage system with career, professional employees. The Bureau of Internal Revenue name was changed to the Internal Revenue Service. Only the IRS commissioner and chief counsel are selected by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

The IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 prompted the most comprehensive reorganization and modernization of IRS in nearly half a century. The IRS reorganized itself to closely resemble the private sector model of organizing around customers with similar needs.


Source IRS.gov




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