The IRS issued temporary regulations intended to halt the practice some partnerships have adopted of treating partners as employees of a disregarded entity owned by the partnership so they can be included in employee benefit plans and receive other benefits. However, the IRS is also asking for comments on when it might be appropriate to… Read more »
Few people enjoy giving money to the IRS, but some types of taxes are viewed more unfavorably than others. Here are three worthy candidates vying for the title of most-hated tax. Penalty Tax on Individuals without Health Insurance As you probably know, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a penalty on individuals who fail to… Read more »
You can make cash donations to IRS-approved charities out of your IRA using so-called “qualified charitable distributions” (QCDs). This strategy may be advantageous for high-net-worth individuals who have reached age 70 1/2. It expired at the end of 2014, but QCDs were made permanent for 2015 and beyond under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH)… Read more »
Does your employer offer a 401(k), 403(b) or governmental 457 plan? If so, you may be able to set up a designated Roth account through your company’s plan. Then your Roth account will be allowed to receive designated Roth contributions that are taken out of your salary through so-called “salary-reduction contributions.” Here’s more on how… Read more »
The Internal Revenue Code allows some worthwhile tax breaks for transportation-related employee fringe benefits. They’re intended to persuade you to give up your gas-guzzling vehicle when commuting to work and instead “go green.” If your employer offers these tax-favored benefits, you should consider signing up. Here are the specifics. Favorable Tax Treatment The employer-provided benefits… Read more »
Vacation properties are subject to different federal income tax rules depending on how much personal and rental use they have during the year. Now is a good time to plan how to use your vacation property for the rest of this year with tax savings in mind. Guidelines on Personal Use For federal income tax… Read more »
Favorable depreciation rules for business use of “heavy” SUVs, pickups and vans were locked in by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015. By taking advantage of these rules, you may be able to write off the entire business-use portion of a heavy vehicle’s cost in the first year. Here’s how it… Read more »
Last year, the average U.S. wedding cost $32,641 — including engagement rings but excluding honeymoons — according to the 2015 Real Weddings Study published by The Knot, a wedding marketplace and concierge service. That staggering amount represents an increase of more than $5,500 over the past five years. On average, the couple foots 43% of… Read more »
Maybe it’s a good thing that the April 15th federal tax deadline coincides with the urge to spring clean. It feels good to throw out some of the financial records stuffing your filing cabinets. But before you head for the dumpster, make sure you’re not disposing of records you may need. You don’t want to… Read more »
Do you remember your first summer job? It doesn’t matter if you were a babysitter, caddy, telemarketer or lifeguard. Your first job taught valuable lessons about responsibility and balancing work with family and friends. It also helped keep you out of trouble during the summer, instilled confidence and built up your resume. Unfortunately, the demand… Read more »
McMullan & Company, CPA's, Inc.
