Archive for Individual

5 Ways to Improve Your Financial Situation

If you are having trouble paying your debts, it is important to take action sooner rather than later. Doing nothing leads to much larger problems in the future, whether it’s a bad credit record or bankruptcy resulting in the loss of assets and even your home. If you’re in financial trouble, then here are some steps to take to avoid financial ruin in the future.

If you’ve accumulated a large amount of debt and are having difficulty paying your bills each month, now is the time to take action–before the bill collectors start calling.

1. Review each debt. Make sure that the debt creditors claim you owe is really what you owe and that the amount is correct. If you dispute a debt, first contact the creditor directly to resolve your questions. If you still have questions about the debt, contact your state or Read More

Written by | Posted in Individual

Is There Anything as Nontaxable Income?

Nontaxable or tax exempt income is income that is not subject to income tax, and you do not report these on your tax return. Surprisingly to some taxpayers, there are quite a number of income sources that are actually nontaxable, and these include the following:

• Child support.
• Federal tax refunds.
• Interest on state or local government obligations, such as municipal bonds.
• Welfare and other public assistance benefits.
• Workers’ compensation and similar payments for sickness and injury.
• Meals and lodgings provided by your employer. These will be excluded from your taxable income if: (a) the meals are furnished on your employer’s business premises, (b) the Read More

Written by | Posted in Income Tax • Individual

Taxpayer Beware: IRS Impersonation Phone Scams

IRS impersonation phone scams, as well as phishing continue to be a serious threat to taxpayers topping the list of the IRS “Dirty Dozen” tax schemes once again.

The IRS impersonation phone scam has claimed nearly 3,000 victims who have collectively paid over $14 million, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration recently warned.

Phishing email scams continue to be pervasive as well. Illegal scams such as these can lead to significant penalties and interest and possible criminal prosecution. IRS Criminal Investigation works closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to shutdown scams and prosecute the criminals behind them. Read More

Written by | Posted in Individual • IRS

The Home Office Deduction

If you use a part of your home for your business or for your employer’s business, you can claim a deduction for the business use of your home. This deduction is also referred to as the home office deduction.

There are some tests that you must meet to be eligible for this deduction; these are as follows:

• To claim this deduction, the part of your home used for business, must be used regularly and exclusively for that purpose.
• This part of your home should be the place where you meet or deal with customers, patients, or clients in the normal course of your business. Read More

Written by | Posted in Individual • IRS • Tax Deductions • Tax Tips

Who Should File A 2014 Tax Return?

Most people file a tax return because they have to, but even if you don’t, there are times when you should because you might be eligible for a tax refund and not know it. This year, there are a few new rules for taxpayers who must file. The six tax tips below should help you determine whether you’re one of them.

1. General Filing Rules. Whether you need to file a tax return this year depends on a few factors. In most cases, the amount of your income, your filing status, and your age determine if you must file a tax return. For example, if you’re single and 28 years old you must file if your income was at least $10,150. Other rules may apply if you’re self-employed or if you’re a dependent of another person. There are also other cases when you must file. If you have any questions,  connect with me on TaxConnections. Read More

Written by | Posted in Income Tax • Individual • Tax Tips

Ty Warner, Beanie Babies Creator, Convicted For Not Disclosing Foreign Bank Accounts

It’s been about 20 years since the U.S. suddenly fell in love with the adorable 5-inch Beanie Baby dolls created by Ty Warner. But in October 2013 billionaire Ty Warner broke down crying in U.S. District Court as he pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion for hiding $25 million in income in secret Swiss bank accounts.

The Rise And Fall Of Beanie Babies

Ty Warner wasn’t afraid to take risks. Beanie Babies first appeared in 1993, triggering a craze for the plush toys fashioned into bears and other animals. He ignored the naysayers after Beanie Babies flopped during their initial debut, and pressed forward with a product he believed in more than anyone else. One reason why the toys easily supplanted other fads such as Ninja Turtles and Cabbage Patch dolls was partly because of Mr. Warner’s Read More

Written by | Posted in FBAR • Individual

Why Choosing Married Filing Jointly Might Not Be Your Best Option

Most married taxpayers automatically tend to choose the Married Filing Jointly filing status, because they enjoy being taxed at the lowest rate, and also because there are certain tax breaks they might not be entitled to if they were to file separate returns. This, however, might not always be a wise decision.

If you and your spouse each have income, it might be wise to figure your taxes both on a joint return and on separate returns, and then choose the filing status that gives you the lower combined tax. Generally, you will pay more combined tax on separate returns than you would on a joint return, because the tax rate is higher for the MFS filing status. However, if both you and your spouse are high earners; and both of you also have large deductions, there may be a possibility that filing MFS could result in a lower tax bill, as Read More

Written by | Posted in Individual • IRS • Tax Planning

Rules For Taking A Dependency Exemption

It would seem that the issue of whether a person can be a dependent on your 1040 would be a fairly simple issue.  However, that is not the case.  The IRS has some very precise rules regarding who may be claimed as a dependent and the circumstances under which they may be claimed.

The first test that must be met for any person to be claimed as a dependent is the citizenship or resident test.  This test simply states that the person being claimed as a dependent must be a United States citizen or a resident of the United States, Canada, or Mexico for some part of the year.  A non-resident may not be claimed as a dependent regardless of the support you provide or your relationship to that person. Read More

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Missing Your Form W-2?

You should receive a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from each of your employers for use in preparing your federal tax return. Employers must furnish this record of 2014 earnings and withheld taxes no later than February 2, 2015 (if mailed, allow a few days for delivery).

If you do not receive your Form W-2, contact your employer to find out if and when the W-2 was mailed. If it was mailed, it may have been returned to your employer because of an incorrect address. After contacting your employer, allow a reasonable amount of time for your employer to resend or to issue the W-2.

If you still do not receive your W-2 by February 15th, contact the IRS for assistance at Read More

Written by | Posted in Income Tax • Individual • IRS

The Concept of Being Married, But Considered Unmarried For Tax Purposes

The general rule for married taxpayers filing their tax returns is that they can only file Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) or Married Filing Separately (MFS). There is, however, a very important exception to this rule. If you are married and separated from your spouse, under tax law you may be considered unmarried if certain conditions are met. This means that you could qualify to use the Head Of Household filing status instead of MFS, and will not be subject to the disadvantages associated with the MFS filing status.

Under tax law, you can be considered unmarried if you meet all the following tests:

• Obviously, you must intend to file a separate return from your spouse.
• You must have paid more than half the costs of keeping up a home for the tax year. Read More

Written by | Posted in Income Tax • Individual • TaxConnections

Former UBS Client Sentenced To Prison For Hiding Offshore Bank Accounts From IRS

Another former UBS client has bit the dust. The Department of Justice recently announced that Gregg A. Kaminsky, an internet entrepreneur who served as CEO of Circlenet LLC, based in Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced for willfully failing to file a Foreign Bank Account Report. Unlike Raoul Weil and a few others who have held the government to its burden, Mr. Kaminsky chose not to fight, but instead to lay down his sword and enter a guilty plea.

Between 2000 and 2009, Mr. Kaminsky owned and controlled a foreign bank account with Union Bank of Switzerland AG (“UBS”), Switzerland’s largest bank and one of the largest wealth managers in the world. By 2006, Mr. Kaminsky’s UBS account reached a high watermark amount of roughly $1.1 million. During this time, Mr. Kaminsky Read More

Written by | Posted in FBAR • Individual • IRS
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