Tax Tips for June 2024

Tax Tips for June 2024

Click on the links below to jump to each section in this article: Help Prevent Financial Scams Aimed at Older People Boost Your Home Improvements with Tax Credits Tax Breaks for Increasing Accessibility   Help Prevent Financial Scams Aimed at Older People In any season, scam artists are seeking new ways to steal financial data and money from vulnerable people. Such fraudulent activities often target older adults. Here are three ways to help prevent elder financial abuse and fraud, whether you’re in this age bracket or you share them with senior loved ones: Exercise caution when making financial decisions. If someone exerts pressure or promises unreasonably high or guaranteed returns, walk away. Be alert for phony phone calls. The IRS doesn’t collect money this way. Another scam...

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To Get an “Early” Refund, Adjust Your Withholding

To Get an “Early” Refund, Adjust Your Withholding

If you received a large refund this year, you may want to adjust your withholding. Each year, millions of taxpayers claim an income tax refund. To be sure, receiving a payment from the IRS for a few thousand dollars can be a pleasant influx of cash. But it means you were essentially giving the government an interest-free loan for close to a year, which isn’t the best use of your money.

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The Advantages of Hiring Your Minor Children for Summer Jobs

The Advantages of Hiring Your Minor Children for Summer Jobs

If you’re a small-business owner and you hire your children this summer, you may be able to secure tax breaks and other nontax benefits. The kids can gain bona fide on-the-job experience, save for college and learn how to manage money. You may be able to shift some of your high-taxed income into tax-free or low-taxed income, and, depending on the situation, you may realize payroll tax savings. Perhaps best of all, your kids will spend time with you.

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Tax Tips for June 2024

Tax Tips for May 2024

Click on the links below to jump to each section in this article: The “Nanny Tax” Must Be Paid for Nannies and Other Household Employees Discovering a Mistake After Your Tax Return Is Filed What to Do if Your Business’s Data Security Is Breached   The “Nanny Tax” Must Be Paid for Nannies and Other Household Employees If you employ a household worker who isn’t an independent contractor, you may be required to pay employment taxes on the worker’s cash wages. This is commonly referred to as the “nanny tax.” In 2024, when a household employee’s cash wages reach at least $2,700, you must pay the employer share of Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) taxes and withhold the employee share of these taxes (also 6.2% and 1.45%, respectively). You aren’t required to withhold federal...

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4 ways corporate business owners can help ensure compensation is “reasonable”

4 ways corporate business owners can help ensure compensation is “reasonable”

If you own a C corporation, you know there’s a tax advantage to taking money out as compensation rather than as dividends. The reason: A corporation can deduct the salaries and bonuses that it pays executives, but it can’t deduct dividend payments. Therefore, if funds are paid as dividends, they’re taxed twice, once to the corporation and once to the recipient. Money paid out as compensation is taxed only once, to the recipient employee.

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Tax Tips for June 2024

Tax Tips for April 2024

Click on the links below to jump to each section in this article: Payable-on-Death Accounts: Beneficial Tools if Used Correctly Avoid Misinformation About Tax-Favored Health Accounts 2024 Depreciation Limits for Business Vehicles   Payable-on-Death Accounts: Beneficial Tools if Used Correctly Payable-on-death (POD) accounts can be a quick, simple and inexpensive way to transfer assets outside of probate. They can be used for bank or credit union accounts, certificates of deposit and even brokerage accounts. Setting up such an account is as easy as providing the financial institution with a signed POD beneficiary designation form. Upon your death, your beneficiaries just need to present identification to the bank, with a certified copy of a death certificate, and the money or...

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