Archive for Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

Tax Brackets, Deductions, And Exemptions For 2016

More than 50 tax provisions, including the tax rate schedules, and other tax changes are adjusted for inflation in 2016. Let’s take a look at the ones most likely to affect taxpayers like you.

The tax rate of 39.6 percent affects singles whose income exceeds $415,050 ($466,950 for married taxpayers filing a joint return), up from $413,200 and $464,850, respectively. The other marginal rates–10, 15, 25, 28, 33 and 35 percent–and related income tax thresholds–are found at IRS.gov.
The standard deduction remains at $6,300 for singles and married persons filing separate returns and $12,600 for married couples filing jointly. The standard deduction for heads of household rises to $9,300, up from $9,250. Read More

Written by | Posted in 2016 Tax Changes • 2016 Tax update • Individual • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

Washington National Tax Alert

TaxConnections Member Peter Scalise

On December 15th of 2015, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced to the Republican lawmakers during a conference meeting that negotiators have reached an agreement in principle on a tax-extenders package worth approximately $800 billion. In addition, an agreement was also reached that would fund the federal government through September 30th of 2016. The bills are expected to arrive on the House floor as early as December 17th with the Senate consideration expected before Congress adjourns for recess.

As a synopsis, the proposed tax-extenders package called for making permanent a number of tax extenders equally split 50-50 between business entities and individuals. Under the proposal, the tax-extenders package would make permanent the Research and Development Tax Credit Program; I.R.C. § 179 Read More

Written by | Posted in R&D Credit Services • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

Canadians Selling or Providing Services to the United States

If you have accounts receivables from a US entity, you may get the request for a W8-BEN or a W8-Ben-E form. Without this form, the payor of your accounts receivable will withhold a non-resident tax. The only way to get the refund of the tax is to file a US non-resident return, either a 1040NR for  individuals or a 1120F for corporations. The waiver form indicates to the payor that you are exempt from US taxation under the Canada/U.S. tax treaty.

Note that if you are considered to be carrying on business in the United States, then the waiver may not apply if it is  considered that you also have a permanent establishment in the United States by virtue of Article V of the treaty. In this regard you should obtain professional advice on Read More

Written by | Posted in Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

Will Your Favorite Tax Benefit Expire?

More than 50 tax provisions that Congress routinely extends on a yearly basis expired at the end of 2014. The big problem is each year they are extending the provisions later and later in the year creating uncertainty for taxpayers on whether they can depend on these tax incentives or not. This makes tax planning unclear and leaves taxpayers wondering about their projected tax liability.

For 2014, Congress waited almost to the end of the year to apply many of the provisions to the 2014 tax year. This was not only a problem for taxpayers but also for the IRS, which needed to adjust its forms and tax filing software at the last minute and actually had to delay the start of the tax season. Read More

Written by | Posted in Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

The Broad Tax Extenders Coalition Urges Congress to Take Immediate Action on Tax Extenders Legislation

The Broad Tax Extenders Coalition (hereinafter “the Coalition”) are recommending to lawmakers on Capitol Hill to take immediate action on over fifty tax provisions that previously expired on December 31st of 2014. In a recent letter dated September 10th of 2015, the Coalition comprised of over two thousand organizations informed members of Congress that failure to timely extend the tax provisions will result in a significant increase in tax liabilities on both business entities as well as individuals.

As a background it should be duly recalled that previously on July 21st of 2015th, the Senate Finance Committee overwhelmingly passed a tax extenders bill with a bipartisan vote of 23 to 3 that planned to extend over fifty previously expired tax provisions for a two year period (e.g., retroactively to cover all of calendar year 2015 and prospectively to cover Read More

Written by | Posted in R&D Credit Services • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

The Senate Finance Committee Approves Bipartisan Tax Extenders Bill

On July 21st of 2015, the Senate Finance Committee overwhelmingly passed a tax extenders bill with a bipartisan vote of 23 to 3 that plans to extend over 50 previously expired tax provisions for a two year period (e.g., retroactively to cover all of calendar year 2015 and prospectively to cover all of calendar year 2016).

The bipartisan tax extenders package includes provisions to assist both individuals and business entities alike. Just a few of the more popular tax provisions outlined within this bill include, but are not limited to:

• The Research & Experimentation Tax Credit Program;

• The I.R.C. § 179D Energy Tax Deduction for Building Envelope Efficiency; Read More

Written by | Posted in R&D Credit Services • Tax Policy • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

South African Tax Man’s Message To HSBC Account Holders

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced an amnesty of sort – a threat and upfront warnings: we do know about you, best you come forward before we make the tax audit into your affairs known.

On July 9th, 2015, SARS issued a press release, which can be read in more detail on:

http://www.sars.gov.za/Media/MediaReleases/Pages/9-July-2015 – – – South-Africans-with-accounts-and-investments-in-foreign-tax-jurisdictions.aspx

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), based information obtained by French newspaper Le Monde, ranked South Africa number 31 among the countries with the largest amount of dollars ($2.3blion) in the so-called leaked Swiss Read More

Written by | Posted in Africa • Expatriate • FATCA • FBAR • Income Tax • International • IRS • OECD • OVDP • Swiss Bank Accounts • Tax Controversy • Tax Fraud/Evasion/Crimes • Tax Policy • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting • Tax Risk Management • Transfer Pricing • United States

Expatriates And New Trade Law

New trade laws were recently enacted after President Obama signed them into law recently.

One of the provisions is affecting child tax credit claimed by certain expatriates. Under the provisions of new law, expatriates claiming foreign earned income exclusion under IRC 911 will no longer be entitled to claim refundable child tax credit. The change is effective from the tax years beginning after December 31, 2014.

Pertinent to note here that IRC 911 exclusion limit for 2015 tax year is $100,800.

Read More

Written by | Posted in Expatriate • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

What Has Jeeves Got To Do With Taxes?

If you know Jeeves, he is the fictional character in the series of humorous (read rib-tickling funny) short stories by P.G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is a very, very capable valet who gets his employer, Wooster out of many a sticky situation.

My father introduced me to P.G.Wodehouse’s books and there was no turning me back after that. The brilliant comic genius’ writing has kept me enthralled through long train rides, boring summer afternoons, quick breaks in the midst of grueling exams, you get the drift!

Now we may not all be able to afford a Jeeves in our lives, but a very common trend these days is to hire a nanny or an “au pair” if one has small gifts. Considering the sky-rocketing Read More

Written by | Posted in Income Tax • Individual • Small Business • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

June 2015 Business Due Dates

June 15 – Employer’s Monthly Deposit Due

If you are an employer and the monthly deposit rules apply, June 15 is the due date for you to make your deposit of Social Security, Medicare and withheld income tax for May 2015. This is also the due date for the non-payroll withholding deposit for May 2015 if the monthly deposit rule applies.

June 15 – Corporations

Deposit the second installment of estimated income tax for 2015 for calendar year corporations.

June 30 – Taxpayers with Foreign Financial Interests

Read More

Written by | Posted in Corporate • Small Business • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

Using The Home Sale Gain Exclusion For More Than Just Your Home

With careful planning, and provided the rules are followed, the tax code allows the home sale gain exclusion every two years.

Let’s assume you own a home, perhaps a second (vacation) home, or maybe are even thinking about buying a fixer-upper and flipping it. With careful planning, it is possible to apply the full home sale exclusion to all three of the properties.

Here is how it works. The tax code allows you to exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for married couples) of gain from the sale of your primary residence if you have lived in it and owned it for two of the five years immediately preceding Read More

Written by | Posted in Capital Gains • Real Estate • Tax Planning • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting

How To Account For Social Security And Medicare Tax On Unreported Tip Income

If you work in an industry where it is customary to receive a portion of your income from customer tips, you are required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on those earnings. However, it is only possible to pay these taxes during the year if you report your tip income to your employer. If you receive cash and charge tips of $20 or more per month from any one job, you are required to report these to your employer. If you did not report all of these tips to your employer, you are required to report and pay the additional Social Security and Medicare taxes that should have been paid on these unreported tips. This you do as follows:

• You must complete Form 4137, Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income. This form is used to calculate the tax in these unreported tips. Read More

Written by | Posted in Income Tax • Individual • Tax Provision/Tax Reporting
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