Johnson Agen Kupferschmidt & Associates

06/02/2026

💲Tax Tip Tuesday💲

It’s not too early to start planning for next year: Check withholding now

Even though the tax filing deadline for tax year 2025 passed a couple weeks ago, it’s not too early to start planning for next filing season. Planning now can help taxpayers avoid surprises next year. One action that can be taken is checking for proper tax withholding.

What is withholding?
Taxpayers need to pay their tax as they receive their income, and they do this through withholding. For employees, “withholding” refers to the federal income tax portion of each paycheck that an employer takes out for tax purposes. It can also be the amount from earnings self-employed people and others voluntarily set aside to pay their estimated taxes.

How taxpayers can check their withholding
The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator is a free, easy-to-use tool that helps workers and retirees estimate the amount of federal income tax to withhold from their paychecks now for the taxes they will owe next year.

The estimator reflects the changes to credits and deductions under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. This includes the deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and enhanced deduction for seniors. It also accounts for updates tied to family-related credits, homeownership, and charitable giving.

What are the benefits of using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator?
By using the estimator, taxpayers can manage their estimates based on any personal life change, such as buying a home, changing jobs, having a child or changing their marital status.

For people who recently completed their 2025 tax return, the IRS advises using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to consider all income sources such as full-time wages, side jobs and any sale of services or goods.

By adjusting tax withholding, taxpayers can:

Prevent owing money and potential penalties at tax time
Adjust withholding to increase take-home pay instead of waiting for a refund
What else taxpayers need
For an effective tax withholding estimate, taxpayers will need certain documents including:

All income statements, including their spouse’s if filing jointly
Data from other sources of earnings
Their most recent income tax return



Tune in to 96.1 WJMC every Wednesday morning at 7:45am for more tax tips with Brenda!
www.jakaccounting.com

05/26/2026

💲Tax Tip Tuesday💲

Options for taxpayers who need help paying their tax bill

The filing and payment deadline for most 2025 federal tax returns is April 15, 2026. There are exceptions for taxpayers in a disaster area, combat zone or living and working abroad. Taxpayers who can’t pay their tax bill by the deadline shouldn't panic – the IRS offers a variety of options to help taxpayers meet their obligations.

Those struggling to meet their tax obligation may consider several options to resolve their tax bill. The Tax Debt Help tool on IRS.gov provides individuals and businesses with a simple, accessible way to explore payment options and identify next steps based on their situation. These options include:

Online payment plans
Most individual taxpayers qualify for an online payment plan. The quickest and easiest way to set up a payment plan is through the online payment agreement, available on IRS.gov. Setup fees may apply.

Short-term payment plan – The total balance owed is less than $100,000 in combined tax, penalties and interest. This gives a taxpayer up to 180 days to pay their balance in full.

Long-term payment plan – Also known as a simple plan or installment agreement. This option is available online and to individual taxpayers that owe $50,000 or less in combined tax, penalties and interest. Most taxpayers have up to 10 years to pay off their balance, but the longer the term on the payment plan, the more interest, penalties and fees will add up. Payments may be made using direct debit (automatic bank withdrawal). This eliminates the need to send in a payment each month, saves postage costs and reduces the chance of default.

Once the online application is complete, the taxpayer is notified immediately whether their plan is approved. There’s no paperwork and no need to call, write or visit the IRS.

Other payment options
Anyone who can’t qualify for an online payment plan should consider these options:

Offer in compromise – Some taxpayers qualify to settle their tax liabilities for less than the total amount owed by submitting an Offer in Compromise. Taxpayers should use the Offer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier tool on IRS.gov to see if they qualify.
Temporary delay of collection – Taxpayers can contact the IRS to request a temporary delay of the collection process. If the IRS determines that the taxpayer is unable to pay, it may delay collection until the taxpayer’s financial condition improves. Penalties and interest continue to accrue until the full amount is paid.
Taxpayers can get details on these options and more by visiting the Tax Debt Help page or reviewing Topic 202, Tax payment options, on IRS.gov.

Penalty relief to eligible taxpayers
Taxpayers may qualify for penalty relief if they tried to comply with tax laws but are unable to due to circumstances beyond their control.



Tune in to 96.1 WJMC every Wednesday morning at 7:45am for more tax tips with Brenda!
www.jakaccounting.com

05/25/2026

05/23/2026

Happy Birthday to a wonderful coworker! 🥳 Hope your day is filled with celebrations and plenty of cake!

05/20/2026

Friendly reminder! 👋
Johnson, Agen, Kupferschmidt & Associates Inc. will be closed next Monday, May 25th, for Memorial Day. We'll be back to serve you on Tuesday, May 26th!

05/20/2026

Happy Birthday, Brenda! 🎈 May your coffee be strong, your inbox stay empty, and your birthday cake be huge! Cheers to another great year!

05/19/2026

💲Tax Tip Tuesday💲

Every taxpayer has the right to quality service from the IRS

All taxpayers have the right to quality service. This is one of 10 core rights within the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Let's define what this means for taxpayers.

Right to quality service
Taxpayers have the right to:

-Receive prompt, courteous and professional assistance from the IRS
-Be spoken to in a way they can easily understand
-Receive clear and easily understandable communications from the IRS
-Speak to a supervisor about inadequate service

What taxpayers can expect
When taxpayers interact with the IRS, they can expect IRS representatives to:

-Listen objectively. They will consider all relevant information prior to giving the taxpayer an answer.
-Answer questions promptly, accurately and thoroughly
-Give the taxpayer information on recourse options and applicable appeal rights
-Treat people with courtesy
-Generally, only contact taxpayers between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
-Provide the taxpayer with information about how to get help from the Taxpayer Advocate Service in all statutory notices of deficiency
-Provide information about options for legal help if someone is eligible for assistance from a Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic

IRS representatives will not:

-Contact the taxpayer's employer if they know the employer doesn't allow such contact
-Make aggressive phone calls that threaten arrest or prison time

Taxpayers can find answers to most tax questions on IRS.gov. Taxpayers can also contact the IRS directly by calling the number on the top right corner of all notices and letters.



Tune in to 96.1 WJMC every Wednesday morning at 7:45am for more tax tips with Brenda!
www.jakaccounting.com

05/14/2026

⚾️ TONIGHT: HIT A HOME RUN FOR DINNER! 🍝

Skip the kitchen and head down to the Rice Lake Elks Lodge tonight! They are hosting a Spaghetti Fundraiser to support Rice Lake Youth Baseball.

Where: Rice Lake Elks Lodge

When: Tonight! 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Cost: Free Will Offering 🎟️

Come fuel up on pasta and show your support for our local ballplayers. Every donation helps our boys have an incredible season. See you there!

05/12/2026

Community is at the heart of everything we do. 🏠

Thank you for your recent referrals. In a small community, trust and reputation mean a great deal, and we are sincerely grateful that you thought of us.

We are excited to announce that our latest referral winners have been chosen! 🏆 We will be contacting the winners directly! 📱

We appreciate your confidence in our services and the opportunity to assist those you send our way. Your support plays an important role in our continued growth. For those who didn't win this time, we have great news: we will be running this program throughout 2026!

Thank you again for your trust and consideration.

05/12/2026

💲Tax Tip Tuesday💲

When and how to amend a tax return

Taxpayers who discover an error after filing a federal tax return may need to file an amended return. There are some instances where an amended return isn’t required such as when the IRS corrects errors during processing or requests missing forms or schedules separately.

Reasons to file an amended return
If there are changes to key items on the original return, including:

-Filing status
-Income
-Deductions
-Credits
-Dependents
-Tax liability

Taxpayers can use the Should I file an amended return? tool within the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant to help decide if they should file an amended return to correct an error or make other changes if they already filed.

Time limits
To claim a refund, an amended return must generally be filed within:

-Three years from the date the original return was filed, or
-Two years from the date the tax was paid, whichever is later

If the original return was filed early, the three-year period begins from the April tax deadline. Special rules apply when there are net operating losses, foreign tax credits, bad debts or other issues. Additionally, taxpayers in disaster relief situations, combat zone service, have bad debts, foreign tax credits, or loss or credit carrybacks, may have more time to file an amended return.

How to file an amended return
Taxpayers must file Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

When filing, they should:

-Submit a corrected Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR for the applicable tax year
-Attach any supporting documents and updated forms or schedules
Refunds and payments
For tax years 2021 and later, taxpayers may request direct deposit of refunds when filing electronically. If additional tax is owed, payment should be submitted with the amended return. The amended return replaces the original return, and the IRS will calculate any applicable penalties or interest if filed after the due date.

Status of amended return
Taxpayers can check the status of an amended return approximately three weeks after it’s submitted. It generally takes 8 to 12 weeks for it to be processed. However, in some cases, processing could take up to 16 weeks.

State tax considerations
Changes to a federal return may affect a taxpayer’s state tax liability. Taxpayers should contact their state tax agency for guidance and should not attach state returns to the federal amended return.



Tune in to 96.1 WJMC every Wednesday morning at 7:45am for more tax tips with Brenda!
www.jakaccounting.com