John C Saunders, CPA P.C.

05/13/2020

COVID-19 pandemic prompts many tax changes
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Taxpayers have a variety of tax relief measures to help them through the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. From tax credits to filing postponements, here is a breakdown of the initial changes benefiting individuals and businesses.

05/08/2020

AICPA supports bill that would make PPP-funded expenses deductible
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A bill introduced in the Senate would clarify that ordinary expenses funded by Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans are deductible by taxpayers. If enacted, this would overrule a recent IRS notice saying the expenses are not deductible.

04/21/2020

Coronavirus-related Tax Scams – Did You know?

The IRS warns everyone to watch out for scam phone calls, emails and text messages related to COVID-19 (coronavirus) tax relief programs during the spring of 2020. This new wave of phishing attempts and other criminal activity centers on the Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) that the IRS is currently distributing to many U.S. taxpayers. The scammers might incorrectly refer to these payments as “Stimulus Checks” or “Stimulus Payments.”

As a reminder, most taxpayers do not need to take any action in order to receive their EIPs. The IRS will NOT call, email or text you to request private information such as your address or bank account number. If anyone claiming to represent the IRS requests such information from you, asks you to sign over your EIP check, or suggests that they can get your EIP to you faster, you should immediately hang up or delete the message. You can also help the IRS to identify, track down and prosecute perpetrators by forwarding any suspicious emails you receive to [email protected].

If you are unsure whether a call or message you receive is legitimate, treat it as a scam and then contact the IRS for more information. You will not be punished for hanging up on an IRS agent because you believed that the call was fraudulent. Note that although most IRS taxpayer assistance phone services are temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, call centers will reopen as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can still email the IRS and/or find regular updates on coronavirus tax relief programs at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments.

If you wish to provide the IRS with information such as an updated mailing address to ensure that you receive your EIP as quickly as possible, you should ONLY do so through the official IRS Economic Impact Payments portal, https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments.

04/15/2020

New IRS Tools for Faster Delivery of Economic Impact Payments – Did You Know?

The IRS has launched two new web portals to help some taxpayers receive their COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) more quickly. Remember that the vast majority of Americans who filed a 2018 or 2019 federal income tax return, or receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, do not need to take any action in order to receive their EIPs. If you provided the IRS with bank account information on your most recent tax return or receive benefits by direct deposit, your EIP will be automatically deposited to your account. Otherwise, the IRS will mail an EIP check to the most recent mailing address you provided.

You can use the new “Get My Payment” portal to:

- Learn the amount of your EIP
- Check the status of your payment
- Provide direct deposit banking information to the IRS if you have not previously done so
- Update your mailing address if you have moved and prefer to receive your EIP by check

In order to check the status of your payment, you will need your social security number (SSN), date of birth, and the mailing address shown on your most recent federal tax return. To provide bank account information for direct deposit, you will also need your adjusted gross income (AGI) from your most recent federal tax return (2018 or 2019), the refund amount or amount you owed on that return, and your bank routing number, account type, and account number.

NOTE: If the IRS has already scheduled the delivery of your EIP, you will not be able to use Get My Payment to update your bank account information.

If you are not required to file federal income tax returns (for example, because of an individual gross income below $12,200) and do not receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you may need to complete a simple online form in order to receive your EIP. The necessary form is called “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here.”

IRS portals for EIPs:

Economic Impact Payments: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments

Get My Payment & Status (for those who file federal returns and other automatic EIP recipients): https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment

Non-Filers: Enter Payment Information Here (for those who do not file federal returns and may not automatically receive their EIPs) https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here

04/13/2020

Additional 2020 IRS Tax Deadlines Extended – Did You Know?

Last month, the IRS announced that the April 15, 2020 federal income tax filing and payment deadline had been extended to July 15, 2020 for most taxpayers. The IRS has now broadened this extension to cover nearly all federal income tax filing and payment due dates that fall between April 1 and July 15, 2020. In particular, individuals, couples, estates, corporations, other businesses, and Americans living abroad now all have until July 15, 2020 to file their 2019 federal income tax returns, without fear of penalties or interest charges.

Two other specific deadline changes will benefit payers of estimated tax and those who have fallen behind on filing returns or claiming refunds for past years:

- The deadline for second quarter 2020 federal estimated tax payments has changed from June 15 to July 15. Since the first quarter payment due date was previously moved from April 15 to July 15, taxpayers can now make their first two 2020 quarterly estimated tax payments at any time on or before the July deadline. For example, you can make both payments on July 15 without penalty.

- The deadline to file a 2016 federal income tax return (either new or amended) and claim a 2016 tax refund has also moved from April 15 to July 15, 2020. If you are unsure how to obtain a refund from a past year, a tax professional can help you file the necessary return.

If you have a complicated tax situation, such as filing on a fiscal-year schedule, a tax professional can help you determine how this broad deadline extension applies to you.

04/08/2020

April 2020 Estimated Tax Payments Extension – Did You Know?

The IRS has granted an automatic deadline extension to all taxpayers who make federal estimated income tax payments. As part of the U.S. Treasury's COVID-19 tax relief program, the due date for estimated tax payments for the first quarter of 2020 has been moved from April 15 to July 15. You can make your first-quarter payment anytime up until the new deadline without penalty.

At this time, the deadline for estimated tax payments for the second quarter of 2020 remains June 15. Therefore, your second estimated tax payment for 2020 will technically be due a month before your first payment. While this circumstance has created some confusion, the important thing to know is just that you should make one payment by June 15, and another by July 15.

Remember that in most cases, your 2020 quarterly estimated tax payments must add up to either 100% of your 2019 federal tax or 90% of your 2020 federal tax to avoid penalties. A tax advisor can help you determine the appropriate amount to pay by the June and July deadlines. Many state tax authorities have also changed their 2020 estimated tax payment due dates. To learn more, you can find a link to your state tax agency's website at https://www.taxadmin.org/state-tax-agencies.

04/06/2020

IRS Economic Impact Payments – Did You Know?

As part of its COVID-19 (coronavirus) tax relief program, the IRS will begin mailing Economic Impact Payments to many US taxpayers by the end of April. If you filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return, your payment will be sent automatically – no action is required on your part.

Senior citizens, recipients of social security disability benefits, and railroad retirees who are not required to file tax returns will also receive their payments automatically. The IRS will use the information on the Form SSA-1099 or Form RRB-1099 to generate Economic Impact Payments to those recipients who are not required to file a tax return and did not file a return for 2018 or 2019.

Individuals with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to $75,000 will receive payments of $1,200, while joint filers with a combined AGI of up to $150,000 will receive $2,400. Many taxpayers will also receive a payment of $500 for each qualifying dependent child. Payment amounts decrease for taxpayers with higher incomes; taxpayers without children who have AGIs above $99,000 ($198,000 for joint filers) are not eligible to receive Economic Impact Payments.

If you included bank account information for direct deposit on your most recent tax return, you will receive your payment by direct deposit. Otherwise, a check will be mailed to the address shown on your 2019 return, or your 2018 return if you have not yet filed for tax year 2019. The US Treasury also plans to open an online portal to allow taxpayers who have not previously provided direct deposit information to the IRS to do so if they wish.

If you are required to file tax returns and have not yet filed for 2018 or 2019, you must file at least one of these returns in order to receive your payment. If you are concerned about exposure to COVID-19, these Economic Impact Payments will be available throughout the rest of 2020. A tax advisor may also be able to provide remote assistance so you can file your return from home.

04/03/2020

Deadline for 2019 IRA and HSA Contributions Extended – Did You Know?

The IRS has extended the deadline for making contributions to traditional and Roth IRAs, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) that are credited to tax year 2019. Contributions must usually be made by the April 15 tax filing deadline in order to count toward the previous year. However, since the IRS extended the 2019 tax filing due date to July 15, 2020, the deadline for these contributions has changed to July 15 as well.

If you have not yet reached your 2019 IRA contribution limit ($6,000 for most taxpayers under age 50, up to $7,000 for taxpayers over 50 making "make-up" contributions), you may continue adding 2019 contributions until July 15. While the same is true for HSAs and MSAs, it is important to remember that your employer's carry-over limit or grace period deadline might not have changed. Check with your company's benefits department to make sure additional 2019 HSA or MSA contributions can actually be used to cover medical expenses before contributing.

If you made withdrawals from an IRA or other retirement account in 2019 that are subject to the 10% additional tax (such as early IRA withdrawals not covered by an exemption), the deadline for paying this tax has also been extended to July 15, 2020. A tax professional can help you determine whether any of your 2019 withdrawals require payment of the 10% additional tax.

04/01/2020

Tracking Income and Expenses for “Gig” Work – Did You Know?

With working from home becoming more common in 2020, many people are taking on freelance or “gig” work to supplement their incomes. Whether you rely on gig work as your primary income source or just log a few hours a week, it is important to track all your freelance income, along with any associated expenses. Freelance income must be reported to the IRS, but deductions for a home office and expenses like supplies and mileage may reduce your tax liability.

If you have multiple income sources, including an hourly or salaried job, you may need to adjust your withholding to account for your freelance work. The IRS offers a free Withholding Estimator tool to help you determine whether your current withholding is sufficient. If most or all of your work is on a freelance basis, you may need to make quarterly estimated tax payments.

A tax professional can help you develop an efficient system to record your income and expenses, and keep your withholding or estimated tax payments on track. It is much easier to track these numbers on an ongoing basis than to reconstruct them at the end of the year.

IRS Withholding Estimator: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator.

03/26/2020

COVID-19 Tax Filing Relief
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03/25/2020

Tips to Keep Your Personal Information Safe – Did You Know?

The ever-present threat of identity theft grows during tax season. To help taxpayers stay safe, the IRS recently offered suggestions to secure your personal data when preparing and filing your returns, and all year long. The most important steps you can take are:

- Use security software. Look for “always on” computer and mobile device apps with antivirus protection and a firewall to block unwanted internet traffic.

- File your return electronically, as early as possible. Your electronic filing not only eliminates the risk of a thief intercepting your paper return in the mail, but also makes it harder for someone else to file a fake return using your social security number (SSN).

- Do not click on links or open attachments in suspicious emails or text messages. If you receive an unsolicited or surprising message supposedly from the IRS, delete it and call the IRS directly to inquire about the matter. Do the same for strange messages that appear to come from banks, online sellers or credit card issuers.

- Protect your personal information at all times. NEVER give your social security number, address, date of birth or other identifying information to anyone, unless you know exactly who they are and why they need the information. Keep your tax files in a secured location in your home or office.

- Use a VPN on shared WiFi. If you must correspond with the IRS or file your return using a shared internet connection, especially public WiFi, install a virtual private network (VPN) on your device.

By following these guidelines, you can reduce the odds that you will become a victim of identity theft.