Category Archive: Tax

2014 FBARs Must Be Received by Treasury by June 30, 2015 and Other Important Information

The U.S. government has become increasingly concerned about, and focused on, offshore tax evasion. One tool the government has to combat tax evasion is the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FinCEN Report 114, ...

CRIMINALS OBTAINED INFORMATION ON 100,000 TAX ACCOUNTS THROUGH THE IRS “GET TRANSCRIPT” PROGRAM

The IRS announced last week that criminals had attempted to access about 200,000 accounts in its Get Transcript online application and successfully obtained information from about 100,000 of those accounts. About 23 million taxpayers used ...

OOPS! BUT IT’S ONLY 800,000 Feb 20

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced that approximately 800,000 taxpayers who received health care coverage through theHealthcare.gov were sent wrong information on their Forms 1095-A.  The “second lowest cost Silver plan” ...

IRS Makes it Easier for Small Businesses to Apply Tangible Property Regulations to 2014 and Future Years Feb 16

On the afternoon of Friday, February 13, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) made it easier for small business owners to comply with the final tangible property “repair” regulations (“Regulations”).   Revenue Procedure 2015-20 allows small ...

Tangible Property Regulations Complicate Tax Return Filing

New Tangible Property Regulations May Require More Time and Expense to File 2014 Income Tax Returns of Many Taxpayers The Internal Revenue Service recently issued final tangible property “repair” regulations and disposition regulations (“Regulations”).   These ...

Frivolity Abounds

The Internal Revenue Service recently unveiled its annual “dirty dozen” of top tax scams for 2015.  The twelfth scam made public was frivolous tax arguments.  The IRS takes such frivolity seriously. Last month, the IRS ...

My Take on President Obama’s State of the Union Tax Proposals

Okay. I understand that most of President Obama’s tax proposals are just positioning for the 2016 presidential election on behalf of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Rest assured that most of his proposals ...

CONGRESS PASSES EXTENDERS PACKAGE

On December 16, the Senate approved HR 5771 – the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (“TIPA”).  President Obama has indicated that he will sign TIPA as soon as the bill hits his desk.  TIPA ...

IRS ANNOUNCES 2015 RETIREMENT PLAN LIMITS Oct 24

The Internal Revenue Service announced yesterday contribution limitations for 2015 – some higher – for retirement plans and other updated information related to retirement planning.  Key items include the following: The elective deferral (contribution) limit ...

Pizza, Anyone?

Hiring your kids can save you taxes. If you hire your children, they are under 18 years old and your business is unincorporated, neither the business nor the kids have to pay Social Security or ...

This is a Good Summer Beach Read!

Oh boy, oh boy!  Last week the IRS released the 2012 individual statistics of income, known to us tax nerds as Pub 1304.  Once again, I curled up on the couch with this 340 page ...

OH, COME ON, MR. PRESIDENT

Today’s Accounting Today has an article entitled “Obama Blames Accountants for Inversion Trend.” During a press conference yesterday, President Obama said the following: “You have accountants going to some big corporations – multinational corporations but ...