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In the past, home office deductions were available to a wide range of taxpayers, including certain employees who worked from home. But the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has effectively eliminated home office deductions for employees through 2025. Fortunately, many self-employed individuals can still claim deductions — even if they don’t itemize deductions on…

If you routinely have extra cash on hand after paying off your monthly bills, you might want to consider paying down your home mortgage balance faster than is required under your loan agreement. This can be a powerful way to invest surplus cash. But it’s not right for everyone. Here are some hypothetical scenarios to…

The groundbreaking 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation sent shock waves through the real estate industry when it introduced qualified opportunity zones. These federal zones help real estate investors and developers alike save taxes and expand their operations – but not without some challenges. Here are some tips to shed some light on this…

Do you owe self-employment (SE) tax on non-wage income that you collect only occasionally or in a one-off circumstance? Some sources of income may not be subject to the dreaded SE tax. Here’s what you should know if you earn income from “irregular” sources. What Is SE Tax? SE tax is the way the U.S.Treasury…

First the bad news: Despite passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the individual alternative minimum tax (AMT) is still in place. But there’s some good news: The law has made AMT rules more taxpayer-friendly through 2025. In addition, other TCJA changes reduce the odds that you’ll owe the AMT for those years.…

It’s hard to believe 2019 is almost over! It’s been a busy year in many sectors, often forcing small business owners to put tax planning on the back burner while they’ve tended to daily business operations. But procrastinate no longer. Consider the following moves to lower your 2019 business tax bill before ringing in the…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued the long-anticipated final version of its overtime eligibility rules. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2020. As a result, the DOL estimates that 1.3 million workers will be newly eligible for overtime pay. Are any of them on your payroll? Read on to find out.

as seen in The growing cannabis industry has piqued the interest of many business owners and investors who predict it could become a multi-billion dollar industry. Legal developments bolster this enthusiasm, as more than 30 states and the District of Columbia have thus far legalized marijuana for medical and/or recreational…

First-year bonus depreciation has been around for a while now. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) set forth more-generous, but temporary, rules for 2018 through 2026. Recent IRS guidance gives you additional flexibility to fine-tune the bonus depreciation break to suit your specific business and personal tax circumstances. Here’s what you need to…

You may be thinking about refinancing this year to take advantage of falling interest rates. Or you may have refinanced your home mortgage last year and have yet to file your 2018 return (because you filed an extension). Either way, there are important federal income tax implications. Here’s what you need to know.

by: Michael Barg, Tax Supervisor as published in Law360 Lawyers across firms and organizations play a critical role in fostering a culture of compliance. Business meal and entertainment costs are one area where developing a strong compliance culture can help minimize the risk of an audit, assessment…

For most small businesses, having a website is a necessity. But what’s the proper tax treatment of the costs to develop a website? Unfortunately, the IRS hasn’t yet released any official guidance on these costs. Therefore, you must extend the existing guidance on other subjects to the issue of website development costs.

A new final rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) clarifies some of the ins and outs of multiple employer plans (MEPs). These are defined contribution retirement plans — such as 401(k) plans — that are sponsored by an association or employer group on behalf of member employers.

If your company has a qualified retirement plan or you have set one up in self employment — such as a 401(k), profit-sharing, or Keogh plan — the participants might be allowed to borrow from their accounts. (This option is not available for traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEPs, or SIMPLE-IRAs.)

The summer months are a good time to brainstorm tax planning strategies. Some ideas will help cut your tax bill for the current year; others will allow you to minimize future taxes. Here are various short- and long-term strategies to consider. They factor in changes included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Perform…