Tax-exempt organizations are required to file annual reports with the IRS by the 15th day of the fifth month after their year-end. Those with gross receipts below $50,000 can file an E-postcard rather than a longer version of Form 990. For calendar-year organizations, the filing deadline for 2012 reports is May 15, 2013. Add Comment Do you know where your money is? If some of it is offshore, you might have tax reporting responsibilities – and those responsibilities generally go further than checking the familiar box on the Schedule B you submit with your federal income tax return. Here are two:
Tax rules are daunting at the best of times – and they’re more so at the worst of times, such as during a divorce, when you may feel too stressed to face decisions involving your taxes. Yet the choices you make will affect your future, both financially and personally. Here’s where to start. ~Filing status. For tax purposes, the timing of your divorce matters. The date of your final decree determines your filing status, which in turn has an impact on what you’ll owe. Will your divorce be final by the last day of your tax year (generally December 31)? If so, you’ll file your income tax return as single or head of household. You can also use one of those filing statuses if you were legally separated according to the laws of your state by the end of your tax year. If your divorce is closed after the end of your tax year, you’re considered married for that year. In that case, you’ll choose between married filing jointly and married filing separately. Head of household status may be available in certain situations. Tip: Remember to adjust the income tax withholding statements you have on file with your employer. ~Exemptions. When you prepare your federal income tax return for 2013, you can deduct $3,900 for each qualified child or relative that you claim. In addition, you get the benefit of other credits and deductions related to your dependent, such as the child tax credit. The general rule: You’re the custodial parent if you’re the one your child lives with for the majority of the year. You can release your claim to the exemption by filing a form with your return. The release will also allow your former spouse to claim the child tax credit. Tip: Consider adjusted gross income and your exposure to the alternative minimum tax when discussing who will get dependency exemptions. ~Asset transfers. In general, ex-spouses can make a tax-free transfer of assets within a year of the divorce. “Tax-free” means the initial transfer is considered a gift, so you’ll want to make sure you’re fully informed about the basis of assets you receive. Why? Because you get the same basis and holding period your ex-spouse had before the transfer. That will be important when you sell the assets later. Another caveat: Some types of property, such as retirement plans, have extra rules to be aware of. For example, to remain tax-free, a transfer from your traditional IRA to your spouse must be mentioned in your divorce decree, and should take place post-divorce, via a direct transfer to the new account. Splitting assets in your 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan requires a “qualified domestic relations order,” a document you must get from the court. These are just a few of the taxing aspects of divorce. Contact us for planning and advice specific to your situation. Did you spend hours pulling together your tax records in preparation for filing your 2012 tax return? It doesn't have to be that way. Avoid the problem next year by taking a few simple steps now.
Every business should give serious consideration to how the company would deal with the death, disability, or departure of one of the owners. Like a will, a buy/sell agreement spells out how assets and other business interests will be distributed should an owner quit, become disabled, or die. Without such an agreement, complications arising from ownership succession may capsize an otherwise thriving company. The remaining owners might be forced to share management and profits with unskilled or contentious outsiders. They may be embroiled in legal disputes over business assets and liabilities. A firm’s internal squabbles may spill over to customer service, resulting in lost sales. If the firm’s ownership seems doubtful or its future uncertain, creditors might accelerate collection efforts, bringing unwanted pressure on company resources. The possible death of an owner isn’t the only reason to prepare a buy/sell agreement. Sometimes an owner voluntarily decides to leave a company. By providing a mechanism for assessing a firm’s value and ensuring that all parties are treated equitably, a carefully crafted buy/sell agreement will facilitate that kind of transition as well. At a minimum, a buy/sell agreement should cover the following:
The delayed passage of the American Taxpayers Relief Act of 2012 has put the IRS behind schedule. Due to several provisions of the law affecting 2012 tax returns, the IRS could not open the Form 1040 filing season for the majority of taxpayers until late January. Starting Sunday, February 10, the IRS will start processing tax returns that contain Form 4562 (Depreciation and Amortization), and on Thursday, February 14, the IRS plans to start processing Form 8863 (Education Credits). Those taxpayers filing Form 5695 (Energy Credit) and Form 3800 (General Business Credit) will not be able to file until late February or possibly not until March. The IRS said that taxpayers will receive refunds faster by e-filing and using direct deposit. The timing of taxable income and deductions for federal income tax purposes is relatively straightforward. Generally, income is taxable in the year it is earned and received. Likewise, deductible expenses incurred and paid this year can offset taxable income on this year’s return. The Internal Revenue Code is riddled with exceptions, but these basic rules usually apply, especially for calendar-year taxpayers. The tax law also includes several provisions commonly referred to as “carrybacks” and “carryforwards” (or “carryovers”). As their names imply, the tax item can be carried back to a prior year or carried forward to a succeeding year. Two items that are often carried forward by individuals are capital losses and excess charitable deductions. For instance, capital losses realized in 2012 offset capital gains plus up to $3,000 of ordinary income for the year. If you have an excess capital loss of $10,000, you can carry forward $7,000 to 2013 after offsetting $3,000 of ordinary income in 2012. Similarly, your current deduction for charitable donations may be limited by one or more percentage thresholds in the law. For example, donations of appreciated property are generally limited to 30% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). If you exceed the 30%-of-AGI limit this year, you may carry over the excess for up to five years. Carrybacks aren’t as common, but may also be available in certain situations. Take a “net operating loss” (NOL) sustained by your small business. If you have an NOL in 2012, you can carry back the loss for two years. Thus, you’re effectively able to reduce your tax liability for one or two of the previous years for a refund of taxes already paid. Then you can carry forward any remaining NOL for up to 20 years. If it suits your purposes, you can elect to waive the NOL carryback. For more information on carrybacks and carryforwards, give us a call. We can help you make the best tax return choices for your situation. It’s time to file various tax returns once again. Among the tax deadlines you may be required to meet in the next few months are the following:
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 approved by Congress just after we plunged over the “fiscal cliff” restores and modifies several expired tax breaks, but doesn’t address other issues. Here are the highlights of the new law’s provisions for individual taxpayers.
Emotions add zest to life. They propel us to our feet when our favorite running back scores a touchdown. They warm us at an inspirational concert or movie. But in the realm of business, emotions sometimes hinder good choices. In fact, business owners and managers often let emotions dominate the decision-making process. This is especially true when choices are based on “sunk costs.” Broadly defined, sunk costs are past expenses that are irrelevant to current decisions. For example, many firms hire consultants who sell and install software. In some cases, a company is still waiting – three or four years into the contract term – for a functional and error-free system. Meanwhile, costs continue to escalate. But are those costs relevant? Managers, especially those who initially procured the software and contractor, may reason that pulling the plug on a failed contract would be “wasting all that money we’ve spent.” Not true. That money is “sunk”; it’s beside the point. Deciding to continue with a non-performing contract instead of staunching the flow of cash and changing course is irrational. It may be difficult to admit that a mistake was made. It may bruise the ego of the decision maker. But abandoning a failed contract is often the wisest decision. The only relevant costs are those that influence the company’s current and future operations. Irrelevant costs Let’s say your firm hires a new salesman. You spend thousands of dollars sending him to training seminars. You assign mentors who take time from their busy schedules to provide on-the-job coaching and oversight. But despite your best efforts, the new hire isn’t working out. He doesn’t fit your firm’s culture; he doesn’t grasp the company’s goals and procedures; he doesn’t generate adequate revenues for the business. As a manager, what should you do? At some point, you may need to terminate that employee and start over with someone else. But what about all that time and money you spent training and mentoring the new salesman? Those costs are irrelevant; they’re “sunk.” You can’t get them back. So the best decision – as of today – may involve cutting your losses and starting anew. Other examples of sunk costs may be found in the areas of product research, advertising, inventory, equipment, investments, and other types of business expenses. In each of these areas, companies spend money that can’t be recovered, dollars that become irrelevant for current decision making. Throwing good money after bad won’t salvage a poor business investment – or a poor business decision. |






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