New Tax Laws - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

IRA Account Value Down? It Might Be A Good Time For A Roth Conversion

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused the value of some retirement accounts to decrease because of the stock market downturn. But if you have a traditional IRA, this downturn may provide a valuable opportunity: It may allow you to convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA at a lower tax cost.

The key differences

Here’s what makes a traditional IRA different from a Roth IRA:

Traditional IRA. Contributions to a traditional IRA may be deductible, depending on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and whether you (or your spouse) participate in a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k). Funds in the account can grow tax deferred.

On the downside, you generally must pay income tax on withdrawals. In addition, you’ll face a penalty if you withdraw funds before age 59½ — unless you qualify for a handful of exceptions — and you’ll face an even […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:03:02+00:00April 28th, 2020|investment, ira, New Tax Laws, retirement, roth ira|0 Comments

Hiring Independent Contractors? Make Sure They’re Properly Classified

As a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, your business may be using independent contractors to keep costs low. But you should be careful that these workers are properly classified for federal tax purposes. If the IRS reclassifies them as employees, it can be an expensive mistake.

The question of whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee for federal income and employment tax purposes is a complex one. If a worker is an employee, your company must withhold federal income and payroll taxes, pay the employer’s share of FICA taxes on the wages, plus FUTA tax. Often, a business must also provide the worker with the fringe benefits that it makes available to other employees. And there may be state tax obligations as well.

These obligations don’t apply if a worker is an independent contractor. In that case, the business simply sends the contractor a Form 1099-MISC for the year showing the amount paid (if the amount is $600 or more).

No uniform definition

Who is an “employee?” Unfortunately, there’s no uniform definition of the term.

The IRS and courts have generally ruled that individuals are employees if the organization they work for […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:03:03+00:00April 27th, 2020|business, New Tax Laws, tax implications|0 Comments

California Tax Updates for April 22

Post 1:

The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has posted frequently asked questions (FAQs), related to tax relief due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The list addresses topics such as: information returns, extensions to file; the postponement periods of March 12 through July 15, 2020; statutes of limitations, and more. Even more recent additions to FAQ topics are: nonresidential nonwage withholding and real estate withholding. Check the latest FAQ here: https://bit.ly/3e2q9cA or contact us with questions.

Post 2:

An extension of time has been issued for California taxpayers to accomplish certain tasks, from the CA Franchise Tax Board (FTB), due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). They include claiming a refund, filing a protest of a notice of proposed assessment (NPA) with the FTB, and filing an appeal or petition for a rehearing with the Office of Tax Appeals. The extension also gives the […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:03:04+00:00April 22nd, 2020|california, ftb, irs, New Tax Laws|0 Comments

Answers To Questions You May Have About Economic Impact Payments

Millions of eligible Americans have already received their Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) via direct deposit or paper checks, according to the IRS. Others are still waiting. The payments are part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Here are some answers to questions you may have about EIPs.

Who’s eligible to get an EIP?

Eligible taxpayers who filed their 2018 or 2019 returns and chose direct deposit of their refunds automatically receive an Economic Impact Payment. You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien and you can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. In general, you must also have a valid Social Security number and have adjusted gross income (AGI) under a certain threshold.

The IRS also says that automatic payments will go to people receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits.

How much are the payments?

EIPs can be up to $1,200 for individuals, or $2,400 for married couples, plus $500 for each qualifying child.

How much income must I have to receive a payment?

You don’t need to have any income to receive a payment. But for higher income people, the payments […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:03:04+00:00April 21st, 2020|irs, New Tax Laws|0 Comments

New COVID-19 Law Makes Favorable Changes To “Qualified Improvement Property”

The law providing relief due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic contains a beneficial change in the tax rules for many improvements to interior parts of nonresidential buildings. This is referred to as qualified improvement property (QIP). You may recall that under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), any QIP placed in service after December 31, 2017 wasn’t considered to be eligible for 100% bonus depreciation. Therefore, the cost of QIP had to be deducted over a 39-year period rather than entirely in the year the QIP was placed in service. This was due to an inadvertent drafting mistake made by Congress.

But the error is now fixed. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. It now allows most businesses to claim 100% bonus depreciation for QIP, as long as certain other requirements are met. What’s also helpful is that the correction is retroactive and it goes back to apply to any QIP placed in service after December 31, 2017. Unfortunately, improvements related […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:03:05+00:00April 20th, 2020|business, irs, New Tax Laws, qualified small business|0 Comments