covid-19 - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

How The CARES Act Changes Deducting Charitable Contributions

Whether taxpayers are supporting natural disaster recovery, COVID-19 pandemic aid or another cause that’s personally meaningful to them, their charitable donations may be tax deductible. These deductions basically reduce the amount of their taxable income.

Here’s how the CARES Act changes deducting charitable contributions made in 2020:

Previously, charitable contributions could only be deducted if taxpayers itemized their deductions.

However, taxpayers who don’t itemize deductions may take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made in 2020 to qualifying organizations. For the purposes of this deduction, qualifying organizations are those that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose. The law changed in this area due to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

The CARES Act also suspends limits on charitable contributions and temporarily increases limits on contributions of food inventory. More information about these changes is available on IRS.gov.

Here are some resources for people making donations:

Tax Exempt Organization Search
Taxpayers must give to qualified organizations to deduct their donations on their tax return. They can use this tool to find out if a specific charity qualifies as a charitable organization for income tax purposes.

Publication 526, Charitable Contributions
This […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-11-12T21:20:05+00:00November 12th, 2020|cares act, charity, New Tax Laws|0 Comments

Weighing The Risks Vs. Rewards Of A Mezzanine Loan

To say that most small to midsize businesses have at least considered taking out a loan this year would probably be an understatement. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has lowered many companies’ revenue but may have also opened opportunities for others to expand or pivot into more profitable areas.

If your company needs working capital to grow, rather than simply survive, you might want to consider a mezzanine loan. These arrangements offer relatively quick access to substantial funding but with risks that you should fully understand before signing on the dotted line.

Equity on the table

Mezzanine financing works by layering a junior loan on top of a senior (or primary) loan. It combines aspects of senior secured debt from a bank and equity-based financing obtained from direct investors. Sources of mezzanine financing can include private equity groups, mutual funds, insurance companies and buyout firms.

Unlike bank loans, mezzanine debt typically is unsecured by […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-18T15:33:42+00:00September 18th, 2020|business, small business|0 Comments

Tax Implications Of Working From Home And Collecting Unemployment

COVID-19 has changed our lives in many ways, and some of the changes have tax implications. Here is basic information about two common situations.

1. Working from home.

Many employees have been told not to come into their workplaces due to the pandemic. If you’re an employee who “telecommutes” — that is, you work at home, and communicate with your employer mainly by telephone, videoconferencing, email, etc. — you should know about the strict rules that govern whether you can deduct your home office expenses.

Unfortunately, employee home office expenses aren’t currently deductible, even if your employer requires you to work from home. Employee business expense deductions (including the expenses an employee incurs to maintain a home office) are miscellaneous itemized deductions and are disallowed from 2018 through 2025 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

However, if you’re self-employed and work out of an office in your home, you can be eligible to claim home […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-15T21:42:10+00:00September 15th, 2020|cares act, deduction, deductions, New Tax Laws|0 Comments

California Tax Updates for 9/15

Post 1:

Emergency tax relief is available for business owners and feepayers directly affected by declared disasters, through the California Dept. of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). “Thank you to the President for your partnership and granting this urgent Major Disaster Declaration. California is battling two of the largest fires in our history and has seen nearly 600 new fires in the last week caused by dry lightning strikes,” reported Governor Gavin Newsom, adding, “CA is strong, we will get through this.” Relief may include extension of tax return due dates, relief of penalty and interest, or replacement copies of records lost due to disasters. Here’s more: https://bit.ly/2QrTV02

Post 2:

California’s Sonoma County enacts emergency paid sick leave ordinance, for certain employers for COVID-19 related reasons. The ordinance took effect Aug. 18, 2020 and will remain in effect through 2020, unless the federal Families First Act (FFA) is extended. The ordinance now requires employers with 500 or […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-15T20:17:59+00:00September 15th, 2020|ca, CA tax, california, disaster, employer, New Tax Laws|0 Comments

Employers Have Questions And Concerns About Deferring Employees’ Social Security Taxes

The IRS has provided guidance to employers regarding the recent presidential action to allow employers to defer the withholding, deposit and payment of certain payroll tax obligations.

The three-page guidance in Notice 2020-65 was issued to implement President Trump’s executive memorandum signed on August 8.

Private employers still have questions and concerns about whether, and how, to implement the optional deferral. The President’s action only defers the employee’s share of Social Security taxes; it doesn’t forgive them, meaning employees will still have to pay the taxes later unless Congress acts to eliminate the liability. (The payroll services provider for federal employers announced that federal employees will have their taxes deferred.)

Deferral basics

President Trump issued the memorandum in light of the COVID-19 crisis. He directed the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury to use his authority under the tax code to defer the withholding, deposit and payment of certain payroll tax obligations.

For purposes of the Notice, “applicable wages” means wages or compensation paid to an employee on a pay date beginning September 1, 2020, and ending December 31, 2020, but only if the amount paid for a biweekly pay period is less than $4,000, or the equivalent amount with respect […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-08T23:07:39+00:00September 8th, 2020|employer, New Tax Laws, social security, tax|0 Comments