disaster - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Casualty Loss Deductions: You Can Claim One Only for a Federally Declared Disaster

Unforeseen disasters happen all the time and they may cause damage to your home or personal property. Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, eligible casualty loss victims could claim a deduction on their tax returns. But there are new restrictions that make these deductions much more difficult to take.

What’s considered a casualty for tax purposes? It’s a sudden, unexpected or unusual event, such as a hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake, or fire; an accident or act of vandalism; or even a terrorist attack.

Unfavorable change

For losses incurred in 2018 through 2025, the TCJA generally eliminates deductions for personal casualty losses, except for losses due to federally declared disasters. For example, during 2019, there were presidential declarations of major disasters in parts of Iowa and Nebraska after severe storms and flooding. So victims there would be eligible for casualty loss deductions.

Note: There’s an exception to the general rule of allowing casualty loss deductions only in federally declared disaster areas. If you have personal casualty gains because your insurance proceeds exceed the tax basis of the damaged or destroyed property, you can deduct personal casualty losses that aren’t due to a federally declared […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:04+00:00April 23rd, 2019|business, deduction, deductions, disaster, New Tax Laws|0 Comments

Best Practices When Filing a Business Interruption Claim

Many companies, especially those that operate in areas prone to natural disasters, should consider business interruption insurance. Unlike a commercial property policy, which may cover certain repairs of damaged property, this coverage generally provides the cash flow to cover revenues lost and expenses incurred while normal operations are suspended because of an applicable event.

But be warned: Business interruption insurance is arguably among the most complicated types of coverage on the market today. Submitting a claim can be time-consuming and requires careful preparation. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Notify your insurer immediately. Contact your insurance rep by phone as soon as possible to describe the damage. If your policy has been water-damaged or destroyed, ask him or her to send you a copy.

Review your policy. Read your policy in its entirety to determine how to best present your claim. It’s important to understand the policy’s limits and deductibles before spending time documenting losses that may not be covered.

Practice careful recordkeeping. Maintain accurate records to support your claim. Reorganize your bookkeeping to segregate costs related to the business interruption and keep supporting invoices. Among the necessary documents are:

Predisaster financial statements and income tax […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:17+00:00February 14th, 2019|business, disaster|0 Comments

California Tax News Related to Wildfires

Tax relief is available for California employers in counties hit by recent wildfires. The CA Employment Development Dept. (EDD) has announced that employers in Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura counties directly affected by the Camp, Hill and Woolsey fires may request up to a 60-day extension of time from the EDD to file their state payroll reports and deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest. Written extension requests must be received within 60 days from the original delinquent date of the payment or return.

Due to a presidential disaster declaration, some victims of California’s recent wildfires may qualify for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). DUA provides temporary unemployment assistance to eligible individuals whose work or self-employment has been interrupted due to a major disaster and who also meet certain other conditions. This applies to losses in CA from the Camp, Hill, and Woolsey fires. Eligible persons may receive up to $450 per week for up to 27 weeks. The deadline to file is 12/14/18. If you have any questions, please contact your Linkenheimer CPA. For more info […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:26+00:00November 21st, 2018|CA tax, california, disaster|0 Comments

Some California Taxpayers are Receiving Erroneous Late Notices

Some California taxpayers are receiving erroneous late notices. Taxpayers who reside in federally declared disaster areas have been granted extra time to accomplish state tax-related tasks, such as filing tax returns and paying taxes due. The CA Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has reported that, due to a systemic issue, some taxpayers who qualify for this relief have received notices assessing late-filing penalties. While the FTB works to update its system and address this issue, taxpayers can contact the FTB on its homepage and click live chat: https://bit.ly/2MG3HMz

If you have questions, you can also contact your Linkenheimer CPA.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2018-10-02T19:02:24+00:00October 2nd, 2018|disaster, ftb, irs, tax|0 Comments

Disaster Relief Provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018

On February 9, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, H.R. 1892, the “Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018” (the Budget Act, P.L. 115-123). In addition to providing a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through March 23, this 2-year budget contains a host of tax law changes. The Act retroactively extends through 2017 over 30 so called “extender” provisions, provides a number of miscellaneous tax-related provisions, and includes tax relief to victims of the California wildfires and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

Relief from early withdrawal tax for California wildfire distribution. A distribution from a qualified retirement plan, a tax-sheltered annuity plan, an eligible deferred compensation plan of a State or local government employer, or an individual retirement arrangement (IRA) generally is included in income for the year distributed. In addition, unless an exception applies, a distribution received before age 59½ is subject to a 10% additional tax under Code Sec. 72(t) (the “early withdrawal tax”) on the amount includible in income.

In general, a distribution from an eligible retirement plan may be rolled over to another eligible retirement plan within 60 days, in which case the amount rolled over generally is not includible in income. The 60-day requirement can be waived by IRS in […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:43+00:00February 16th, 2018|disaster, New Tax Laws, relief|0 Comments