irs - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

IRS Reminds Employers, Other Businesses of Jan. 31 Filing Deadline

The Internal Revenue Service today reminds employers and other businesses of the Jan. 31 filing deadline that applies to filing wage statements and independent contractor forms with the government.

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act requires employers to file their copies of Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, with the Social Security Administration by Jan. 31. The Jan. 31 deadline also applies to certain Forms 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, filed with the IRS to report non-employee compensation to independent contractors. Such payments are reported in box 7 of this form.

This deadline makes it easier for the IRS to verify income that individuals report on their tax returns and helps prevent fraud. Failure to file these forms correctly and timely may result in penalties. As always, the IRS urges employers and other businesses to take advantage of the accuracy, speed and convenience of filing these forms electronically.

An extension of time to file Forms W-2 is no […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:19+00:00January 29th, 2019|irs, w2|0 Comments

There’s Still Time to Get Substantiation for 2018 Donations

If you’re like many Americans, letters from your favorite charities have been appearing in your mailbox in recent weeks acknowledging your 2018 year-end donations. But what happens if you haven’t received such a letter — can you still claim an itemized deduction for the gift on your 2018 income tax return? It depends.

Basic requirements

To support a charitable deduction, you need to comply with IRS substantiation requirements. This generally includes obtaining a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity stating the amount of the donation, whether you received any goods or services in consideration for the donation, and the value of any such goods or services.

“Contemporaneous” means the earlier of 1) the date you file your tax return, or 2) the extended due date of your return. So if you made a donation in 2018 but haven’t yet received substantiation from the charity, it’s not too late — as long as you haven’t filed your 2018 return. Contact […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:20+00:00January 25th, 2019|charity, deduction, deductions, irs|0 Comments

Is There Still Time to Pay 2018 Bonuses and Deduct Them On Your 2018 Return?

There aren’t too many things businesses can do after a year ends to reduce tax liability for that year. However, you might be able to pay employee bonuses for 2018 in 2019 and still deduct them on your 2018 tax return. In certain circumstances, businesses can deduct bonuses employees have earned during a tax year if the bonuses are paid within 2½ months after the end of that year (by March 15 for a calendar-year company).

Basic requirements

First, only accrual-basis taxpayers can take advantage of the 2½ month rule. Cash-basis taxpayers must deduct bonuses in the year they’re paid, regardless of when they’re earned.

Second, even for accrual-basis taxpayers, the 2½ month rule isn’t automatic. The bonuses can be deducted on the tax return for the year they’re earned only if the business’s bonus liability was fixed by the end of the year.

Passing the test

For accrual-basis taxpayers, a liability (such as a bonus) is deductible when it is incurred. To determine this, the IRS applies the “all-events test.” Under this test, a liability is incurred when:

All events have occurred that establish the taxpayer’s liability,
The amount of the liability can be determined with reasonable accuracy, and
Economic performance […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:21+00:00January 8th, 2019|bonus, deduction, employer, tax, tax deadlines|0 Comments

IRS Releases 2019 Form W-4

The IRS has released the 2019 version of Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate) and instructions. Initial plans called for substantial revisions to the form to take into account provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. However, after considering feedback from the payroll and tax communities, the IRS decided to postpone the form’s makeover until the 2020 tax year. Therefore, the 2019 form is similar to the 2018 version. However, the Form W-4 Deductions, Adjustments, and Additional Income Worksheet has been updated to reflect the increase in the annual withholding allowance from $4,150 to $4,200 in 2019. Also, the worksheet has been updated for the increase in the standard deduction for 2019 from (1) $24,000 to $24,400 for joint filers and surviving spouses; (2) $18,000 to $18,350 for heads of household; and (3) $12,000 to $12,200 for single filers and married individuals filing separately. The 2019 Form W-4 can be accessed at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf .

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:22+00:00December 26th, 2018|irs|0 Comments

Be Sure Your Employee Travel Expense Reimbursements Will Pass Muster with the IRS

Does your business reimburse employees’ work-related travel expenses? If you do, you know that it can help you attract and retain employees. If you don’t, you might want to start, because changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) make such reimbursements even more attractive to employees. Travel reimbursements also come with tax benefits, but only if you follow a method that passes muster with the IRS.

The TCJA’s impact

Before the TCJA, unreimbursed work-related travel expenses generally were deductible on an employee’s individual tax return (subject to a 50% limit for meals and entertainment) as a miscellaneous itemized deduction. However, many employees weren’t able to benefit from the deduction because either they didn’t itemize deductions or they didn’t have enough miscellaneous itemized expenses to exceed the 2% of adjusted gross income (AGI) floor that applied.

For 2018 through 2025, the TCJA suspends miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% of AGI floor. That means even employees who itemize deductions and have enough expenses that they would exceed the floor won’t be able to enjoy a tax deduction for business travel. Therefore, business travel expense reimbursements are now more important to employees.

The potential tax benefits

Your business […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:28+00:00October 2nd, 2018|employer, expensing, irs, New Tax Laws|0 Comments