Capital Gains Tax on Sale of Stocks

Apps like Robinhood make it easy for everyone to play the stock market. If you’re a retail investor who made money last year buying and selling stocks, you may owe capital gains tax when you file your tax return this year. If you lost money, you may be able to deduct that loss and reduce your income.

Here’s what you need to know about capital gains tax:

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Tax Filing Season Starts February 12

Although tax season usually starts in late January, this year, the tax filing season is delayed until February 12, 2021. The delayed start date for individual tax return filers allowed the IRS time to do additional programming and testing of IRS systems following the December 27, 2020, tax law changes that provided a second round of Economic Impact Payments and other benefits to many taxpayers. This programming work is critical to ensuring IRS systems run smoothly to minimize refund delays and ensure that eligible people will receive any remaining stimulus money as a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 tax return.

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Employer Tax Credit Extended for Payroll Workers

The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted December 27, 2020, made several changes to employee retention tax credits. These tax credits were previously made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The most notable change was the modification of the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). Several of the changes apply only to 2021, while others apply to both 2020 and 2021. As such, employers can take advantage of the newly-extended employee retention credit, designed to make it easier for businesses that choose to keep their employees on the payroll – despite challenges posed by COVID-19.

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Five Tax Tips for Older Americans

Everyone wants to save money on their taxes, and older Americans are no exception. If you’re age 50 or older, here are five tax tips that could help you do just that.

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What is Taxable vs Nontaxable Income?

Are you wondering if there’s a hard and fast rule about what income is taxable and what income is not taxable? The quick answer is that all income is taxable unless the law specifically excludes it. But as you might have guessed, there’s more to it than that.

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Who Qualifies for the Earned Income Credit

The earned income tax credit can give qualifying workers with low-to-moderate income a substantial financial boost. The credit not only reduces the amount of tax someone owes but may give them a refund even if they don’t owe any taxes or aren’t required to file a return. If you lost your job in 2020 or your earnings were significantly lower, you may qualify for the earned income tax credit; however, taxpayers must meet certain requirements and file a federal tax return in order to receive this credit. Here’s what you need to know

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Business Tax Provisions: The Year in Review

Here’s what business owners need to know about tax changes for 2020.

Standard Mileage Rates
The standard mileage rate in 2020 is 57.5 cents per business mile driven.

Health Care Tax Credit for Small Businesses
Small business employers who pay at least half the premiums for single health insurance coverage for their employees may be eligible for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit as long as they employ fewer than the equivalent of 25 full-time workers and average annual wages do not exceed $50,000 (adjusted annually for inflation). This amount is $55,200 for 2020 returns.

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Small Business: Deductions for Charitable Giving

Tax breaks for charitable giving aren’t limited to individuals, your small business can benefit as well. If you own a small to medium-sized business and are committed to giving back to the community through charitable giving, here’s what you should know.

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Beware of Gift Card Tax Scams

There’s never an off-season when it comes to scammers and thieves who want to trick people to scam them out of money, steal their personal information, or talk them into engaging in questionable behavior with their taxes. While scam attempts typically peak during tax season, taxpayers need to remain vigilant all year long.

For example, there are many reports of taxpayers being asked to pay a fake tax bill through the purchase of gift cards. While gift cards are a popular and convenient gift for all occasions, they are also a tool that scammers use to steal money from people.

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