As the end of the year approaches, many people give more thought to supporting charities they favor. To avoid losing valuable charitable deductions if you itemize, you’ll need specific documentation, depending on the type and size of your gift. Here’s a breakdown of the rules:
2025 Brings Slight Increase to Retirement Savings
How much can you and your employees contribute to your 401(k)s or other retirement plans next year? In Notice 2024-80, the IRS recently announced cost-of-living adjustments that apply to the dollar limitations for retirement plans, as well as other qualified plans, for 2025. With inflation easing, the amounts aren’t increasing as much as in recent years.
Self-Employment Tax: A Refresher on How It Works
If you own a growing, unincorporated small business, you may be concerned about high self-employment (SE) tax bills. The SE tax is how Social Security and Medicare taxes are collected from self-employed individuals like you.
7 Year-End Tax Planning Tips for Individuals
As the holidays approach, it’s time to consider tax planning moves that will help lower your 2024 taxes, as well as set you up for tax savings in future years. Here are seven year-end tax planning ideas to consider.
Want to Find Out What IRS Auditors Know About Your Industry?
To prepare for a business audit, an IRS examiner generally researches the specific industry and issues on the taxpayer’s return. Examiners may use IRS Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs).
Tax-Saving Moves Businesses Should Consider Before Year End
Now is a good time to consider year-end moves that can help reduce your business’s 2024 taxes. The effectiveness of a particular action depends on the circumstances of your business. Here are several possibilities.
Use It or Lose It: Your 2024 Gift Tax Annual Exclusion
As the year winds down, you may want to combine estate planning with tax savings by taking advantage of the gift tax annual exclusion. It allows you to give cash or property up to a specified amount to an unlimited number of family members and friends each year without gift tax implications.
Navigating IRS Audits: Essential Preparations for Businesses
The IRS has been increasing its audit efforts, focusing on large businesses and high-income individuals. By 2026, it plans to nearly triple its audit rates for large corporations with assets exceeding $250 million.
Employers: In 2025, the Social Security Wage Base Is Going Up
As we approach 2025, changes are coming to the Social Security wage base. The Social Security Administration recently announced that the wage base for computing Social Security tax will increase to $176,100 for 2025 (up from $168,600 for 2024). Wages and self-employment income above this amount aren’t subject to Social Security tax.
Smart Year-End Tax Planning for Small Business Owners
With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take proactive steps that may help lower your small business’s taxes for this year and next. The strategy of deferring income and accelerating deductions to minimize taxes can be effective for most companies, as is the approach of bunching deductible expenses into this year or next to maximize their tax value.