Employer Responsibilities under the ACA

The health care law contains tax provisions that affect employers. The size and structure of a workforce–small or large–helps determine which parts of the law apply to which employers. Calculating the number of employees is especially important for employers that have close to 50 employees or whose workforce fluctuates during the year. Two parts of…

What Income is Taxable?

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. Taxable income includes any money you receive,…

Tax Reform – Meals & Entertainment

Tax Reform – Meals & Entertainment With the changes in the new tax law, there is quite a bit of uncertainty regarding the deductibility of meals and entertainment. We hope the chart below will provide you with some guidance as to how these expenses should be treated. For tax purposes we recommend that expenses be…

Five Tax Breaks that Survived

Recent tax reform legislation affected many provisions in the tax code. Many were modified, either permanently or temporarily, while some were repealed entirely. Here are five that survived. 1. Mortgage Interest Deduction While the House bill repealed the mortgage interest deduction, the final version of the act retained it, albeit with modifications. First is that…

Updated Withholding Tables for 2018

Updated income-tax withholding tables have been released for 2018 reflecting changes made by the tax reform legislation enacted last month. The updated withholding information, available on IRS.gov, shows the new rates for employers to use during 2018. Employers should begin using the 2018 withholding tables as soon as possible, but not later than February 15,…

Small Business: Be Alert to Identity Theft

Small business identity theft is a big business for identity thieves. Just like individuals, businesses may have their identities stolen, and their sensitive information used to open credit card accounts or used to file fraudulent tax refunds for bogus refunds. As such, small business owners should be on guard against a growing wave of identity…

Standard Mileage Rates for 2018

Beginning on January 1, 2018, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck are: 54.5 cents for every mile of business travel driven, up 1 cent from the rate for 2017. 18 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, up 1 cent from the rate for…

Business Tax Provisions: the Year in Review

Whether you file as a corporation or sole proprietor here’s what business owners need to know about tax changes for 2017. Standard Mileage Rates The standard mileage rates in 2017 are as follows: 53.5 cents per business mile driven, 17 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, and 14 cents per mile driven…