Still time to Act to avoid surprises during the tax time

Even though only a few months remain in 2014, you still have time to act so you aren’t surprised at tax-time next year. You should take steps now to avoid owing more taxes or getting a larger refund than you expect.  Here are some actions you can take to bring the taxes you pay in advance closer to what you’ll owe when you file your tax return:

• Adjust your withholding.  If you’re an employee and you think that your tax withholding will fall short of your total 2014 tax liability, you may be able to avoid an unexpected tax bill by increasing your withholding. If you are having too much tax withheld, you may get a larger refund than you expect. In either case, you can complete a new Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate and give it to your employer. Enter the added amount you want withheld from each paycheck until the end of the year on Line 6 of the W-4 form. You usually can have less tax withheld by increasing your withholding allowances on line 5. 
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• Report changes in circumstances.  If you purchase health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you may receive advance payments of the premium tax credit in 2014. It is important that you report changes in circumstances to your Marketplace so you get the proper type and amount of premium assistance. Some of the changes that you should report include changes in your income, employment, or family size. Advance credit payments help you pay for the insurance you buy through the Marketplace. Reporting changes will help you avoid getting too much or too little premium assistance in advance.
• Change taxes with life events.  You may need to change the taxes you pay when certain life events take place. A change in your marital status or the birth of a child can change the amount of taxes you owe. When they happen you can submit a new Form W–4 at work or change your estimated tax payment.
• Be accurate on your W-4.  When you start a new job you fill out a Form W-4. It’s important for you to accurately complete the form. For example, special rules apply if you work two jobs or you claim tax credits on your tax return. Your employer will use the form to figure the amount of federal income tax to withhold from your pay.
• Pay estimated tax if required.  If you get income that’s not subject to withholding you may need to pay estimated tax. This may include income such as self-employment, interest, or rent. If you expect to owe a thousand dollars or more in tax, and meet other conditions, you may need to pay this tax. You normally pay the tax four times a year. 

Filing Past Due Tax Returns

File all tax returns that are due, regardless of whether or not you can pay in full. File your past due return the same way and to the same location where you would file an on-time return. 

If you have received a notice, make sure to send your past due return to the location indicated on the notice you received.

Why you should file your past due return now

Avoid interest and penalties

File your past due return and pay now to limit interest charges and late payment penalties.

Claim a refund

You risk losing your refund if you don't file your return. If you are due a refund for withholding or estimated taxes, you must file your return to claim it within 3 years of the return due date. The same rule applies to a right to claim tax credits such as the Earned Income Credit.

Protect Social Security benefits

If you are self-employed and do not file your federal income tax return, any self-employment income you earned will not be reported to the Social Security Administration and you will not receive credits toward Social Security retirement or disability benefits.

Avoid issues obtaining loans

Loan approvals may be delayed if you don't file your return. Copies of filed tax returns must be submitted to financial institutions, mortgage lenders/brokers, etc., whenever you want to buy or refinance a home, get a loan for a business, or apply for federal aid for higher education.

If you owe more than you can pay

If you cannot pay what you owe, you can request an additional 60-120 days to pay your account in full through the Online Payment Agreement application. If you need more time to pay, you can request an installment agreement or you may qualify for an offer in compromise.

What if you don’t file voluntarily

Substitute Return 

If you fail to file, we may file a substitute return for you. This return might not give you credit for deductions and exemptions you may be entitled to receive. 

If the IRS files a substitute return, it is still in your best interest to file your own tax return to take advantage of any exemptions, credits and deductions you are entitled to receive. The IRS will generally adjust your account to reflect the correct figures.

Collection and enforcement actions

The return IRS prepare for you (our proposed assessment) will lead to a tax bill, which, if unpaid, will trigger the collection process. This can include such actions as a levy on your wages or bank account or the filing of a notice of federal tax lien.

If you repeatedly do not file, you could be subject to additional enforcement measures, such as additional penalties and/or criminal prosecution.

Already filed your past due return

If you received a notice, you should send IRS a copy of the past due return to the indicated address.

Time to Send 1099s

The 1099 can be mysterious. Business owners guess at its rules and requirements. Tracking changes to the procedures  can be so exasperating, some entrepreneurs just give up and file nothing at all. This can be dangerous as penalties can add up quickly. But the 1099 doesn't need to be complicated. To help simplify things, here are the basics.

To whom are you required to send a Form 1099? As a general rule, you must issue a Form 1099-MISC to each person to whom you have paid at least $600 in rents, services (including parts and materials), prizes and awards, or other income payments. You don't need to issue 1099s for payments made for personal purposes. You are required to issue 1099 MISC reports only for payments you made in the course of your trade or business. You'll send this form to any individual, partnership, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership or Estate.

What are the penalties? The penalties for not doing so can vary from $30 to $100 per form ($1.5 million for the year), depending on how long past the deadline the company issues the form. If a business intentionally disregards the requirement to provide a correct payee statement, it is subject to a minimum penalty of $250 per statement, with no maximum.

What are the exceptions? The list is fairly lengthy, but the most common is that you don't need to send a 1099 to corporations or for payments of rent to real estate agents (typically property managers -- yet they are required to send them to the property owners). Additionally, you don't need to send 1099s to sellers of merchandise, freight, storage or similar items.

Lawyers get the short end of the stick. Ironically, the government doesn't trust that lawyers will report all of their income, so even if your lawyer is 'incorporated,' you are still required to send them a Form 1099 if you paid them more than $600.

The W-9 is your "best friend." One of the smartest procedures a business owner can implement is to request a W-9 from any vendor you expect to pay more than $600 before you pay them. Using this as a normal business practice will give you the vendor's mailing information, Tax ID number, and also require the vendor indicate if it is a corporation or not (saving you the headache of sending them a 1099 next year). 

The deadlines. Finally, you are required to issue and essentially mail out all of your Form 1099s to your vendors by January 31. Then you have to send in the transmittal Form 1096 to the IRS before February 28. For those of you that 'outsource' this service, your accountant with the proper system can actually submit the 1096 and stack of 1099s electronically by March 31. Don't forget as well, that depending on state law, you may also have to file the 1099-MISC with the state.

What about foreign workers? Also, if you hire a non-U.S. citizen who performs any work inside the United States, you would need to file the 1099. It is your responsibility to verify that the worker is indeed a non-U.S. citizen, and performed all work outside the United States. For that purpose, in the future you might want to have that foreign worker fill out, sign and return to you Form W-8BEN.

Moving forward in 2015, make sure to get a Form W-9 from all your vendors before they can get paid. This will save you a lot of headaches next January so you don't have to track down their mailing addresses or EINs.

Sec 179 Limits for 2014

The first year deduction limit for equipment purchases under IRS Code Section 179 is $25,000 for 2014.  This is a substantial reduction from the $500,000 limit imposed for the year 2013.  To make matters even worse for clients planning on starting new practices this year, bonus depreciation, which allowed the immediate deduction of 50% of the cost of new equipment purchases, is not available at all for 2014.  Furthermore, previously eligible leasehold improvements no longer qualify to be deducted under Code Section 179.  Unless or until  Congress gets its act together and decides to replace these incentives for start-up businesses, it will increase the after tax cost of entry into private practice.  For more information, call our office and we will be glad to discuss this and other issues that you should take into consideration when deciding whether or when to start a practice.