Posted on October 31, 2022 in Small Business Taxes

The classification of workers as employees or independent contractors is an important legal distinction that can have significant implications for employers. Employees are entitled to a number of rights and protections under the law, including minimum wage and overtime pay, while independent contractors are not. It is important for employers to ensure that workers are classified correctly, and they may face penalties if they fail to do so. Recently, the Department of Labor announced a proposed rule that may affect worker classification. Employers will need to understand how this rule could affect them and how they can avoid the potential risks of misclassifying workers.

Potential Changes to Federal Worker Classification Rules

The Department of Labor follows certain rules when determining worker status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). During the administration of President Donald Trump, these rules were updated to focus on two "core factors": the degree of control that an employer and/or worker has regarding key aspects of the work being performed, and a person's opportunities for profits and losses when performing work. This rule was generally considered to favor employers, allowing them to classify more workers as independent contractors.

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 Posted on October 21, 2022 in Taxation Law

There are multiple different types of taxes that apply to the income a person earns and the assets they own. Wealthy individuals and families will need to be aware of the estate taxes that may apply, as well as how they can transfer wealth while minimizing taxes. The federal estate tax is levied after a person's death. Fortunately, exemptions are available, and estate taxes will only apply to estates that are worth more than the amount of these exemptions. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 significantly increased the estate tax exemption, but this law is scheduled to sunset in 2026. This change may have an impact on how a person or family may address issues related to estates.

What Are the Current Estate Tax Exemption Levels?

For 2022, the exemption level for the estate tax is $12.06 million per person. This means that an individual can have up to $12.06 million worth of property at death without incurring any estate tax liability. For married couples, the exemption level is doubled, meaning they can have up to $24.12 million worth of property at death without incurring any estate tax liability. This exemption also applies to lifetime gifts given by a person or couple. That is, an individual may give gifts of up to $12.06 million to others during their lifetime without being required to pay taxes on these gifts.

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 Posted on October 17, 2022 in Small Business Taxes

As a small business owner, it is important to be aware of the various tax deductions that are available to you. Taking advantage of these deductions can help reduce your tax liability, leaving you with more money to reinvest in your business. By working with a tax law attorney, you can determine the best ways to minimize your tax burden and ensure that your business will be able to continue operating successfully. 

Tax Deductions for Business Expenses and Other Costs

There are multiple types of expenses that small business owners may be able to deduct from their taxes, including:

• Startup costs - A business's capital expenses may address the costs of starting a company. Deductions may be available for the costs of founding or acquiring a business, and these may be amortized over several years after a business is founded.

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 Posted on September 28, 2022 in Taxation Law

In August 2022, the U.S. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which is a key part of President Joe Biden's agenda. One much-discussed component of this act involved an increase in funding to the IRS. Nearly $80 billion of additional funds will be allocated to the IRS over the next 10 years, and officials have stated that this funding may be used to hire around 87,000 new IRS employees and increase tax audits on individuals and businesses that earn large incomes or own high-value assets. With this increased funding, the IRS will most likely be making efforts to crack down on offshore tax evasion. Taxpayers who own foreign assets and investments will need to be aware of the potential consequences they may face if they fail to abide by the applicable tax laws, and by working with an attorney, they can determine the best ways to come into compliance with their offshore tax reporting requirements.

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 Posted on September 22, 2022 in Taxation Law

The IRS has been very clear that it may take action against taxpayers with undeclared foreign accounts. In fact, the IRS often specifically targets individuals who have failed to comply with U.S. tax laws by willfully hiding their assets in offshore accounts. However, the agency is also aware that many of these taxpayers may not have been willful in their actions, and they may be seeking to come into compliance through the Streamlined Compliance Procedures. It is important to understand how the IRS determines whether or not someone was willful in their failure to disclose a foreign account. Based on the results of a recent court case, there are some situations where the IRS may reject a taxpayer's self-certification of non-willfulness.

Non-Willfulness Under the Streamlined Compliance Procedures

U.S. taxpayers are required to report any foreign accounts they own to the IRS, and this is typically done by filing a Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) on an annual basis, as well as submitting a Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets (Form 8938) with their annual tax returns. Failure to submit these forms can result in significant penalties. However, those who have not reported foreign assets as required may be able to come into compliance with their requirements through the Streamlined Compliance Procedures.

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 Posted on September 07, 2022 in Taxation Law

While nearly everyone is required to pay taxes and file annual tax returns, there are a variety of reasons why some people may fail to do so. In many cases, these issues occur because of financial difficulties, and unfortunately, these difficulties may be compounded by the penalties that will apply for failure to file tax returns or failure to pay taxes. Fortunately, penalty abatement programs are available in certain situations. The IRS offers first-time penalty abatement for some federal income tax penalties, and the state of California recently passed a law that will provide similar abatement options for taxpayers who are facing penalties related to state income taxes.

One-Time Penalty Abatement Options Under AB 194

Assembly Bill 194, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on June 30, 2022, gives the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) the authority to grant abatement to taxpayers facing timeliness penalties. These include failure-to-file penalties that apply when a taxpayer does not file a state income tax return by the annual deadline and failure-to-pay penalties that apply when taxes that are owed are not paid when required.

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 Posted on August 29, 2022 in Taxation Law

For small businesses, employment taxes and payroll taxes can be a significant issue. It is important for business owners to make sure that they are meeting their tax obligations in order to avoid any penalties or interest charges. By understanding the different types of payroll and employment taxes that may apply to them, small business owners can ensure that they are withholding taxes correctly from employees' wages and paying the appropriate taxes at the federal, state, and local levels.

Understanding Different Types of Employment Taxes

When addressing issues related to payroll taxes, employers will first need to make sure workers are classified correctly. When workers are classified as employees, an employer will need to withhold payroll taxes from their wages. However, taxes will not need to be withheld from payments made to independent contractors. To determine how a worker should be classified, an employer may need to look at whether they have direct control over the person's work, whether the work performed by a person is outside the company's usual course of business, and whether the worker has an independently established business or trade.

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 Posted on August 25, 2022 in Taxation Law

Getting a divorce can be a complex, difficult process. Couples who choose to end their marriage will need to address multiple types of financial issues as they divide the assets they own, establish new living arrangements, and determine how they will each be able to meet their ongoing needs. When addressing these concerns, it is important to understand the tax consequences of the decisions that are made. By working with an attorney who understands how to address divorce-related tax issues, a person can make sure they will be able to minimize their potential complications and be prepared for financial success in the future.

Tax Considerations During the Divorce Process

Spouses who are working to complete the divorce process will need to understand the best ways to address the following issues:

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 Posted on August 17, 2022 in Taxation Law

Taxes can be very complicated, and many people rely on accountants or other professionals to help them prepare and submit their tax returns and other required forms and documents. Unfortunately, taxpayers may encounter situations where they find that tax returns submitted to the IRS or the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) contained incorrect information due to errors made by a tax return preparer. When a taxpayer faces a tax audit or tax penalties based on tax returns prepared by someone else, they will need to understand how to address these issues.

Liability for Tax Return Errors

When a taxpayer signs and submits a tax return, they are legally responsible for addressing issues related to the information they submitted. This is true regardless of whether the tax return was prepared by another person. This means that if the information provided on a tax return was incorrect, the taxpayer will usually be responsible for paying any taxes that are owed, as well as any penalties that may apply.

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 Posted on July 31, 2022 in Tax Audits

The U.S. tax system is complex, and there are a variety of issues that could trigger tax audits by the IRS, potentially leading to penalties. Audits can be a significant area of concern for people who are self-employed or who own small businesses. In these situations, it is important to understand the information that a taxpayer will need to provide to the IRS and the issues that may be raised during an audit.

Audit Information Related to Profits, Losses, Deductions, and Expenses

During an audit, the IRS may request a variety of records or other information that supports the information reported on a tax return. These records may be related to:

• Income - All forms of income that a person earns must be reported to the IRS. It is important for self-employed taxpayers to maintain accurate records of all sources of income. This can sometimes be difficult for those who regularly conduct cash transactions. Large deposits into a bank account or major purchases made using cash may be reviewed by the IRS, and a taxpayer will usually need to provide documentation showing how these amounts were earned.

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