Posted on May 18, 2021 in Taxation Law

Couples who have decided to end their marriage will need to address a wide variety of financial issues. During this process, spouses will not only want to make financially advantageous decisions, but they will need to consider how these decisions will affect their taxes. One divorce-related tax issue that may arise involves determining how taxes will apply to child support or spousal support payments made by one party to the other.

Taxes on Support Payments

In the past, child support and spousal support were taxed differently. The person who paid spousal support was able to deduct these payments from their taxable income, and the person who received spousal support was required to report these payments as part of their income and pay taxes on the amount received. Child support was handled differently, with the payor not being allowed to deduct payments, and the payee not reporting payments as income. 

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 Posted on May 12, 2021 in Taxation Law

Ending your marriage can be a difficult decision, but if you have decided that it is the best choice for you and your family, you will want to make sure you are taking the right steps to begin the next phase of your life on secure financial footing. In addition to addressing matters related to your property, income, and family finances, you will also need to look at your taxes. A variety of divorce-related tax issues may arise, and one of the most important is determining what filing status to use when filing your annual tax returns.

Options for Filing Status for Divorcing Spouses

For the year when your final divorce decree was or will be issued, you will not be able to file taxes jointly with your spouse. That is, if you will be finalizing your divorce in 2021, you and your ex will each be required to file separate 2021 tax returns before the April 15th deadline in 2022. However if you are still legally married on December 31, 2021, you can still file a joint tax return for 2021. 

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 Posted on May 11, 2021 in Tax Audits

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regularly conducts tax audits of individual taxpayers and businesses. During an audit, it will seek to collect taxes that were underpaid due to misreported income, improper deductions, or other issues, as well as any applicable penalties. Under the administration of President Joe Biden, these efforts may increase, and the IRS will be looking to conduct more audits of individuals who earn high incomes or own significant assets, as well as large partnerships and corporations.

Increased IRS Budget and Focus on Closing the Tax Gap

President Biden recently announced the American Families Plan, a proposal that would increase infrastructure spending and provide aid to families with middle to low incomes. This proposal also included an increase in the IRS’s budget by $80 billion over 10 years. This increase would allow the IRS to conduct more audits and narrow the “tax gap,” or the difference between what U.S. taxpayers owe and what is actually collected. Experts believe that the tax gap is close to $1 trillion per year.

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 Posted on April 23, 2021 in Small Business Taxes

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, you will want to make sure you fully understand the terms of your lease agreement. Commercial and residential leases address a wide variety of issues that affect landlords and tenants, and if the language in a lease is not carefully drafted, this can lead to disputes that could result in financial losses or other legal issues. Before signing a lease, it is important to have an attorney review the agreement and identify any language that may need to be revised or other issues that could lead to problems in the future.

Terms to Address in a Residential or Commercial Lease

Some of the terms that should be reviewed before signing a lease include:

• Severability - This clause states that if one or more terms in a lease are found to be invalid, this will not affect any other provisions in the lease. If this clause is not included or is not worded properly, an entire lease agreement could be found to be invalid based on a single error.

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 Posted on April 15, 2021 in Tax Audits

When a married couple files a joint tax return, “joint and several liability” will apply to any tax debts related to that return. This means that if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) conducts a tax audit and determines that the couple owes taxes due to erroneous information on their joint tax return, the spouses will be equally liable for paying these tax debts. This can sometimes come as a surprise, especially if a couple has gotten divorced since filing the joint tax return in question. Even if a divorce decree addressed tax issues and states that one spouse will be responsible for paying joint tax debts, the IRS can still pursue repayment from both spouses. However in some cases, a person may receive innocent spouse relief if they were not responsible for the tax debts.

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 Posted on March 30, 2021 in Taxation Law

The use of virtual currencies has become more and more widespread in recent years, especially in the Silicon Valley area. Many people and businesses invest in and trade cryptocurrencies and use them to make purchases or pay employees. As financial activity in this area continues to increase, the IRS has taken note, and it is taking steps to make sure taxpayers properly report these transactions and pay applicable taxes on the income they earn and the gains of their investments. Some recent developments have shown that those who own virtual currencies will want to make sure they are meeting the requirements under the tax laws.

IRS Clarifies Reporting Requirements for Virtual Currency

Those who have begun to file their tax returns for 2020 may have noticed that a new question has been added to Form 1040 asking “At any time during 2020, did you receive, sell, send, exchange, or otherwise acquire any financial interest in any virtual currency?” This indicates that the IRS will be monitoring these transactions and taking action to collect taxes that are owed. However, taxpayers have faced some uncertainty about exactly what types of transactions need to be reported. Recently, the IRS offered some clarification by stating that those who purchased cryptocurrencies using “real” currencies do not need to answer “yes” to this question. 

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 Posted on March 22, 2021 in Taxation Law

Compliance with tax laws is a requirement for people and businesses in the United States, but some taxpayers may struggle to pay the taxes they owe. A person who has unpaid taxes may worry that they will be subject to collection actions by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) such as wage garnishment or tax liens. Currently, this is a major concern for those who have experienced financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of its ongoing efforts to address these issues, the IRS has given taxpayers more options for paying the taxes they owe through installment agreements.

Installment Agreements Under the Taxpayer Relief Initiative

Taxpayers with outstanding tax liabilities have the option to pay off the amount they owe over time by making regular payments to the IRS. To qualify for an installment agreement, a taxpayer will need to have filed all required tax returns and tax forms. To address the financial issues that many people have experienced due to the COVID-19 crisis, the IRS has created a Taxpayer Relief Initiative that has expanded people’s ability to use installment agreements. The changes made under this program include:

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 Posted on March 11, 2021 in Tax Audits

Taxes are a reality that most U.S. citizens and residents need to deal with, and understanding the various tax laws that apply to a person or business can often be a complicated matter. If a taxpayer makes mistakes or oversights when filing tax returns or other tax documents, they could face penalties from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Being contacted by the IRS may cause taxpayers to worry that they will be subject to these types of penalties. However, not every piece of communication from the IRS will result in penalties, and taxpayers will want to understand the different types of notices that the IRS may send and their options for responding and addressing or correcting tax issues.

IRS Letters and Notices

Communications from the IRS can generally be grouped into one of the following categories:

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 Posted on February 27, 2021 in Taxation Law

U.S. taxpayers are required to comply with a wide variety of tax laws, but understanding these complex requirements can sometimes be difficult, especially for those who own international assets or earn income from foreign sources. Taxpayers may be required to file multiple different types of forms related to foreign assets, accounts, and income, and those who have not met their foreign investment reporting requirements may be concerned about the possibility that they may face a tax audit and be subject to penalties. Fortunately, the IRS has provided procedures that taxpayers can follow to file delinquent international tax returns.

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 Posted on February 26, 2021 in Taxation Law

Those who live in the United States may choose to leave the country and live elsewhere, but if this will be a permanent change, they should be aware that they may face certain tax consequences. Expatriation occurs when a U.S. citizen chooses to relinquish their citizenship. Expatriation will also apply to a lawful permanent resident who holds a “Green Card” if their immigration status is revoked or abandoned or if they notify the IRS that they will be commencing residence in a country that has a tax treaty with the United States. Expatriates may be required to pay an exit tax, and they will want to understand how the tax laws will apply to their situation.

Who Is Subject to the Exit Tax?

The exit tax (also known as the expatriation tax) is a form of income tax that applies to the potential gains a person would earn by selling or disposing of the assets they own. While capital gains taxes typically apply to the profits a person earns when selling assets, a taxpayer may not actually realize these gains until years or decades after they leave the United States. Exit taxes ensure that the IRS can apply the proper taxes to the gains a person earned while they resided in the United States.

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