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.

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:

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.

If there are issues related to a tax return, a taxpayer can review the contract they signed with the tax return preparer to determine their options. A contract may specify the obligations that apply to the preparer and detail the procedures that will be followed in these situations. If the preparer agrees that they made errors when preparing the tax return, they may be required to submit any required corrections to the tax return in question, and they may be obligated to cover penalties or interest related to their errors. However, the taxpayer will be required to pay any taxes that are owed.

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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U.S. taxpayers are generally required to file annual tax returns, and if the proper forms are not filed by the applicable deadlines, a person may face a failure-to-file penalty. Failure-to-pay penalties may apply if a person does not pay any amounts owed at the time they file a tax return. These penalties may cause significant financial difficulties. Fortunately, taxpayers have options for penalty abatement. One option available in certain situations is a first time abatement (FTA) waiver.

Eligibility Requirements for First Time Abatement

First time abatement is a one-time option that may allow a taxpayer to receive relief from failure-to-file or failure-to-pay penalties. Employers who have been assessed failure-to-deposit penalties may also qualify for FTA waivers. If a request for penalty abatement is granted, the taxpayer will not be required to pay the penalty.

To qualify for an FTA waiver, a person will need to meet the following requirements: