You may have to pay tax on Social Security benefits

During your working days, you pay Social Security tax in the form of withholding from your salary or self-employment tax. And when you…

If your kids are off to day camp, you may be eligible for a tax break

Now that most schools are out for the summer, you might be sending your children to day camp. It’s often a significant expense. The good…

Which entity is most suitable for your new or existing business?

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has changed the landscape for business taxpayers. That’s because the law introduced a flat 21% federal…

Bartering: A taxable transaction even if your business exchanges no cash

Small businesses may find it beneficial to barter for goods and services instead of paying cash for them. If your business engages in…

Put a number on your midyear performance with the right KPIs

We’ve reached the middle of the calendar year. So how are things going for your business? Conversationally you might say, “Pretty good.”…

Is an HSA right for you?

To help defray health care costs, many people now contribute to, or are thinking about setting up, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). With…

2019 Q3 tax calendar: Key deadlines for businesses and other employers

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the third quarter of 2019. Keep in mind that…

Could you unearth hidden profits in your company?

Can your business become more profitable without venturing out of its comfort zone? Of course! However, adding new products or services may…

Donating your vehicle to charity may not be a taxwise decision

You’ve probably seen or heard ads urging you to donate your car to charity. “Make a difference and receive tax savings,” one organization…

Your succession plan may benefit from a separation of business and real estate

Like most businesses, yours probably has a variety of physical assets, such as production equipment, office furnishings and a plethora of…

Hiring this summer? You may qualify for a valuable tax credit

Is your business hiring this summer? If the employees come from certain “targeted groups,” you may be eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax…

Employers: Be aware (or beware) of a harsh payroll tax penalty

If federal income tax and employment taxes (including Social Security) are withheld from employees’ paychecks and not handed over to the…

Thinking about moving to another state in retirement? Don’t forget about taxes

When you retire, you may consider moving to another state — say, for the weather or to be closer to your loved ones. Don’t forget to factor…

Targeting and converting your company’s sales prospects

Companies tend to spend considerable time and resources training and upskilling their sales staff on how to handle existing customers. And…

Tax-smart domestic travel: Combining business with pleasure

Summer is just around the corner, so you might be thinking about getting some vacation time. If you’re self-employed or a business owner,…

The chances of IRS audit are down but you should still be prepared

The IRS just released its audit statistics for the 2018 fiscal year, and fewer taxpayers had their returns examined as compared with prior…

Build long-term relationships with CRM software

Few businesses today can afford to let potential buyers slip through the cracks. Customer relationship management (CRM) software can help…

It’s a good time to check your withholding and make changes, if necessary

Due to the massive changes in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the 2019 filing season resulted in surprises. Some filers who have gotten a…

Hire your children this summer: Everyone wins

If you’re a business owner and you hire your children (or grandchildren) this summer, you can obtain tax breaks and other nontax benefits.…

The simple truth about annual performance reviews

There are many ways for employers to conduct annual performance reviews. So many, in fact, that owners of small to midsize businesses may…

Selling your home? Consider these tax implications

Spring and summer are the optimum seasons for selling a home. And interest rates are currently attractive, so buyers may be out in full…

Consider a Roth 401(k) plan — and make sure employees use it

Roth 401(k) accounts have been around for 13 years now. Studies show that more employers are offering them each year. A recent study by the…

Buy vs. lease: Business equipment edition

Life presents us with many choices: paper or plastic, chocolate or vanilla, regular or decaf. For businesses, a common conundrum is buy or…

What type of expenses can’t be written off by your business?

If you read the Internal Revenue Code (and you probably don’t want to!), you may be surprised to find that most business deductions aren’t…