Entries by Mike

Higher Income Individuals Beware

The House Ways and Means Committee has released an extensive list of proposed tax changes that impact individual, retirement, international and corporate tax law. We have been selective and have only included a portion of the proposed changes. A full list of proposed changes is available from the PDF file titled Responsibility Funding Our Priorities. […]

What You Need to Know About the IRS and Tax Audits

The IRS has long been a bogeyman for the American public, and there’s good reason for that. They have the unique ability to do what few other creditors can: taking your home and selling it out from under you. Still, despite its remarkable powers, fear has created mythologies around the agency. People both overestimate and […]

Should You Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN?

An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number assigned to eligible taxpayers by the IRS to help prevent the misuse of their Social Security number by ID thieves to file fraudulent federal income tax returns. The IP PIN aids IRS in verifying a taxpayer’s identity and accepting only valid returns via electronic filing […]

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Were You Affected by a Disaster Loss?

With the wildfires in the west, hurricanes, and flooding in the southeast and eastern seaboard, we have had several presidentially declared disaster areas this year. Use the FEMA site to determine if you are within a federally declared disaster area. You can also use the Address Look-Up provided by the Federal government. Those in one […]

A Basic Guide to Taxes for Freelance Writers and Self-Published Authors

An increasing number of Americans have either left the corporate world entirely or are supplementing their income by freelancing. There are many types of freelance work, but it’s important for those who are providing content, offering editing or proofreading assistance, or even publishing their own works to know their tax obligations. We’ve assembled the most […]

When Is Your Business No Longer a “Startup”?

Where’s a specific sensibility and respect that gets attached to businesses that are referred to as “startups.” There’s a general feeling of risk taking and future-facing enterprise that owners enjoy. But the actual definition of what a startup is can be murky, and even if your business meets the definition in the eyes of the […]

Mid-Year Tax Planning Checklist

All too often, taxpayers wait until after the close of the tax year to worry about their taxes and miss opportunities that could reduce their tax liability or financially assist them. Mid-year is the perfect time for tax planning. The following are some events that can affect your tax return; you may need to take […]