Many individuals, because of the COVID pandemic, have been forced to work from home in order to curtail the spread of the virus. A frequent question is do they qualify for a special tax deduction for using their home as a workplace? The tax law includes a deduction when you use part of your home […]
Freelance work and the gig economy have taken the nation by storm. A study commissioned by the Freelancers Union and freelance platform Upwork revealed that the gig economy’s work force reached an eye-popping 57 million Americans in 2019, with increasing numbers likely to join in the future. You can choose freelancing as your sole source of […]
There are many professions that require taxpayers to travel extensively and spend significant amounts of time in paid lodging. These expenses are traditionally claimed as travel deductions. However, a case recently heard by the Tax Court – Soboyede, TC Summary Opinion 2021-3, 1/26/21 – has apparently established a new standard for what the IRS is […]
Raising money through Internet crowdfunding sites prompts questions about the taxability of the money raised. A number of sites host money-raising projects for fees generally ranging from 5 to 9%, including GoFundMe, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo. Each site specifies its own charges, limitations, and withdrawal processes. The money raised may or may not be taxable depending […]
When multiple business entities make a decision to start a new business together as a cooperative arrangement, they form what is known as a joint venture. In creating a joint venture, each of the involved entities agrees to what assets they will contribute, how they are going to distribute income and share expenses, and how […]
A federal tax credit for the purchase and installation costs of a residential solar system has been extended through 2023. The credit for 2021 and 2022 is 26% of the cost of the solar installation but drops to 22% for 2023, the final year of the credit (unless extended again by Congress). The credit is […]
In order to help trades and businesses to retain employees and keep them employed during the COVID-19 crisis, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act created the Employee Retention Credit for 2020. As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CCA), the credit has been extended through June 2021. The credit is actually a […]
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CCA), which was passed by Congress and signed by the president late last December, included a very tax-beneficial provision that liberalized the interaction between PPP loans and the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). Prior to its passage, if an employer obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, the employer was ineligible […]
Day trading is neither illegal nor unethical, but it can be highly risky. Most individual investors do not have the wealth, time, or temperament to make money or sustain the losses that day trading can bring. Day trading in securities is governed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Regulation T. Different rules apply for day traders for tax purposes […]