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Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week is Coming

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This information is provided by the Florida Trade Commission.

January 27, 2020

by Seena Gressin

Attorney, Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC

‘Tis the season when the tidings come in envelopes stamped “Important Tax Return Document Enclosed.” Yes, it’s tax filing season, and the season’s Grinches are the tax identity thieves and government imposters who are hoping to steal your money.

Find out how to stop them during Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, February 3-7. The FTC and its partners will co-host free webinars and other events. They’ll all have information about avoiding tax identity theft, recognizing government imposters, and recovering from fraud. Some also will highlight special resources for active duty service members, older adults, and small businesses. Find an event here.

Can’t wait for Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week to begin? If you’re an active duty service member, veteran, or Veterans Administration (VA) employee, or if you’d just like to get a jump on the week’s events, join the FTC, VA, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service for a webinar at 1 p.m. on January 29. Learn how to protect yourself, and what to do if tax identity theft happens to you.

Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number (SSN) to file a phony tax return and collect your refund. You may not find out about it until you try to file your tax return and the IRS rejects it as a duplicate filing. While the IRS investigates, your tax refund can be delayed. The misuse of your SSN means you also may be at risk of other types of identity theft.

To get tips on how to protect yourself, and to find an event to join in the coming weeks, please visit the Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week page. We hope to talk with you soon.

Social Security Announces 1.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2020

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Press Release

News Release

SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security Announces 1.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2020

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 69 million Americans will increase 1.6 percent in 2020, the Social Security Administration announced today.

The 1.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 63 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2020. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2019. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $137,700 from $132,900.

Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by mail in early December about their new benefit amount. Most people who receive Social Security payments will be able to view their COLA notice online through their my Social Security account. People may create or access their my Social Security account online at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Information about Medicare changes for 2020, when announced, will be available at www.medicare.gov. For Social Security beneficiaries receiving Medicare, Social Security will not be able to compute their new benefit amount until after the Medicare premium amounts for 2020 are announced. Final 2020 benefit amounts will be communicated to beneficiaries in December through the mailed COLA notice and my Social Security’s Message Center.

The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS: Here is a fact sheet showing the effect of the various automatic adjustments.

To get more Social Security news, follow the Press Office on Twitter @SSAPress.

Thursday, October 10, 2019 – For immediate release (press.office@ssa.gov)

Year-End Moves that Can Help! Part II of III

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Time is Running out to Lower Your Taxes for 2019

Year-End Moves that Can Help!

Part II of III Part Series

Think you are paying too much in taxes today?  Do you realize that we are at the lowest tax rates we’ve had in 100 years!  Yes, in 1917 the top tax rate was 67%; in 1918 it went to 77%.  Too far back? Okay. How about 1936 – 1940 at 79% where it remained until 1942-1943 when it went to   88%?!  Still not high enough? Okay. How about 1944-1945 at 94%? Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and until 1980, the highest rate capped out at 70%.  It wasn’t until the early part of the 1980s that we saw rates drop to an upper level of 50% for the maximum tax rate.  Along came the 1986 tax act and the top marginal rate dropped to 38.5%.  Throughout the rest of the 1980s, 1990s and up until today, our maximum tax brackets have ranged from 35% – 39%.  So what changed?  The spread between the brackets and the levels of income that are taxed at some of the lower rates.  For 2019, a married couple can have taxable income up to $321,449 and still be in the 24% tax bracket ($160,724 for a single taxpayer).  Now that’s a sweet rate compared to history!  Are you planning to maximize your opportunities?

  • Feeling Charitable AND you are 70 ½ or older? You know where this is going….yes, your Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Do you need all of the money you are required to withdraw from your IRA each year?  If not, taxpayers who are 70½ or older can transfer up to $100,000 from a traditional IRA tax-free to charity each year, as long as they transfer the money to the charity directly.  No, you don’t have to do the entire $100,000. You can do any amount up to that, including your annual RMD.

The Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) will count as your RMD without being added to your adjusted gross income, which can be a real bonus if you were going to take the standard deduction instead of itemizing. (You can’t itemize charitable contributions that were contributed via a QCD). The transfer could also help keep your income below the threshold at which you’re subject to the Medicare high-income surcharge, as well as, hold down the percentage of your Social Security benefits subject to tax. WOW!  This is a savings idea in so many ways if you were already making charitable contributions!

Funds must be transferred directly from your IRA custodian to the qualified charity. This is accomplished by requesting your IRA custodian issue a check from your IRA, payable to the charity.  Be sure to allow plenty of time to complete a QCD prior to year-end, because the money has to be out of the account and to the charity by December 31.

  • Still Feeling charitable? Can those contributions really make a difference on your tax return this year? Maybe!  Are you giving at roughly the same level each year but not really taking advantage of the tax savings – maybe because you are not itemizing?  You have options. Consider either bunching your contributions or using a donor-advised fund.

With the “bunching” concept, you would actually contribute your current year amounts AND next year’s amounts all prior to the end of the current year.  Then, next year, you would skip your contributions (since they were already done this year).

Another option is consider using a Donor Advised Fund.  Putting your money or other assets, such as stocks or personal property, in a donor-advised fund allows you to deduct the entire contribution in the year you make it and decide later how you want to dole out the funds to the charities of your choice.  Contributing one lump sum this year may help lift your deductions above the standard deduction amount and allow you to itemize. Obviously, in order to take advantage of either of these strategies, you have to have the cash on hand to do so, but applying these strategies can save you a bundle in taxes. You can couple the above by also cleaning out your unwanted household items.  Yes, you could have a garage sale, but really, are you going to?  Donating clothes, kitchenware or furniture you no longer need can also boost your deductions while helping a worthy cause.  Your deduction is based upon the donated item’s “fair market value” (or what it might sell for at a thrift or consignment shop). I have provided a number of useful tools for your use on my WEBSITE.

You will need a written acknowledgment from the organization if you are claiming a contribution of $250 or more. We also recommend taking photos of the donated items for your records and as documentation to support your deduction. For donated items valued at more than $5,000 (very large donations, art, antiques), you will be required to have a written appraisal by a qualified professional.

  • Are you taking full tax-advantage of your Retirement Savings Plan? MAX it out! As the year comes to a close, you may be able to squeeze a little more money from each paycheck for your retirement savings. Limits for 401(k) contributions are up to $19,000 and you can contribute another $6,000 in catch-up contributions if you’re 50 or older.

Unless you elect to contribute to a Roth IRA (which is NOT a bad idea either), pretax contributions will lower your take-home pay and reduce your tax bill. If your employer offers a Roth 401(k), you can make contributions that won’t lower your taxable income now but withdrawals will be tax-free in retirement. If your employer offers both types of plans, you can direct new contributions to the Roth 401(k) rather than the pretax 401(k) at any time during the year.

Don’t have a 401(k) plan at work?  No problem, consider contributing to an IRA for you and your spouse.  The contribution limits for 2019 are $6,000 each.  If you are age 50+, then you can contribute an additional $1,000.  Doing so for each of you can add up to some tax savings.

Don’t like the State of Taxes? If you are living in a high income tax state, you could move.  It may seem like a sarcastic comment; however, there can be significant differences in the levels of state income tax from one state to another.  States like California, Hawaii, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey and the Washington DC have some of the highest rates of tax in in the nation, while other States such as Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota and Texas (there are seven in all), have no state income tax.

The other thing you can do is PLAN!  Get help from a qualified tax professional.  Although using off the shelf software can be inexpensive, it can’t help you think through and analyze your personal situation like a qualified tax planner can.  If you are a business owner, have had changes to your family dynamics during the year, experienced a significant fluctuation in your income, are planning for or in retirement or earned money from several different sources, hiring a qualified and experienced tax planner may be worth the cost to ensure that you are NOT overpaying your taxes!

At Lynco Financial & Tax Services, Inc., we rescue our clients from paying thousands of dollars in unnecessary taxes every year. Lynn is proud to have earned the special designations of Certified Tax Planner & Certified Tax Coach, which means she is an expert in tax planning strategies and has the ability to identify tax credits, deductions, and loopholes that the average CPA, accountant, or tax preparer does not know how to find or is simply too busy to even look for.

Our goal at Lynco Financial & Tax Services, Inc. is to help YOU, Your Family and Business Owners – KEEP more of what you make and SAVE more of what you keep!  We help people just like YOU  make smart choices about your money and finances so you can pursue YOUR goals, CUT YOUR TAXES and spend more time on what is important to YOU.

Call our office today at 863-295-9895 if you would like to STOP overpaying your taxes and for more information on how we can help you!

Lynn A. Schmidt, EA, CTC, CTP, CFS, CSA, ARA

Enrolled Agent, Certified Tax Planner & Certified Tax Coach

Tax & Financial Strategist

 Year-End Tax Moves that can Help! Part I of III

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Time is Running out to Lower Your Taxes for 2019

 Year-End Tax Moves that can Help!

Part I of III part series

 

Think you are paying too much in taxes today?  Do you realize that we are at the lowest tax rates we’ve had in 100 years!  Yes, in 1917, the top tax rate was 67%; in 1918, it went to 77%.  Too far back – ok, how about 1936 – 1940 at 79%; until 1942-1943 when it went to 88%!  Still not high enough – ok – 1944-1945 = 94%. Throughout the 1960’s, 1970’s and until 1980 the highest rate capped out at 70%.  It wasn’t until the early part of the 1980’s that we saw rates drop to an upper level of 50% for the maximum tax rate.  Along came the 1986 tax act and the top marginal rate dropped to 38.5%.  Throughout the rest of the 1980’s, 1990’s and up until today, our maximum tax brackets have ranged from 35% – 39%.  So what has changed?  The spread between the brackets and the levels of income that are taxed at some of the lower rates.  For 2019 – a married couple can have taxable income up to $321,449 and still be in the 24% tax bracket ($160,724 for a single taxpayer).  Now that’s a sweet rate compared to history?  Are you planning to maximize your opportunities?

  • Do you own a business? Have you reviewed all of your deductions for 2019? Don’t be afraid of being audited.  The tax code allows for a variety of business deductions and you are cheating yourself (and overpaying your taxes) if you are not taking advantage of all the U.S. Tax Code has to offer.  If you are legitimately entitled to a deduction, you should claim it.  Just be prepared to document your deductions.  According to US Court of Appeals, Judge Learned Hand, who said on July 14, 2009, “Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes.”

Are you sure you are deducting all of the expenses you are entitled to?  Are there expenses you can “pre-pay” for 2020 and still get the deduction this year?  How about contributing to a retirement plan for your business?  There are time limits to establish various plans throughout the year and you do have choices as to which plan may work best for you, however, as the clock ticks away, those choices become limited.  You should speak to your trusted tax and financial advisor soon to be sure you are taking advantage of every opportunity that is offered to you…legally!  Why waste those tax deductions?

  • Do you have Health Insurance? Unless you have very high medical expenses, it’s not likely that you will be able to deduct those medical expenses – unless – you own a business and everything is structured properly. It’s true, the health care mandate (aka the Obamacare Penalty) has been removed for 2019.  You will no longer be penalized on your federal tax return for NOT having health insurance.  However, some states (Massachusetts, Washington-DC and New Jersey and Rhode Island in 2020) still have penalties for not having health care coverage.  Yes, health care coverage is expensive – but NOT having it is even more costly.  Since it is open enrollment season, maybe now is a good time to consider having the proper health care coverage.

Health Savings Account (HSA) – Need to make that coverage a bit more affordable and put those dollars to work for you and your family?  Consider a high deductible health care plan AND couple it with a Health Savings Account.  But be careful, just because YOU think the deductible is high doesn’t mean the coverage qualifies to be considered for an HSA.  Work with a trusted health insurance agent.

If you have self-only coverage, you could be eligible to invest in an HSA if you have a deducible of at least $1,350. If you have family coverage, you may be eligible if your deductible is at least $2,700. Coupled with the right plan, you would be eligible to invest up to $3,500 for individual policies or $7,000 if you have family coverage.  If you are age 55+, you can bump those contribution limits with an extra $1,000.  These contributions are deductible on your tax return – without having to itemize!

Yes, HSA contributions can reduce your taxable income and accumulate as another means of retirement savings for you.  You withdraw funds tax-free to cover healthcare costs, so you get a huge tax benefit since both deposits and withdrawals are tax free. However, by utilizing and applying some strategic planning, if you don’t use the funds for healthcare costs now, you can allow those contributions to accumulate and have the option of using them in later life to reimburse you for out-of-pocket heath care expenses, or (if you are simply blessed and super healthy) take withdrawals after age 65 and be taxed on the distributions as ordinary income without paying any penalties.  Let’s face it, if you live long enough, you are going to have health care expenses.  In fact, it will probably be one of your largest expenses in retirement besides taxes.  Why not plan for it now!

  • Roth IRA Conversions…WHY? See my opening paragraph on tax rates and take advantage of our lower tax rates now! As taxpayer’s, we are experiencing some of the lowest tax rates in history.  Do you think rates are going up?  Well, according to the rules set forth under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the current tax rates are in effect from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2025 – then all bets are off and the tax rates revert back to their former higher levels.  That’s a tax increase built right into the current tax laws!

This is the reason why you should consider con­verting some money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA this year; up to the top end of your income tax bracket. You’ll pay taxes on the conversion (minus any portion that represents nondeductible IRA contributions), but the money will grow tax-free in the Roth after that. Converting your entire traditional IRA balance can bump you up to a higher tax bracket so that is why you want to establish a plan to spread conversions out over several years.  Additionally, it’s wise to pay the additional taxes from your existing savings and not out of the converted IRA funds.  Doing so will preserve more of your account working for you throughout your retirement years.

Be careful about making a large conversion if you’re within two years of signing up for Medicare—you’ll have to pay extra for Medicare Part B if your adjusted gross income (plus tax-exempt interest income) is more than $85,000 if you’re single or $170,000 if you’re married filing jointly. It’s a two year look-back process to determine your Medicare premiums, so a 2019 conversion could affect your 2021 premiums.

Don’t like the State of Taxes? Well, if you are living in a high income tax State, you could move.  It may seem like a sarcastic comment, however, there can be significant differences in the levels of State Income Tax from one State to another.  States like California, Hawaii, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey and the Washington DC have some of the highest rates of tax in in the nation, while other States such as Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota and Texas (there are seven in all), have no state income tax.

The other thing you can do is PLAN!  Get help from a qualified tax professional.  Although using off the shelf software can be inexpensive, it can’t help you think through and analyze your personal situation like a qualified tax planner can.  If you are a business owner, have had changes to your family dynamics during the year, experienced a significant fluctuation in your income, are planning for or in retirement or earned money from several different sources, hiring a qualified and experienced tax planner may be worth the cost to ensure that you are NOT overpaying your taxes!

At Lynco Financial & Tax Services, Inc., we rescue our clients from paying thousands of dollars in unnecessary taxes every year. Lynn is proud to have earned the special designation(s) of Certified Tax Planner & Certified Tax Coach, which means she is an expert in tax planning strategies and has the ability to identify tax credits, deductions, and loopholes that the average CPA, accountant, or tax preparer does not know how to find or is simply too busy to even look.

Our goal at Lynco Financial & Tax Services is to help YOU, Your Family and Business Owners – KEEP more of what you make and SAVE more of what you keep!  We help people just like YOU  make smart choices about your money and finances so you can pursue YOUR goals, CUT YOUR TAXES and spend more time on what is important to YOU.

Call our office today at 863-295-9895 if you would like to STOP overpaying your taxes and for more information on how we can help you!

 Lynn A. Schmidt, EA, CTC, CTP, CFS, CSA, ARA

Enrolled Agent, Certified Tax Planner & Certified Tax Coach

Tax & Financial Strategist

 

5 Steps to the Successful Multi-Office Business

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accounting in auburndale fl - Lynco TaxYour company is expanding — and that’s great! You’ve grown from one office to two, three, or even more. But you need to be able to manage all of them to continue to grow. Click through for some help in multi-office management.

Each new office seems deserving of all your time, but there are still your existing offices, whose need for attention hasn’t diminished. Building, disseminating and maintaining a cohesive business strategy across multiple sites is a challenge, but you need to get it right to continue to be successful.

Step one: Information needs to be shared.

This means that no one is behind on information, and you create a sense of community. Technology makes this happen because it allows immediate, widespread communication. You must ensure that there is one main method of digital communication — inconsistently used initiatives quickly become difficult to manage effectively. Use the one tool that works well and commit to communicating relatively frequently through it. You may want to send a brief weekly email newsletter to all staff. The tricky part is working across time zones, so if possible, send official communications when all offices are open.

Step two: Your leadership team is your greatest asset.

Employing an excellent senior management team to undertake communication on the company’s behalf is as important as digital communications. Have a senior management team member assist in running the firm, coordinating each office to provide local leadership. It’s wise to have a strong chain of command and a team that integrates as much as possible with each other to keep everyone informed about work across the company. Strong departmental management complements the businesswide strategic vision.

Step three: Timing is everything.

It’s essential to maintain a top-level presence across all offices and to be a recognizable face to all employees. If your company is based in one region, try to visit each office every month. If your firm is spread across the country, visit every two or three months. Time your visits within a week of each other and give a little more attention in your weekly email newsletter to any office that hasn’t been visited in a timely manner.

It makes sense to prioritize visits according to the size of the office, while maintaining a high level of inclusion in digital communications to show staff that they are highly valued.

Step four: Integrate wherever possible.

Encourage cross-office collaboration to develop a wider understanding of the business as a whole. It’s healthy to work with a number of different people and conducive to caring about the business beyond each office’s four walls. One means of doing this is to give staff opportunities to shape the company’s image, such as by participating in brand workshops or to be personally involved in company improvements.

Step five: Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Always try new things and commit to change. What suits one business may not suit another. Be prepared to innovate to find what works for you. That’s why building a personal relationship with as many employees as possible works — you’re giving people a chance to mix with others they would never normally work with.

Don’t forget the value of old-fashioned face time among and across teams. By encouraging this, you will contribute to successful integration and a corporate culture across geographies. Local offices need to be held accountable for quality control, scheduling and improving systems, and such efficiencies may work companywide.

All of this can seem like a lot of hard work, but splitting time between offices and building a system of shared information is crucial to the overall success of multi-office businesses. By trying to achieve equilibrium, you create a happy workforce that delivers the best results.

Contact us today by calling (863) 295-9895 or request your free consultation online now. As a thank you for completing a tax consultation, we’ll provide a free tax planning book, The Tax Detective: Uncovering the Mystery of Small Business Tax Planning.

Seriously? Sweat Equity is Not Deductible?

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accountant in auburndale flThe labors of love you pour into your business may have a fair market value on the street, but how do you accurately translate your net worth?

Is it $100 an hour or does it range in the thousands? For the CEOs of some publically traded companies that number is often tens of thousands an hour.

But you won’t be able to calculate the value of your efforts until you have been paid.

What About Charity Donation?

Okay, we know, you’re worth every penny, but when you donate time to charity or you’re looking to deduct the cost of your time spent, it can cause confusion at tax time. For entrepreneurs who assume their sweat equity is deductable this can result in shock and disappointment.

The Startup Phase

Starting a new business is an exciting time for an entrepreneur. Ideas are taking shape and heart-held dreams are becoming tangible realities. But unless they’re backed by a substantial nest egg or loan, most businesses need time to produce enough cash flow to compensate the owner for development time.

Many business owners spend hours establishing their businesses before they even open the front door (virtual or otherwise). Ensuring their company’s viability doesn’t often happen overnight. Market testing and calculating pricing take time.

What’s the legal answer to this question?

Well, perhaps it can be found in a recently decided court case. The issue? Whether or not a taxpayer can deduct the value of sweat equity, i.e. services for which he/she is unpaid.

In short, a sole proprietorship reported a loss in his business providing services at no charge. The amount was substantial: $29,500. The taxpayer used this loss as a deduction against his income of $234,000 earned that year (2014). While he had not spent any actual money out of pocket, he argued that research was needed to succeed in his business; yes, sweat equity.

The court ruled against the taxpayer in this case because in order to take a deduction, one must pay or otherwise incur an expense to be eligible to deduct it. The labor itself is not within the meaning of Code Section 162.

Donating Time to Charity

What about taxpayers or business owners who donate their time to a charitable cause? We’ve already determined their time has value. Certainly, the court must allow for this type of deduction, right?

Well, no, not this one. Donations of services are not deductible charitable contributions. However, if business owners or taxpayers donate the value of their work in cash so the organization can hire someone else to do the work, it then becomes a tax-deductible donation.

Donated labor is not deductible even to nonprofits because in the normal earning cycle of a business, the net value of the services donated is zero.

For example, consider service on a nonprofit board. If you charge for the work, you would earn according to your pay scale. However, in donating your services you are not paid.

Now, there’s a way around it.

If the organization pays you for your service and you then donate it, you would be reporting it as income. You would owe and pay taxes on the money earned and then be able to deduct your cash donation. By not receiving the income, you avoid reporting the fees in additional revenue for the year, and you’ll also forego the charitable deduction. Either way, the result is the same.

While your personal valuation of sweat equity you put into your business may result in Fortune 500 positioning, it won’t help you reduce your tax bill.

Contact us today by calling (863) 295-9895 or request your free consultation online now. As a thank you for completing a tax consultation, we’ll provide a free tax planning book, The Tax Detective: Uncovering the Mystery of Small Business Tax Planning.