Business Tax

If you travel for business, you want to claim valid deductions, but the rules can be confusing. Following are just a few tax details business travelers should know. Business travel deductions are available when employees must travel away from their tax home or main place of business–and there are definitions to know for both. A taxpayer is…

The IRS has issued the 2023 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. In a statement issued on Dec. 29, the IRS said that beginning on January 1, 2023, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans,…

The Arizona Department of Revenue (DOR) reminds taxpayers that short-term residential rentals are considered lodging rental stays for less than 30 days. The income from short-term rental stays is subject to Arizona transaction privilege tax (TPT). If, for example, an Arizona property owner is only renting their residence for the Gem Show, they will need a…

Employee Tax Withholding Form A-4 Updated to Reflect Lower Rates Arizona’s Individual Income Tax Withholding Form (Arizona Form A-4) has been updated to reflect Arizona’s lower individual income tax rates. Every Arizona employer is required to make this form available to its Arizona employees by January 31, 2023. The new A-4 form has seven new withholding…

The Internal Revenue Service is warning employers to be wary of third parties who are advising them to claim the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) when they may not qualify. Some of these third parties are taking improper positions related to taxpayer eligibility for and computation of the credit. The IRS wrote: “These third parties often…

The federal government’s Employee Retention Credit (ERC) proved to be a lifeline for many businesses and their employees affected by the COVID pandemic. The eligibility rules were complex and changed over time, as noted in an extensive IRS chart. Not all business owners may have been able to figure out whether they were eligible; however, the…

It can be challenging to determine allowable deductions for a home office. Following is a summary of key IRS provisions. Internal Revenue Code Section 280A IRC Section 280A includes the rules for home office deductions. A freelancer who works from home, for instance, must pass three tests in order to claim home office deductions: The…

As an employer, you are required to uphold the responsibility of payroll taxes. As such, you must also ensure that you understand what the rules are, especially due to how complex they are. First and foremost, start  by ensuring you are aware of these three types of taxes, which you will need to send to…

IRS Form 941 is a tax form that businesses file quarterly. It is how businesses report employee income taxes, Social Security, and Medicare taxes that the business withheld from employee paychecks over the previous quarter, and the matching employer taxes. Filing deadlines are the last day of January, April, July, and October of any given…

If you own a small business and “exclusively and regularly” use part of your home as your primary place of doing business, you may be able to deduct some of the expenses of operating your home office on your federal income tax return. Unfortunately, employees are not eligible to claim the home office deduction to the…