Insights
The federal government encourages individuals to save for retirement by providing tax incentives for those who make contributions to personal retirement accounts. The goal is to help people achieve financial independence in retirement and lessen the burden on public assistance programs for older Americans. The government offers these tax incentives as a trade-off, foregoing tax…
It has begun! The Internal Revenue Service announced Monday, January 26, 2026, as the opening of the 2026 filing season. Taxpayers have until Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to file their 2025 tax returns and pay any tax due. (Filing a six-month extension will give taxpayers until October 15, 2026, to file their tax returns but…
We generally assume that children aren’t required to pay taxes. But if your child has unearned income-such as interest and dividends from investments-the IRS may require them to file a return. There are two main situations to consider. Their unearned income exceeds $2,700 for 2025 Your child will fall under what’s known as the kiddie…
Should I Get an IP PIN?
In recent years, tax-related identity theft has been a growing problem and has evolved into a major enterprise run by well-funded, technically sophisticated national and international criminal syndicates. In the 2024 filing season, the IRS flagged more than 2.1 million tax returns for identity fraud. There are many ways to safeguard your personal tax information,…
New USPS Regulations: Don’t Run Afoul of the Mailbox Rule!
The Internal Revenue Code provides that a mailed tax document or payment is deemed to be filed timely if it is properly addressed, has sufficient postage, and is postmarked by the US Postal Service (USPS) on or before the deadline, even if the IRS receives it later than the due date. In other words, when…
What Documents Do I Need to File My Individual Income Tax Returns?
Seems like I just barely put my holiday decorations away, and now it’s already time to start gathering documents for my 2024 income tax returns. Whether you are super-organized or the type who thinks about taxes only on April 14, this article is meant to help make the document gathering and filing process a little…
The Essentials of Payroll Tax Recordkeeping
Federal agencies such as the IRS and the Department of Labor require employers to maintain detailed information on wages, hours and taxes; state laws often impose additional regulations. Some records, such as payroll tax filings, must be retained for several years for IRS review, while the Fair Labor Standards Act sets separate timelines for payroll…
IRS First-Time Abatement Program Policy Change
Did you know that if you file a tax return late, pay taxes late, or make mistakes in making tax deposits, the IRS imposes a penalty? For your sake, we hope you don’t know that from experience. The good news is that there are ways to negotiate with the IRS that allow you to reduce…
What to Know About Social Security Now and in Retirement
Social Security provides nearly 97% of older adults with a foundation of retirement protection in their later years. For many, it serves as a major source of income, supplementing 40% of their pre-retirement earnings or providing disability or survivor benefits for eligible individuals. For others, it’s a spoke in a broader retirement strategy, one of…
Preparing for an Audit
The word ‘audit’ can invoke images of piles of paperwork, discovery of horrible mistakes, and endless email chains in our mind’s eye. For auditees, exhaustion can creep in before the audit even begins. Prior experience with external audit can provide some relief in terms of familiarity, but for a first-time auditee, the process can be…
Tax Planning Strategies for Multi-State Real Estate Investors
In today’s market, investing in real estate across state lines has become an increasingly accessible and effective way to build a diversified portfolio and tap into areas that show strong demand and potential for appreciation. Real estate investors now own about 20 percent of the 86 million single-family homes and townhomes across the country. Of…