The United States has taxed the estates of decedents since 1916, and gifts since 1924. With tax rates and exemption levels varying greatly over the last two decades, including recent changes with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), I thought it would be helpful to outline some key forms and current thresholds relating to estate & gift tax.
Like the rest of the country, we have been waiting to learn what President Biden’s federal tax proposal will look like, and how it will impact individuals and businesses. On October 28, 2021 Biden announced a new version of the Build Back Better (BBB) framework that outlines spending provisions of $1.75 trillion over ten years, and revenue offsets of up to $2 trillion during that time period.
When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TJCA) was enacted in 2017, it limited the amount of state and local taxes (SALT) that individuals can deduct for federal income tax purposes to $10,000 (or $5,000 for a married individual filing separately). This “SALT cap” has brought on a flurry of legislative action as states enact Pass-Through Entity (PTE) tax elections that allow owners of PTEs such as S-Corporations and Partnerships to bypass the SALT cap by allowing their share of taxes to be paid by the entity at the entity level, and therefore lowering the owner’s federal income tax liability.
The week of September 13-17 has been declared National Small Business Week by the Small Business Administration. To commemorate the week, here are three tax breaks to consider.
A business may be able to claim a federal income tax deduction for a theft loss. But does embezzlement count as theft? In most cases it does but you’ll have to substantiate the loss. A recent U.S. Tax Court decision illustrates how that’s sometimes difficult to do.
If you’re a business owner and you’re getting a divorce, tax issues can complicate matters. Your business ownership interest is one of your biggest personal assets and in many cases, your marital property will include all or part of it.
Perhaps you operate your small business as a sole proprietorship and want to form a limited liability company (LLC) to protect your assets. Or maybe you are launching a new business and want to know your options for setting it up. Here are the basics of operating as an LLC and why it might be appropriate for your business.
Do you play a major role in a closely held corporation and sometimes spend money on corporate expenses personally? These costs may wind up being nondeductible both by an officer and the corporation unless proper steps are taken. This issue is more likely to arise in connection with a financially troubled corporation.
The IRS launched a new feature on their website this week giving taxpayers digital control over who can represent them or view their tax records. This groundbreaking new feature is one of many recent changes to the IRS’ online tools for individuals, making it easier than ever for taxpayers to manage their records online.
Every year, the IRS publishes a list of the latest, most prevalent tax scams. This list, called the Dirty Dozen, serves as a warning to taxpayers, tax professionals and financial institutions, and the IRS urges everyone to remain vigilant in protecting themselves against these and other tax scams.
