Blog
Reasons to incorporate your business
Here are some reasons you may want to consider incorporating your growing business.
4 tips to landing your dream home in a seller’s market
Here are some suggestions to landing your dream home in our current real estate market.
Keep your audit fears in check
Getting audited by the IRS is no fun. However, your chances of being audited are probably lower than you think. A look at the latest IRS statistics for 2016 reveals some interesting and reassuring facts about the risk of an IRS audit.
Take time to review your beneficiary designations
Who have you designated as beneficiaries for your insurance policies and retirement accounts? If you can't remember, it's worth checking. If you make the wrong decision, it could affect who inherits those assets. Here are some key facts about beneficiaries:
Know the tax rules before gifting
Gift giving can be an important tax planning strategy. But before you write checks, learn the rules. Here are two of them:
April 2017 Market Insight
April was another rip-roaring month, as almost every major stock index across the globe increased significantly. International companies continued to outperform their U.S. counterparts, as the MSCI World ex USA Index returned over 2.13% for the month...
Schedule your midyear tax planning session
Most people don’t include tax planning on their summertime agenda, but maybe they should. The problem with waiting until the end of the year is that you reduce the time for planning strategies to take effect.
IRS is now using collection agencies
The IRS is now using outside collection agencies to collect unpaid tax obligations. This new program will start slowly with only a few hundred taxpayers receiving mailings. The number will grow into the thousands later in the spring and into summer.
What to do if you are selected for a correspondence audit
The IRS is now handling many routine audit reviews through form letters called correspondence audits. These letters come from the IRS and ask for clarification and justification of specific deductions on your tax return.
Do's and don'ts of amending your tax return
What happens when you discover you made a mistake on your 2016 return that you just filed? Before you decide if you should file an amended tax return, there are a few do's and don'ts you should know. First, don't panic, and second, don't ignore
Checking your withholding could be a smart move
If you received a large tax refund or owed a large balance on your 2016 income tax return, it may be time for you to check your withholdings.
Health Savings Accounts: Now or Later
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are a great savings tool for those with High-Deductible Health Insurance Plans (HDHP)*. HSAs allow people to build up tax-free savings for most out-of-pocket medical expenses, whether those expenses happen now or later.
March 2017 Market Insight
It was an interesting month in financial markets as U.S. stocks and bonds were largely flat, while international stocks (MSCI EAFE) surged 2.75%. This surge of international stocks has been very short-lived so far, but the surge is worth noting
Social Security News
The Social Security Administration announced earlier this year that they will be mailing out fewer Social Security Statements. Only people age 60 and over will receive annual statements in the mail.
Rising Rates: What You Need to Know and Why
On March 15, 2017, the Federal Reserve Bank made the decision to increase the target range for the Federal Funds Interest Rate to between 0.75%-1.00%. To start, what is the Federal Funds Interest Rate?
Meet Beau Carpenter, CPA
We'd like to introduce you to Beau Carpenter, CPA.
Investment Update
The year is off to a great start for stock investors, as the S&P 500 Index (U.S. large companies) is up 6.07% through the end of March. U.S. stocks have been strong over the course of the last several years, as we've seen only minor decline
Apply for an extension if you can’t file by April 18
Tax time can be stressful, but don’t panic if you can’t file your tax return on time. There's still time to get an automatic six-month deadline extension.
What’s due on April 18?
Tuesday, April 18, is a major tax deadline. Here are some of the tax filing and related deadlines:
Tax time is scam time - IRS announces the Dirty Dozen
Each year the IRS produces its "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams. As criminals become savvier at stealing personal information and scamming people out of their money, taxpayers must be more vigilant than ever. Here are some of the more common scams...
April IRA deadlines fast approaching
As tax day approaches, there are two other April deadlines that may apply to you. If you have an IRA, take note of these dates:
February 2017 Market Insight
What happened in February and Looking ahead...
More credits require questions
Common errors have helped to make the Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC) a major source of what the IRS calls "improper payments". The agency estimates that of the $66 billion in EIC funds paid in 2015, nearly a quarter were collected by filers who didn't qualify to receive them.
2016 proof of health insurance: the Form 1095 wrinkle
Under the current Affordable Care Act (ACA), all Americans must have health insurance. If you receive your health insurance through the ACA marketplace or from your employer, you will receive a Form 1095.
Current tax law requires health insurance
During his first week in office, President Trump signed an executive order asking federal agencies to reduce the economic burden the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) puts on American citizens.
When filing your taxes, why early may make sense
Even though the IRS has started accepting tax returns, most of us aren't yet ready to file. There are, however, reasons to consider filing your return early. Here are some of the most common:
What records you need for tax preparation
If you're not a naturally organized person, keeping your tax records in one place might not be easy. But gathering the appropriate records ahead of time will make it easier on yourself and help ensure the accuracy of your tax return.
January 2017 Market Insight
Flipping through The Wall Street Journal for the past month, one might see front page headlines such as
Time to plan for inflation-adjusted 2017 tax numbers
Each year, certain tax figures are adjusted for inflation. While most figures are unchanged versus 2016, there is more than a 7% increase to the maximum earnings subject to social security tax.
Making the most of your tax refund
If you are expecting a tax refund, you might consider investing your refund or using it to increase your financial security. While everyone's needs are different, here are some optional uses of your refund that may work for you.
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