Financial questions

Managing a business small, medium or big requires you to pay your taxes, as well as your employees taxes. Managing a payroll can be an arduous and taxing job, no pun intended. There are laws that require us to pay taxes and everyone have to comply with that. But keeping up with the payroll can give many people sleepless nights. There are so many deductions needed to be done and they have to be exact to avoid confusion and complications later on. State and federal taxes are very strict and you don't want the IRS pounding on your door because of some mistakes....

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On June 3, 2005, the IRS released guidance on charitable deductions for donated vehicles. The American Jobs Creation Act (AJCA) radically changed the amount of the deduction taxpayers can claim for their donated car. Fair Market Value v. Actual Sales Price When donating a car to charity, a taxpayer traditionally was allowed to deduct the fair market value. The new law changes this valuation to the actual sales price of the vehicle when sold by the charity. The taxpayer is also required to get written and timely acknowledgment from the charity in order to claim the deduction The AJCA does provide some limited exceptions under which a donor may claim a fair market value deduction....

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Whether helping the kids with a down payment on their first home, paying the premiums on a life insurance policy in an irrevocable trust, or moving appreciated assets to a younger generation, annual gifting will touch the lives of millions of Americans. But before the transfer is made, an investor should spend some time looking at the investment and the tax ramifications of the property to be passed. Much of the gifting itself will be done under the Annual Gift Tax Exclusion, a method that alleviates both a gift tax and the need to report the transfer....

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Let's assume that you would like to begin saving for your children's education fund. At the end of each year, for the next 8 years, you will contribute $2,000 into a Coverdell Education Savings Account (Education IRA), using your after-tax dollars. The money grows tax-free, and neither the contribution nor the interest is taxed when you make a withdrawal, as long as you use it for education purposes. By the end of 17 years, your Education IRA will have accumulated to just over $86,000. Contrast this with your fully taxable non-IRA account which would have grown to only $50,000....

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Newlyweds and the recently divorced should make sure that names on their tax returns match those registered with the Social Security Administration (SSA). A mismatch between a name on the tax return and a Social Security number (SSN) could unexpectedly increase a tax bill or reduce the size of any refund. For newlyweds, the tax scenario can begin when the bride says "I do" and takes her husband's surname, but doesn't tell the SSA about the name change. If the couple files a joint tax return with her new name, the IRS computers will not be able to match the new name with the SSN....

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As we enter mid-March, taxpayers begin to become very interested in deductions. Following are a few that you may be entitled to claim. Deductible Expenses · Office expenses · Rent or lease payments · Advertising · Costs of goods sold · Insurance costs · Utilities · Payments to independent contractors [file form 1099] · Accounting fees · Legal fees · Communication expenses · Credit Card Interest for business charges · Travel expenses · Vehicle expenses · Business-related meals and entertainment · Uncollected receivables · Bank fees on business accounts · Interest payments on notes · Excise and fuel taxes · Employment taxes · Real estate tax paid on business property · Special local assessments for repairs or maintenance to business property · Promotional costs that create goodwill such as sponsoring a youth team · Business association dues · Business-related magazines · Casualty losses · Beverage services · Credit bureau fees · Taxi fares · Telephone calls made on trips · Self-employment tax [if applicable] Sales Tax Deduction Option The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 provides all taxpayers with the option to claim a deduction for state and local sales taxes instead of state and local income taxes....

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The electronic transaction ordinance defines the certificated copies in which are to be presented for adjudication. Where any law requires or permits the production of certified copies of any records, such requirement or permission shall extend to print outs or other forms of display of electronic documents where, in addition to fulfillment of the requirements as may be specified in such law relating to certification, it is verified in the manner laid down by the appropriate authority. The code of civil procedure should be amended to oblige the court to accept the endorsement rule as enunciated in the rule 4 and 5 Order XI of the Code of Civil Procedure Act 1908 as defined in section 12 of Electronic Transaction Ordinance 2002....

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Recently, I stumbled across a concept that could change your financial life. You can call it a paradigm shift or a new perspective or just a different way to look at things. This single concept can save you tens of thousands of dollars each year. Its soooo powerful and yet its completely underutilized. Learning this simple technique can dramatically impact your financial picture. I was speaking about tax savings at a seminar and there was a spontaneous outburst of questions. Can I deduct my health insurance?...

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According to the IRS, alimony payments are taxable to the recipient in the year received. In turn, the person paying the alimony can claim a deduction for the payments if the following tests are met: 1. You and your spouse or former spouse do not file a joint return with each other, 2. You pay in cash (including checks or money orders), 3. The divorce or separation instrument does not say that the payment is not alimony, 4. If legally separated under a decree of divorce or separate maintenance, you and your former spouse are not members of the same household when you make the payment, 5....

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Anyone who is closely related to an accountant knows that there are not four, but five seasons in a year: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and 'Tax Season.' During the other seasons, we accumulate leaves, snow, and mosquito bites. During 'Tax Season' we accumulate paper. And more paper. And if you have a small business or investments--even more paper. Whether you hire someone to prepare your taxes or attempt to decipher the forms yourself, it is imperative that your papers be in order for this 'fifth season....

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Emerging Legal issues of Tax compliance of e-business Self-assessment system relies on taxpayers voluntarily meeting their tax obligations by tax payee. This concept is recognised in all tax statutes, which sets out taxpayers' primary obligations to fill tax return on self-assessment, and clearly spells out that taxpayers are required to determine the amount of tax payable correctly and to pay it on time. Disclosure in this context is introduced for two main purposes. First, it is necessary to provide information for audit selection....

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Yes, the tax season is upon with the first filing date for some businesses being March 15, 2005. If you can't imagine getting your tax returns together by that date, you need not worry. The IRS automatically gives you an extension if your file the appropriate form. As you might expect, there are different forms for different businesses. An Important Note It is vitally important that you understand that an extension to file taxes is not an extension to PAY taxes. The IRS will give you a break on the filing date, but it wants the money now!...

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Deduction of Refinance Points Any points that you pay in the refinancing of your residence are tax deductible over the length of the loan in question. The deduction is allowable only if the residence is your primary home and the new mortgage replaces a previous one and/or is used to improve the residence. To the extent that money is taken out to pay off credit cards and non-residence costs, the points may not be used as a tax deduction. Big Deductions By Refinancing Twice If you refinanced your primary residence twice during 2004, you may be in for a very nice surprise....

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