If you owe tax with your federal tax return, but can’t afford to pay it all when you file, the IRS wants you to know your options and help you keep interest and penalties to a minimum.

Here are five tips:

1. File your return on time and pay as much as you can with the return. These steps will eliminate the late filing penalty, reduce the late payment penalty and cut down on interest charges. For electronic and credit card options for paying see IRS.gov. You may also mail a check payable to the United States Treasury

2. Consider obtaining a loan or paying by credit card. The interest rate and fees charged by a bank or credit card company may be lower than interest and penalties imposed by the Internal Revenue Code.

3. Request an installment payment agreement. You do not need to wait for IRS to send you a bill before requesting a payment agreement. Options for requesting an agreement include:
• Using the Online Payment Agreement application and
• Completing and submitting IRS Form 9465-FS, Installment Agreement Request, with your return

IRS charges a user fee to set up your payment agreement. See www.irs.gov or the installment agreement request form for fee amounts.

4. Request an extension of time to pay. For tax year 2011, qualifying individuals may request an extension of time to pay and have the late payment penalty waived as part of the IRS Fresh Start Initiative. To see if you qualify visit www.irs.gov and get form 1127-A, Application for Extension of Time for Payment. But hurry, your application must be filed by April 17, 2012.

5. If you receive a bill from the IRS, please contact us immediately to discuss these and other payment options. Ignoring the bill will only compound your problem and could lead to IRS collection action.
If you can’t pay in full and on time, the key to minimizing your penalty and interest charges is to pay as much as possible by the tax deadline and the balance as soon as you can. For more information on the IRS collection process go to or see IRSVideos.gov/OweTaxes.

WASHINGTON — Refunds totaling more than $1 billion may be waiting for one million people who did not file a federal income tax return for 2008, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. However, to collect the money, a return for 2008 must be filed with the IRS no later than Tuesday, April 17, 2012.

The IRS estimates that half of these potential 2008 refunds are $637 or more.

Some people may not have filed because they had too little income to require filing a tax return even though they had taxes withheld from their wages or made quarterly estimated payments.

In cases where a return was not filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity for claiming a refund.

If no return is filed to claim a refund within three years, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.

For 2008 returns, the window closes on April 17, 2012. The law requires that the return be properly addressed, mailed and postmarked by that date. There is no penalty for filing a late return qualifying for a refund.

The IRS reminds taxpayers seeking a 2008 refund that their checks may be held if they have not filed tax returns for 2009 and 2010. In addition, the refund will be applied to any amounts still owed to the IRS, and may be used to offset unpaid child support or past due federal debts such as student loans.

By failing to file a return, people stand to lose more than refunds of taxes withheld or paid during 2008. Some people, especially those who did not receive an economic stimulus payment in 2008, may qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit. In addition, many low-and moderate-income workers may not have claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC helps individuals and families whose incomes are below certain thresholds. The thresholds for 2008 were:

$38,646 ($41,646 if married filing jointly) for those with two or more qualifying children,
$33,995 ($36,995 if married filing jointly) for people with one qualifying child, and
$12,880 ($15,880 if married filing jointly) for those with no qualifying children.

For more information, visit the EITC Home Page on IRS.gov.

We can help you file your current and prior year tax returns. Contact us at 309-655-1040 for an appointment to get started.

The IRS has a tool to help people who have to repay their First-Time Homebuyer Credit. Reminder letters will no longer be mailed to taxpayers who have to repay the credit but you can now use an online lookup tool on the IRS website to check your repayment obligation. The following four tips will help you look up information on your First-Time Homebuyer Credit:

1. Who needs to repay the credit? If you bought a home in 2008 and claimed the First-Time Homebuyer Credit, the credit is similar to a no-interest loan and must be repaid in 15 equal annual installments that began with your 2010 return. Also, anyone who sold their home, or stopped using it as their main home, may have to repay the entire credit whether their home was purchased in 2008, 2009 or 2010.

2. Information needed to access the tool The First-Time Homebuyer Credit Tool will provide critical account information to help you report your repayment obligation on your tax return. To access the tool you will need: your Social Security number, date of birth and complete address. If you file a joint return, you’ll only be able to access your portion of the First-Time Homebuyer Credit account information.

3. What the tool provides The tool will show the original amount of the credit, annual repayment amounts, total amount paid and the total balance left to be paid. You will be able to print your account page to share with your tax preparer and keep for your records.

4. How to repay the credit To repay the First-Time Homebuyer Credit, add the amount you have to repay to any other tax you owe on your federal tax return. This could result in an additional tax owed or a reduced refund. To repay the credit, you report the repayment on line 59b on Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. If you make an installment payment, you do not need to attach Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit, to your tax return. However, if you are repaying the credit because the home stopped being your main home, you must attach Form 5405.

You can access the First-Time Homebuyer Credit Lookup Tool, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, visit the IRS.gov website.

Links:
First Time Homebuyer Credit Account Look-up
Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit and instructions

If you changed your name after a recent marriage or divorce, the IRS reminds you to take the necessary steps to ensure the name on your tax return matches the name registered with the Social Security Administration. A mismatch between the name shown on your tax return and the SSA records can cause problems in the processing of your return and may even delay your refund.

Here are five tips from the IRS for recently married or divorced taxpayers who have a name change. If you have questions about any of these tips, feel free to call Total Income Tax at 309-655-1040.

1. If you took your spouse’s last name — or if you hyphenated your last names, you may run into complications if you don’t notify the SSA. When newlyweds file a tax return using their new last names, IRS computers can’t match the new name with their Social Security number.

2. If you recently divorced and changed back to your previous last name, you’ll also need to notify the SSA of this name change.

3. Informing the SSA of a name change is easy. Simply file a Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, at your local SSA office or by mail and provide a recently issued document as proof of your legal name change.

4. Form SS-5 is available on SSA’s website at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/, by calling 800-772-1213 or at local offices. Your new card will have the same number as your previous card, but will show your new name.

5. If you adopted your spouse’s children after getting married and their names changed, you’ll need to update their names with SSA too. For adopted children without SSNs, the parents can apply for an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number – or ATIN – by filing Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions with the IRS. The ATIN is a temporary number used in place of an SSN on the tax return. Form W-7A is available on the IRS.gov website or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Link:
Form W-7A
Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions (ATIN)

Video:
Changed Your Name after Marriage or Divorce?

Going through these life changing situations can be difficult and stressful. If you have any questions or concerns about your tax returns call or email Total Income Tax at 309-655-1040 or william@totalincometax.com.

Tax Tips for the Self-Emloyed

There are many benefits that come from being your own boss. If you work for yourself, as an independent contractor, or you carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor, you are generally considered to be self-employed.

Here are six key points the IRS would like you to know about self-employment and self- employment taxes:

1. Self-employment can include work in addition to your regular full-time business activities, such as part-time work you do at home or in addition to your regular job.

2. If you are self-employed you generally have to pay self-employment tax as well as income tax. Self-employment tax is a Social Security and Medicare tax primarily for individuals who work for themselves. It is similar to the Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the pay of most wage earners. You figure self-employment tax using a Form 1040 Schedule SE. Also, you can deduct half of your self-employment tax in figuring your adjusted gross income.

3. You file an IRS Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, or C-EZ, Net Profit from Business, with your Form 1040.

4. If you are self-employed you may have to make estimated tax payments. This applies even if you also have a full-time or part-time job and your employer withholds taxes from your wages. Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that is not subject to withholding. If you fail to make quarterly payments you may be penalized for underpayment at the end of the tax year.

5. You can deduct the costs of running your business. These costs are known as business expenses. These are costs you do not have to capitalize or include in the cost of goods sold but can deduct in the current year.

6. To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your field of business. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your business. An expense does not have to be indispensable to be considered necessary.

Owning your own business can make tax time a hassle but we’re here to help! Just give us a call 309-655-1040 for your free consultation!

If you pay someone to prepare your tax return, the IRS urges you to choose that preparer wisely. Taxpayers are legally responsible for what’s on their tax return even if it is prepared by someone else. So, it is important to choose carefully when hiring an individual or firm to prepare your return. Most return preparers are professional, honest and provide excellent service to their clients.

This year, the IRS wants to remind all taxpayers that they should use only preparers who sign the returns they prepare and enter their Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTINs).

Here are a few points to keep in mind when someone else prepares your return:

1) Check the person’s qualifications. New regulations require all paid tax return preparers to have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). In addition to making sure they have a PTIN, ask if the preparer is affiliated with a professional organization and attends continuing education classes. The IRS is also phasing in a new test requirement to make sure those who are not an enrolled agent, CPA, or attorney have met minimal competency requirements. Those subject to the test will become a Registered Tax Return Preparer once they pass it.

2) Check the preparer’s history. Check to see if the preparer has a questionable history with the Better Business Bureau and check for any disciplinary actions and licensure status through the state boards of accountancy for certified public accountants; the state bar associations for attorneys; and the IRS Office of Enrollment for enrolled agents.

3) Find out about their service fees. Avoid preparers who base their fee on a percentage of your refund or those who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers. Also, always make sure any refund due is sent to you or deposited into an account in your name. Under no circumstances should all or part of your refund be directly deposited into a preparer’s bank account.

4) Ask if they offer electronic filing. Any paid preparer who prepares and files more than 10 returns for clients must file the returns electronically, unless the client opts to file a paper return. More than 1 billion individual tax returns have been safely and securely processed since the debut of electronic filing in 1990. Make sure your preparer offers IRS e-file.

5) Make sure the tax preparer is accessible. Make sure you will be able to contact the tax preparer after the return has been filed, even after the April due date, in case questions arise.

6) Provide all records and receipts needed to prepare your return. Reputable preparers will request to see your records and receipts and will ask you multiple questions to determine your total income and your qualifications for expenses, deductions and other items. Do not use a preparer who is willing to electronically file your return before you receive your Form W-2 using your last pay stub. This is against IRS e-file rules.

7) Never sign a blank return. Avoid tax preparers that ask you to sign a blank tax form.

8- Review the entire return before signing it. Before you sign your tax return, review it and ask questions. Make sure you understand everything and are comfortable with the accuracy of the return before you sign it.

9) Make sure the preparer signs the form and includes his or her preparer tax identification number (PTIN). A paid preparer must sign the return and include his or her PTIN as required by law. Although the preparer signs the return, you are responsible for the accuracy of every item on your return. The preparer must also give you a copy of the return.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2012 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2012, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

55.5 cents per mile for business miles driven
23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

The rate for business miles driven is unchanged from the mid-year adjustment that became effective on July 1, 2011. The medical and moving rate has been reduced by 0.5 cents per mile.

The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs as determined by the same study. Independent contractor Runzheimer International conducted the study.

Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the

Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) or after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle. In addition, the business standard mileage rate cannot be used for more than four vehicles used simultaneously.

These and other requirements for a taxpayer to use a standard mileage rate to calculate the amount of a deductible business, moving, medical or charitable expense are in Rev. Proc. 2010-51.

Notice 2012-01 contains the standard mileage rates, the amount a taxpayer must use in calculating reductions to basis for depreciation taken under the business standard mileage rate, and the maximum standard automobile cost that a taxpayer may use in computing the allowance under a fixed and variable rate plan.

What Can Be Given to a Charity?

While most anything can be given to charity, these are the more common forms of donated property:

Cash: Cash gifts are the easiest to give to a charity, both in terms of substantiating the deduction and in determining the value of the gift.

Real Estate: Real estate that is owned outright and which has appreciated in value can be given to a charity. The donor can generally deduct the fair market value of the property, up to an adjusted gross income (AGI) percentage limitation. When a charity sells donated appreciated property, the capital gain then escapes taxation, up to AGI percentage limits.

Securities: The best securities to donate tend to be those that have increased substantially in value. As with real estate, the donor can generally deduct the fair market value of the security and the capital gain escapes taxation when the security is sold by the charity.

Charitable Gift Tax Implications:

Gifts of cash and ordinary income property are generally deductible up to 50% of the donor’s adjusted gross income (AGI).

The fair market value of gifts of long-term capital gains property (e.g., real estate, stock) is deductible up to 30% of AGI. There is, however, a special election through which a donor may deduct up to 50% of AGI if the donor values the property at the lesser of fair market value or adjusted cost basis.

Charitable contributions in excess of the percentage limitations can be carried over and deducted for up to five succeeding years.

The donor must itemize income tax deductions in order to claim a charitable deduction. A portion of itemized deductions is phased out for taxpayers with an AGI above certain limits.

Life Insurance: If a charitable organization is made the owner and beneficiary of an existing life insurance policy, the donor can deduct the value of the policy as of the date of the transfer of ownership. The donor may then deduct all future amounts given to the charity to pay the premiums. If a charity is named just the beneficiary of an insurance policy on the donor’s life, no current income tax deduction is available. At the donor’s death, however, the donor’s estate receives an estate tax charitable deduction for the full amount of the policy death benefit.

Please contact my office if you’d like more information on charitable giving.

Starting in January, Illinois will allow couples who obtained civil-union licenses this year to file joint state income tax returns, a symbolic change that likely won’t save couples money but that one gay rights group called an important step.

Monday’s announcement comes after Illinois became the seventh state, along with the District of Columbia, to give same-sex couples significant legal protections. Gov. Pat Quinn signed the state’s civil union law in January.

That bill included the right to decide medical care for an ailing partner and the right to inherit property, but it didn’t include the ability for same-sex couples to file a joint tax return.

While federal law does not allow same-sex couples to submit taxes together, Quinn pushed for the state to make the change after signing the civil union bill, Illinois Department of Revenue spokeswoman Susan Hofer said Monday.

“This was basically the governor saying, ‘Find a way to make this work,’” she said.

New tax paperwork and other details haven’t been finalized. Officials plan to have same-sex couples who will file individual federal returns also fill out a joint federal return for the state’s use only, Hofer said.

The state income tax forms are based on a couple’s adjusted gross income on the federal return.

Illinois has a flat income tax of 5 percent, so the benefits couples receive from filing together for federal taxes won’t apply at the state level, Hofer said.

“It’s a fairness issue,” she said. “And that’s the way the governor presented it.”

Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov said the change would benefit same-sex couples in the future if lawmakers change the state tax code.

“We wanted to make sure that we don’t give up on that fight now only to create a real disadvantage for civil-union couples later down the road,” he said in an interview.

According to the group, Illinois will become the 10th state, along with Washington, D.C., to allow joint state tax returns.

A spokesman for Quinn did not return a message seeking comment Monday night.

(Obtained from the Associated Press)

Did you know that an astonishing 52 percent of small businesses are home-based? That’s according to the SBA’s Office of Advocacy.

Running a home-based business must have numerous advantages for many business models, and for businesses of different ages. For example, during the start-up phase it represents a low-cost and low-risk avenue for conducting business. However, a home office has its limitations. Small business owners often find that they are not cut out to work from home, or they’ve found their enterprise growing and need to hire employees, or they simply need a more professional space in which to conduct business.

But how do you make a seamless and cost-effective transition from a home-based business to a professional office space? Here are some best practices to consider as you expand beyond your home-based business environment.

Assess Your Needs and Your Budget

If you are considering a commercial property lease, make sure you have a clear sense of your budget on a per-square-foot basis. Ask yourself how many offices, cubes, or workstations you’ll need, now and in the future. If you anticipate further growth, preempt the need for multiple moves by looking for a building that has extra space you can expand into should you need it. For advice on negotiating a commercial lease, read: 6 Tips for Negotiating a Commercial Property Lease without Getting Burned.
Your budget should also include cost estimates for furniture, utilities, and IT needs. Don’t go overboard though; as you transition from home to an office, invest your resources wisely. One option is to rent office furniture and equipment, or buy government surplus equipment (a little known but very cost-effective way to equip your business.) Alternatively, you may want to introduce a hot-desking policy or shared office space. This will allow employees to literally share a “hot-desk” on a rotating basis. So if one employee is teleworking or taking flex time, another employee can use the same desk space.

Consider Serviced Offices or Suites

A great option for making the transition from a home office to a professional environment is to rent a serviced office or executive suite. Usually located in busy business districts, these premises are fully equipped and managed by a facility management firm. The rental agreements for these spaces are often more flexible than commercial leases and also give you the option of easily scaling up if you need to. Typically a serviced office broker can help you locate the right space.

Decide on a Location

Deciding on a location for you new office or retail outlet will take some research. You want your presence to be felt, but you also want to make sure you’re visible and within reach of your target customers. If you are in the retail service industry, having a store concept or design in mind is also a good idea; this will help you pitch your business to commercial leasing companies seeking the “right kind of tenant” for their property.
For more tips on choosing the right business location, read SBA’s Tips for Choosing a Business Locationand don’t forget to be aware of zoning restrictions at your new location.

Update Your Business Regulatory Paperwork

When you relocate your business to a new city, county, or state you’ll need to update several key business requirements. For example, both your business licenses and permits and your “Doing Business As” name (DBA) filing will need to be updated with your local government. Visit the Incorporating and Registering Your Business page for more information on how to re-register your business in a new location. If you move to a new state you’ll also need to understand your new city/county tax requirements, as well as notify your previous state of your move. Find links to your state revenue office here.

From Caron Beesley of SBA…
Caron Beesley has over 15 years of experience working in marketing, with a particular focus on the government sector. Caron is also a small business owner and works with the SBA.gov team to promote essential government resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses.