Engelman Accountancy

Use adjusted tax numbers for your 2012 tax planning

January 31st, 2012

Each year the IRS adjusts certain tax numbers for inflation and tax law changes. Here are some of the adjusted numbers you’ll need for your 2012 tax planning.
Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Tax Deadlines

January 31st, 2012

Note the following 2012 tax deadlines:

  • February 15 – Deadline for providing 2011 Forms 1099-B and 1099-S to recipients.
  • February 28 – Payers must file 2011 information returns (such as 1099s) with the IRS. (Electronic filers have until April 2 to file.)
  • February 29 – Employers must send 2011 W-2 copies to the Social Security Administration. (Electronic filers have until April 2 to file.)
  • March 1 – Farmers and fishermen who did not make 2011 estimated tax payments must file 2011 tax returns and pay taxes in full.
  • March 15 – 2011 calendar-year corporation income tax returns are due.

Read the rest of this entry »

Watch out for scams when selling your business

January 23rd, 2012

You’ve spent years developing your business, building its value, enhancing its reputation. Now you’re ready to move on. You place a “Business for Sale” advertisement in the Internet classifieds, and the next day an eager – overly eager – buyer approaches you with a deal that seems too good to be true. The buyer offers full price and wants to structure the deal as a stock sale. A stock sale means the buyer will get the entire business, including all its assets (cash, checking accounts, receivables, inventory, and so on) at closing. The buyer doesn’t ask tough questions about the firm and seems in a hurry to close the sale. He or she offers a 10% down payment and says the full balance will be paid off within a year.
Read the rest of this entry »

IRS expands innocent spouse relief

January 15th, 2012

If you file a joint income tax return with your spouse, you are considered "jointly and severally" liable for the payment of all taxes owed. The IRS can come after either you or your spouse for the entire amount of tax due, plus any penalties and interest due.
Read the rest of this entry »

Last-minute 2011 deal reached on payroll tax cut

January 6th, 2012

On December 23, 2011, Congress finally approved a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut for American workers. The agreement was reached after weeks of partisan bickering. Though both Democrats and Republicans wanted a one-year extension of the tax cut, they could not agree on how to pay for a year-long extension and settled on a paid-for two-month extension.
Read the rest of this entry »

It's tax time again

January 6th, 2012

It’s time to file various tax returns once again. If any of the following tax deadlines will apply to you, circle the dates on your 2012 calendar.
Read the rest of this entry »

Face the alternative minimum tax (AMT) head-on

November 29th, 2011

The alternative minimum tax (AMT) – often called a “stealth tax” – snares unsuspecting or uninformed taxpayers each year. With a better understanding of the rules, you may be able to avoid or reduce adverse tax consequences.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tax tips for year-end charitable giving

November 29th, 2011

As the year draws to a close, you may decide to donate cash or property to one or more worthy causes. Besides the satisfaction of helping others, there’s another reward for your benevolence: a tax deduction on your 2011 return. But keep the following points in mind:
Read the rest of this entry »

New worker classification program offered by the IRS

November 29th, 2011

Companies that have had worker classification issues are being offered a settlement program by the IRS. The program, labeled the “Voluntary Worker Classification Settlement Program,” will let employers who previously misclassified employees as independent contractors make a minimal payment to settle the tax dispute.
Read the rest of this entry »

New law signed by President Obama on November 21, 2011

November 29th, 2011

On November 21, 2011, President Obama signed the Three Percent Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act into law. This new law repeals three percent withholding on certain payments to government contractors. The law, H.R. 674, was amended to include the Vow to Hire Heroes Act which provides tax credits to employers who hire unemployed veterans.
Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark and Share
Copyright © 2012 Engelman Accountancy All Rights Reserved
520 S. El Camino Real, Suite 410, San Mateo, CA 94402-1717