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).

If time is of the essence, and you can not afford to delay potential refunds, you can always file your return with the existing name the SSA has on record.  Then after you return is acknowledged by the IRS, you can begin the process of changing your name (and/or the names of your children) so that you will be set for next tax season.  If you would like any assistance, please contact an R&G Brenner professional today.

Source:  IRS.gov 

The Average DIY Taxpayer Lost b/w $347-$841

Fellow tax professional Dave Ramsey recently preformed a survey of 2000 taxpayers; about half of who prepared their own returns, and the other half who had them prepared professionally. This is what he found:

When you use software to file your income taxes, there’s a moment, an instant just before the point of no return, when you silently wonder—what if?

What if I didn’t enter the numbers correctly?
What if I miscalculated?
What if I missed a deduction or credit?
What if I claimed a deduction or credit I’m not eligible for?

All that uncertainty is one of the downsides of self-filing. Other disadvantages can hit you where it hurts most—your wallet.

Reduced Refund

Since most folks aren’t tax experts, it’s easy for them to miss deductions or credits when they self-file. They are also more likely to take the standard deduction instead of itemizing their expenses. Either of these mistakes could lower their refund.

Take a look at these numbers from our recent survey of 2,000 of Dave’s Facebook fans.

• Self-filers got an average refund of just less than $1,500.
• But folks who had their returns professionally prepared had an average refund of nearly $1,800!
• Procrastinating self-filers, those who filed their returns during April, got an average refund of more than $1,800, while those who used a pro got an average $2,600 refund!

Those folks potentially lost hundreds of dollars by trying to save a buck and doing their taxes themselves. It doesn’t seem like such a smart choice now, does it?

Magnified Mistakes

The cost of DIY tax prep isn’t limited to the size of your refund. Your mistakes can also cost you in the form of penalties and interest.

The IRS checks every return for a signature (manual or electronic) and math errors and cross-checks all sources of income that are reported via W2s, 1099s, etc. So if you fail to report any income or enter the wrong number in the wrong column, the IRS will call you on it.

And if it turns out you owe taxes, by the time the IRS notifies you, penalties and interest will have already inflated that amount. You’ll be charged a penalty for paying late and you’ll be charged interest from the date the tax was due until the date of payment, and it compounds daily.

By working with a tax professional, you’ll not only have confidence that your taxes will be done right the first time, you’ll also have peace of mind that your tax professional will be there to help you if the IRS has questions about your return. File with [consumer] tax software, and you’re on your own if the IRS comes knocking…

The evidence is clear; trying to save pennies with DIY tax software can cost you thousands of dollars in unclaimed refunds, penalties and/or interest.  And one of the most important losses is your time.  Remember, even if you are using a “free” DIY tax service, you still have to take the time to for research, record keeping, learning the program and double checking all the figures.   It obvious that receiving a larger well deserved refund is more valuable than smaller refund.   However, the old adage that “time is more valuable than money” couldn’t be more true especially when the IRS reports that it can cost a taxpayer up to 32 hours simply to prepare an annual tax return!

So, save yourself time, money & the stress of preparing your income tax return yourself and contact an R&G Brenner tax professional today.  We offer a free consultation for your current year tax returns as well as your 3 previous years returns.  Plus, you can qualify for many promotions that can save you money & even make you money.

Source: daveramsey.com

The Wall Street Journal printed an interesting piece which offers a “rare glimpse into how the ultra-wealthy can use the tax code to their benefit and [other] important lessons…” While the average taxpayer may not benefit from these tax positions, it is nonetheless interesting and important to be aware of.  The following list is what the experts have discovered from combing through Romney’s return:

A. Avoid salary, wages and tips to the extent possible. The Romneys reported no such compensation, which is taxable at rates up to 35%. In addition, these types of pay are subject to payroll taxes: a 6.2% Social Security tax (lowered to 4.2% in 2011) and 1.45% in Medicare tax, both of which the employer matches. While the Social Security tax is capped each year at a certain income level ($110,100 for 2012), the Medicare tax isn’t.

Some experts believe “carried interest,” or profits such as those from investments that Mr. Romney received as a partner at Bain Capital, should be taxed as compensation at rates up to 35%. Currently, those profits usually count as capital gains and are taxed at a top rate of 15%.

B. Muni-bond interest isn’t the be-all and end-all. Many wealthy people turn to municipal bonds for tax-free income, but the Romneys reported only $557 of tax-free interest in 2010—and $3.3 million of taxable interest.

Kenneth Brier, an attorney at Brier & Geurden in Needham, Mass., notes that Massachusetts has a flat tax of 5.3%, making munis less attractive there than in high-tax states with graduated rates such as New York or California. And because the Romneys’ overall tax rate is so low, the after-tax difference between munis and taxable bonds might not be large enough to justify investing in munis, Mr. Ochsenschlager says.

Some of the taxable interest on the Romney’s 2010 return came from U.S. Treasurys; such interest isn’t subject to state taxes.

C. Strive for “qualified” dividends. The Romneys’ 2010 return reports $3.3 million of qualified dividends, which are taxed at a top rate of 15%. (There is another $1.6 million of nonqualified dividends, taxed like interest income.)

What makes a dividend “qualified”? In general, the dividend must be from a stock held at least two months and paid by any domestic corporation or most foreign corporations. The dividend can’t come from a stock that a brokerage firm has lent as part of a short sale, says Robert Willens, an independent tax expert in New York.

D. If you have a “Schedule C” business, think twice before claiming a home-office deduction. The Romneys didn’t take one on either of two Schedule C forms, which are for business results reported on personal returns. The Romneys used their Schedule C forms for director’s fees and speaking fees.

Not only do home-office deductions raise red flags at the IRS, but they can come back to haunt taxpayers when the home is sold: Part of the gain on the home’s sale may not be eligible for the $250,000 or $500,000 tax exclusion because taxpayers who took depreciation deductions in prior years have to reduce the exclusion by that amount.

In addition to raising taxes in many cases, this poses a record-keeping problem, Mr. Ochsenschlager says.

E. Generate income from long-term capital gains. The biggest factor in the Romneys’ super-low tax rate is their outsize income from capital gains: $12.6 million in 2010. Most of that consisted of long-term gains, which, like qualified dividends, are taxed at a top rate of 15%.

The benefits don’t end there. While the tax code gives wage earners almost no flexibility as to timing, the capital-gains rules offer unparalleled flexibility. Investors can often time when they take a gain or loss, and losses may be used to offset gains so that no tax is due. There are few restrictions: For example, a loss on land held as an investment can offset the gain from a stock.

Net capital losses can shelter up to $3,000 a year of ordinary income from tax, and losses can be carried forward indefinitely to shelter future gains. Canny investors or their advisers often “harvest” losses during market downturns, reacquire the investment after 30 days and use those losses to offset future gains, Mr. Willens says.

On Schedule D of their 2010 return, the Romneys’ original long-term capital gain of $16.8 million was reduced by $4.8 million of carried-over long-term capital losses.

F. Know the score on itemized deductions. One way the Romneys resemble many other taxpayers is that they didn’t get a medical-expenses deduction. Only expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income are deductible; for the Romneys, that hurdle amounted to $1.6 million, while they reported medical expenses of just $14,176.

The Romneys did make tax-wise charitable contributions. They gave away nearly $3 million, almost 14% of their adjusted gross income, about half in cash and half in other forms.

All of their contributions were fully deductible, whereas the biggest givers are subject to limits. Billionaire Warren Buffett, for example, gives away such vast sums each year that much of it can’t be deducted from his income tax (though the gifts will be out of his estate).

Making noncash gifts—such as appreciated stock or other assets—often is a smart move for people like the Romneys because they can skip paying capital-gains tax on any appreciation, while getting a full deduction.

For example, say a higher-bracket taxpayer has 100 shares of stock bought years ago for $30 a share that is worth $80 when he donates it. If he sold the stock, paid tax and gave the remaining cash to charity, it would receive $7,250 and he would have a deduction of the same amount. If he gives the stock directly to the charity, it would receive $8,000, and he could deduct the full $8,000. (Some restrictions apply.)

G. Capital gains and dividends can help trigger the AMT. Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends are taxed at 15% and aren’t subject to the alternative minimum tax.

The AMT takes away the value of deductions, such as the one for state taxes, when taxpayers are deemed to have too many write-offs. But a large percentage of capital gains and dividends in a taxpayer’s overall income mix can cause a taxpayer to owe AMT.

The reason: With capital gains and dividends off limits, deductions loom large relative to other income, and that triggers AMT. The Romneys paid $232,989 in AMT in 2010 and lost the value of their state tax and other deductions, according to Jay Starkman, a CPA in Atlanta. “Without that, their tax rate would have been even lower,” he says.

H. Beware of small benefits requiring large tax-prep efforts. The oddest line on the Romneys’ 2010 return is a tax credit for $1 of “General Business Credit.” Don Williamson of American University’s Kogod Tax Center says the credit could be for hiring a disadvantaged youth or qualified veteran and it flowed through from an investment partnership.

But likely it cost far more than $1 just to fill out the three-page Form 8300 for the return. Mr. Williamson says he sees this problem all the time. Often tax-prep fees are disproportionate to an investment’s tax benefit or the income it produces, he says—especially with larger investment partnerships.

One other lesson: For the wealthy, offshore investments can save onshore taxes. Robert Gordon, head of Twenty-First Securities in New York, a firm specializing in tax strategies, points out that the Romneys’ 2010 return has 17 different filings of IRS Form 8621. Each indicates an investment, perhaps a hedge or private-equity fund, held in an offshore corporation.

These are legal arrangements, Mr. Gordon stresses. They can have significant tax advantages for the wealthy who live in high-tax states—especially Massachusetts, because its flat tax allows no deductions.

Investments held offshore in what is known as a “blocker corporation” can allow U.S. taxpayers to pay less tax than if the same investment were made through an onshore entity, Mr. Gordon says.

He offers an example. Say a partnership based in the U.S. invests $100, $80 of which is borrowed. It earns $5 of profits and has $4 in interest expense, for $1 of net pretax profit. In Massachusetts there isn’t an interest deduction, so the entire $5 would be taxable.

If the investment were held in a fund based in the Cayman Islands, however, only $1 would be taxable in Massachusetts. Federal deductions subject to limits would also be preserved, Mr. Gordon says.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

With recent tax law changes and the extension of the payroll tax holiday, taxpayers may wonder how these things affect their 2011 tax returns…

“Marriage, divorce, having a child, even going back to college — these life changes can bring about tax savings,” said Kathy Pickering, executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block. “Every year, taxpayers are leaving money on the table by not claiming all of the credits and deductions to which they are entitled.”

Some of those changes taxpayers should take into account impact workers, homeowners, college students and many others.  The following tips can help you–the taxpayer–navigate these changes:

1. Payroll tax holiday has been extended for two months – While it doesn’t impact the tax return, it certainly impacts everyday financial decisions. The 2-percent payroll tax holiday, which amounts to a temporary pay raise for many workers, was extended for two months through Feb. 29. Unless Congress extends this tax cut through the rest of 2012, the employees’ portion of Social Security contributions will return to the 2010 amount of 6.2 percent of wages for 160 million workers. This would mean almost a $1,000 decrease in take-home pay for someone earning $50,000 over the full year.

2. Millions may be eligible to claim casualty losses – There were many natural disasters in 2011, including Hurricane Irene, tornadoes in the Midwest and Texas wildfires, resulting in a record-breaking number of federal disaster areas. Claiming a casualty loss as an itemized tax deduction could mean significant tax savings for millions of taxpayers in a federal disaster area. Losses in a federally declared disaster area in 2011 can be claimed on either an amended 2010 return or a 2011 return.

3. Education credit extended – One of the most overlooked credits is the American Opportunity Credit, which was extended through 2012. This credit allows eligible taxpayers to claim up to $2,500 for each of the first four years of college for each student. Through 2012, the Tuition and Fees Deduction provides a reduction in taxable income of up to $4,000, and the Lifetime Learning Creditis worth up to $2,000 per return for post-secondary degree programs. These education benefits cannot be combined for the same student, so taxpayers should choose the one that is most beneficial. Also, with today’s average college graduate having more than $25,000 in student loan debt, they should remember to deduct student loan interest.

4. Energy credits have been reduced – Taxpayers may claim energy-efficiency tax credits for up to 10 percent of the cost of eligible home improvements, but the maximum lifetime credit is now $500 instead of $1,500. If taxpayers already claimed credits equal to or greater than $500 in previous years, then they cannot claim the credit on a 2011 return.

5. Credit for hybrid vehicles has expired – Though the tax credit for hybrid vehicles expired, taxpayers may claim a credit for 2011 for neighborhood vehicles, conversion kits and plug-in electric drive vehicles, such as the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.

6. New cost basis reporting requirements in effect – Beginning this year, the IRS now requires brokers to report the cost basis, as well as the sale of stocks and securities. Use the cost basis reported by the broker to help calculate the amount of capital gains taxes owed on a 2011 return.

7. Adoption credit is fully refundable – The Adoption Credit can be claimed for qualified expenses up to $13,360 for 2011. The IRS will refund any amount of the credit that exceeds the adoptive parents’ tax liability.

8. Tax deadline is April 17 – Because April 15 is a Sunday and Washington, D.C., will observe Emancipation Day on April 16, the deadline to file federal tax returns is April 17. Most deadlines for filing state returns are also April 17; however some states may differ…

Contact R&G Brenner to help you navigate this extraordinarily difficult tax year or call us toll free at (888) APRIL-15.  We also offer live video conferencing via Skype from the comfort of your home or office.

Source: Yahoo Finance

Happy New Year!

With all the uncertainty the still remains regarding the tax code for 2011, there is still some steps you can take to help save or off-set some taxes.  Here are 5 tips from small business advocate Barbara Weltman to help you out before the apple drops on 2011:

1. Don’t bill yet for work you’re doing now. Typically you’d send an invoice as quickly as possible, but Weltman suggests at this point, for tax purposes, you “consider waiting until the end of the year to send it. This will ensure payment is received in 2012, and taxes on the income are deferred for another year.” One caveat, according to Weltman, is if you expect to be subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) in 2011. If so, the opposite approach may make more sense — bill immediately to receive the income in 2011, so “your income will be taxed at no more than 28 percent under the AMT vs. a regular tax rate of up to 35 percent,” Weltman says.

Another factor to keep in mind: If you have any concerns about getting paid, it’s not worth it to delay invoicing just for the tax benefits. “The sooner you start collections,” Weltman says, “the more likely you’ll receive all that you’re owed.”

2. Buy office supplies before the end of the year. Assuming you have the space to store it, try to stock up on the paper, toner or other office supplies you project to use throughout 2012. “Order them now so that the cost is deductible in 2011,” Weltman says.

Weltman says an exception to this deduction is prepaid expenses for something that extends beyond the end of next year. For example, if you prepay a three-year subscription to a trade journal or renew a three-year membership to a trade association, that cost is deductible over three years, not just in 2011.

3. Invest in a qualified retirement plan. ”If 2011 is expected to be profitable and you don’t yet have a qualified retirement plan, sign the paperwork to establish one for your business before the end of the year,” Weltman says. “You’ll then have until the extended due date of your return to fund the plan.”

Weltman suggests you talk to a brokerage firm, mutual fund or other financial institution about what you need to do to adopt the plan for 2011. Find more information about qualified retirement plans in IRS Publication 560 (while it has not yet been updated for contribution and benefit limits in 2011, the general rules continue to apply).

4. Splurge on equipment. Want an iPad? Need more office computers? Tempted by the after Christmas sales? According to Weltman, if you buy the equipment and start to use it in your business before the end of the year, you can claim a full-write off. The write-off is available whether you finance the purchase in whole or in part. Here’s what Weltman says you need to do to get this deduction:

• Use the Section 179 (“expensing”) deduction for pre-owned property. This write-off is allowed only if you are profitable. The dollar limit on purchases for 2011 is $500,000.

• Use 100 percent bonus depreciation for new property, whether or not you are profitable. The write-off of the entire cost of eligible property can create or increase a net operating loss, which can mean a refund of some or all of the taxes paid in the prior two years.

5. Settle up your accounts payable. ”You may have bills piled up that are not due until 2012 — if you pay them now, you can deduct the expenses in 2011,” says Weltman. If you don’t have the funds in your bank account at the moment, Weltman says you should consider putting the expenses on your business credit card if the vendor or other party allows it. Costs charged to a major credit card before the end of the year are deductible this year even though the credit card bill isn’t due until 2012.

Though you may be tight on time, Weltman says you shouldn’t skip one more important step: “Contact your CPA or other tax advisor immediately to discuss whether these or other last-minute actions make sense for your tax situation,” she says.

If you would like any last minute advice, contact an R&G Brenner representative today!

Source: Huffington Post

“What was supposed to be this way of expressing our love was going to seriously confuse our taxes, investments, estate planning, really all our finances,” says [Maggy] Porter, a registered nurse. “Our CPA is great, but even he seems pretty bewildered”

While marriage can save heterosexual couples a bundle, it could cost same-sex couples thousands of dollars in extra taxes and professional advice…

“Filing taxes for same-sex spouses is much more complicated, more expensive and time-consuming, and there is very little guidance from the IRS or elsewhere,” says Pan Haskins, a certified public accountant in San Francisco.

While the makers of popular do-it-yourself tax programs like Turbotax & H&R Block are modifying their programs to navigate these complex rules, financial planners are recommending that same-sex couples hire a tax professional to navigate these tax labyrinths:

New York State advises couples do two sets of federal returns — official individual returns for each partner, and a dummy return as if the pair were filing jointly. The joint return is “not to submit but to use it as a work sheet so that you are bringing the correct income information onto a joint state return,” says Ed Walsh, spokesman for the state Department of Taxation and Finance.

Some same-sex spouses are fed up enough to submit that joint federal return. Haskins reports, in her experience, the IRS has so far not challenged same-sex married returns. (IRS forms don’t ask for gender identification.) But she warns couples who file federal returns jointly that they risk financial penalties and a potential audit. “This,” she says, “is still the Wild West of financial planning.

If you would like more information regarding same-sex tax implications, contact an R&G Brenner representative today.  The following are some tax tips to consider for same-sex tax filers:

CONSIDER HOLDING ASSETS JOINTLY:  Income or expenses from joint assets can be allocated all or in part to either owner’s return.

INCOME: (e.g. interest, dividends, capital gains) may be shifted to the partner with the lower income, while deductions (e.g. mortgage interest, real estate taxes, capital losses) may be claimed by the partner in the higher income tax bracket. This could lead to tax savings for both partners.

TAXES ON HEALTH INSURANCE:  Unlike heterosexual marriages, employer-based health coverage for same-sex spouses is not tax-exempt, and employers must report it as income to the IRS.

Source: Newsday

The IRS is going after persons who do not file a gift tax return by checking public records of any large transactions showing little or no payment; such as a house. There are exceptions to the above but if you contemplate making any gifts in excess of the $13,000 you should see a tax professional in order to comply with all laws.

A note for New York residents, the NY Estate Tax free amount is $1,000,000 so you can owe nothing top Uncle Sam but have to pay New York

The Internal Revenue Service is making it easier for some “innocent spouses” to escape liability for their husband or wife’s tax debt.

Under the law, taxpayers who file joint returns are generally liable for the tax debts of their partners. However, spouses who are unaware that their partners have underpaid federal income taxes or underreported their tax liability may qualify for relief from the IRS. The IRS had required innocent spouses to apply for relief within two years of the agency starting a collection action. But yesterday the IRS eliminated the two year time limit for some applications after lawmakers and advocates complained that many abused or divorced spouses may not become aware of IRS collection efforts for years. To qualify for relief, taxpayers must apply for an “innocent spouse” designation.

Source: newsday.com

Try it for yourself and see…   Get Your Tax Receipt

If you’re trying to figure out how much of your tax dollars went to bail out the banks etc. it may be hard to find since it was lumped in with other categories.

For example the online tax receipt seems to reduce billions of dollars pumped into Fannie and Freddie. The, White House says that’s because the figure is being offset with the money banks already returned from the Troubled Asset Relief Program bailout. That’s explained in a footnote that appears when users hover their mouse over the linked text.

A White House official said that they lumped expenditures in the “additional” category, because the expenses didn’t fit elsewhere — not to obscure the cost of programs.”

Thought the receipt system may not be as transparent as some would desire it is still interesting to see.

Source: CNN.com

Rumor has it that a popular radio station in the New York area has given the wrong information and stated that NYS tax returns are due on the regular filing date, however this is incorrect.  Both Federal and NYS tax returns are due on the extended filing date for the current tax filing.

LATE FILERS BEWARE: The extended deadline only applies to the current tax year.  If you are filing a 2007 tax return that is due a refund you will only have until today 4/15/11 to submit it on time to receive your refunds.    The deadline is not extended on late tax returns so make sure to send in those tax returns and have them postdated today.