by The MDTAXES Network | Sep 13, 2023 | 2023 Sept news
If you are starting your own business, opening up a private practice or thinking about implementing a new retirement plan for your existing business, you have several retirement plan options available to you.
Below is a list of the primary retirement plan options for small businesses summarizing the key features (for 2023) of each plan.
SEP-IRA
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- Contribution limits:
- 25% of employee W-2 wages up to a maximum contribution of $66,000, or
- 20% of owners net SE income (for Schedule C and Partnership income) after the self-employment tax deduction up to a maximum contribution capped at $66,000
- Date to establish and fund the plan:
- The filing date of the tax return including extension
- Form 5500 annual tax return filing requirement:
- Best suited for:
- SE individuals/entities with no employees
- SE individuals/entities with employees who have worked for less than 3 years
- Moonlighting individuals paid as an independent contractor (1099-NEC) who decide to contribute additional amounts to a retirement plan when meeting with their tax preparer after December 31, 2023
Solo 401k
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- Contribution limits:
- $22,500 as an employee/salary deferral contribution
- $7,500 as an employee/salary deferral catch-up contribution (if age 50 or greater)
- 20% of owner’s net SE income after self-employment tax deduction as an employer contribution, or
- 25% of employee W-2 wages as an employer contribution
- Total maximum combined contribution capped at $66,000 (or $73,500 including $7,500 catch-up contribution)
- Date to establish and fund the plan:
- Plan must be established by December 31 of the current year
- Employee/salary deferral portion must be contributed by December 31 of the current year
- Employer contribution must be contributed by the tax return filing date including extension
- Form 5500 annual tax return filing requirement:
- Once Plan assets equal or exceed $250,000 at the end of the tax year the Plan is required to file Form 5500-EZ
- Best suited for:
- Self-employed individuals with no employees except a spouse (and other employees that work less than 1,000 hours per year)
- Owner is not already part of a salary deferral plan (401(k), 403(b), SIMPLE) with another employer
- Owners that annually fund a “Back-Door Roth Conversion”
SIMPLE IRA
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- Contribution limits:
- Employee elective deferral limited to $15,500 plus catch-up provision of $3,500
- Employer can either match employee elective deferrals (for only participating employees) dollar for dollar up to 3% of W-2 wages (which can be reduced to 1% in any 2 out of a 5-year period) or contribute 2% of W-2 wages (up to $330K of wages) for all eligible employees (including non-participating employees)
- Date to establish and fund the plan:
- Plan must be established by October 1 of the current year
- Employer contributions must be contributed by the tax return filing date including extension
- Form 5500 annual tax return filing requirement:
- Best suited for:
- Newly formed or small employer entities that want to offer a salary deferral retirement plan to their employees at minimal costs (with regard to both employer contributions and administration costs), and
- The owner either cannot afford or prefers not to make a large retirement contribution on his/her own behalf
401k
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- Contribution limits:
- Employee elective deferral limited to $22,500 plus catch-up provision of $7,500
- Combined employee and employer contribution limited to $66,000 or $73,500 including a catch-up provision
- Typically set up as a Safe Harbor Plan for smaller entities – to guarantee the owner’s contribution is not limited:
- Non-Elective Safe Harbor Plan: 3% employer non-matching contribution for all eligible employees’ W-2 wages
- Enhanced Safe Harbor Match: dollar for dollar matching contribution up to 4% (not to exceed 6%) of W-2 wages for participating employees
- Date to establish and fund the plan:
- Plan must be established by December 31 of the current year
- Employer contributions must be contributed by the tax return filing date including extension
- Form 5500 annual tax return filing requirement:
- the Plan is required to file Form 5500-EZ
- Best suited for:
- Established entities that can afford the company contribution funding amount plus administrative costs
- The owner plans to significantly fund or maximize his/her retirement contribution
Navigating the maze of retirement plan options to find the best opportunity for your company is not a simple task. The list above provides a basic summary of information for small business retirement plans. And working with your tax advisor to fully discuss the pros and cons of each plan as it relates to your practice or business will assist you in determining the best retirement planning strategy for your company.
by The MDTAXES Network | Sep 13, 2023 | 2023 Sept news
The IRS recently issued proposed regulations requiring brokers to provide reports of digital asset transactions, including cryptocurrency sales, to their customers at year-end.
Per the proposed regulations, beginning with the 2025 tax/calendar year, brokers that provide digital asset transactional services to their customers will be required to track and report gross proceeds from these investments to their customers. Proceeds from digital asset transactions will be reported on a Form 1099-DA. For sales that take place after 2025 this new report will be required to include basis and capital gain information to facilitate the reporting of these transactions by taxpayers on their annual personal income tax return.
Because of the lack of a standardized tax reporting requirement for digital assets, the proposed regulations should simplify and clarify necessary tax information from these specialized investments and will facilitate the proper reporting of these investment transactions on personal income tax returns annually.
As these are only proposed regulations and not final, we will continue to track the progress of this new reporting initiative.
by The MDTAXES Network | Sep 5, 2023 | 2023 Sept news
Third quarter estimated taxes are due 9/15. For anyone paying estimated taxes, we now recommend that you make those payments online. Doing so is much safer than sending the IRS a check, and you receive an instant confirmation that the payment has been processed. Sadly, the IRS hasn’t done a great job processing their mail lately.
Plus, there is a new scam where people steal checks from a mailbox, “wash” the check with specific chemicals to allow them to change just the payee and the amount while keeping the signature intact, and then deposit that fraudulent check into their own bank account to steal the funds. Learn more about check washing at: https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-check-washing/.
To make the payment online if you haven’t yet set up an account with the IRS, simply:
- Go to irs.gov
- Click on Make a Payment (https://www.irs.gov/payments)
- Click on Pay Now with Direct Debit (https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay)
- Click on Make a Payment (https://directpay.irs.gov/directpay/payment?execution=e1s1)
- Select the following:
- Reason for Payment: Estimated Tax
- Apply Payment To: 1040ES
- Tax Period for Payment: 2023
Answer the rest of the questions and you should be all set to make the payment. Massachusetts and most other states allow you to pay any state estimates due using their Tax Department website.
by The MDTAXES Network | Sep 5, 2023 | 2023 Sept news
From IRS News IR-2023-49, March 20, 2023
In a further warning to people and businesses, the Internal Revenue Service added widely circulating promoter claims involving Employee Retention Credits as a new entry in the annual Dirty Dozen list of tax scams.
For the start of the annual Dirty Dozen list of tax scams, the IRS spotlighted Employee Retention Credits following blatant attempts by promoters to con ineligible people to claim the credit. Renewing several earlier alerts, the IRS highlighted schemes from promoters who have been blasting ads on radio and the internet touting refunds involving Employee Retention Credits, also known as ERCs. These promotions can be based on inaccurate information related to eligibility for and computation of the credit.
The IRS is stepping up enforcement action involving these ERC claims, and people considering filing for these claims – only valid during the pandemic for a limited group of businesses – should be aware they are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of the information on their tax return. The IRS Small Business/Self-Employed division has trained auditors examining these types of claims, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division is on the lookout for promoters of fraudulent claims for credits.
“Businesses should be wary of advertised schemes and direct solicitations promising tax savings that are too good to be true,” Werfel said. “They should listen to the advice of their trusted tax professional. Taxpayers should remember that they are always responsible for the information reported on their tax returns. Improperly claiming this credit could result in taxpayers having to repay the credit along with potential penalties and interest.”
When properly claimed, the ERC is a refundable tax credit designed for businesses that continued paying employees while shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic or that had a significant decline in gross receipts during the eligibility periods. The credit is not available to individuals.
Beware of ERC promotions
While many eligible employers claimed and have already received the ERC, some third parties continue to widely advertise their services targeting taxpayers who may not be eligible for the ERC. Unfortunately, these advertisements, along with the increased prevalence of websites touting how easy it is to qualify for the ERC, lend an air of legitimacy to abusive claims for refund.
Tax professionals have reported receiving undue pressure from clients to participate and claim the ERC, even when the tax professional believes the client is not entitled to the credit. The IRS encourages the tax professional community to continue to advise clients not to file ERC claims when the tax professional believes they do not qualify.
The IRS has been warning about this scheme since last fall, but there continue to be attempts to claim the ERC during the 2023 tax filing season.
Third party promoters of the ERC often don’t accurately explain eligibility for and computation of the credit. They may make broad arguments suggesting that all employers are eligible without evaluating an employer’s individual circumstances. For example, only recovery startup businesses are eligible for the ERC in the fourth quarter of 2021, but these third-party promoters fail to explain this limitation. In addition, some third parties do not inform employers that they cannot claim the ERC on wages that were reported as payroll costs in obtaining Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness.
Additionally, some of these advertisements exist solely to collect the taxpayer’s personally identifiable information in exchange for false promises. The scammers then use the information to conduct identity theft.
The IRS reminds all taxpayers that the willful filing of false information and fraudulent tax forms can lead to serious civil and criminal penalties.
Properly claiming the ERC
Eligible taxpayers can claim the ERC on an original or amended employment tax return for qualified wages paid between March 13, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021. However, to be eligible, employers must have:
Learn more at: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-opens-2023-dirty-dozen-with-warning-about-employee-retention-credit-claims-increased-scrutiny-follows-aggressive-promoters-making-offers-too-good-to-be-true
by The MDTAXES Network | Sep 5, 2023 | 2023 Sept news
We recently received this question from a client:
Q: Just wanted to give you a heads up. If all goes according to plan, we will be signing the sale agreement this week for my office. Is there any way to reduce the tax implications of the transaction?
A: Here are 5 steps to take to minimize your taxes when selling your practice:
- Confirm that all of the payments you receive will be considered Capital Gains, and none will be Ordinary Income. The long-term Capital Gains term rate is half of the Ordinary Income rates.
- Make sure you will max out the 401k salary deferrals for $30k (since you are over the age of 50) prior to the sale date in case you may not be eligible to participate in the 401k plan of the successor company until next year.
- Speak with your investment advisors and have them sell any stocks and mutual funds you are holding that went down in value. Losses realized prior to December 31st from your investments held in taxable accounts will offset the capital gain on the sale. Make sure they don’t rebuy the same investments within 30 days of the sale or the losses will be disallowed under the Wash Sale rules.
- Also speak with your investment advisors about rolling some of the gain from the sale into an Opportunity Zone partnership. Doing so will allow you to defer paying taxes on the portion of the gain used to purchase an interest in an OZ. Please note that Opportunity Zones are investments made in distressed communities in the US, so they are inherently risky investments that also aren’t very liquid; which means that money may be tied up in that investment for a while. For more information, check out: https://schwartzaccountants.com/2019/11/defer-and-possibly-reduce-taxes-on-capital-gains-by-investing-in-a-qualified-opportunity-fund/
- And consider making a large contribution to your Donor Advised Fund the year you have a substantial gain. For more information, check out: https://schwartzaccountants.com/2020/11/using-donor-advised-funds-for-charitable-giving-12-31-deadline/ and https://schwartzaccountants.com/2018/04/tax-benefits-of-establishing-a-donor-advised-fund-daf/.
by The MDTAXES Network | Sep 5, 2023 | 2023 Sept news
Did you recently drop off one or more of your kids at college? As we all know from our undergraduate years, a lot of what college kids learn is learned outside the classroom. Why not take this opportunity to plant the seeds for a few practical personal finance lessons as part of your child’s college experience? Here are two pieces of sound financial planning advice I gave my son as he prepared to start his freshman year.
Budgeting Basics:
Sticking to a budget is helpful for businesses as well as for households. While some people put together very detailed budgets each year, my son opted for a much simpler alternative to track whether he will end up sticking to his budget each semester.
During the summer before freshman year, my son opened his own checking account along with a companion savings account, and then deposited all of his paychecks from his summer job, plus any graduation gifts he received, into his new savings account. He feels he earned enough during the summer to have built a sufficient stash in his savings account to cover his books and spending money for the entire freshman year.
Here is the step that will help him learn about budgeting basics. In order to make this pool of money last throughout both semesters, he only transferred enough money from his savings account into his checking account to cover one semester’s projected spending. Doing so lets him easily monitor his cumulative spending as compared to his budget.
If there is any money left over in his checking account at the end of the first semester, then he successfully met his budget. Alternatively, if he ends up dipping into his savings before Semester One ends, he knows he’ll need to increase his budget for the second semester, which means he’ll probably need to get a job over winter break and/or work on campus when he returns to school in January in order to meet his second semester spending needs.
Begin to Establish a Credit History
My son is also taking this opportunity to begin to establish his own credit history. At the same time that he opened his companion checking and savings account, he also applied for a low-limit credit card connected to these accounts. I believe the limit for his credit card is just $800.
Each month, he plans to make a few purchases using his credit card. To make sure he won’t miss making the monthly credit card payment (which would end up hurting his credit score), he already set up for the full balance of the credit card to be “autopaid” out of his checking account prior to the card’s due date.
Establishing a consistent history of utilizing credit and then paying off the balance due in a timely fashion is a great way to establish a credit history and build up one’s credit rating. Graduating with 48 months of consistently good credit history will be very valuable to someone entering the work force, looking to purchase or lease a vehicle, hoping to rent an apartment, or doing anything else that would require someone to pull a credit report.
Two Great Lessons:
Learning how to budget and taking steps to establish and improve one’s credit are two practical personal finance lessons that my son won’t be taught in the 40 or so college classes he’ll be taking over the next four years. Instead, he has already begun to learn these two useful lessons as part of his college experience before even stepping foot into his first undergrad class.
by The MDTAXES Network | Aug 7, 2023 | 2023 August
August is the perfect time to review your year-to-date taxable income and allowed deductions for 2023, as well as factoring in your projected income and deductions for the remainder of the year.
Taking a look at your specific tax situation throughout the year helps to prevent any “tax surprises” next winter when you meet with your tax preparer.
If any of these items will apply to you in 2023, mid-year is the time to work through your planning opportunities:
- Did your marital status change?
- Did you switch jobs?
- Did you move from an employee position to being self-employed or vice versa?
- Did your private practice income significantly change from your earlier expectations?
- Did you lose your job and collect unemployment or take time off from work and receive Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits?
- Did you exercise company stock options?
- Did you buy or sell your residence?
- Did you receive a large bonus from your employer?
- Did you realize large capitals gains?
- Did you begin collecting social security benefits or retire?
Taking control of your tax situation earlier in the year rather than later or not at all can help relieve the stress of a surprise tax bill next winter.
Contact your MDTaxes CPA to schedule a mid-year planning meeting to obtain their advice on options and to discuss the next steps to consider.
by The MDTAXES Network | Aug 7, 2023 | 2023 August
May through October is commonly known as “Wedding Season” with July and August generally being the peak months for weddings. If you, or perhaps one of your children, tied the knot this year, here are a few items to add to your checklist before the end of the year:
- If you or your spouse changed your name, then contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to notify them of the name change. The name on the tax return should match the records of SSA. When changing your name, file Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. The new card will have your updated name, but your Social Security number will not change. Once you have your new card, you should update your employer and financial institutions that will be issuing you tax documents at year-end. Also update your driver’s license and passport with your new information.
- If both spouses will work – we generally advise not to change your W-4 to married but leave your W-4 claiming taxes withheld as single. Tax withholding tables do not correctly account for 2 wage earners in a family when claiming taxes to be withheld as married, and often as a result of claiming married on your W-4, newlyweds may be hit with an unexpected tax bill when filing their first joint tax return. Communicate your change in marital status with your tax preparer so they can work through a tax projection accounting for both spouses’ salaries and withheld taxes. For Newlyweds that currently do not work with a tax preparer, now is a great time to seek one out together.
- If you moved to a new location, you should notify the IRS of your new address by completing and submitting IRS Form 8822, Change of Address.
- If you sell one or two homes when you move into a new residence together, be sure to understand the tax rules pertaining to your specific situation and the allowed capital gain exclusion of $250K/$500K depending on which spouse lived in which house and when they may have resided there.
- When you are married, it is generally beneficial to file jointly. However, married taxpayers do have the option of filing separately, and they may file separately for various reasons, and not always for tax reasons. The first year you are married, it may be worth your time to prepare drafts of your tax returns as both married filing jointly and married filing separately to see if there is a tax benefit to filing separately.
- Will only one spouse be working? If so, don’t forget retirement planning for the non-working spouse. A spousal IRA contribution can be made for the non-working spouse.
- Newly married taxpayers should review their life insurance and 401k plan beneficiaries, as well as other HR benefits to modify as needed in order to update for their new spouse.
- No matter when you get married in the year, if you are married on December 31, you are considered married the entire year for tax filing purposes.
by The MDTAXES Network | Aug 7, 2023 | 2023 August
With so many people relying on the internet to obtain or provide personal and financial information, it’s often a “guess” for individuals trying to determine what emails that are received are real and which may be phishing scams.
For IRS tax issues and correspondences, the first step in notification from the IRS will be a letter in the mail. The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.
To help taxpayers be on the alert for phishing scams, the IRS has published on their website information to clarify that the IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill if you owe any taxes.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Additional IRS efforts to protect taxpayers:
- IRS recently announced that revenue officers will not visit taxpayers unannounced (except for limited situations such as summonses and subpoenas). Taxpayers’ initial contact from IRS revenue officers will be via an appointment letter, known as a 725-B letter. For security reasons, when taxpayers are visited by an IRS revenue officer, two forms of ID should be provided by the IRS agent:
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- An IRS-issued credential noted as “a pocket commission.”
- An HSPD-12 card, a form of ID for federal employees.
- The IRS lists on their website the “Dirty Dozen” which represent “the worst of the worst tax scams” according to the IRS website. Compiled annually, the Dirty Dozen lists a variety of common scams that taxpayers may encounter anytime but many of these schemes peak during filing season as people prepare their returns or hire someone to help with their taxes. Don’t fall prey.
- Recently, the IRS warned taxpayers to be on the lookout for the most current IRS related mail scam. This fraud scheme involves the fraud artist sending fake mail to taxpayers and stating “in relation to your unclaimed refund”. The fraudulent letter asks for taxpayers to provide sensitive personal information that can lead to ID theft.
- The IRS’s website is also an excellent resource and security tool for taxpayers. Visit the FAQ’s page that summarizes Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts.
Unfortunately, such scams have become too prevalent in our digital society. Taxpayers need to be on high alert to avoid these ongoing threats seeking personal and private information.
by The MDTAXES Network | Aug 2, 2023 | 2023 August
Contributing to a retirement plan is one of the best tax shelters available to people during their working years. Contributions made to non-Roth accounts are tax-deductible and grow tax deferred. With the Roth option, you give up a current year tax deduction in exchange for tax-free growth.
Most retirement plans offered by healthcare practices have two components:
- Salary deferrals need to be made through your payroll during the calendar year
- Employer contributions are due by the filing deadline (including extensions) for the practice tax return filed next winter
If your practice offers a 401k plan or a SIMPLE IRA, please take a few minutes to look at a recent pay stub to ensure you are on track to max out the salary deferrals for 2023 as follows:
401k Plan:
For 2023, you can contribute up to $22.5k into a 401(k) plan through salary deferrals, up from $20.5k in 2022. Anyone 50 or older by December 31, 2023 can contribute an extra $7,500 into their 401(k) through salary deferrals, for a total annual contribution of $30k. Please note that you don’t need to actually wait until your 50th birthday to be able to start making these catch-up contributions.
SIMPLE IRA:
SIMPLE’s work just like 401(k) plans, which means it’s up to each employee to fund the bulk of his or her retirement savings account through salary deferrals. For 2023, the maximum contribution into your SIMPLE as salary deferrals is $15.5k. Anyone 50 or older by December 31st can put away an additional $3.5k in 2023, for a total annual salary deferral of $19k.
Now is the Time to Re-Set Your 2023 Salary Deferrals:
Most people won’t be able to max out these tax-advantaged retirement options unless they get on a budget and put away a set amount of money each month. Please note that if you switched jobs or work for more than one employer that offers a 401k or SIMPLE IRA, the total salary deferrals you can make in the aggregate to all the plans this year is capped at $22.5k (or $30k if 50 or older by 12/31/23).
With the summer half over, now’s the time to make sure you’ll max out your salary deferrals for 2023.
