by The MDTAXES Network | Mar 21, 2013 | Uncategorized
From IRS Tax Tips News:
You don?t need to be a tax expert when you?re running a business, but you may need to know the basics so your business can run smoothly. The IRS.gov Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center has useful tax information and services for business owners.
The tax center can help whether you are starting, operating or closing a business. You can apply for an Employer Identification Number online or get a form you need. If you want employment tax information, the center has it. It also offers tools and resources:
- IRS Video Portal.? Watch helpful?videos and webinars on a variety of topics from filing and paying your taxes to understanding the IRS audit process.
- Online Tools.? The Tax Calendar for Small Businesses and Self-Employed features e-filing and e-paying options,? alerts for important filing dates and tax tips. You can order a wall calendar or install the IRS CalendarConnector and access important tax dates for small businesses right from your desktop.
- Small Business Events?and Educational Products.? The online Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop has nine interactive lessons designed to help you understand and meet your federal tax obligations. You can also find free IRS small business ???? workshops and other events planned in your state.
Go to the Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center and use the A-Z index to find whatever you need.
by The MDTAXES Network | Sep 25, 2012 | Commentary
By Andrew D. Schwartz, CPA
In my first post, I looked at Mitt Romney’s tax policy based on information posted on his campaign’s official website.
Today, I’ll look at the President’s rebuttal and which candidate’s tax policy makes the most sense, IMHO.
President Obama’s Rebuttal:
There actually isn’t very much information about Obama’s tax policy on his campaign’s official website. Check out The President’s Record on Taxes available at: www.barackobama.com/record/taxes?source=issues-nav and all you will find is mention of the Buffett rule and these four bullet points:
- President Obama has cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses. One of the first things he did in office was cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. He has also signed 18 tax cuts for small businesses and extended the payroll tax cut for all American workers and their families, putting an extra $1,000 in the typical middle-class family?s pocket.
- For too long, the U.S. tax code has benefited the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the vast majority of Americans. A third of the 400 highest income taxpayers paid an average rate of 15 percent or less in 2008.
- That’s why President Obama proposed the Buffett Rule, asking millionaires and billionaires to do their fair share. But if you’re one of the 98 percent of American families who make under $250,000 a year, your taxes won?t go up.
- The President has asked Congress to take action to reform our tax code and close tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires, as well as hedge fund managers, private jet owners, and oil companies.
President Obama’s official campaign site also includes a link to a report that pokes holes in the Romney Tax Policy, available at: www.taxpolicycenter.org/UploadedPDF/1001628-Base-Broadening-Tax-Reform.pdf.
Which Candidate’s Tax Policy Makes the Most Sense?
Tough question. What makes it tougher is that the President doesn’t write the laws. Instead, the President’s job is to sign bills that have been passed by Congress into law. Even so, having an understanding of the tax philosophy of the country’s two presidential candidates is probably a prudent idea.
As an interesting exercise, check out President Obama’s views on taxes from the prior election cycle in our article called What’s The Tax Plan, Man? included in our October 2008 Newsletter, and compare his suggestions from 2008 to what’s been enacted during his first term. A few of the items that he proposed during his previous campaign, including raising the Social Security taxes on people earning more than $250k and implementing a “Make Work Pay” tax credit, have come to fruition during his first term in office.
