Author Archives: Steven R Patterson

IRS Tells Millions of Americans to Put Off Filing Taxes

Millions of Americans are awaiting word from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS): They can now put off filing taxes until mid-May.

With millions of Americans unable to file their taxes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that taxpayers can now hold off on filing until mid-May. The decision gives taxpayers several extra weeks to get tax documents in order and prepare for what could be a complicated filing process.

IRS Tells Millions of Americans to Put Off Filing Taxes
IRS Tells Millions of Americans to Put Off Filing Taxes

In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the IRS extended the tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15, giving taxpayers extra time to file their taxes without incurring late penalties or interest. The deadline for some tax-related actions, such as making contributions to an IRA, was also extended. These extensions applied to individual taxpayers, regardless of location. It’s always best to check the IRS’s official website for the most up-to-date information regarding tax filing deadlines and related matters.

Here’s a breakdown of what this means for American taxpayers.

The IRS’s decision to delay the tax filing deadline will give taxpayers extra time to gather any missing documents and make sure their taxes are prepared correctly. Additionally, it provides more time for those who are expecting a refund to get their money back in a timely manner. On the other hand, taxpayers who owe money will have additional time before they must submit their tax payment – though interest may still be due on overdue payments.

What It Means for Taxpayers?

For taxpayers who are expecting a refund, the delay may mean extra time to get their money back. But for taxpayers who owe taxes, the delay may mean additional interest on late payments. It is important to note that tax returns that are not submitted by mid-May will incur penalties and fees. Therefore, it is recommended that taxpayers begin gathering any necessary documents as soon as possible in order to submit their taxes before the due date.

When Should You File Your Taxes?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that tax filing deadlines have been extended until May 17, 2023. This delay gives taxpayers an extra month to file their taxes and allows them more time to prepare their documents. It is important for taxpayers to keep track of the filing deadline in order to avoid any penalties or fees associated with late payments. To get started on preparing your taxes, be sure to gather all necessary documents such as W-2 forms and 1099s.

What Types of Tax Returns Are Affected by the Extension?

The tax extension applies to both individual and business taxpayers. This includes individuals filing Form 1040, corporations and S corporations filing Form 1120, partnerships filing Form 1065, and trusts and trusts filing Form 1041. Taxpayers who have filed returns for tax-exempt organizations and those who file employment tax returns are also affected. Taxpayers should be sure to check the IRS website for the latest forms in order to comply with the extended deadlines.

Will Interest and Penalties Still Apply During the Extension Period?

The IRS will continue to charge interest on any unpaid taxes and there may be penalties levied for late filings. However, some taxpayers may qualify for relief from these types of penalties if they have reasonable cause or meet specific hardship criteria. Taxpayers should contact their tax preparer or the IRS directly to discuss what options may be available.

TurboTax Deluxe

Turbotax Deluxe vs Premier

Turbotax Deluxe vs Premier: Turbotax Deluxe is the best option for people who are not self-employed or have rental properties. It’s also a good option if you’re not eligible for the free version.

Turbotax Deluxe vs Premier
Turbotax Deluxe vs Premier

TurboTax Free Edition

Turbotax free edition is designed to allow low income families and individuals with qualifying incomes to file their taxes for free.

The qualifications for the Turbotax free edition are:

  • You must have a qualifying income
  • You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien
  • You must not be eligible to use the other Turbotax editions

1099 Income

When someone is paid as an independent contractor, they are not considered an employee. This means that they are not entitled to benefits like healthcare or retirement. The person who hires them pays their taxes instead of the government.

This type of income is called 1099 income because the IRS form for it is 1099-MISC and it’s a miscellaneous income. It’s also called contract work, and you can receive this type of payment from any number of sources including clients, customers, or employers.

The 1099 form is used to report all the money received by a business for services rendered in which the client does not withhold taxes from the payer’s wages or other compensation.

TurboTax Premier is the best option if you’re self-employed with 1099 income, have rental property income/expenses, or are eligible for the free version of TurboTax Freedom Edition.

TurboTax Comparison

TurboTax Deluxe is a software that is designed to make filing taxes easier. It includes the most popular tax forms and provides the basic features for simple tax returns. TurboTax Premier, on the other hand, includes all the features of TurboTax Deluxe and also offers more complex features like audit assistance, cost of home ownership and investment income.

Audit Assistance

Audit assistance is a service that helps with the process of auditing. This is usually done by an external professional, but it can also be done by someone inside the company who has been trained to do so. Audit assistance can be provided in many different ways:

  • Internal audit assistance: this is when the company hires someone internally to provide audit assistance. This person would work both on their own as well as in conjunction with other employees to complete audits. They might also be tasked with training new employees on how to do audits.
  • External audit assistance: this is when a company hires an external auditor to help them with their audits and ensure that they are being completed correctly.
  • Audit consulting: this is when a company hires an outside consultant who helps them find solutions for any problems they are having related to their auditing process, such as how often they should be doing them or how best to go about doing them.

Pricing

TurboTax Premier has a higher price than TurboTax Deluxe because it offers more advanced features which are not necessary for everyone. The Premier version has some additional features and benefits that make it worth the price tag. If you need to deduct investment expenses or get a refund on past-year over-payments, then you should choose this version instead of Deluxe.

Past Year Over-Payments

When a taxpayer overpays their taxes in one year, they are entitled to get that money back in the form of a refund.

Many taxpayers think of past-year over-payments as refunds, but they are not. When a taxpayer overpays their taxes in one year, they are entitled to get that money back in the form of a refund.

H & R Block Stock Turn Around Opportunity

Last month’s 21% drop in the shares of H And R Block stock should not be viewed as a reason to abandon your investment. Instead, the departure of investors that brought about the drop has the potential to provide the wise investor, with the insight to look to the future, with considerable gains from income in the upcoming quarter.

h and r block stock
Photo by JeepersMedia H and R Block Stock

H And R Block admits that there has been a trend in the past four years of decreased third quarter earnings.  In keeping with the established pattern, a decrease was expected this year. A drop to $502 million was projected, but revenue actually dropped to $475 million. This dramatic loss of $79 million far exceeded the loss of 2015’s third quarter, which bottomed out at $37 million.

We feel that this turn of events provides greater earning potential for the fourth quarter than what was originally projected. In past years, individuals have dealt with financial struggles, simply to survive.  More recently, many have enjoyed an increase in their disposable, or superfluous, income.  This financial shift removes some of the unseen pressure to complete tax returns without delay. Without this pressure, many returns will be completed later.  Later returns greater earnings in the fourth quarter. This calls for serious consideration of H And R Block as an investment that could provide significant income opportunities in this quarter.

H and R Block Giveaway $32 Million For Tax Season

Tax Brand to Promote Sweepstakes in New TV Ads on H and R Block Giveaway

H&R Block

People who failed to win the Powerball should not be worried. H&R Block, Kansas City, Mo, based company, is planning to promote its services by giving away $1, 000 to 1, 000 consumers beginning with a lottery drawing on Saturday for 32 consecutive days. Since the price tag is $32, many people consider the H&R Block Giveaway a historical sweepstakes. Kathy Collins, the tax firm’s chief marketing officer, says the sweepstakes might be the biggest one of all time.
In 2014, H&R Block prepared over 24 million global tax returns and previously offered 50 percent discounts on tax preparation services and other related promotions. It is encouraging timely filings of taxes, according to Ms. Collins. Consumers who file their taxes early have better chances of winning the lottery price.

H and R Block Giveaway
H and R Block Giveaway

The firm is airing two 30-second commercial ads to boost awareness of its lottery. In one spot, it features several men dressed as George Washington dance in well-designed moves. Social media and local marketing at the company will support the effort to air the commercials.

Moreover, H&R Block is running three ads to inspire people to do their taxes on their own. It promotes a $9.9 cost for DIY returns, a similar strategy to 2015. Besides, the company will begin airing two 15-second spots and two 30-second spots featuring Mr. Gartland and NBA player Anthony Davis between February 15 and March 15 for late season tax filers.

H&R Block worked with Minneapolis-based Fallon on the current initiatives. Ms. Collins provides that the company has spent an amount close to the one they spent on last year’s campaign.

Throughout the last 12 months, the tax firm has been phasing out its popular H&R Block Premium band. It has converted those locations to Block Advisers, a new retail brand with 300 regional sites. Block advisers now focus on winning consumers with highly complicated tax returns and will have a unique logo.

8 Tips For Making And Saving Money

In just a few days, it will be 2016 and we are eager for its arrival. We have some big projects planned for this coming year and we are working hard now to prepare for success. Some of our time is being spent looking for ways to increase our income and reduce our expenses as a family, saving money In 2016.

Increasing your Income in 2016
Who would not want to have more money left over for their budget? If you want to increase your 2016 income a little, now is the best time to plan.

Look over your TurboTax 2015 W-4. Recently, my husband had Human Resources send an email to all the employees to remind them there were some withholding changes in North Carolina. It was good for us to be reminded as well, since we have not really looked over our withholding in a while. If you haven’t looked at your Turbo Tax 2013 return in a couple of years, you might want to take a few minutes to look at it. Make sure your retirement benefits, flexible spending plan and health insurance are all correct. Make sure you are are taking advantage of the opportunities available to you to decrease the amount you pay in taxes. It might be time to find a health plan that is more affordable and accommodates your family better. If your employer offers a 401(k) match, make sure you are getting the max amount.

Saving Money In 2016
Saving Money In 2016

Make some extra money with a hobby. Do you play a musical instrument, handcraft something or enjoy number crunching? Talk to your friends, neighbors and extended family and see if you can teach them a skill or assist them for a little extra money on the side. We have a neighbor that is a very good builder and we bought a cat box from him. It was better than what we found for sale in stores and it was better-built and he got a little extra money from doing something he liked. Everybody won.

Sell your things. As we are tidying up our home in preparation for putting it on the market, we have been downsizing and getting rid of things that we do not really want or have not used in a long time. It really is crazy how much stuff you can accumulate without realizing it. If you sell some of your extra stuff, you can increase the space in your home and accumulate a little extra money. Craigslist and other similar sites make it free and easy to unload your extra stuff.

Saving Money in the New Year

You can make more room in your budget by streamlining your month to month bills and doing some things yourself. Weatherproof your house. You do not need to spend a lot of money on this to make a dent. Make sure there are no drafts or leaks so that you do not drain your wallet dry.

Check out your phone plan. Cell phone bills have gotten expensive for some people. Lots of people just sign a two year contract so they can get the newest iPhone model and do not count up the true cost. Some cell phone companies offer great plans that offer unlimited services for a small portion of the cost of a plan with one of the larger companies. Ting, Republic Wireless and other companies have smartphone plans that cost about $25 per month.

Compare prices on insurance. We halved out insurance a few years ago just by switching companies. Now you can go online to look at plans and compare prices for life, health, home and car insurance. Do not just go with the cheapest plan. Find one that offers the best value, as well.

Skip cable. You probably do not need cable anymore, now that options like Hulu Plus, Netflix and Roku are available. Even if you decide you would rather have cable, you should probably shop around and see if you can find a better deal somewhere else which could split the bundle.

Thoughts on Saving and Making Money for 2016
I talked about a few ways you can increase your savings, but I would love to hear more. What financial goals have you set for 2016? What do you want to achieve in the coming year?

2014 Tax Return

Optimize Savings On Your Tax Return

It’s always difficult to be caught up in a mad rush at the end of the tax season to get your federal taxes filed on-time. Filing at the last minute is bound to be particularly stressful this year due to the scaled back phone support from the IRS and the additional requirements set by the Affordable Care Act. Here are some tax changes to take note of now so you are not surprised down the stretch with your 2014 Tax Return.

Tax Breaks

Sales tax can be deducted once again thanks to the last minute efforts in Congress. The primary beneficiaries of this measure are resident of states that have no income tax, as well as those living in states will considerably low income taxes. There is an IRS Sales Tax Deduction Calculator online to help assess the amount covered.

2014 Tax Return

Mortgage insurance premiums may also be deducted in some cases. Only people with a 2014 gross income that is less than $109,000 and who took out the loan after 2006 are eligible for the tax break. Programs like TurboTax Online will make the calculation for you automatically when you enter your income and your mortgage insurance paid.

Seniors are also going to get a couple additional breaks this year thanks to Congress. Those who are 70 and a half years of age may transfer as much as $100,000 from their individual retirement account (IRA) to a qualified charity. This will not be included in the gross income but instead count as the required minimum distribution. This may reduce taxes on Social Security benefits and avoid the Medicare high income surcharge.

Note that these tax breaks are only for the 2014 tax return. Congress has not made them permanent and the changing political landscape is likely to affect their renewal for the following year. Make sure to check several online tax resources next tax season to make sure they were renewed again.

Investment Income Tax

Single taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes in excess of $200,000 and married taxpayers with $250,000 or more may have to pay 3.8% surtax on their investments. Tax-exempt interest is not covered by the surtax.