Tag Archives: Taxes

Taxes Become More of A Networking Opportunity For Small Business

Every year millions of people scramble to do their taxes, and companies have been noticing a swell of people that want to go online to get things done. That’s where companies like Turbotax Online, and others have come together to connect those millions of people that have been using their line of products, with others that are like minded. From gathering in a connection setting like “QuickBooks Connect”, to other meet ups and information that is getting people together, the notion of taxes has never been more social than ever. This is a huge Networking Opportunity For Small Business.

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Decades of Connecting Small Business With Tax Help

QuickBooks - Networking Opportunity For Small Business

QuickBooks (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No matter what the size of your company is, taxes are a big matter. This becomes obvious when you’re pushing forward as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs, small businesses, and accountants are not alone, and that’s why more social, networking events are being held. These vents, attract a great deal of people from all sorts of industries, and the main goal is to connect everyone into a far easier tax filing ideology. It’s at these types of events, that all walks of life, backgrounds, industries, and more find news on the latest software releases, and so much more.

The Move To Online

Looking at how taxes have changed in the past 20 years, you will find that there are a variety of different changes that have come through for the better. If you haven’t used Turbotax Online just yet, you will definitely be connecting in the near future. From developers to entrepreneurs, more and more people are using online solutions and learning about the latest tax incentives, laws and more through online means and social events like “QuickBooks Connect”, and it’s going to be a mainstay year to year.

Whether you have been doing things the old way, or you have adopted a new path towards doing your taxes, there’s nothing quite like knowing that technology is right there to help you get the most out of filing quarterly, and even annual returns. As more people get together to discuss changes, and build a broader network of clients, colleagues, and more, you’ll find that greatness abounds.

What Does Obamacare Mean For Your Tax Future?

Obamacare TaxesThe implementation of the Affordable Care Act continues to move forward. Failing to adjust withholding strategies and medical expenditures may result in added tax liability. What do the increased cost of healthcare and decreased deductions mean for you and your family? Here are some of the most significant changes to tax laws under the Affordable Care Act.

Higher Taxes on Investment Income

If you derive a significant percentage of your income from investments, you can expect somewhat higher taxes for the 2013 fiscal year. This typically applies to individuals who earn more than $200,000 and married couples who make over $250,000 jointly. Most other investors and taxpayers will see little or no change in the rate of taxation for their income-producing investments.

Upper Income Brackets Will See Medicare Tax Increases

Payroll taxes are often overlooked by individuals when considering their overall tax liability. Since these taxes are taken out of paychecks before workers receive them, changes in these rates can easily go unnoticed. However, couples who earn more than $250,000 jointly may get an unpleasant surprise at tax time: An increase in Medicare hospital taxes of nearly one percent may not be withheld by employers who are unaware of the joint income levels of the married couple. High-earning married couples may be responsible for any amount due that is not withheld as payroll taxes.

Reduced Deduction Percentages for Medical Expenses

Prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, individuals could deduct their medical expenses if those expenses reached 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. That figure has now risen to 10 percent, reducing the availability of these deductions for rich and poor alike.

Changes to Flexible Spending Accounts

For 2013, only the first $2,500 deposited into flexible spending accounts (FSAs) will be tax-free. All other deposits will be liable to the regular tax rates applied to other earned income. As a result, many firms are now implementing limits of $2,500 on FSAs to eliminate the need for specialized W-2 forms and to protect their employees against potential financial liabilities when tax time rolls around once more.

New Taxes on Durable Medical Goods and Devices

The Affordable Care Act requires a new excise tax on medical devices including braces, gloves, pacemakers, nebulizers and many other items of medical equipment. While this new tax will not affect patients directly, it is likely to increase the costs of these items and may shift a greater percentage of the financial burden for advanced systems to the private individual as medical supply companies adjust their rates to make up for these added costs.

What You Can Do

Making the necessary changes to withholding, FSA contributions and other healthcare-related activities can help consumers manage the new requirements of the Affordable Care Act and can provide an added level of defense against increased taxes and reduced services in the medical arena. Make sure you consult with experienced and qualified tax experts who can advise you on the latest tax-related changes and help you navigate them.

3 Reasons Why Doing Your Taxes Early Is Beneficial

There is one thing in life that almost everyone hates equally. You probably already guessed it as well since the answer is taxation. No one likes filing taxes but it is something that you must do as an entrepreneur. There are some simple ways to make filing your self-assessment forms a little bit easier and it is a good idea to take taxes seriously. For instance, here are the three reasons why doing your taxes early is really beneficial for you.

Doing Your Taxes Early

Doing Your Taxes Early

1. You Can Get Your Money Back Earlier

If you end up paying too much tax or you are entitled to refunds and filing your taxes earlier and on time can really help you get your money back earlier as well.

You can avoid the thousands of other people who file their taxes on the last day, or even late, and get rewarded with a nice payment much quicker.

There is also an additional incentive to pay your corporate tax earlier. In the UK the Government might in some instances pay you interest if you pay your taxes before they are actually due. Therefore it is a good idea to keep this option in mind.

2. You Know Exactly What You Owe

It is very beneficial to start thinking about your taxes early because it allows you time to see how much you need to pay. When you are calculating your taxes early you can adjust to the payment a lot better, even if you do end up paying the amount only on the final due date.

Knowing what you need to pay in advance is really important for controlling your money. It might even allow you some time to adjust to the amount you need to pay by spending or investing more money and thus lowering the amount you have to pay.

3. Deal With Problems Earlier

Naturally, you will also have much more time to deal with the problems earlier. Filing your taxes and self-assessment forms isn’t always all that straightforward and it is much better to have as much time to prepare for it as possible.

As well as starting your filing process as early as possible it is a good idea to get a helping hand from an accounting company. There is plenty of affordable accounting online available for freelancers and small businesses alike. Going through your taxes early with an accounting company can really help you make the most out of your finances.

Conclusion

All in all, there are much more things to gain from filing your taxes early. There are also plenty of financial management tools you should start using. These don’t just make filing for taxes easier but can help you keep in touch with your finances at all times. For example, check out these apps listed by the Telegraph.

Since you have more to gain than to lose from filing your taxes early it is good idea to get into the habit of doing it. You can really enjoy a much more stress-free life and boost your finances as well.

TurboTax Comes With Personalization For Returning Users

Recently, TurboTax unveiled a new personalized experience for returning users. Starting with TurboTax 2014, users will now see personalized settings and information unique to themselves. This means that anyone filing their 2014 taxes can take advantage of this new system. However, personalization will only work for taxpayers that used the service back in 2013, too.

TurboTax 2014

MeeMix (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By using data from last year’s return, Turbo Tax 2014 will make the entire process faster. Data from last year is automatically entered into the new year’s return. The software will then focus upon specific sections of the return, based upon each user’s situation. During the process, sections deemed irrelevant to that taxpayer will be ignored. Taxpayers can still navigate through each section themselves.

For refunds, TurboTax 2014 will now explain a person’s refund in-depth. This includes how the numbers are calculated and what changed from the previous year. This gives users a great insight into their tax situation compared to last year. Likewise, answers to questions are available at the click of a button. Taxpayers won’t feel left in the dark about their taxes or their return.

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If you’re filing your 2014 taxes and used Turbo Tax last year, then you need to do the same thing this year. This new personalized experience speeds up the process and makes everything more simple. Detailed explanations are a welcome addition to TurboTax 2014 for many taxpayers.

Voting For Big Game’s Final Four In Last Days

Voting For Big Game’s Final Four In Last Days

The clock is ticking, the game is almost over, and it is down to the big game’s final four. People around the world are in the final days of selecting the winner of Intuit’s Small Business Big Game competition. On Feb. 2, 2014, Intuit, the home company of TurboTax Canada, will make one small business a star in the biggest commercial game of the year.

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Having an opportunity for its chance in the spotlight on Super Bowl Sunday are Barley Labs of Durham, North Carolina; Dairy Poop of Nampa, Idaho; GoldieBlox of Oakland, California; and Locally Laid Egg Company of Duluth, Minnesota. The four were among the thousands of small companies who entered the competition. The thousands were narrowed to 20, then to four. A worldwide vote determines which small business has an unprecedented opportunity for success. One vote per person per day will give one small business a chance at huge success.

TurboTax Canada
Super Bowl Tourney1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Intuit and TurboTax Canada are awarding a prime 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to the contest’s winner. The worldwide voting is in its final days, and four lucky small businesses are in the position to win big with Intuit and TurboTax Canada. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on Dec. 1.

The winner will receive a professionally produced 30-second television commercial during the biggest game of the year with TurboTax Canada and Intuit paying for the advertisement as well as purchasing the commercial time during the game. Voting is at . Small businesses are the heart and strength of the worldwide economy. Intuit, TurboTax Canada and voters are giving one small business a very big chance. You can get in on the game.

The Benefits Of Filing Your Taxes With TurboTax Or TaxBrain

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Filing Your Taxes With TurboTax 2013 Or TaxBrain

If you have previously filed your taxes by going to a CPA, you really need to look into online software like TurboTax 2013 or TaxBrain. You will find that there are a number of advantages to using a software program that a CPA cannot provide. In fact, in the modern day, more and more Canadians are starting to use preparation software because it gives them the experience that they desire.

TurboTax

TurboTax (Photo credit: MrGuilt)

No CPA Fees
To start with, TurboTax 2013 and TaxBrain are not going to charge you fees just to do your taxes. Even software that is not free is often less expensive than hiring someone to do it for you, and free software is the best deal of all. If you are tired of the cost of a CPA meaning that your return is not as big as you wanted it to be, these programs are the ideal solution.

Simple Layouts
Both TurboTax 2013 and TaxBrain are better than getting the paperwork yourself because they are much easier to understand. They were created with very basic structures. Instead of having to figure out what to input, you are generally asked a series of questions. As long as you answer them, your information will then be copied over to the forms for the government. You do not need to have any experience, and you certainly do not need a degree in tax law.

Saving as You Go
Another benefit of TurboTax 2013 or TaxBrain is that you can save your progress as you go. If you want to start your taxes tonight, you do not have to finish them tonight. You can simply save what you have done to your account. The next time that you log on, all of your information will still be intact. You could even work on the taxes for just fifteen minutes a day, breaking the whole process up so that it is not nearly so overwhelming. Furthermore, this protects all of the time that you have put in if your computer crashes, as long as you save periodically while you work.

Filing for Free
Finally, the major benefit of a program like TurboTax 2013 or TaxBrain is that you can electronically file all of your paperwork with the government. In many cases, this is entirely free. It does not even cost you the postage that it would take to mail the documents in if you had printed them off and filled them out. Furthermore, electronic filing is incredibly fast, so you can get your return as soon as possible. This is one of the most secure ways to send in the paperwork, and you never have to worry about all of the documents getting lost in transit.