So, I have finally done it. Or…i should say, almost done it. I have found office space! I am a little bit freaking out since I never in my dreams imagined that my business would grow to the capacity that it has. I am even on the verge of my first employee. More later.
Some taxpayers may have needed to take an early distribution from their retirement plan last year. The IRS wants individuals who took an early distribution to know that there can be a tax impact to tapping your retirement fund. Here are ten facts about early distributions.
- Payments you receive from your Individual Retirement Arrangement before you reach age 59 ½ are generally considered early or premature distributions.
- Early distributions are usually subject to an additional 10 percent tax.
- Early distributions must also be reported to the IRS.
- Distributions you rollover to another IRA or qualified retirement plan are not subject to the additional 10 percent tax. You must complete the rollover within 60 days after the day you received the distribution.
- The amount you roll over is generally taxed when the new plan makes a distribution to you or your beneficiary.
- If you made nondeductible contributions to an IRA and later take early distributions from your IRA, the portion of the distribution attributable to those nondeductible contributions is not taxed.
- If you received an early distribution from a Roth IRA, the distribution attributable to your prior contributions is not taxed.
- If you received a distribution from any other qualified retirement plan, generally the entire distribution is taxable unless you made after-tax employee contributions to the plan.
- There are several exceptions to the additional 10 percent early distribution tax, such as when the distributions are used for the purchase of a first home, for certain medical or educational expenses, or if you are disabled.
- For more information about early distributions from retirement plans, the additional 10 percent tax and all the exceptions see IRS Publication 575, Pension and Annuity Income and Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). Both publications are available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
College can be very expensive. To help students and their parents, the IRS offers the following five ways to offset education costs.
- The American Opportunity Credit This credit can help parents and students pay part of the cost of the first four years of college. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act modifies the existing Hope Credit for tax years 2009 and 2010, making it available to a broader range of taxpayers. Eligible taxpayers may qualify for the maximum annual credit of $2,500 per student. Generally, 40 percent of the credit is refundable, which means that you may be able to receive up to $1,000, even if you owe no taxes.
- The Hope Credit The credit can help students and parents pay part of the cost of the first two years of college. This credit generally applies to 2008 and earlier tax years. However, for tax year 2009 a special expanded Hope Credit of up to $3,600 may be claimed for a student attending college in a Midwestern disaster area as long as you do not claim an American Opportunity Tax Credit for any other student in 2009.
- The Lifetime Learning Credit This credit can help pay for undergraduate, graduate and professional degree courses – including courses to improve job skills – regardless of the number of years in the program. Eligible taxpayers may qualify for up to $2,000 – $4,000 if a student in a Midwestern disaster area – per tax return.
- Enhanced benefits for 529 college savings plans Certain computer technology purchases are now added to the list of college expenses that can be paid for by a qualified tuition program, commonly referred to as a 529 plan. For 2009 and 2010, the law expands the definition of qualified higher education expenses to include expenses for computer technology and equipment or Internet access and related services.
- Tuition and fees deduction Students and their parents may be able to deduct qualified college tuition and related expenses of up to $4,000. This deduction is an adjustment to income, which means the deduction will reduce the amount of your income subject to tax. The Tuition and Fees Deduction may be beneficial to you if you do not qualify for the American opportunity, Hope, or lifetime learning credits.
You cannot claim the American Opportunity and the Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits for the same student in the same year. You also cannot claim any of the credits if you claim a tuition and fees deduction for the same student in the same year. To qualify for an education credit, you must pay post-secondary tuition and certain related expenses for yourself, your spouse or your dependent. The credit may be claimed by the parent or the student, but not by both. Students who are claimed as a dependent cannot claim the credit.
For more information, see Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, which can be obtained online at IRS.gov or by calling the IRS at 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
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While most income you receive is generally considered taxable, there are some situations when certain types of income are partially taxed or not taxed at all.
To ensure taxpayers are familiar with the difference between taxable and non-taxable income, the Internal Revenue Service offers these common examples of items that are not included in your income:
- Adoption Expense Reimbursements for qualifying expenses
- Child support payments
- Gifts, bequests and inheritances
- Workers’ compensation benefits
- Meals and Lodging for the convenience of your employer
- Compensatory Damages awarded for physical injury or physical sickness
- Welfare Benefits
- Cash Rebates from a dealer or manufacturer
Some income may be taxable under certain circumstances, but not taxable in other situations. Examples of items that may or may not be included in your income are:
- Life Insurance If you surrender a life insurance policy for cash, you must include in income any proceeds that are more than the cost of the life insurance policy. Life insurance proceeds, which were paid to you because of the insured person’s death, are not taxable unless the policy was turned over to you for a price.
- Scholarship or Fellowship Grant If you are a candidate for a degree, you can exclude amounts you receive as a qualified scholarship or fellowship. Amounts used for room and board do not qualify.
- Non-cash Income Taxable income may be in a form other than cash. One example of this is bartering, which is an exchange of property or services. The fair market value of goods and services exchanged is fully taxable and must be included as income on Form 1040 of both parties.
All other items—including income such as wages, salaries and tips—must be included in your income unless it is specifically excluded by law.
If you are donating to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti, you may be able to claim those donations on your 2009 tax return. Here are 10 important facts the Internal Revenue Service wants you to know about this special provision.
- A new law allows you to claim donations for Haitian relief on your 2009 tax return, which you will be filing this year.
- The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
- To be eligible for a deduction on the 2009 tax return, donations must be made after Jan. 11, 2010 and before March 1, 2010.
- In order to be deductible, contributions must be made to qualified charities and can not be designated for the benefit of specific individuals or families.
- The new law applies only to cash contributions.
- Cash contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card may be claimed on your federal tax return.
- You must itemize your deductions in order to claim these donations on your tax return.
- You have the option of deducting these contributions on either your 2009 or 2010 tax return, but not both.
- Contributions made to foreign organizations generally are not deductible. You can find out more about organizations helping Haitian earthquake victims from agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development ( www.usaid.gov).
- Federal law requires that you keep a record of any deductible donations you make. For donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the record-keeping requirement if it shows the name of the organization receiving your donation, the date of the contribution, and the amount given. For cash contributions made by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a cancelled check or a receipt from the charity. Receipts should show the name of the charity, the date and amount of the contribution.
For more information see IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions and Publication 3833 , Disaster Relief: Providing Assistance through Charitable Organizations. To determine if an organization is a qualified charity visit IRS.gov, keyword “Search for Charities”. Note that some organizations, such as churches or governments, may be qualified even though they are not listed on IRS.gov.
So it got lost in my inbox (oops!) but here is another tip from my good friend Simone…
OK, so I just posted this on a friend’s FB (because there was a post strain about labels on appliances and cars) and no one else seemed to know it. Did you know that on your car’s gas gauge, there is a little arrow pointing to either the left or the right? And that little arrow tells you on which side your gas tank is. So the next time you are driving a rental car in Colorado and pull into a gas station, only realize when you get out that you have to move your car because the tank is on the opposite side and you haven’t parked close enough to pull the nozzle around, you can avoid all that by just looking at your gauge. Not that I’ve ever done that. *Ahem.* Or, if you just forget. Or drive your husband’s car. You get the picture.
Got Kids? They may have an impact on your tax situation. Listed below are the top 10 things the IRS wants you to consider if you have children.
- Dependents In most cases, a child can be claimed as a dependent in the year they were born. For more information see IRS Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.
- Child Tax Credit You may be able to take this credit on your tax return for each of your children under age 17. If you do not benefit from the full amount of the Child Tax Credit, you may be eligible for the Additional Child Tax Credit. The Additional Child Tax Credit is a refundable credit and may give you a refund even if you do not owe any tax. For more information see IRS Publication 972, Child Tax Credit.
- Child and Dependent Care Credit You may be able to claim the credit if you pay someone to care for your child under age 13 so that you can work or look for work. For more information see IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.
- Earned Income Tax Credit The EITC is a benefit for certain people who work and have earned income from wages, self-employment or farming. EITC reduces the amount of tax you owe and may also give you a refund. For more information see IRS Publication 596, Earned Income Credit.
- Adoption Credit You may be able to take a tax credit for qualifying expenses paid to adopt an eligible child. For more information see the instructions for IRS Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses.
- Children with Earned Income If your child has income earned from working they may be required to file a tax return. For more information see IRS Publication 501.
- Children with Investment Income Under certain circumstances a child’s investment income may be taxed at the parent’s tax rate. For more information see IRS Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents.
- Coverdell Education Savings Account This savings account is used to pay qualified educational expenses at an eligible educational institution. Contributions are not deductible, however, qualified distributions generally are tax-free. For more information see IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.
- Higher Education Credits Education tax credits can help offset the costs of education. The American Opportunity and the Lifetime Learning Credit are education credits that reduce your federal income tax dollar-for-dollar, unlike a deduction, which reduces your taxable income. For more information see IRS Publication 970.
- Student Loan Interest You may be able to deduct interest you pay on a qualified student loan. The deduction is claimed as an adjustment to income so you do not need to itemize your deductions. For more information see IRS Publication 970.
The forms and publications on these topics can also be found on IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
- January 5, 2010 – 12:50 pm
- Posted in Just Me
So the year has started slower than pouring molasses (and I had my first experience with pouring molasses this holiday season with a new recipe of cookies) – anywho – S-L-O-W. I feel like someone turned the dial on my brain and life is moving faster than I can think. As many of you know, not good! I have a very fast paced life and therefore need to think – FAST. I usually have 17 balls in the air and the past two days I can’t even manage two. UGH! I spent the weekend lolling on the couch watching a CSI/Law and Order marathon and having a “jammie party” with my six year old. The rules of the party were that you needed to stay in your jammies from the time you got up until the time you went to bed – sounds good to me!
All of these things I had planned for the new year – organization, style, flair – nope. I got nothing. Maybe next year?
- January 2, 2010 – 4:45 pm
- Posted in Just Me
Okay, so it doesn’t take any special genius to figure out that I have been slacking on the blogging. I would like to blame it on the holidays but let’s face it, my last post was in October (HOLY CRAP!). I am going to try and make a better effort in 2010.
So 2009 ended on not a great note for me. My long time puddy-tat friend, Mity, took her last breath on December 28th. She lived a nice long 22+ years and held on long enough for the family to say their goodbyes – still sucks!
I finished all of my holiday baking and delivered goodie baskets a bit later this year (due to a full day of baking where everything I touched turning to shit-OY!), received a few requests to cease the tradition due to more than a few pounds gained but I don’t think that is going to happen.
Spent the Eve of Christmas wrapping presents for charity at the local Best Buy with the MOMS Club of Coon Rapids-North (of which I have been a member for almost six years now). The club raised over $1500 to redistribute back into the community in various service projects. It is a fantastic way to kick off the holiday celebrations and I look forward to doing it for many years to come.
I am in the process of “gearing up” for tax season. This year I have decided not to go back to work at the private tax service I have been working with the last two years and instead went back to the “Nationally known” company (which can not be named by name due to a confidentially contract that was signed) where I got my start in taxes with three years ago. I took a $20/hour pay cut but I am hoping the trade off will help me be able to get what I want out of tax season – keeping up my knowledge and helping people realize their maximum possible refund or lowest legal tax liability along with “teaching” them even more ways to achieve those goals (while NOT working 90 hours a week). I met my office leader and fellow staffers last week and it should be an interesting season, it has been a LONG time since I have worked as a “true” employee.
I am also looking at adding an “Ask the Bookkeeper” section to my website where you can ask bookkeeping and tax related questions which will be added to a refence page on my site (yet to be named, any ideas?) with answers. I find that I enjoy sharing my knowledge and also the research involved in finding answers to questions I may not have the immediate answers to – I also find that many people ask me the same questions and it would be nice to be able to send them a link as a reference.
My website will be going over some revamping in the coming year and I haven’t decided if I want a complete overhaul or just some tweaks – I get a few comments on it each year and most are positive so probably just some tweaking.
I keep saying that 2010 is going to be a big year for me so I am looking forward to the challange.
Time to Flip Your Mats!
Sonia has hinted in the past that I’m welcome to “guest” blog for her, and I haven’t really had anything that I thought would be of interest. Except, what I’m about to share is exactly the interesting kind of tid-bit she thought you’d appreciate. You see, I’m a little OCD. In fact, one time when I said “I might be a little bit ill that way,” Sonia replied with “Let’s face it, you ARE definitely a lot of bit ill that way.”
*Sigh.* Yes, I’m OCD. I’m coming to terms with that, but instead of shunning that reality, I’m sharing with you one of the little things that makes my OCD-heart happy. Flip your mats, people.
You’re probably thinking, “WTH?” But really, those floor mats in your car? The nice, plush ones that match your car’s carpet and upholstery? Flip ‘em over. And if you DON’T see a little trench around the outside edge, and little tiny nubs all across the backside, get some that have those. I like matching mats as much as the next gal, but I HATE when the snow flies, and I track that oil/gas/sand/leaf infused sludge back into my car. I will never understand how WHITE snow stuck on my shoes, melts into a tarry, sandy mess. Nonetheless, flipping your mats over will prevent all that garbage from staining your mats, and you’ll also avoid that frozen layer that forms overnight from the stuff that melted the day before. Those little nubs (that keep your mat from sliding when right-side-up) will get into the treads of your shoes to pry out the sludge that’s stuck in there. Then, as everything melts, it will run off into those trenches around the edge. It’s brilliant! And even if your mats are missing these little features, it will still help to flip them over to prevent staining the carpeted side.
And why, might you ask, am I writing about this in October? Because YESTERDAY I woke op to an inch of snow on the ground, and tomorrow’s forecast includes another 2-3 inches.
(Thank you to one of my very best friends, Simone)
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