Jordan's Tax & Financial Services

04/28/2019

Monday,4/15/2019
Individuals: File Form 1040. For automatic 6-month extension file Form 4868 and deposit estimated tax. Pay the first installment of 2019 estimated tax - Use Form 1040-ES.
Corporations: File Form 1120 for calendar year and pay any tax due. For automatic 6-month extension, file Form 7004 and deposit estimated tax.
Household Employers: File Sch. H with Form 1040 if you paid $2,100 or more to a household employee.
Corporations: Deposit the first installment of your 2019 estimated tax.
Deposit payroll tax for Mar if the monthly deposit rule applies.

04/10/2017

Need an Extension of Time to File Taxes?

This year’s tax-filing deadline is April 18. Taxpayers needing more time to file their taxes can get an automatic six-month extension from the IRS.

Below are five things to know about filing an extension:

Use IRS Free File to file an extension. IRS Free File allows taxpayers to prepare and e-file their taxes for free. It can also be used to e-file a free extension to file request. Midnight April 18 is the deadline for receipt of an e-filed extension request. Free File is accessible for tax return preparation and e-filing through Oct. 17. It is only available through IRS.gov.
Use Form 4868. Fill out a request for an extension using Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The deadline for mailing the form to the IRS is April 18. Form 4868 is available on IRS.gov/forms.
More time to file is not more time to pay. Requesting an extension to file provides taxpayers an additional six months (until Oct. 16) to prepare and file taxes. However, it does not provide additional time to pay taxes owed. Taxpayers should estimate and pay any owed taxes by April 18 to avoid a potential late-filing penalty. To avoid penalties and interest, pay the full amount owed by the original due date.
Use electronic payment options to get an automatic extension. An extension of time to file will automatically process when taxpayers pay all or part of their taxes electronically by April 18. There is no need to file a paper or electronic Form 4868 when making a payment with IRS Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or by debit or credit card. Select “Form 4868” as the payment type. Keep the confirmation as proof of payment.|
The IRS can help. The IRS offers payment options for taxpayers who can’t pay all the tax they owe. In most cases, they can apply for an installment agreement with the Online Payment Agreement application on IRS.gov. They may also file Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request. If a taxpayer can’t make payments because of financial hardship, the IRS will work with them.

Taxpayers should keep a copy of their tax return. Beginning in 2017, taxpayers using a software product for the first time may need their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity. Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and electronically sign tax returns at Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return.

Annual income tax return filed by citizens or residents of the United States.Related: Instructions for Form 1040, Instructions for 1040 Tax Table, Schedule A (Form 1040), Schedule C (Form 1040)

03/08/2017

02/11/2017

Early Withdrawals from Retirement Plans

Many people find it necessary to take out money early from their IRA or retirement plan. Doing so, however, can trigger an additional tax on top of income tax taxpayers may have to pay. Here are a few key points to know about taking an early distribution:

Early Withdrawals. An early withdrawal normally is taking cash out of a retirement plan before the taxpayer is 59½ years old.

Additional Tax. If a taxpayer took an early withdrawal from a plan last year, they must report it to the IRS. They may have to pay income tax on the amount taken out. If it was an early withdrawal, they may have to pay an additional 10 percent tax.

Nontaxable Withdrawals. The additional 10 percent tax does not apply to nontaxable withdrawals. These include withdrawals of contributions that taxpayers paid tax on before they put them into the plan. A rollover is a form of nontaxable withdrawal. A rollover occurs when people take cash or other assets from one plan and put the money in another plan. They normally have 60 days to complete a rollover to make it tax-free.

01/30/2017

09/29/2016

IRS Reminds Extension Filers of the Oct. 17 Deadline

Millions of taxpayers ask for an extra six months to file their taxes every year. If you are one of them, then you should know that Monday, Oct. 17 is the extension deadline in 2016. This is so because Oct. 15 falls on a Saturday. If you have not yet filed, here are some things to keep in mind about the extension deadline and your taxes:

Try IRS Free File or e-file. You can still e-file your tax return for free through IRS Free File. The program is available only on IRS.gov through Oct. 17. IRS e-file is easy, safe and the most accurate way to file your taxes.

Use Direct Deposit. If you are due a refund, the fastest way to get it is to combine direct deposit and e-file. Direct deposit has a proven track record; eight out of 10 taxpayers who get a refund choose it.

Use IRS Online Payment Options. If you owe taxes, the best way to pay them is with IRS Direct Pay. It’s the simple, quick and free way to pay from your checking or savings account. You also have other online payment options. Check them out by clicking on the “Payments” tab on the IRS.gov home page.

Refunds. As you prepare to file your 2015 return, keep in mind next year’s taxes. IRS is urging taxpayers to check their tax withholding as the year winds down. New factors may delay tax refunds in 2017. For more on what you can do now, see our Aug. 31 news release.

Don’t Overlook Tax Benefits. Be sure to claim all the tax breaks you are entitled to. These may include the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Saver’s Credit. The American Opportunity Tax Credit can help offset college costs.

Keep a Copy of Your Return. Be sure to keep a copy of your tax return and supporting documents for at least three years. Among other things, this will make filing next year’s return easier. When you e-file your 2016 return, for example, you will often need the adjusted gross income (AGI) amount from your 2015 return.

File On Time. If you owe taxes, file on time to avoid a potential late filing penalty. If you owe and can’t pay all of your taxes, pay as much as you can to reduce interest and penalties for late payment. You might also consider an installment agreement where you can pay over time.

More Time for the Military. Military members and those serving in a combat zone generally get more time to file. If this applies to you, you typically have until at least 180 days after you leave the combat zone to both file returns and pay any taxes due.

More Time in Disaster Areas. If you have an extension and live or work in a disaster area, you often have more time to file. Currently, taxpayers in parts of Louisiana and West Virginia have additional extensions beyond Oct. 17. See the disaster relief page on IRS.gov for details.

08/15/2016

What to Expect at Tax Time if You Rent Out Your Vacation Home

Renting out a vacation property to others can be profitable. If you do this, you must normally report the rental income on your tax return. You may not have to report the rent, however, if the rental period is short and you also use the property as your home. Here are some tips that you should know:

Vacation Home. A vacation home can be a house, apartment, condominium, mobile home, boat or similar property.

Schedule E. You usually report rental income and rental expenses on Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss. Your rental income may also be subject to Net Investment Income Tax.

Used as a Home. If the property is “used as a home,” your rental expense deduction is limited. This means your deduction for rental expenses can’t be more than the rent you received. For more about these rules, see Publication 527, Residential Rental Property (Including Rental of Vacation Homes).

Divide Expenses. If you personally use your property and also rent it to others, special rules apply. You must divide your expenses between rental use and personal use. To figure how to divide your costs, you must compare the number of days for each type of use with the total days of use.

Personal Use. Personal use may include use by your family. It may also include use by any other property owners or their family. Use by anyone who pays less than a fair rental price is also considered personal use.

Schedule A. Report deductible expenses for personal use on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions. These may include costs such as mortgage interest, property taxes and casualty losses.

Rented Less than 15 Days. If the property is “used as a home” and you rent it out fewer than 15 days per year, you do not have to report the rental income. In this case you deduct your qualified expenses on Schedule A.

Robert Jordan (917) 361-4856

03/13/2016

What You Need to Know About the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

Don’t overlook the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. It can reduce the taxes you pay. Here are 10 facts from the IRS about this important tax credit:

1. Child, Dependent or Spouse. You may be able to claim the credit if you paid someone to care for your child, dependent or spouse last year.

2. Work-Related Expense. The care must have been necessary so you could work or look for work. If you are married, the care also must have been necessary so your spouse could work or look for work. This rule does not apply if your spouse was disabled or a full-time student.

3. Qualifying Person. The care must have been for “qualifying persons.” A qualifying person can be your child under age 13. A qualifying person can also be your spouse or dependent who lived with you for more than half the year and is physically or mentally incapable of self-care.

4. Earned Income. You must have earned income for the year, such as wages from a job. If you are married and file a joint tax return, your spouse must also have earned income. Special rules apply to a spouse who is a student or disabled.

5. Credit Percentage / Expense Limits. The credit is worth between 20 and 35 percent of your allowable expenses. The percentage depends on the amount of your income. Your allowable expenses are limited to $3,000 if you paid for the care of one qualifying person. The limit is $6,000 if you paid for the care of two or more.

6. Dependent Care Benefits. If your employer gives you dependent care benefits, special rules apply. For more on these rules see Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.

7. Qualifying Person’s SSN. You must include the Social Security number of each qualifying person to claim the credit.

8. Care Provider Information. You must include the name, address and taxpayer identification number of your care provider on your tax return.

9. Form 2441. You file Form 2441 with your tax return to claim the credit.

10. IRS Free File. You can use IRS Free File to prepare and e-file your federal tax return, including Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses, for free. Free File is the fastest and easiest way to file your tax return and it’s only available at IRS.gov/freefile.

All federal forms are free. It’s free whether you draw a paycheck, are self-employed or are a small business owner. It’s free whether you file a Form 1040, 1040EZ or 1040A. It’s free whether you have mortgage interest to deduct, have kids in college or earn a little from the stock market. It’s all f…

03/11/2016

Identity Protection PIN Tool Suspended

The IRS has temporarily suspended the Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) tool and is conducting a further review of the application that allows taxpayers to retrieve their IP PINs online and is looking at further strengthening the security features on the tool.

Taxpayers who have been issued an IP PIN should continue to file their tax returns as they normally would. The online tool is primarily used by taxpayers who have lost their IP PIN and need to retrieve their number. Most taxpayers receive their IP PIN via mail and never use the online tool.

More information can be found in the IRS Statement on IP PIN.

02/12/2016

Scam Calls and Emails Using IRS as Bait Persist

Scams using the IRS as a lure continue. They take many different forms. The most common scams are phone calls and emails from thieves who pretend to be from the IRS. They use the IRS name, logo or a fake website to try to steal your money. They may try to steal your identity too.

Be wary if you get an out-of-the-blue phone call or automated message from someone who claims to be from the IRS. Sometimes they say you owe money and must pay right away. Other times they say you are owed a refund and ask for your bank account information over the phone. Don’t fall for it. Here are several tips that will help you avoid becoming a scam victim.

The real IRS will NOT:

Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
Demand tax payment and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For example, demand that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Threaten to bring in local police or other agencies to arrest you without paying.
Threaten you with a lawsuit.

If you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you do:

Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Use TIGTA’s “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page to report the incident.
You should also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" to the comments of your report.

If you think you may owe taxes:

Ask for a call back number and an employee badge number.
Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS employees can help you.

In most cases, an IRS phishing scam is an unsolicited, bogus email that claims to come from the IRS. They often use fake refunds, phony tax bills, or threats of an audit. Some emails link to sham websites that look real. The scammers’ goal is to lure victims to give up their personal and financial information. If they get what they’re after, they use it to steal a victim’s money and their identity.

If you get a ‘phishing’ email, the IRS offers this advice:

Don’t reply to the message.
Don’t give out your personal or financial information.
Forward the email to [email protected]. Then delete it.
Don’t open any attachments or click on any links. They may have malicious code that will infect your computer.

More information on how to report phishing or phone scams is available on IRS.gov.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

Additional IRS Resources:

Identity Protection Tips
Identity Protection Home Page

IRS YouTube Videos:

Tax Scams – English | Spanish | ASL
Phishing-Malware – English | Spanish | ASL
IRS Efforts On Identity Theft – English | Spanish | ASL
IRS ID Theft FAQ – Going After the Bad Guys – English | Spanish | ASL

IRS Podcasts:

Tax Scams – English | Spanish
ID Theft: Protect Yourself from Identity Theft – English | Spanish
IRS ID Theft FAQ – Going After the Bad Guys – English | Spanish

02/05/2016

IRS Experiencing Systems Outage

The IRS experienced a hardware failure Wednesday afternoon that affected a number of tax processing systems. Several of the systems are not currently operating, including the modernized e-file system and a number of other related systems.

As we send out this newsletter, if you are still experiencing issues, please know that the IRS is aware and working to restore normal operations as soon as possible.

02/03/2016

Missing Form W-2? IRS Can Help

Most people get their W-2 forms by the end of January. Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, shows your income and the taxes withheld from your pay for the year. You need it to file an accurate tax return.

If you haven’t received your form by mid-February, here’s what you should do:

Contact your Employer. Ask your employer (or former employer) for a copy. Be sure they have your correct address.
Call the IRS. If you are unable to get a copy from your employer, you may call the IRS at 800-829-1040 after Feb. 23. The IRS will send a letter to your employer on your behalf. You’ll need the following when you call:
Your name, address, Social Security number and phone number;
Your employer’s name, address and phone number;
The dates you worked for the employer; and
An estimate of your wages and federal income tax withheld in 2015. You can use your final pay stub for these amounts.
File on Time. Your tax return is normally due on or before April 18, 2016. Use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, if you don’t get your W-2 in time to file. Estimate your wages and taxes withheld as best as you can. If you can’t get it done by the due date, ask for an extra six months to file. Use Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to request more time. You can also e-file a request for more time. Do it for free with IRS Free File.
Correct if Necessary. You may need to correct your tax return if you get your missing W-2 after you file. If the tax information on the W-2 is different from what you originally reported, you may need to file an amended tax return. Use Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return to make the change.

Note: Important 2015 Health Insurance Forms.

Starting in 2016, most taxpayers will receive one or more forms relating to health care coverage they had during the previous year.

If you enrolled in 2015 coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you should get Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement by early February.

If you were enrolled in other health coverage for 2015, you should receive a Form 1095-B, Health Coverage, or Form 1095-C, Employer Provided Health insurance Offer and Coverage by the end of March. You should contact the issuer of the form - the Marketplace, your coverage provider or your employer - if you think you should have gotten a form but did not get it.

If you are expecting to receive a Form 1095-A, you should wait to file your 2015 income tax return until you receive that form. However, it is not necessary to wait for Forms 1095-B or 1095-C in order to file.