What should a taxpayer do after receiving a threatening letter from the IRS?
- July 7th, 2020
- David Greene
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Even though most IRS offices are still closed due to COVID-19, some letters, computer generated and otherwise, are still being sent. When a person receives any Notice from the IRS, here are several things he can do: (1) Don’t panic. …
How should one report non-cash contributions?
- May 19th, 2020
- David Greene
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Keeping proper records to support contributions claimed as a tax deduction can be tricky. If you claim cash contributions, you must have a receipt from the charitable group to whom you gave the contribution. Also, the gift must be to…
The PEOPLE FIRST INITIATIVE from the IRS
- April 3rd, 2020
- David Greene
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In conjunction with the CARES Act and other directives from the President, the IRS has begun a new initiative called the People First Initiative. The highlights are as follows: If you are in an existing Installment Agreement, payments due between…
Which people get in tax trouble the most?
- March 12th, 2020
- David Greene
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I can’t say that there is any one group that tends to get in trouble more than any other, but there is one type of taxpayer who tends to get in trouble frequently. Self employed people tend to find themselves…
Can I use my unreimbursed employee mileage expense as a deduction in 2020?
- February 4th, 2020
- David Greene
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Unfortunately, you can no longer use mileage on the job as an unreimbursed business expense when you itemize deductions. In my practice I have found that, most of the time, those expenses were disallowed in an audit because the taxpayer…
When is a theft or bad debt loss not deductible?
- January 2nd, 2020
- David Greene
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You can claim a theft loss as a deduction only if there is no chance of recovering any of the amount stolen. Here the IRS is probably lookiong at the possibility that the owner will have to pay restitution as…
Can an employee still deduct unreimbursed business expenses?
- December 9th, 2019
- David Greene
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Since the new tax law came into effect, employee itemized deductions for unreimbursed business expenses, including mileage, have been suspended. However, self-employed individuals and certain employees (e.g. armed-forces reservists, certain state or local government officials, educators and performing artists) may…
What is a P&L?
- November 5th, 2019
- David Greene
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A P&L, or Profit and Loss statement, is simply a listing of all your business income and all of your business expenses for a given period of time. It is sometimes called an Income and Expense statement. Generally, you first…
What are the current rules about meal and entertainment deductions?
- October 22nd, 2019
- David Greene
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The new tax law (TCJA) has made several changes in the deductibility of business meals and entertainment. Last week I addressed deductions for meals. This week I will discuss the deductibility of entertainment expenses. Even before the new tax law,…
How to generate proof of expenses in an audit.
- October 2nd, 2019
- David Greene
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As you know the IRS will not accept your word for expenses. They want to see backup documents and proof of payment. If you did not keep receipts, you can order old bank statements from your bank and then go…