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…
When does an incorrect tax return become criminal?
- September 10th, 2019
- David Greene
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If you make a mistake on your return, that is not criminal. However, filing a wilfully fraudulent return iscriminal and can land you in jail. Here are some things you do not want to do that, if done, can lead to…
Hints to help new businesses stay out of tax trouble.
- September 4th, 2019
- David Greene
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There are many hints or suggestions I can give a new businessman, but I do not have that much room. I will give you five very important hints to keep you straight with the IRS. First, form your business as…
What are some of the special rules about reporting losses on Schedule C?
- August 28th, 2019
- David Greene
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Schedule C is the most audited of all the tax forms! In order to claim losses based on Schedule C a taxpayer must first prove that the business activity has a clear profit objective. Factors to consider are whether the…
Requirement for a non-custodial parent to claim child.
- May 6th, 2019
- David Greene
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If a taxpayer seeks to claim dependent children after a divorce but is not the custodial parent, he must file Form 8332 with his return. This form must be signed by the custodial parent. Otherwise the dependency claim will be denied. …