Your CPA will keep your taxes at a minimum, satisfy record keeping and report filing requirements, use financial and audit reports to make smart business decisions, achieve maximum success and profitability in your business, build your net worth through sound investing and financial planning, communicate effectively with bankers, lawyers, government agencies, and others connected with your financial life, plan for comfortable retirement, and last but not least, preserve your estate for your intended heirs.
You can create a user account to gain access to your individual account on the IRS's Your Online Account page.
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Begining in 2015, when you turn age 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60 and don't have a Social Security online account, you can expect to receive a paper Social Security statement that lists your earnings history, taxes paid and expected benefit about 3 months before your birthday. And after age 60 workers will receive a statement annually. These mailings, which were sent annually to all workers age 25 and older between 1999 and 2011, were suspended in April 2011 to save money. Statements are also available online at any time by visiting my Social Security account. To access your online statement, you must be at least 18 years old, have a Social Security number, have a valid email address and have a U.S. mailing address.
Identity theft is a serious crime that can cost you time, money, destroy your credit and ruin your good name. It happens when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. The IRS has published the following tips to help taxpayers avoid becoming the victim of an identity thief.
The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by e-mail to request personal or financial information.
The IRS does not send e-mails stating a person is being electronically audited or getting a refund.
Scam e-mails claiming to be from the IRS should be forwarded to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
If a website that claims to be from the IRS but does not begin with 'www.irs.gov' is discovered, the link should be forwarded to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
Taxpayers should show their social security cards to their employers when starting new jobs and to their financial institutions for tax-reporting purposes, but they should not routinely carry the cards or other documents that display their SSNs, and they should not give businesses their SSNs unless it is required.
While preparing a tax return for electronic filing, use a strong password to protect the data file. Once the return has been e-filed, copy the file to a CD or flash drive and remove the information from the hard drive. The CD or flash drive should be stored in a safe place, such as a lockbox or safe. Taxpayers who are working with a tax preparer should ask what measures the preparer takes to protect their information.
Taxpayers should protect their personal computers by using firewalls and anti-spam and ainti-virus software. They should update security patches and change passwords for Internet accounts.
Taxpayers should not provide personal information over the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless they have initiated the contact or are sure they know whom they are dealing with.
Taxpayers should protect their financial information and check their credit report every 12 months. (See below).
Additional information is avalable from:
The IRS at their Identity Theft Central webpage.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at their webpage.
The Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft webpage.
Law requires the major nationwide consumer credit reporting companies - TransUnion, Experian and Equifax - to give you a free copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228, a service created by these three companies, to order your free credit report.
The IRS offers an online tool to lookup your First Time Homebuyer Credit Account. You can visit the First Time Homebuyer Credit Account Look-up on the IRS website. To access your account information, you must your Social Security Number (or your IRS individual taxpayer identification number), date of birth, street address and Zip Code.
For each tax year, a return must be made by a U.S. citizen or a resident alien who has at least a specified minimum amount of gross income. In most cases if your gross income is below these amounts, you do not have to file a return, the gross income requirements vary by age and marital status. Consult your tax advisor to determine if you must file.
Yes. Even if your gross income falls below the levels in which you are required to file, you may have federal income tax withheld on wages received from your employer that qualify for a refund. You may also want to file a return if you meet the requirements of any of the many refundable tax credits that are available. These refundable credits include the Earned Income Tax Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit, Adoption Credit and Health Coverage Tax Credit. Consult your tax advisor to determine if you qualify for any of these refundable tax credits.
Those taxpayers who meet the filing and income guidelines may use the Internal Revenue Service's FreeFile program. The IRS website can direct you to online tax service providers that can help you file your return at no cost. In addition to filing your federal income tax return, many of the providers can also file your state income tax return as well. Visit the IRS Free File page to learn more and to find the online tax service provider that is right for you. The state of Ohio also offers options to file your individual income tax return electronically. Visit the Ohio Department of Taxation Online Services page to learn more.
The sale of your principal residence generally is not reported on a taxpayer's return. However, if a portion of the home was used for business, such as office in the home or a rental, this may trigger a taxable gain. The taxpayer must have lived in the residence for at least two of the last five years, and can only claim this exclusion for one sale every two years. There is a maximum exclusion amount and other criteria that need to be checked.
An itemized deduction is allowed for non-reimbursed medical expenses paid during the year for the medical care of the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse and the taxpayer's dependents to the extent that such expenses exceed 7.5% of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income. These expenses are reported on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, Form 1040. Those taxpayers claiming the standard deduction cannot deduct non-reimbursed medical expenses on their form 1040.
Expenses for gasoline, oil, tires, repairs, insurance, depreciation, parking, and licenses involved for vehicles used in a trade or business are deductible. However, the standard mileage rate method is a simplified method which can be used to compute the deduction for vehicle expense in lieu of calculating these various actual expenses. Under this method, the taxpayer determines the allowable deduction by multiplying his business miles by the standard mileage rate as determined by the Internal Revenue Service each year. In either case, a deduction is allowed only for the part of the expenses that are attributable to business use.
The following are three easy steps you can take at no cost to reduce the number of unsolicited mail and telephone calls you receive (and maybe save a tree at the same time).
The national consumer credit reporting companies offer a toll-free number that enables you to opt-out of all pre-approved credit offers you receive in the mail with just one phone call. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) for more information.
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) offers a webpage that allows you to set your direct mailing options to stop mailings from those direct mailers that subscribe to the DMA's listings. You can set these options on the DMA's DMAchoice.org webpage.
You can subscribe to the National Do Not Call list to significantly reduce the number of telephone calls you receive. The federal government administers the list. To learn more about the Do Not Call list and to sign up, visit www.DoNotCall.gov. You can also file telemarketing complaints at the website.