Best class tax services firms in Houston, TX? If you expect a tax refund, you have several options for how it’s handled. You can apply some or all of the refund toward next year’s taxes. If you normally pay estimated taxes throughout the year, that can help cover the first quarterly installment. The government can send you a check or deposit the refund directly into your checking or savings account. You can contribute some or all of your refund to certain types of accounts (IRAs, health savings accounts, education savings accounts) or buy U.S. Savings bonds through Treasury Direct.
If you own a business, restructure your business entity, particularly if you are operating as a sole proprietor, LLC, or an S-Corp. The taxes for a C-Corp are lower at the top than for other business structures. However, there’s also a new 20% deduction of business income for pass-through entities. And, if you hire your children, you can pay them without withholding or matching payroll taxes if you have a sole proprietorship. You should work with an accountant to determine if restructuring your business is worthwhile. Invest in tax-exempt bonds. Any interest you earn is not subject to federal income tax and from Medicare surtax calculations. Also, municipal bond interest for bonds purchased in the state where you live is exempt from state income taxes, too.
Bunch Your Charitable Contributions: In 2019, married couples filing jointly have a standard deduction of $24,400. For single taxpayers, the standard deduction is $12,200. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which nearly doubled the standard deduction, also eliminated miscellaneous deductions, capped state and local tax deductions at $10,000 and limited mortgage interest deductions to loans of up to $750,000. These changes can make it difficult to itemize deductions unless someone has significant charitable donations. Powell suggests people bunch two years of contributions into a single year, which would allow them to claim an itemized deduction every other year. For those with the financial means, setting up a donor-advised fund may be ideal. “You get the deduction in the year you move the money (into the fund),” Powell says. However, charitable gifts from the fund can be spread out over time.
Consult a tax professional before making any decisions that can affect your business tax return or spending money for the sole purpose of saving on taxes. Make sure you select someone who can help you all year, not just at tax time. Consider hiring an expert who can represent you before the IRS in case you’re ever audited. An enrolled agent might be your best bet. These professionals are designated by the IRS because they’ve passed a strenuous, three-part test, or because they actually worked for the IRS at some point. Note: These tips are not intended to be tax advice, but only to give you some tax-saving ideas to discuss with your tax professional. Every business is unique, and tax laws change frequently. Read additional details on https://greentree.tax/llc-tax-preparation/.
Be Pleasant and Control Yourself. The tone you take with your voice can impact how successful the conversation will be. If you start off the conversation with a friendly, non-confrontational tone, the customer may respond more positively. Once you have confirmed that you are speaking to the correct person about the unpaid invoice, ask if you can do anything to help. Ask if they need any additional information. If you act like you care or can understand the debtor’s side of the story, you may be able to prevent the person from becoming defensive. However, remain detached from the situation. Your job in debt collections ultimately is to collect the debt in full as soon as possible.
“Flip houses and make big bucks” scream the headlines. The premise is simple – buy real estate with little down, fix it up, and sell it quickly. What could be easier? Well, easy or not, one thing the promoters rarely tell you is that you’ll pay taxes on any profit you make if you are selling investment property and not the home you live in (your principal residence). If you flip houses or things like furniture for a profit, here are some tax implications and tips about your taxes, and possibly how to lower them.