The voice bots are coming

The next time you contact the IRS, your call or online text might be received by a voice or chat bot. The IRS is now employing the technology on two of its specialized phone-assistance lines and on IRS.gov. The voice bots will provide taxpayers with assistance in English and Spanish. These bots can help taxpayers […]

How to keep your tax return safe from “ghosts”

Which IRS notices are temporarily suspended?

A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig requesting information on the suspension of certain tax notices that the IRS normally issues when a taxpayer owes tax and the IRS has no record of the taxpayer filing a tax return. The lawmakers expressed confusion about the extent to which […]

Charitable Donations

Advocates of charities are urging Congress to revive a charitable giving deduction for taxpayers who don’t itemize on their tax returns. The above-the-line tax deduction was created by the CARES Act in response to the pandemic. It was available in 2020 and extended through 2021 but has expired for 2022. For 2021, the deduction was […]

The IRS again eases Schedules K-2 and K-3 filing requirements for 2021

The IRS has announced additional relief for pass-through entities required to file two new tax forms — Schedules K-2 and K-3 — for the 2021 tax year. Certain domestic partnerships and S corporations won’t be required to file the schedules, which are intended to make it easier for partners and shareholders to find information related to “items […]

Employ a household worker?

Did you employ a household worker in 2021? This could include a housekeeper, nanny, gardener, cook, health care worker, tutor or someone else. If so, you may owe what’s commonly called the “nanny tax.” If you paid him or her $2,300 or more in 2021 you must file Schedule H (Household Employment Taxes) with your […]

IRS reports on backlog of unprocessed returns

A large number of errors made by taxpayers is hurting the IRS with its inventory of unprocessed tax returns. The backlog is mostly paper-filed returns and is dominated by errors relating to Economic Impact Payments (EIPs). On more than 10 million returns filed in 2021, taxpayers “failed to properly reconcile” the two 2020 EIPs with […]

Establish a tax-favored retirement plan

If your business doesn’t already have a retirement plan, now might be a good time to take the plunge. Current retirement plan rules allow for significant tax-deductible contributions. For example, if you’re self-employed and set up a SEP-IRA, you can contribute up to 20% of your self-employment earnings, with a maximum contribution of $61,000 for […]

IRS updates vehicle tables

If your business buys or leases passenger vehicles in 2022, review the IRS’s recently updated depreciation deduction and income inclusion tables. In general, taxpayers may claim an additional first-year depreciation deduction equal to 100% if they place qualified purchased vehicles into service before 2023 (other rules and limitations apply). Table 1 lists depreciation limits for […]

Proposed legislation on the 1099-K

Under a new law, gig workers (such as rideshare drivers) and online sellers of goods must file Form 1099-K with the IRS if they earn at least $600 annually. A group of Democrats in Congress thinks that threshold is too low and may subject these taxpayers to “burdensome or confusing reporting requirements, which could result […]