If 2020’s economic downturn put you in the position of needing to apply for unemployment benefits, you may have been under the impression that those benefits were not subject to state or federal taxes. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and the same is true for independent contractors and the self-employed individuals who applied for and…
Opening Day for the IRS is Today February 12, 2021. The Internal Revenue Service has set the opening day for the 2021 tax filing season for Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. That’s the day the IRS will begin accepting and processing 2020 tax year returns. The tax filing deadline this year is Thursday, April 15, 2021…
In the next few weeks, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will begin accepting federal tax returns for the 2020 tax year. The coronavirus pandemic and multiple pandemic-related relief packages passed last year will make the tax season unique for taxpayers and for the IRS. Congress introduced several tax policy changes in 2020 that will impact the upcoming…
Bitcoin mania is upon us. It has been widely publicized that the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has reached record highs in value over the past month. Investors are making nice profits with Bitcoin, and the IRS is trying to find a way to get their share of tax on those profits. So, what is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and…
With millions of Americans now receiving taxable unemployment compensation, many of them for the first time, the Internal Revenue Service today reminded people receiving unemployment compensation that they can have tax withheld from their benefits now to help avoid owing taxes on this income when they file their federal income tax return next year. By…
Who is Self-Employed? Generally, you are self-employed if any of the following apply to you. You carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or an independent contractor. You are a member of a partnership that carries on a trade or business. You are otherwise in business for yourself (including a part-time business) What are My Self-Employed Tax Obligations? As…
Whether it’s something they’ve been doing for years or something they just started to make extra money, taxpayers must report income earned from hobbies in 2020 on next year’s tax return. What the difference between a hobby and a business? A business operates to make a profit. People engage in a hobby for sport or…
Even though the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, it’s possible a taxpayer’s refund may take longer. Several factors can affect the timing of a taxpayer’s refund after the IRS receives their tax return. Here are a few things taxpayers should keep in mind if they are waiting on their refund but…
Of all the intricacies of tax preparation, few aspects are as beneficial as electronic filing or e-filing. Not only is this advantageous to the Internal Revenue Service, as it reduces paperwork, it is also a benefit to individuals filing their tax returns. Here are just a few of the ways you can enjoy all electronic…
Self-employed individuals, unlike employees, don’t have someone withholding Social Security or Medicare (FICA) taxes along with pre-payments toward their federal (and state, where applicable) income tax from their wages during the year. They are not being paid a wage; instead, a self-employed individual must keep a set of books showing income and expenses associated with…
