The Treasury Inspector General for Taxpayer Administration (TIGTA) is warning taxpayers about one particular category of tax scams that has proven to be very widespread, very aggressive, and very relentless. Callers claim to be IRS employees, and they tell their intended victims that they owe taxes that must be paid immediately using a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The fake IRS agents threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation, or loss of a business or driver’s license. The scammers have been operating in every state in the country.

Here are some practices used by the scammers that taxpayers should watch out for:
* Use of automated robocall machine.
* Caller gives fake IRS badge numbers.
* Caller knows last four digits of victim’s social security number.
* Caller ID is changed to appear as if the IRS is the caller.
* A fake IRS e-mail is sent supporting the scammer’s claims.
* Follow-up calls are made claiming to be from the police department or motor vehicle licensing office, with caller ID again supporting the claim.
If you receive one of these fake calls, complete the “IRS Impersonation Scam Form” on TIGTA’s website, or call TIGTA at 800-366-4484.

Electronic refunds limited to three per account.
The IRS announces that, as part of its efforts to curb fraud and identity theft, it will no longer directly deposit more than three electronic refunds to a single financial account or prepaid debit card. Taxpayers who exceed the limit will receive an IRS notice and a paper refund.

The IRS also warns that direct deposit must be made only to accounts bearing the taxpayer’s name.

IRS service will be affected by ACA and budget cuts.
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has informed taxpayers that the Agency’s level of service to taxpayers is likely to decline, thanks to increased workloads resulting from the Affordable Care Act and cuts to the IRS’s 2015 budget. Taxpayers can expect longer waits in IRS responses to both written inquiries and phone calls. Refunds may also be delayed this year. The IRS will also have fewer resources to conduct audits, which may lead to lower revenue collection.

Catastrophes, thefts, natural disasters, accidents, fires – they happen. If such misfortunes strike, a well-researched and up-to-date homeowner’s insurance policy can keep your family’s finances afloat during trying times. Proceeds from a homeowner’s policy can provide necessary funds to replace your house and belongings. A good policy can also protect against unexpected liabilities. If you’re considering a new homeowner’s policy (or already have one), watch out for some common pitfalls, including the following:

Inadequate policy limits. Some homeowners try to lower their premiums by purchasing a policy that doesn’t fund their home’s replacement value. That’s often a big mistake. If the cost to replace your home has risen over the years and policy limits haven’t kept pace, you could end up footing the bill for much of the replacement cost (or selling your property at fire sale prices).

Personal property not documented. If you need to file a claim, an insurance carrier will want solid evidence that you owned the items being claimed. It’s a good idea to take pictures or videos of all your household goods, and keep receipts of all expensive purchases. Place copies of the pictures and receipts in a safe deposit box and at home in a fireproof safe. You might even send copies to an out-of-town friend or relative. Being able to provide clear evidence of your personal belongings will simplify the claims process and help ensure that you get paid.

Valuables not covered. Check your policy to ensure that expensive jewelry, antiques, and other valuables are included. If not, consider adding a rider to the policy that specifically lists such items.

Deductible too low. Generally, the higher the deductible, the lower the premium. True, in the event a claim needs to be filed, you’ll pay a bigger chunk of the repair or replacement cost with a high deductible. On the other hand, with a high deductible you’ll generally pay lower premiums each year.

By doing careful research and avoiding some common mistakes, your homeowner’s insurance policy will be affordable and still provide solid protection should disaster strike.

February 2 is deadline for 1099 reporting. Form 1099s must be filed by businesses each year. This year the deadline for filing falls on February 2, though electronic filers have until March 31 to file. The most common form for businesses is probably Form 1099-MISC, used to report miscellaneous payments to nonemployees. This includes fees for services paid to independent contractors, such as consultants, lawyers, cleaning services, and others. Generally, you don’t report fees paid to corporations, but there are exceptions (payments to lawyers, for example).

Check your tax withholding for 2015. Withholding too much tax from your wages isn’t a smart financial move. Review how much you’re having withheld in 2015 to see if it matches the actual tax liability you expect to have. If an adjustment is needed, file a new Form W-4 with your employer.

Make retirement plan contributions early. With retirement plan contributions, it’s the early bird who maximizes tax-deferred earnings. Make your contributions as early in the year as you can. For 2015, you can contribute the following:

IRA – $5,500 ($6,500 if you’re 50 or older)
401(k) – $18,000 ($24,000 if you’re 50 or older)
SIMPLE IRA -$12,500 ($15,500 if you’re 50 or older).

For details or filing assistance, contact our office.

Who have you designated as beneficiaries for your insurance policies and retirement accounts? If you can’t remember, you’re not alone. But it’s worth checking. If you make the wrong decision, it could affect who inherits those assets. In some cases, it could also change the taxes your beneficiaries will pay and the value they’ll receive. Here are some key facts about beneficiary designations.

What are they?

* When you designate a beneficiary for an account, you are naming the person you want to inherit that account.

* Your designation determines who will inherit the assets in the account, regardless of what your will might say. Generally, the assets will bypass probate and go straight to the person or institution you named.

* You can designate a person or group of persons, a charity, a trust, or your estate. You may also want to designate a secondary or backup beneficiary in case the primary is no longer living.

Why are they important?

* It’s important to keep beneficiary designations up to date because they determine who will inherit the assets in your accounts. Changing your will won’t change the beneficiaries.

* There can be tax implications too. With a traditional IRA, your choice of beneficiary can affect how quickly withdrawals must be made and taxes paid. That can change the value of the IRA to your beneficiary.

How do you update them?

* First, find copies of all your current designations. Contact your insurance company and plan trustees if you can’t locate the documents.

* Review them and decide what changes you’d like to make. Make an appointment to go over the changes with your tax or estate planning advisor.

* Send your updated designations to the account trustees. Make sure you receive confirmations and keep copies in your records.

In its final session of the year, Congress extended a long list of tax breaks that had expired, retroactive to the beginning of 2014. But the reprieve is only temporary. The extensions granted in the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 remain in effect through December 31, 2014. For these tax breaks to survive beyond that point, they must be renewed by Congress in 2015.

Although certain extended tax breaks are industry-specific, others will appeal to a wide cross-section of individuals and businesses. Here are some of the most popular items.

* The new law retains an optional deduction for state and local sales taxes in lieu of deducting state and local income taxes. This is especially beneficial for residents of states with no income tax.

* The maximum $500,000 Section 179 deduction for qualified business property, which had dropped to $25,000, is reinstated for 2014. The deduction is phased out above a $2 million threshold.

* A 50% bonus depreciation for qualified business property is revived. The deduction may be claimed in conjunction with Section 179.

* Parents may be able to claim a tuition-and-fees deduction for qualified expenses. The amount of the deduction is linked to adjusted gross income.

* An individual age 70½ and over could transfer up to $100,000 tax-free from an IRA to a charity in 2014. The transfer counts as a required minimum distribution (RMD).

* Homeowners can exclude tax on mortgage debt cancellation or forgiveness of up to $2 million. This tax break is only available for a principal residence.

* The new law preserves bigger tax benefits for mass transit passes. Employees may receive up to $250 per month tax-free as opposed to only $130 per month.

* A taxpayer is generally entitled to credit of 10% of the cost of energy-saving improvements installed in the home, subject to a $500 lifetime limit.

* Educators can deduct up to $250 of their out-of-pocket expenses. This deduction is claimed “above the line” so it is available to nonitemizers.

The remaining extenders range from enhanced deductions for donating land for conservation purposes to business tax credits for research expenses and hiring veterans.

Finally, the new law authorizes tax-free accounts for disabled individuals who use the money for qualified expenses like housing and transportation. Another provision in the law provides greater investment flexibility for Section 529 accounts used to pay for college.

If you’re living beyond your means, you could be courting financial disaster. Here are some indicators that you need to get your credit card usage under control.

* Your income’s dwindling but your credit card balances keep growing. Lost your job but can’t seem to reign in those charge cards? Don’t be surprised when the bill collectors come calling.

* You pay only minimum balances. Still paying off last year’s Valentine’s Day dinner? Bad spending habits?

* You practice the credit card shuffle. You take out a cash advance on one credit card to pay off another, then apply for another card when the first comes due. Practiced regularly, shuffling credit cards is a losing game. At some point you need enough income to cover your expenses. Eventually, the house of credit comes tumbling down.

* You’re working overtime to cover expenses. Say you work for an airplane manufacturer that’s building a new line of jets. To increase production, the company asks you to work longer hours. Bigger paychecks become routine and the cash starts flowing. So you take out installment loans to buy a new car or boat or house on the beach. But what happens when the production line slows down and the overtime pay dries up? The car payments, boat payments, and second home payments keep chugging along. And suddenly you’re struggling to make the payments.

* You routinely charge everyday expenses. Do you use credit cards to pay for groceries, gas, and fast food? Unless you’re disciplined and pay off the charges every month, your credit card balances can grow exponentially.

* The utility company calls. When the local water company threatens to discontinue service because you’re behind on the payments, it may be time to seek financial help.

* You’re refused credit. These days, even people with good credit may find it hard to obtain loans. But if your credit score is in the don’t-call-us-we’ll-call-you category, you may have a debt problem.

The best time to seek professional advice is well before your financial boat capsizes. If you’d like help, give us a call.

Many small business owners pay too little attention to their financial statements. This is due in part to not understanding just what the statements have to offer. In fact, many may not be able to tell you the difference between a Balance Sheet and an Income Statement.

Think of them this way. The Balance Sheet is like a still picture. It shows where your company is at on a specific date, at month-end, or at year-end. It is a listing of your assets and debts on a given date. So Balance Sheets that are a year apart show your financial position at the end of year one versus the end of year two. Showing how you got from position one to position two is the job of the Income Statement.

Suppose I took a photo of you sitting behind your desk on December 31, 2013. And on December 31, 2014, I took a photo of you sitting on the other side of your desk. We know for a fact that you have moved from one side to the other. What we don’t know is how you got there. Did you just jump over the desk or did you run all the way around the building to do it? The Income Statement tells us how you did it. It shows how many sales and how much expense was involved to accomplish the move.

To see why a third kind of financial statement called a Funds Flow Statement is useful, follow this case. A printer has started a new printing business. He invested $20,000 of his own cash and borrowed $50,000 from the bank to buy new equipment. After a year of operation, he has managed to pay off the bank loan. He now owns the equipment free and clear. When he is told his net profit is $50,000, he can’t believe it. He might tell you that he took nothing out of the business and lived off his wife’s wages for the year. And since there is no cash in the bank, just where is the profit? The Funds Flow Statement will show the income as a “source of funds” and the increase in equipment is an “application of funds.” The Funds Statement is even more useful when you have several assets to which funds can be applied and several sources of funds such as bank loans, vendor payables, and business profit or loss.

Don’t be afraid to ask your accountant questions about your financial statements. The more questions you get answered, the more useful you will find your financial statements. Accounting is sort of a foreign language. Learn to speak a little of it.

Are you aware of the numerous age-related provisions in the IRS code? They are probably more plentiful and significant than you thought. Here are a few examples of the age-related tax rules that could affect you and your dependents.

* At birth up to age 19 and even 24: dependency deduction. Parents can claim a dependency exemption for a child under 19 or for full-time students under the age of 24.

* Under 13: child care credit. This provision gives parents a tax credit for dependent care expenses.

* Under 17: child tax credit. If parental adjusted gross income is below a threshold level, parents can claim a child tax credit of $1,000.

* At 50: retirement contributions. The government allows extra “catch up” contributions to retirement savings. This is a helpful provision to encourage savings.

* Before age 59½: early withdrawal penalty. Withdrawals from IRAs and qualified retirement plans, with some exceptions, are assessed a 10% penalty tax.

* At 65: increased standard deduction. Uncle Sam grants a higher standard deduction, but there’s no additional tax benefit if the taxpayer itemizes deductions.

* At 70½: mandated IRA withdrawals. The IRS requires minimum distributions from a taxpayer’s IRA beginning at this age (doesn’t apply to Roth IRAs). This starts to limit tax-deferral benefits.

Awareness of how the tax code affects you and your family at different ages is important. For tax planning assistance through the various phases of life, give our office a call.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen recently discussed the major concerns the IRS has as it readies itself for the upcoming tax filing season. The proliferation of tax scams is a big concern with millions of taxpayers already having been taken in by scammers impersonating IRS agents. According to Koskinen, these scammers make threatening phone calls, trying to intimidate victims into providing personal financial information that can be used to steal identities.
A second area of concern is the IRS’s involvement in handling the premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Some taxpayers who were given advances on the credits based on income estimates may find that they may be receiving smaller refunds or owing the IRS money after filing their 2014 tax returns.