Beware a New Kind of Tax Scam

Cybercriminals are stepping up their game this tax season. The IRS is reporting a new kind of tax scam that began only a few days into this year’s filing season. It involves stealing data from the computers of tax preparers and using the data to file fraudulent returns.

“In a new twist, the fraudulent returns in a few cases used the taxpayers’ real bank accounts for the deposit. A woman posing as a debt collection agency official then contacted the taxpayers to say a refund was deposited in error and asked the taxpayers to forward the money to her.”

Here at Canon Capital, we take every possible precaution to ensure that your data remains safe and secure. Steps that you can take to protect your personal data include these steps:

  • Use strong, unique passwords. Better yet, use a phrase instead of a word. Use different passwords for each account. Use a mix of letters, numbers and special characters.
  • If an email contains a link, hover your cursor over the link to see the web address (URL) destination. If it is not a URL you recognize or if it is an abbreviated URL, don’t open it.
  • Use security software to help defend against malware, viruses and known phishing sites and update the software automatically.
  • Send suspicious tax-related phishing emails to phishing@irs.gov.
  • Do not return or click on emails or return a phone call from someone saying they are from the IRS. They simply do not work that way.

If you have any questions about this or any other topic related to your tax planning, we are happy to help. Call 215-723-4881 or contact us online.

New Requirements for Pennsylvania Businesses Working with Out-of-State 1099-MISC Vendors and Subcontractors

If you operate a Pennsylvania-based business and engage with subcontractors and vendors on a 1099-MISC basis, there is a new requirement from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Effective January 1, 2018, “payors of non-employee compensation or rent to non-resident individuals or their SMLLC’s must withhold Pennsylvania income tax at the rate of 3.07% of their payments.”

What does this mean? For Pennsylvania-based businesses engaging with subcontractors and vendors located outside of Pennsylvania who operate as an individual or an “SMLLC” (single member limited liability company), and to whom your annual payments will total above $5,000, you are responsible for withholding Pennsylvania income tax on their payments at a rate of 3.07%.

Since this is new, penalties for non-withholding were delayed until the end of the second quarter of 2018. If you are not certain as to whether you will meet the $5,000-plus criteria, the state is recommending you remit the withholdings.

7/2018 UPDATE:
It is recommended that you provide PA form REV-1832 to all your vendors. Have them complete the payee information and exemption reason as applicable. If the completed REV-1832 is not received with an appropriate exemption, you should withhold PA income from those non-resident vendors to whom you pay $5,000 or more annually. Completed form REV-1832 should be maintained for your records.

If you have any questions about this or any other topic related to financial or IT services, we are happy to help. Call 215-723-4881 or contact us online.

IRS Standard Mileage Rates Increase for 2018

The IRS has announced standard mileage rates for 2018. As of January 1, 2018, the standard mileage rates for the use of a vehicle (car, van, pick-up truck, or panel truck) for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes are:

  • 54.5 cents for every mile of business travel driven (an increase of 1 cent from the 2017 rate)
  • 18 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes (an increase of 1 cent from the 2017 rate)
  • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

We’ve touched on the importance of keeping good mileage logs and recommend using a mobile app such as TripLog or MileIQ. It’ll save you a lot of time and stress as you gather your financial data for tax preparation.

We’re happy to answer any questions you might have about this or any of your financial service needs. Call 215-723-4881 or contact us online.

Tax Filing Season is Officially Open

Yesterday — Monday, January 29, 2018 –- marked the first day the IRS began accepting tax returns for the 2017 tax year. This year’s deadline to file your taxes is Tuesday, April 17. BusinessInsider.com has this recap on what you can expect for this year’s filing.

Keep in mind that the changes that come with the new tax law do not apply to your 2017 tax year returns. As always, our team of CPAs are here to help. Contact us with any questions.

Free Tax Reform Webinar: What Church Leaders Should Know for 2018

2018 is underway and with this new tax year comes a number of changes to the tax law. What does it mean for your church and your staff?
 
We’re here to help. That’s why we’re inviting you to attend this free webinarTax Reform and Tax Law Changes: What Church Leaders Should Know for 2018. This hour-long webinar, presented by Church Tax & Law church attorney and CPA Richard R. Hammar will cover what churches and church leaders need to understand about these changes for 2018 and beyond. As always, if you have any questions about your payroll and taxes under these changes, please contact us.

Prepay Your Property Taxes? It Depends

You’ve probably seen or heard news reports about prepaying 2018 state and local real estate taxes in reaction to the recently-passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

With this new legislation, beginning in 2018, taxpayers will be allowed to deduct up to $10,000 of state and local taxes paid, including property taxes and either income taxes or sales taxes. The bill will preserve the deduction for existing home mortgages and cap it at $750,000 for newly purchased homes starting January 1, 2018. The plan will also end the deduction for interest on home equity loans.

So, can you prepay your 2018 real estate taxes in 2017? Yes, and no. If you live in Montgomery or Bucks counties in Pennsylvania, the answer is “No.” Montgomery County has posted the following statement on their website:

The county has received a number of inquiries from individuals seeking to prepay their 2018 county real estate taxes. While the county understands and supports these efforts, Montgomery County is not permitted under Pennsylvania Law to accept such prepayments. Unlike Philadelphia, Delaware, and Allegheny counties, which are governed by Home Rule charters and thus permitted to allow the prepayment of taxes, Montgomery County, as well as Bucks, Chester, and other counties which are not Home Rule, must work within the confines of the tax collection requirements imposed by the Commonwealth. As these requirements explicitly prohibit the prepayment of real estate taxes, Montgomery County is prohibited from accepting 2018 real estate taxes until after the first of the year.

If you pay property taxes in a region where prepayment is permitted, you may only do so if you’ve received your 2018 tax assessment, as this article from Yahoo Finance explains:

But many residents trying to avoid that deduction limit on their state and local taxes will be disappointed: the IRS on Wednesday announced that taxpayers can prepay their 2018 property taxes only if they have already received a tax assessment from their local government and they make payment by the end of the year.

As always, we are here to help. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your tax plan for 2018, please contact us online or call 215-723-4881.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Has Passed: What You Need to Know

The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act Bill (H.R. 1) has now passed the House and Senate and is on its way to the White House for the President’s signature to become law.

Here is a summary of some of the major provisions that will affect both Individuals and Businesses after this Bill becomes law. Most changes will be effective January 1, 2018; however, there are certain specific changes which will take effect before 2018.

Changes for Individuals

Individual Rates: The top individual rate will be 37 percent for individuals earning $500,000 and above and joint filers earning at least $600,000. There will be seven tax brackets: 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35, and 37 percent. The tax bill will nearly double the standard deduction, increasing it to $24,000 for a couple filing jointly and to $12,000 for single taxpayers. The tax rates and standard deduction expansion will expire in 2026.

Mortgage Interest Deduction: The bill will preserve the deduction for existing home mortgages and cap it at $750,000 for newly purchased homes starting January 1, 2018. The plan will also end the deduction for interest on home equity loans.

State and Local Tax Deduction: Taxpayers will be allowed to deduct up to $10,000 of state and local taxes paid, including property taxes and either income taxes or sales taxes.

Child Tax Credit: The child tax credit will be increased to $2,000 from the current $1,000 per child credit, with up to $1,400 of it being refundable.

Medical Expense Deduction: The bill will allow taxpayers to deduct medical expenses exceeding 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income for 2017 and 2018.

Individual Mandate: The plan would zero out the penalties for not obtaining health coverage for individuals and families.

529 College Accounts: 529 Accounts can now be used for elementary, secondary, and higher education.

Individual Alternative Minimum Tax: The individual AMT will increase to apply to individual filers earning more than $500,000 or joint filers earning $1 million or more.

Changes for Businesses

Corporate Rate: The corporate rate will be reduced to 21 percent starting January 1, 2018.

Pass-through Taxation: Pass-through entity owners that meet certain conditions will be eligible for a 20 percent deduction on their business income.

Business Expensing: Full expensing of new and used capital investments will be permitted for five years. After 2022, the 100 percent allowance will be phased down by 20 percent each year. Section 179 expensing, which doubles the amount eligible for the special small business investment write-offs, will also be made permanent.

Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax: The corporate AMT will be repealed.

Other Changes

Estate Tax: The exemption is doubled for estates worth approximately $11 million for individuals and $22 million for couples. The exemptions will revert to current levels after 2025.

International Business: Eliminates incentives that now reward companies for shifting jobs, profits, and manufacturing plants abroad. These incentives will prevent American jobs, headquarters, and research from moving overseas.

For even more information, here is a summary of the policy highlights as provided by the Joint House and Senate Conference Committee for your review.

If you have any questions about how this tax bill will affect your specific tax situation, please contact us online or call 215-723-4881 to set up a time to review the effects of these changes with you.

Disclaimer: This communication contains general tax information and should not be construed as specific tax advice for your situation.

 

Lease or Buy? Sell or Trade In? Business Vehicle Wisdom from Canon Capital Accounting Services

car inventory colorful
It’s time. Whether it’s one too many repair bills or the need for updated equipment, if you use your car for your business or have vehicles for specific use in your business the day will come when you’ll need to replace it. Deciding whether to trade it in or to try to sell it for cash will likely be based on the amount you can get on a sale versus a trade-in, not to mention the time you will spend.

There are also important tax factors to consider as you weigh your options. Here’s a quick overview of the complex tax rules that apply to what appears to be a simple transaction, and some pointers on how to achieve the best tax results.

Overall, the sale of a business asset yields a gain or loss depending on the net amount you receive from the sale and your basis for it. “Basis” is your “cost” for tax purposes, and, if you bought the asset, it usually equals your cost less the depreciation deductions you claimed for the asset over the years. Under the tax-free swap rules, trading in an old business asset for a new, like-kind asset doesn’t result in a current gain or loss, and the new asset’s basis will equal the old asset’s remaining basis plus any cash you paid to trade up. The rules generally are the same for business vehicles, with a couple of extra twists. So, what’s best for you?

Trade in your old business vehicle if:

  • The vehicle was used exclusively for business driving.
  • The vehicle’s basis has been depreciated down to zero or is very low.

The trade-in process often avoids a current tax. For example, if you sell your business vehicle for $9,000, and your basis in it is only $7,000, you will have a $2,000 taxable gain. If instead, you trade it in, a current tax is avoided. The trade-in means that the basis in the new vehicle will be lower than it would be if you bought it without a trade-in, but that doesn’t necessarily mean lower depreciation deductions on the new vehicle. Thanks to the “luxury auto” annual depreciation dollar caps, when purchasing a car for business your annual depreciation deductions on the new car may be the same whether you sold the old car or traded it in.

Consider selling your old business vehicle for cash if:

  • You used it exclusively for business driving and depreciation on the old vehicle was limited by the annual depreciation dollar caps.

In this situation, your basis in the old vehicle may exceed its value. If you sell the old vehicle, you will recognize a loss for tax purposes. However, if you trade it in, you will not recognize the loss.

Breaking this down, let’s assume a business person bought a $30,000 car several years ago and used it 100% for business driving. Because of the annual depreciation dollar caps, there is still a $16,000 basis in the car, which has a current value of $14,500. When this person wants to buy another $30,000 car, if the old vehicle is sold, a $1,500 loss will be recognized ($16,000 basis less $14,500 sale price). If the old vehicle is traded in for a new one, there will be no current loss. Again, if the old vehicle’s value exceeds its basis, the smart move on the taxation front is to trade it in, avoiding a gain.

  • You used the standard mileage allowance to deduct car-related expenses.

The 2016 allowance is 54¢ per business mile driven; For 2017, the allowance is 53.5¢ per business mile driven. The standard mileage allowance has a built-in allowance for depreciation, which must be reflected in the basis of the car. The deemed depreciation is 24¢ for every business mile traveled during 2016, and 25¢ for every business mile traveled in 2017. When you decide it’s time to make a change, the depreciation allowance may leave you with a higher remaining basis than the vehicle’s value. Under these circumstances, the vehicle should be sold to recognize the loss.

Did you use your vehicle partially for business, partially for personal use?

The rules are more complicated in this situation, which mainly applies to people who are self-employed, or as an employee are required to supply a vehicle for business use. In these instances:

  • If you sell the vehicle, cost and depreciation must be allocated between the business and personal portions. Gain or loss on the business part is recognized; gain, but not loss, is recognized on the personal part.
  • If you choose to trade it in, a special basis rule applies for depreciation purposes only. The basis of the new vehicle as computed under the normal trade-in rules is reduced by any difference between the depreciation that would have been allowable had the vehicle been used 100% for business driving and the depreciation claimed for its actual business use.

Leasing a Business Vehicle

The complex rules that apply to purchased business vehicles are one reason many business owners choose leasing vehicles over buying. When leasing, you simply deduct the business/investment use portion of annual lease costs. If the vehicle is a “luxury” model, for each lease year you add back to income an income inclusion amount derived from an IRS table. According to guidelines for 2016 and 2017, a leased vehicle is deemed “luxury” if the vehicle’s fair market value exceeds $19,000 ($19,500 for certain trucks and vans). There are, however, a few aspects of leasing to be aware of:

  • If you pay an additional sum up-front, it should be amortized over the life of the lease.
  • Any refundable deposit required as part of the lease deal cannot be deducted at all.

If you’re thinking, “This all sounds so very complicated,” you’re right. Before taking that next step with regard to your business vehicle, whether selling, trading in, or leasing, please contact us to set up a meeting to discuss the best path for your specific situation.

Canon Capital Staff News

We’ve had a lot to celebrate this summer. The Canon Capital family is expanding due to these happy occasions.

Amanda (Van Camp) Spengler, CPA, a staff accountant in our Accounting department, celebrated her marriage to Andy Spengler on July 18th.  

BrandonKeeler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Most recently,
Brandon Keeler and his wife Cori welcomed Greyson Keeler on August 7th. Brandon is a PC Network Technician in our Computer Solutions unit. 

Congratulations to all!

 

Why the Big Fuss About Auto Mileage?

If there’s one thing tax preparers can count on after the sun rises each morning, it’s clients wondering why we make such a big deal about having auto mileage, travel and entertainment properly documented.

To answer in detail, everyone is familiar with the principle of “the low hanging fruit” – that is, when we have a very big task to accomplish, we usually go after the easy “low hanging fruit” first. With the well-documented budget cuts to the IRS over the past few years, the IRS is left with limited resources to audit taxpayers. Thus, common sense would tell us they will, and are, concentrating on the “low hanging fruit.” And when it comes to exams of taxpayers, travel and entertainment expenses are the lowest hanging fruit. There are numerous reasons for this.

First, most wage earners receive a W2 at the end of the year reporting their wages. The IRS gets a copy of the W2, so there’s no real subjectivity. Even if the wage earner has interest income, business income reported on a K-1, and mortgage interest deductions – these are all reported to the IRS as well. In contrast, self-employed individuals and businesses self-report practically everything. Therefore, self-employed individuals are generally at a much higher risk of exam. And the expenses that are going to attract additional attention deal with travel and entertainment. The reason these specific expenses draw specific attention are due to their higher substantiation requirements.

There was a fairly famous case, Cohan v. Commissioner, which concluded with the decision that if the taxpayer was unable to substantiate the exact amount of an expense and evidence dictates that an expense was incurred, the proper amount may be estimated by the court.

The IRS and Congress weren’t thrilled at the idea of estimating expenses, so they created a new law concerning auto, travel, meals and entertainment expenses. This law expressly states that no deduction will be allowed as approximations or “unsupported testimony” of the taxpayer. In other words, if you don’t have proper evidence, the IRS will disallow ALL of your expenses – even if evidence indicates that the expenses were incurred.

Keeping Good Records

For travel away from home, the taxpayer must have adequate records to prove the amount, time, the place, and business purpose of the trip. For entertainment, the taxpayer must have adequate records to prove the amount, the time, the place, the business purpose, and the business relationship. For auto mileage, the taxpayer must have adequate records to prove the amount, time, and business purpose of the trip.

In other words, just having receipts for travel away from home and entertainment are not sufficient since the receipt will not document the business purpose or relationship substantiation requirements. And so, you need a contemporaneous (produced in real time) auto log.

There are thousands of cases filled with summary language similar to “Taxpayer didn’t keep or provide contemporaneous written records of time, place, miles driven, or business purpose, and instead conceded that he/she kept poor records…” in which the IRS disallowed ALL of the auto expense claimed – even though evidence indicated an expense was incurred. If that sounds like you – not keeping records in real time – not documenting business reason, place or mileage – or just keeping poor records – your WHOLE deduction is at risk. Even if there is other evidence business mileage was incurred. Again, there are hundreds if not thousands of tax court rulings where the entire auto expense was disallowed even though taxpayers had delivery receipts and other reports to evidence auto mileage had been incurred.

So you can start to see why there is such a big fuss around auto mileage. First, the entire deduction is at risk – not just a portion of it. Thus, when we as tax preparers ask the amount of business mileage incurred, answers like, “Oh, about the same as last year,” are not acceptable. It acknowledges that there are no contemporaneous records that exist to support the deduction. Second – and just as important – under an examination, you want to have the “easy” items correct on your return. Think about it from the examiner’s point of view. If the first thing they look at isn’t correct, how do you think they feel about the rest of the return? Contrast that to having everything documented correctly and making a good first impression. Which situation would you rather have? Everyone would obviously want the latter situation. Thus, keeping contemporaneous records is a big deal.

Here at Canon Capital, we speak from experience. Not too long ago, one of our self-employed clients was examined. The very first item the examiner went after was auto mileage. The examiner spent two full days reconstructing the auto logs from his records, and using other audit techniques. He barely looked at other income or expense items. In the end, our client had contemporaneous records – so the deduction stood, other than a slight miscalculation the client had in calculating the amount of mileage.

So please understand – reporting accurate auto mileage is a big deal. Thus, big deals usually come with a big fuss.

Record-keeping Made Easy

It doesn’t have to be difficult to maintain good mileage records. Stop by our reception area, where we have auto mileage logs available for your use. You might also find mobile apps like TripLog or MileIQ helpful. While the apps provide additional features, by simply tracking the date, mileage, and reason for incurring the mileage each time you travel for business, you will be in good shape.

If you have more questions or would like more advice on maintaining good expense records, we are happy to help. Contact us at 215-723-4881 or www.canoncapital.com.