Axley & Rode, LLP

April 15 is the deadline for the first quarterly estimated tax payment for 2021, if you’re required to make one. You may have to make estimated tax payments if you receive interest, dividends, alimony, self-employment income, capital gains, prize money or other income. If you don’t pay enough tax during the year through withholding and estimated payments, you may be liable for a tax penalty on top of the tax that’s ultimately due. Four due dates Individuals must pay 25% of their “required annual payment” by April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year, to avoid an underpayment penalty. If one of those dates falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is due on the next business day. The required annual payment for most individuals is the lower of 90% of the tax shown on the current year’s return or 100% of the tax shown on the return for the previous year. However, if the adjusted gross income on your previous year’s return was more than $150,000 (more than...

President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on March 11. While the new law is best known for the provisions providing relief to individuals, there are also several tax breaks and financial benefits for businesses. Here are some of the tax highlights of the ARPA. The Employee Retention Credit (ERC). This valuable tax credit is extended from June 30 until December 31, 2021. The ARPA continues the ERC rate of credit at 70% for this extended period of time. It also continues to allow for up to $10,000 in qualified wages for any calendar quarter. Taking into account the Consolidated Appropriations Act extension and the ARPA extension, this means an employer can potentially have up to $40,000 in qualified wages per employee through 2021. Employer-Provided Dependent Care Assistance . In general, an eligible employee’s gross income doesn’t include amounts paid or incurred by an employer for dependent care assistance provided to the employee under a quali...

The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law on March 11, provides a variety of tax and financial relief to help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the many initiatives are direct payments that will be made to eligible individuals. And parents under certain income thresholds will also receive additional payments in the coming months through a greatly revised Child Tax Credit. Here are some answers to questions about these payments. What are the two types of payments? Under the new law, eligible individuals will receive advance direct payments of a tax credit. The law calls these payments “recovery rebates.” The law also includes advance Child Tax Credit payments to eligible parents later this year. How much are the recovery rebates? An eligible individual is allowed a 2021 income tax credit, which will generally be paid in advance through direct bank deposit or a paper check. The full amount is $1,400 ($2,800 for eligible married joint filers) plus $1,400 for e...

Are you a business owner thinking about hiring? Be aware that a recent law extended a credit for hiring individuals from one or more targeted groups. Employers can qualify for a tax credit known as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) that’s worth as much as $2,400 for each eligible employee ($4,800, $5,600 and $9,600 for certain veterans and $9,000 for “long-term family assistance recipients”). The credit is generally limited to eligible employees who began work for the employer before January 1, 2026. Generally, an employer is eligible for the credit only for qualified wages paid to members of a targeted group. These groups are: Qualified members of families receiving assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Qualified veterans, Qualified ex-felons, Designated community residents, Vocational rehabilitation referrals, Qualified summer youth employees, Qualified members of families in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Q...

If you’re getting ready to file your 2020 tax return, and your tax bill is higher than you’d like, there might still be an opportunity to lower it. If you qualify, you can make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA right up until the April 15, 2021 filing date and benefit from the tax savings on your 2020 return. Who is eligible? You can make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA if: You (and your spouse) aren’t an active participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, or You (or your spouse) are an active participant in an employer plan, but your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) doesn’t exceed certain levels that vary from year-to-year by filing status. For 2020, if you’re a joint tax return filer and you are covered by an employer plan, your deductible IRA contribution phases out over $104,000 to $124,000 of modified AGI. If you’re single or a head of household, the phaseout range is $65,000 to $75,000 for 2020. For married filing separately, the phas...

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced the 2021 annual adjustments to civil monetary penalties for a wide range of benefits-related violations. Legislation enacted in 2015 requires annual adjustments to certain penalty amounts by January 15 of each year. The 2021 adjustments are effective for penalties assessed after January 15, 2021, with respect to violations occurring after November 2, 2015. Here are some highlights: Form 5500 . Employers must file this form annually for most ERISA plans to provide the IRS and DOL with information about the plan’s operation and compliance with government regulations. The maximum penalty for failing to file Form 5500 has increased from $2,233 per day to $2,259 per day that the filing is late. Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC). The maximum penalty for failing to provide an SBC has increased from $1,176 to $1,190 per failure. Other group health plan penalties. Violations of the Genetic Information Nondiscr...

Many people are more concerned about their 2020 tax bills right now than they are about their 2021 tax situations. That’s understandable because your 2020 individual tax return is due to be filed in less than three months (unless you file an extension). However, it’s a good idea to acquaint yourself with tax amounts that may have changed for 2021. Below are some Q&As about tax amounts for this year. Be aware that not all tax figures are adjusted annually for inflation and even if they are, they may be unchanged or change only slightly due to low inflation. In addition, some amounts only change with new legislation. How much can I contribute to an IRA for 2021? If you’re eligible, you can contribute $6,000 a year to a traditional or Roth IRA, up to 100% of your earned income. If you’re 50 or older, you can make another $1,000 “catch up” contribution. (These amounts were the same for 2020.) I have a 401(k) plan through my job. How much can I contribute to it? For 2021, you c...

A number of tax-related limits that affect businesses are annually indexed for inflation, and many have increased for 2021. Some stayed the same due to low inflation. And the deduction for business meals has doubled for this year after a new law was enacted at the end of 2020. Here’s a rundown of those that may be important to you and your business. Social Security tax The amount of employees’ earnings that are subject to Social Security tax is capped for 2021 at $142,800 (up from $137,700 for 2020). Deductions Section 179 expensing: Limit: $1.05 million (up from $1.04 million for 2020) Phaseout: $2.62 million (up from $2.59 million) Income-based phase-out for certain limits on the Sec. 199A qualified business income deduction begins at: Married filing jointly: $329,800 (up from $326,600) Married filing separately: $164,925 (up from $163,300) Other filers: $164,900 (up from $163,300) Business meals Deduction for eligible business-related food and beverage expenses provided by a...

If you’re like many Americans, letters from your favorite charities may be appearing in your mailbox acknowledging your 2020 donations. But what happens if you haven’t received such a letter — can you still claim a deduction for the gift on your 2020 income tax return? It depends. What is required To support a charitable deduction, you need to comply with IRS substantiation requirements. This generally includes obtaining a contemporaneous  written acknowledgment from the charity stating the amount of the donation, whether you received any goods or services in consideration for the donation, and the value of any such goods or services. “Contemporaneous” means the earlier of: The date you file your tax return, or The extended due date of your return. So if you made a donation in 2020 but haven’t yet received substantiation from the charity, it’s not too late — as long as you haven’t filed your 2020 return. Contact the charity and request a written acknowledgment. Keep in min...

If you have a traditional IRA or tax-deferred retirement plan account, you probably know that you must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) when you reach a certain age — or you’ll be penalized. The CARES Act, which passed last March, allowed people to skip taking these withdrawals in 2020 but now that we’re in 2021, RMDs must be taken again. The basics Once you attain age 72 (or age 70½ before 2020), you must begin taking RMDs from your traditional IRAs and certain retirement accounts, including 401(k) plans. In general, RMDs are calculated using life expectancy tables published by the IRS. If you don’t withdraw the minimum amount each year, you may have to pay a 50% penalty tax on what you  should  have taken out — but didn’t. (Roth IRAs don’t require withdrawals until after the death of the owner.) You can always take out more than the required amount. In planning for distributions, your income needs must be weighed against the desirable goal of keeping the tax shelt...

In mid-January, the IRS issued final regulations that clarify the application of the employer shared responsibility provisions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as nondiscrimination rules, to Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). The regs also address Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs). These accounts allow employers to make tax-deductible contributions to reimburse employees for part or all of the expenses those employees incur in securing individual health care coverage (including Medicare). More specifically, the regs allow ICHRAs certain safe harbors from the pertinent ACA provisions and Internal Revenue Code rules. Safe harbors The final regs provide that, to determine whether an offer of an ICHRA to a full-time employee is “affordable” under the ACA, an employer may use the lowest-cost silver plan for self-only coverage offered through a Health Insurance Marketplace (or “exchange”) where the employee’s primary site of employment is loca...

The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) includes a wide variety of provisions that address the ongoing economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are so many provisions, in fact, that you may find it challenging to keep track of everything pertinent to your organization. One example is retirement benefits. Although the CAA doesn’t make sweeping changes to defined benefit plans, such as pensions, or defined contribution plans, such as 401(k)s, the law does affect both. Here’s a brief overview of the provisions in question. Future transfers The tax code allows “qualified future transfers” of up to 10 years of retiree health and life costs from a company’s pension plan to a retiree’s health benefits or life insurance account within the plan. These transfers must meet certain requirements, such as the plan being 120% funded, which have become too difficult to meet in some cases due to pandemic-related market volatility. In response, t...

The IRS announced it is opening the 2020 individual income tax return filing season on February 12. (This is later than in past years because of a new law that was enacted late in December.) Even if you typically don’t file until much closer to the April 15 deadline (or you file for an extension), consider filing earlier this year. Why? You can potentially protect yourself from tax identity theft — and there may be other benefits, too. How is a person’s tax identity stolen? In a tax identity theft scheme, a thief uses another individual’s personal information to file a fraudulent tax return early in the filing season and claim a bogus refund. The real taxpayer discovers the fraud when he or she files a return and is told by the IRS that the return is being rejected because one with the same Social Security number has already been filed for the tax year. While the taxpayer should ultimately be able to prove that his or her return is the legitimate one, tax identity theft can be a ha...

Attending college is one of the biggest investments that parents and students ever make. If you or your child (or grandchild) attends (or plans to attend) an institution of higher learning, you may be eligible for tax breaks to help foot the bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was enacted recently, made some changes to the tax breaks. Here’s a rundown of what has changed. Deductions vs. credits Before the new law, there were tax breaks available for qualified education expenses including the Tuition and Fees Deduction, the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Tax  credits  are generally better than tax  deductions. The difference? A tax deduction reduces your taxable income while a tax credit reduces the amount of taxes you owe on a dollar-for-dollar basis. First, let’s look at the deduction For 2020, the Tuition and Fees Deduction could be up to $4,000 at lower income levels or up to $2,000 at middle income levels. If your 2...

The IRS recently announced the 2021 dollar limits and thresholds for retirement plans, reflecting the latest cost-of-living adjustments. Here are some relevant amounts for 401(k)s and similar plans: Annual contributions. The limit on annual contributions to 401(k) and other defined contribution plans will increase to $58,000 (up from $57,000 for 2020). Compensation. The annual limit on compensation that can be taken into account for contributions and deductions will increase to $290,000 (up from $285,000). Elective deferrals. The annual limit on elective deferrals will remain at $19,500 for 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans, as well as for Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension plans (SARSEPs). The annual limits will remain the same at $13,500 for Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees (SIMPLEs) and SIMPLE IRAs. Catch-up contributions. The annual limit on catch-up contributions for individuals age 50 and over will remain at $6,500 for 401(k) plans, 403(b) contr...

The IRS recently released 2021 cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for a wide variety of tax-related limits, including those related to many popular fringe benefits. Here are some highlights to be aware of: Health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). For 2021, the dollar limit on employee salary reduction contributions to health FSAs will remain at $2,750. Qualified transportation fringe benefits. The monthly limit on the amount that may be excluded from an employee’s income for qualified parking benefits will remain at $270. The combined monthly limit for transit passes and vanpooling expenses will also remain at $270. Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements (QSEHRAs). The maximum amount of payments and reimbursements under a QSEHRA will be $5,300 for self-only coverage and $10,700 for family coverage (up from $5,250 and $10,600, respectively, for 2020). Adoption assistance exclusion and adoption credit. The maximum amount that may be excluded from an employee’s gr...

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the first quarter of 2021. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. January 15 Pay the final installment of 2020 estimated tax. Farmers and fishermen: Pay estimated tax for 2020. February 1 (The usual deadline of January 31 is a Sunday) File 2020 Forms W-2, “Wage and Tax Statement,” with the Social Security Administration and provide copies to your employees. Provide copies of 2020 Forms 1099-MISC, “Miscellaneous Income,” to recipients of income from your business where required. File 2020 Forms 1099-MISC reporting nonemployee compensation payments in Box 7 with the IRS. File Form 940, “Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return,” for 2020. If your undeposited tax is $500 or less, you can eithe...

If you’re self-employed and don’t have withholding from paychecks, you probably have to make estimated tax payments. These payments must be sent to the IRS on a quarterly basis. The fourth 2020 estimated tax payment deadline for individuals is Friday, January 15, 2021. Even if you do have some withholding from paychecks or payments you receive, you may still have to make estimated payments if you receive other types of income such as Social Security, prizes, rent, interest, and dividends. Pay-as-you-go system You must make sufficient federal income tax payments long before the April filing deadline through withholding, estimated tax payments, or a combination of the two. If you fail to make the required payments, you may be subject to an underpayment penalty, as well as interest. In general, you must make estimated tax payments for 2020 if both of these statements apply: You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax after subtracting tax withholding and credits, and You expect withholding ...

1. Under current law, 100% bonus depreciation will be phased out in steps for property placed in service in calendar years 2023 through 2027. Under current law, 100% bonus depreciation will be phased out in steps for property placed in service in calendar years 2023 through 2027. Thus, an 80% rate will apply to property placed in service in 2023, 60% in 2024, 40% in 2025, and 20% in 2026, and a 0% rate will apply in 2027 and later years. For certain aircraft (generally, company planes) and for the pre-January 1, 2027 costs of certain property with a long production period, the phaseout is scheduled to take place a year later, from 2024 to 2028. Of course, Congress could pass legislation to extend or revise the above rules. 2. Bonus depreciation is available for new and most used property In the past, used property didn’t qualify. It currently qualifies unless:  The taxpayer previously used the property and The property was acquired in certain forbidden transactions (generally acqu...

The IRS has temporarily halted certain outgoing mail. Due to a backlog of unopened mail created by the COVID-19 lockdown, payments from taxpayers that have a balance due may not have been posted to their accounts. As a result, the IRS will suspend automatic mailing of follow-up notices that remind taxpayers to make payments. “This temporary adjustment to processing is intended to lessen any possible confusion that might be associated with delays in processing correspondence received from taxpayers,” the agency said. For taxpayers who mailed payments that haven’t yet been opened, the payments will be credited on the day the payment was received. Click for more info.