Tag: tax

  • Self Employment Tax Issues

    People often get so swept up in the first exciting year of starting their own business, going freelance or contracting that they forget some of the more mundane, but nevertheless important changes that self-employment will bring. Along with a renewed passion for your career and control over your own destiny and potentially far greater financial rewards, there are also a number of downsides and financial hurdles to setting out on your own.

    Self Employment Tax will be one of those hurdles. Self-Employment Tax is a tax that you were never required to pay as an employee, but essentially it is the self-employment version of the FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax that is used to pay for social security and medicare and it comes out of your net earnings from your self employment. Back when you were employed by a company you probably never gave a moment’s thought to this payment because your employer would have been paying half of it, approximately 7.65% each. But now you are classified as self-employed, whether you are a sole proprietor or an independent contractor, you have to pay the full 15.3% levy yourself on your tax return. As long as you earn over $433 per annum, you must pay 15.3%. And once you reach $106,800 you then pay 2.9% for every dollar after that. The tax itself is split into two parts. Social Security receive 12.4% and Medicare receive 2.9%.

    So how do you know if you need to pay it? Basically, if you’re self-employed in any way, you pay the tax. It is levied on net earnings from your business. Whether you file a Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business), a Schedule F or a Schedule E with income from a partnership then you’re required to file a Schedule SE and pay the tax. However, it relates to income from your job and earnings, not from investments so investment income is not subject to Self-Employment Tax. Rents and royalties, dividends, interest and capital gains are therefore not taxed.

    The next thing you need to consider is that when you were employed your employer would take care of paying this. Now the responsibility lies with you. Unfortunately going freelance means more paperwork and more responsibility. You need to calculate your Self-Employment tax on Schedule SE and enter this figure into the “Other Taxes” section of the 1040 form. This is so the IRS can differentiate between income tax and the SE tax. You will need to make estimates quarterly on your tax obligation in April June, September and January and if you don’t pay or they aren’t enough you could face penalties and interest.

    There are, however, some ways to reduce Self – Employment tax. Firstly, you can charge your own business a rental charge for using your property. This income that you get from rent is not part of your self-employment and therefore is free from Self-Employment tax. Secondly, when calculating Self Employment tax you are permitted to reduce your income by 7.65% before you have to apply the tax rate. So if your net self-employed income is $100,ooo this is what you write on your 1040 for income tax. But on your Schedule SE the taxable amount is $100,000 less $7650 which comes to 92,350. This saves paying 15.3% tax on $7650, making a saving of $1170.

    Alex Simmonds is a journalist and copywriter living in the UK. He can currently be found writing a daily blog on contracting and  home-working for The Bedouin Group., a contractor portal.

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  • Choosing a Management Private Wealth Adviser

    Management private wealth advisers can help those in any income bracket become better prepared for the future. These professionals can offer input into everything from knowing how much savings one will require going into retirement to what percentage of their income should be invested into various investment portfolios. For many, the thought of planning their finances is a bit intimidating. This intimidation can lead to being under prepared when the time does come to finally retire. In order to ensure that you are ready for any financial situation that is to come, consider partnering with such an adviser.

    Though the name may imply that these advisers only work with the wealthiest clients, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, many companies offer consultations with these advisers as part of their standard employee benefits package. No matter what your salary, they can give you advice on what percentage of your income should be put into a 401K, how much you should be investing, and even whether or not you are at a point in your life to make any large property investments. They can help anyone navigate the sometimes confusing financial world and ensure that their money is working for them.

    For those who have just been named in a will, general wealth planning advise may not be the best choice. Instead, find an attorney or accountant who specializes in inheritance tax planning advise. They can give you information on how any inheritance that you receive should be reported for tax purposes, as well as how to plan your will to reduce the tax burden on your family.

    Dealing with personal finances is a complicated matter that can have a huge impact on your future stability. If you are looking for help in determining how to use your money in the best possible way, seek out the advice of a management private wealth adviser.

  • QuickTax Can Make Your Taxes so Much Simpler

    QuickTax Can Make Your Taxes so Much Simpler

    QuickTax has perfected the art of maximizing your tax returns while also making it as simple as possible. There is no need to deal with all that confusing tax jargon, fill out a bunch of different (also confusing) tax forms, and put yourself through unnecessary stress- not to mention wasting a whole lot of time.

    QuickTax uses to-the-moment CRA tax laws and very comprehensive programs to ensure you get the most for your refund as possible. But that is all done on the back end of the software programs. All you have to do is answer some simple questions in QuickTax’s EasyStep Interview and you no longer have to worry about becoming confused by all the tax jargon and many different forms. QuickTax takes your information from the answers and runs it through their programs which then fill out all the forms for you. It is as simple as that.

    You also have access to plenty of customer support. Whether you just need email support, or if you want to talk to someone via phone or maybe you just need to review the FAQs, QuickTax has you covered. Tax analysts and experts are there to help out no matter what the situation.

    QuickTax is so confident you will agree that they offer a full money back guarantee, giving you a full 60 days to try out the program to see for yourself. It is no coincidence that 4.3 out of every 5 people who use QuickTax gave it a maximum rating.

    QuickTax can make the impending tax season seem more like the anticipated tax season. If it is a simple matter of collecting the money for your rebate after answering a few simple questions, you will never have to dread doing your taxes again.

  • What to Look for in Online Tax Prep and Filing Software

    What to Look for in Online Tax Prep and Filing Software

    This April, you may reduce your time it takes to file your taxes by utilizing computer software designed for filing your returns online.

    You are not alone. Many people file tax returns online; according to last year’s record from IRS, the total electronically filed tax returns was more than 68 million, out of which around 17 million taxpayers filed their returns online themselves.

    Debra Gray said that e-filing of your returns and online tax preparation offer lot of benefits but it require some homework on the part of the individual.

    Gray points out certain questions worth looking asking:

    Is the software secured and easy to work with?

    As there is no need for downloading, it saves time to work with internet-based software. But certain things that you should make sure of in the beginning are whether the program is easy to use, whether the information can be organized properly, whether it provides complete support resources for the process, and most importantly whether it has proper security standard to encrypt your data.

    Is it comfortable for you to work with it?

    Normally the online tax prep sites password-protect your work. Also see whether the program can automatically check for certain minor errors and is able to provide suggestive corrections for some major mistakes.

    After you’ve filed, what happens to your return?

    You should also make certain that the program can maintain previous year’s record of your return filing so that you can go back there and check for some useful information.

    Does it show clearly the cost of your tax preparations and filing?

    Sometimes it is not so easy to navigate the pricing structure of many tax software providers; some of them offer free filing and others have a price tag mentioned, but normally they do not clearly indicate the added costs for the completion of a state tax return. As Gray points out, it’s better to find out a good do-it-yourself tax program in order to prepare your taxes yourself, and it should be available for below $40 which includes costs for both federal and state tax return preparation and filing.

    Is there any payment and refund option?

    There are some web sites that allow you to directly deposit the refund amount to your bank account after deducting the costs of using the software.

    Is there any help and support system?

    Ideally, the program needs to be straightforward; but for your own convenience, you should make sure that it provides live help and support through chatting or e-mail.

    Gray said, "Taxpayers should have a look at the new features coming with the latest tax software this year as they might have become frustrated by filing their tax returns on paper or using the old online tax programs." He also added, "It’s not the way many people like to spend time by preparing for taxes, but if they are accessed to the right tools, then online return filing could be easy as well as time-saving. Moreover, they might even learn new tips for saving money on taxes."

  • The 52 Cent Mistake: Will You Do It Again?

    The 52 Cent Mistake: Will You Do It Again?

    With regard to your tax return filing, it could be the big mistake you would ever spend 52 cents on. Many people send their income tax return through general mail by sticking a 52-cent stamp on the envelope. And every year many taxpayers are committing this mistake. Why am I saying it is a mistake to put your tax return in a mailbox? I will explain. It’s a fact that every year, a fraction of the mail goes undelivered. Even though the postal service does not admit it, this is true. Moreover, in case your return thus sent is delivered, still there is the chance that your tax return might get misplaced by the IRS; the IRS loses a fraction of the paper tax returns every year. What, you don’t trust me? I can never forget one client of mine showing me a letter one day from the IRS which stated the following:

    “We deeply regret the loss of your return…even though we received it…”

    Whether you believe or not, it’s a fact!

    My question is very simple: If it happens to you, what will you do?

    In case your tax return does not reach the IRS, or even if it reaches, and then gets lost out there somehow, will you be able to prove later that you actually filed your return and mailed it to them?

    You can call the IRS and say that you filed on time and sent the return for sure, but that hardly proves anything, right? It will remain a burden for you to prove that you actually mailed your returns to the IRS.

    This dangerous problem can be solved in two ways:

    (A) Go for electronic filing.

    The benefits of e-filing are as follows:

    • Accuracy: It reduces a lot of human error when you e-file your return, your document has to pass many accuracy tests for security reasons. The returns that are e-filed are subject to this type of scrutiny at the very initial stage.
    • Security: As it is a paperless transaction, a unique electronic signature of the owner is created.
    • Speed: It normally takes around 6 to 8 weeks for a refund in case of a paper return. But in case of an e-filed return, refund can be expected within 10 working days.
    • Acceptance proof: You should definitely focus on this benefit. Within just 48 hours of e-filing your returns, the IRS sends you an electronic acknowledgement of the acceptance of your return.

    Great! You’ve received the proof of filing your return. I think it’s enough!

    E-filing has nowadays become a preferred method to file your returns. But as most people are still using the paper way of filing returns, this second method of avoiding the problem of “lost return” becomes important.

    (B) In case you prefer paper filing, then spend around $ 4.25 in the post office and send your mail through certified mail, requesting for a return receipt.

    This will serve two important purposes:

    (i) The certified mail costing $ 2.40 provides you proof of mailing the return, as well as proof of date sent.

    The IRS considers a paper return to be filed legitimately in cases where it is mailed on time in an envelope properly addressed and which has a postmark dated earlier than the due date. In the case of certified mail, you always receive a receipt that is postmarked by the post office. So, in case of any mishap, like the return getting lost, or at any time if IRS asks whether it was mailed on time or not, you will be able to show documentation to prove it was. Moreover certified mail is easily tracked.

    (ii) Another insurance will be your return receipt. For another $ 1.85, the IRS is prompted to sign a receipt at the time of delivery of the letter. Then this receipt will be mailed back to you which will become further proof that IRS received your returns.

    Certified mail is enough to prove that the return was mailed. The return receipt gives you an added insurance that the IRS actually received the mail. It will also tell you the exact date of receipt. This means you have the proof of delivery.

    Why should you take the risk of your tax return getting lost on the way? Also it is advisable not to take on the risk of your tax return getting lost under piles of papers at the IRS. This is something worth thinking about. There are more than 100 million income tax returns filed each year that are prepared on paper and mailed to the IRS through the post office.

    The IRS and the post office staff are only hard-working human beings. And they are always prone to making mistakes. If you don’t want a mistake to be made with your returns, it is advisable not to put your valuable tax returns in the uncertain mailbox.

    The best way is to e-file it; otherwise you should send it through a certified mail, request a return receipt. You definitely won’t regret it later.