Tax preparation top firms from Houston? Let’s start with retirement accounts. Employer-based accounts such as 401(k) and 403(b) accounts allow you to lower your taxable income easily. That’s because every dollar you put into these accounts is not taxed until you withdraw the money from your account — and that reduces your tax burden each year you make a contribution. The benefit here is that if you wait until you have retired to withdraw money from your 401(k), your income will be lower because you’ll no longer be drawing a salary. The result? You’ll be in a lower tax bracket, which means that the money you withdraw will be taxed at a much lower rate than it would’ve been if you’d had to pay taxes when you earned it.
By the end of January, you should have received all the various tax documents that you need from your employer or employers, as well as from banks, brokerage firms, and others with whom you do business. For each form, check that the information matches your own records. These are some of the most common forms: Form W-2,6? if you had a job. The various 1099 forms that report other income you received, such as dividends (Form 1099-DIV),7? interest (Form 1099-INT),8? and non-employee compensation paid to independent contractors (Form 1099-MISC).9? Brokers aren’t required to mail Form 1099-B,10? which reports gains and losses on securities transactions, until mid-February, so those may come a little later.
Use Your Flexible Spending Account Balance: Workers who have flexible spending accounts need to use up their balances soon. These accounts have “use it or lose it” provisions in which money reverts back to an employer if not spent. While some companies provide a grace period for purchases made in the new year, others end reimbursements at the close of the calendar year.
Tax credits are the federal government’s way of encouraging businesses and individuals to do things—or not do things—that affect the greater good. For example, you can take tax credits for hiring employees, going green, providing access to disabled employees and the public, and providing health coverage for employees. Most are part of the General Business Credit, which is quite extensive so it’s quite possible that you qualify under some of its terms. Check with your accountant. Read extra information on https://greentree.tax/best-tax-preparation-services-in-houston/.
Give Options. If a customer is having trouble paying off debt, it might be possible for him to make payments over time. Try to work out a plan that will work for both the customer and your client. The goal is to get the customer to pay the entire debt as quickly as possible. Listen carefully and offer options until something workable is defined. Recap the Terms. Once a payment plan has been agreed to, verbally summarize the plan for the debtor. This summary should include specifics of when the debtor will send each payment, and what form of payment will be used. Then document it in writing via email, fax or letter. Ask the debtor to call or e-mail you once a payment has been sent.
Flipping Houses as a Business. If you buy and sell property frequently, the IRS could decide that you are in the business of flipping houses and aren’t just an investor. If so, you’ll have to pay self-employment taxes of up to 15.3% on your profits, in addition to income taxes. Buying and Selling Stuff Can Be Taxable Too. If you scout out bargains at flea markets and then sell the furniture and other finds on eBay (or a similar site), you’ll end up paying income taxes on the profits. If you do that just occasionally, you may not have to report the sale on your tax return. However, if you do it frequently, the IRS will consider you to be in a self-employed business since one of the requirements of owning your own business and claiming the income is if you are engaged in the business activity on a regular basis for a profit. See more information on tax help in Houston.