Tartan Tax CPAs LLC

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Tartan Tax CPAs LLC

Tax preparation and consultation

09/13/2023

Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments - Reminder

If you are making quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS, the due date for the June 1st - August 31st, 2023 quarter of year is September 15th, 2023.

For payments made using IRS Direct Pay, you can make payments until 11:45PM EST, and for payments using a credit or debit card, payments can be made up to midnight on the due date.

09/08/2023

Tax Planning and Possible Benefits for New Parents – Did You Know? (2/2)

If you welcome a new child to your home in 2023, whether through birth, adoption or taking in a relative like a grandchild, then you may qualify for new tax benefits. Now is the time to take steps to preserve your eligibility for these tax-saving opportunities.

Adoptive parents may qualify for the Adoption Tax Credit for eligible expenses incurred during the adoption process. If you cannot yet obtain a Social Security number (SSN) for the adopted child, you will need an adoption taxpayer identification number (ATIN) to claim the credit.

If you pay for childcare services for your new child so that you can work or attend school, you may qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit. This credit can be as much as 35% of eligible care expenses, but you must keep detailed records of those costs. In addition, if your child does not meet the eligibility requirements for the Child Tax Credit (for example, because the child has an individual taxpayer ID number instead of an SSN), you may be able to claim the Credit for Other Dependents.

A tax professional can help you determine whether you may qualify for these credits or other tax benefits available to expanding families. Because a new child can affect your taxes in so many ways, it is a good idea to check up on your paycheck withholding amounts. The IRS Withholding Estimator (link below) helps you figure out how much tax should be withheld from your pay, and also provides instructions to request a change in your withholding if necessary.

IRS Withholding Estimator: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

08/31/2023

Tax Planning and Possible Benefits for New Parents – Did You Know? (1/2)

If you welcome a new child to your home in 2023, whether through birth, adoption or taking in a relative like a grandchild, then you may qualify for new tax benefits. However, there are some important steps to take now to preserve your eligibility for these opportunities.

First, if possible, obtain a Social Security number (SSN) for your new child. In most cases, you can request an SSN when you file for a birth certificate. If the child does not qualify for an SSN for any reason, then you can generally obtain an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) instead. Having a tax identification number for your child ensures that the IRS can verify the change in your household size, which may affect your taxes in a number of ways.

Two of the most valuable tax benefits that may be available to new parents are the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). You must have an SSN for each of your dependent children in order to claim these credits. The CTC is a per-child credit, so even if you received the credit in past years, your credit amount may increase with a new child in 2023. For the EITC, both the credit amount and the income limit increase as the number of qualifying children increases (up to 3 children). Therefore, the addition of a new child in 2023 could make you eligible for the credit even if you were not eligible in previous years.

A tax professional can help you determine whether you may qualify for the CTC and/or EITC, and if so, what steps you should take now to preserve your eligibility for the credits.

08/25/2023

Impersonation of IRS Personnel – Did You Know?

Criminals constantly develop new tax-related scams to steal taxpayers' money and/or identities. Taxpayers can protect themselves by learning some of the tricks these scammers employ. Here are three of the most common ways that scammers try to impersonate the IRS.

- BY MAIL. Scammers may send a letter on what appears to be official IRS letterhead paper, typically delivered in a cardboard envelope. The letter includes bogus contact information that connects the taxpayer to the scammers instead of the IRS. Many of these letters include the phrase, "in relation to your unclaimed refund." Official IRS communications do not use this language.

- BY EMAIL OR TEXT MESSAGE. Many scammers send email or text messages where they claim to work for the IRS, offering to help a taxpayer claim a refund or fix a tax problem. These messages often include links to bogus websites that exist only to steal a taxpayer's personal information, and/or trick them into paying a fraudulent fee.

- IN PERSON. Some scam artists come right to a taxpayer's door, claiming to be IRS agents and sometimes displaying fake ID badges. The IRS recently announced that it is ending nearly all unannounced in-person visits to taxpayers. In most cases, the taxpayer will instead receive a letter inviting them to set up an in-person appointment. Therefore, so-called IRS agents who arrive without warning are likely to be scammers.

In any situation where there are signs of a possible scam, do not reply to the message, click on any links or allow suspected impostors into your home. Instead, call an official IRS number like 1-800-829-1040 to inquire about the matter.

08/17/2023

End of Most Unannounced IRS Visits to Taxpayers – Did You Know?

The Commissioner of the IRS recently reported that the agency will discontinue nearly all unannounced visits to homes and businesses by revenue officers. This policy change is expected to improve safety, reduce confusion by allowing taxpayers to better prepare to meet with IRS personnel, and help protect taxpayers from scammers who impersonate IRS agents.

Previously, unarmed revenue officers have made unannounced visits to certain taxpayers, to work with them to resolve tax debts and/or file delinquent returns. Effectively immediately, those visits will generally be replaced with a mailed letter to set up a meeting, labeled IRS Letter 725-B. Taxpayers who receive this letter should follow the instructions to make an appointment.

Going forward, unannounced visits will generally only occur with the most serious tax cases. A tax professional can help taxpayers who receive Letter 725-B, or face another tax problem, get ready to meet with IRS agents and work toward resolving the issue.

08/10/2023

Summer Life Events and Taxes – Did You Know? (2/2)

People often make life changes during the summer, both short-term and long-term. Many of these changes may require adjustments to your tax planning, and some create opportunities for significant tax savings.

Students who work part-time over the summer may have more federal income tax withheld from their pay than they owe. Make sure that working youngsters in your home are prepared to file a federal tax return next spring to claim any refund they have coming. Taxpayers of all ages who take on gig economy work should also be aware that they may owe self-employment tax. In general, any extra income may necessitate adjusting your withholding or estimated tax payments. The IRS Withholding Estimator tool (link below) can help you with the calculations.

Summer home improvements projects that reduce energy use, like installing Energy Star-certified windows, may make you eligible for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit. Tax credits also exist for clean energy conversions, like installing rooftop solar panels. All of these tax-reducing opportunities require carefully documenting each expense.

A tax professional can help you determine whether you qualify for tax savings based on your summer activities.

IRS Withholding Estimator: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

08/02/2023

Summer Life Events and Taxes – Did You Know? (1/2)

People often make life changes during the summer, both short-term and long-term. Many of these changes may require adjustments to your tax planning, and some create opportunities for significant tax savings.

If you get married this summer or fall, taking a few steps now will help keep your tax filing simple next spring. First, make sure to report any name changes to the Social Security Administration. Second, if your new life together involves a relocation, notify the IRS of your new address. Also remember that marriage means a change in your tax filing status, which may necessitate an adjustment to your tax withholding or estimated tax payments. The IRS Withholding Estimator (link below) can help you stay on track.

Summertime can also mean paying for additional childcare so you can work, or sending your kids to summer camps. If you qualify, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit for a portion of these expenses. A tax professional can help you determine how summer life changes may affect your taxes, and how to best take advantage of tax saving opportunities.

IRS Withholding Estimator: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

07/27/2023

Educator Expense Deduction – Did You Know?

If you are an eligible educator, you may deduct up to $300 from trade or business expenses. Joint return filers who are both educators may deduct up to $300 per spouse.

You may qualify for this deduction if you work as a teacher, counselor, principal or aide for grades K-12 in a public or private school. You generally must work at the school for at least 900 hours during the school year.

Eligible classroom expenses include:
- Books, supplies and materials that you purchase for classroom use
- Classroom equipment, including computers, peripherals and software
- Items such as hand sanitizer and masks purchased to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Tuition and fees for professional development courses may also qualify for the Educator Expense Deduction. However, you may get a larger tax benefit by claiming the Lifelong Learning Credit or a different deduction for these costs. A tax professional can help you find the most advantageous way to report all your qualified expenses.

07/19/2023

Hobby or Business - Did You Know?

Recent years have seen a rise in the number of people pursuing “side hustles,” such as delivery driving, dog walking and online craft selling. Many of these activities could be classified as either hobbies or business ventures, depending on how you pursue them. Since different tax rules apply for businesses and hobbies, it is important to know how the IRS will likely classify your side gig. The IRS considers a variety of questions, including:

- Do you depend on the activity for your livelihood?
- Do you pursue the activity in a professional, businesslike manner, and keep detailed records?
- Is the activity currently profitable for you, and if not, is there good reason to believe it will become consistently profitable in future years?
- Do you have the knowledge and skills needed to pursue the activity as a business?
- Do you approach the activity in a way that shows the intent to make a profit, such as changing methods to boost revenues?

In many cases, business income is subject to both income and self-employment tax, whereas hobbies are only subject to income tax. However, pursuing an activity as a business may enable you to reduce your taxable income by deducting business expenses, such as supplies, business vehicle use, and home office costs. A tax professional can help you determine how your side gigs should be classified, and how to account for that classification in your tax planning.

07/13/2023

Unclaimed 2019 Tax Refunds – Did You Know?

The IRS estimates that 1.5 million Americans are entitled to 2019 federal tax refunds that they have not claimed. The deadline to still file a 2019 return is July 17, 2023 and after that date, any unclaimed refunds become the property of the U.S. Treasury.

Even if you owed little or no tax for 2019, you may still be entitled to an IRS refund if you qualified for a refundable tax credit, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credit (PTC). The IRS estimates that not including refundable credits, the median unclaimed 2019 refund is $893, which means that half of the available refunds are greater than that amount.

A tax professional can help you determine your eligibility for 2019 tax credits, prepare a 2019 tax return and file the return.

07/07/2023

New Identity Theft Mail Scam – Did You Know?

Scammers constantly develop new ways to impersonate the IRS and steal the money and/or identities of taxpayers. Most often, these scams come in the form of text messages, emails or phone calls. However, the IRS recently issued a new warning about a scam that uses traditional mail delivery.

In this new scam, taxpayers receive a letter by postal mail, or in a cardboard envelope from another delivery service. Printed on what appears to be IRS letterhead, the letter states that the taxpayer has an unclaimed tax refund. However, the phone number and address shown do not belong to the IRS. The letter asks the taxpayer for sensitive personal information, including their Social Security number (SSN), telephone number and photos of their driver's license. The scammers then use this information to steal the person's identity.

Legitimate IRS letters do not ask for personal information in this way. The scam letters also often have awkward phrases like, "Try to be watching your email." If you receive a suspicious letter that claims to be from the IRS, do NOT respond. Instead, call a legitimate IRS phone number, such as 800-829-1040, to find out whether the notice is genuine.

06/30/2023

Business Travel Expense Deductions – Did You Know?

If you have business income, including earnings from self-employment activities like freelance, independent contract or gig economy work, you may be able to deduct business travel expenses on your tax return. In general, the expenses must relate to travel by you or one of your employees for business (not personal) purposes. The expenses also cannot be extravagant; they should be ordinary and necessary for your trade or business.

Potentially deductible expenses may include:
- Air, train or bus fare, or costs associated with traveling by personal or company car
- Fares (including tips) for taxi or rideshare services between an airport or train station and a hotel, or between a hotel and a work location
- Shipping costs for baggage, display materials or product samples
- Expenses (including tips) for lodging, meals, dry cleaning or laundry services
- Communication costs, such as business mobile phone service roaming charges

The IRS requires business travelers to maintain detailed records of all deductible expenses. A business tax professional can help you identify and document your eligible business travel expenses, so that you can claim your full deduction while staying within the rules.

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About Us

At Tartan Tax we provide high quality tax preparation and planning services for small businesses and individuals. We offer a personal and value-added service to each of our clients to ensure your tax needs are handled professionally and promptly. Our team of tax accountants has over 50 years experience completing returns for individuals, corporations, estates, and trusts.

We know one of your top priorities is paying less in taxes. This is best achieved through comprehensive tax planning. We work with you throughout the year to develop a customized plan with tax-saving strategies that are tailored to your unique situation. Our personal, one-on-one service and expert tax return preparation and advice will give you peace of mind, knowing that your tax return is in capable hands.