Do you make sizable gifts to charitable causes? If you’re fortunate enough to afford it, you can realize personal gratification from your generosity and may be able to claim a deduction on your tax return. But once you turn over the money or assets, you generally have no further say on how they’re used. You can exercise greater control over your charitable endeavors using a donor-advised fund (DAF). Setting up a DAF As the name implies, your recommendations are integral to a DAF. First, you contribute to a fund typically...

When business people speak of innovation, the focus is usually on a pioneering product or state-of-the-art service that will “revolutionize the industry.” But innovation can apply to any aspect of your company — including customer service. Many business owners perceive customer service as a fairly cut-and-dried affair. Customers call, you answer their questions or solve their problems ― and life goes on. Yet there are ways to transform this function and, when companies do, word gets around. People want to do business with organizations that are easy to interact with....

Most businesses approach technology as an evolving challenge. You don’t want to overspend on bells and whistles you’ll never fully use, but you also don’t want to get left behind as competitors use the latest tech tools to operate more nimbly. To refine your IT strategy over time, you’ve got to regularly reassess your operations and ask the right questions. Here are a few to consider: Are we bogged down by outdated tech? More advanced analytical software can eliminate many time-consuming, repeatable tasks. Systems based on paper files and handwritten...

Recently TWRU CPAs & Financial Advisors sponsored a seminar on the 2018 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. Cherie Odom, a Tax Partner with TWRU, discussed both the individual and the business provisions and Don Brown, a retired managing partner with TWRU, discussed Social Security, Medicare, and RMDs (Required Minimum Distribution) and QCDs (Qualified Charitable Distribution). The seminar lasted about an hour.  You can view and download the presentation here or you could visit our Facebook page and click on the "Videos" tab on the left to view the recorded live streaming video.

At this time of year, a summer vacation is on many people’s minds. If you travel for business, combining a business trip with a vacation to offset some of the cost with a tax deduction can sound appealing. But tread carefully, or you might not be eligible for the deduction you’re expecting. General rules Business travel expenses are potentially deductible if the travel is within the United States and the expenses are “ordinary and necessary” and directly related to the business. (Foreign travel expenses may also be deductible, but stricter...

It’s not uncommon for businesses to sometimes generate tax losses. But the losses that can be deducted are limited by tax law in some situations. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) further restricts the amount of losses that sole proprietors, partners, S corporation shareholders and, typically, limited liability company (LLC) members can currently deduct — beginning in 2018. This could negatively impact owners of start-ups and businesses facing adverse conditions. Before the TCJA Under pre-TCJA law, an individual taxpayer’s business losses could usually be fully deducted in the tax...

If you received a large refund after filing your 2017 income tax return, you’re probably enjoying the influx of cash. But a large refund isn’t all positive. It also means you were essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. That’s why a large refund for the previous tax year would usually indicate that you should consider reducing the amounts you’re having withheld (and/or what estimated tax payments you’re making) for the current year. But 2018 is a little different. TCJA and withholding To reflect changes under the Tax Cuts and...

In many parts of the country, summer is peak season for selling a home. If you’re planning to put your home on the market soon, you’re probably thinking about things like how quickly it will sell and how much you’ll get for it. But don’t neglect to consider the tax consequences. Home sale gain exclusion The U.S. House of Representatives’ original version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act included a provision tightening the rules for the home sale gain exclusion. Fortunately, that provision didn’t make it into the final...

When school lets out, kids participate in a wide variety of summer activities. If one of the activities your child is involved with is day camp, you might be eligible for a tax credit! Dollar-for-dollar savings Day camp (but not overnight camp) is a qualified expense under the child and dependent care credit, which is worth 20% of qualifying expenses (more if your adjusted gross income is less than $43,000), subject to a cap. For 2018, the maximum expenses allowed for the credit are $3,000 for one qualifying child and...

Now that small businesses and their owners have filed their 2017 income tax returns (or extensions), it’s a good time to review the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provisions that may significantly impact their taxes for 2018 and beyond. Depending on your entity type, either the new 21% corporate tax rate or the new 20% qualified business income deduction may substantially cut your taxes. And all businesses need to be aware of the breaks the TCJA enhances and the ones it limits or eliminates. The key to maximizing your...