Taxpayer Alert: Significant Increase in Texting Scams

To date, the IRS has identified and reported thousands of fraudulent domains tied to multiple text scams, known as smishing, targeting taxpayers. Recently, IRS-themed smishing has increased significantly. As such, taxpayers are reminded to be on the lookout for scams and schemes that could put sensitive tax data at risk – especially this latest IRS-themed texting scams aimed at stealing personal and financial information.

Closing a Business for Good

If you’re a small business owner who is thinking about closing your business for good, you should be aware that there is more to closing a business than laying off employees, selling office furniture, and closing the doors – you must also take certain actions as required by the IRS to fulfill your tax obligations. For example, if you have employees, you must file final employment tax returns as well as make final federal tax deposits of these taxes.

Homeowner Records: What To Keep And For How Long

Keeping full and accurate homeowner records is not only vital for claiming deductions on your tax return, but also for determining the basis or adjusted basis of your home. These records include your purchase contract and settlement papers if you bought the property, or other objective evidence if you acquired it by gift, inheritance, or similar means. You should also keep any receipts, canceled checks, and similar evidence for improvements or other additions to the basis.

New Job? Don’t Forget About Your 401(K)

One of the most important questions you face when changing jobs is what to do with the money in your 401(k) because making the wrong move could cost you thousands of dollars or more in taxes and lower returns.

Deducting Business-Related Car Expenses

If you’re self-employed and use your car for business, you can deduct certain business-related car expenses.

The first thing small business owners need to know is that there are two options for claiming deductions:

Dirty Dozen Tax Scams For 2022

The “Dirty Dozen” is a list of common tax scams that target taxpayers. Compiled and issued annually by the IRS, it includes a number of aggressive and evolving schemes that taxpayers should avoid. Let’s take a look at this year’s “Dirty Dozen” tax scams:

What To Do If You Miss The April Tax Deadline

Monday, April 18, 2022, was the tax deadline for most taxpayers to file their tax returns, but if you haven’t filed a 2021 tax return yet, it’s not too late. Here’s what you need to do:

First, gather any information related to income and deductions for the tax years for which a return must be filed, then contact us at the office of Lahrmer & Company LLC at (866) 474-1238 or office@lahrmercpa.com.

What To Know About The Gig Economy And Your Taxes

The gig economy, also called sharing or access economy, is defined by activities where taxpayers earn income providing on-demand work, services, or goods. This type of work is often carried out via digital platforms such as an app or website. There are many types of sharing economy businesses, including two of the most popular ones: ride-sharing, Uber and Lyft, for example, and home rentals such as Airbnb.

What’s New for IRS Form 1040 This Year

If you’ve gathered your tax documents and are ready to tackle your tax return, there’s one more step you should take: becoming familiar with what’s new on the 2021 Form 1040. While the format of Form 1040 and its schedules remain similar to 2020, there are several changes. Many of these changes can be attributed to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).

Some are more familiar to taxpayers, including charitable contributions, advance child tax credits, and economic impact payments (mentioned above). Others might not be as well-known. Let’s take a look at nine of them:

The 2022 Tax Filing Season: What You Need To Know

Monday, January 24, 2022, was the official start to this year’s tax season. By now, everyone should have received most of the information they need to make sure they file a complete and accurate return. Keep reading to learn more about what you should know including the filing deadline for most taxpayers, key items you need to prepare for filing, other important dates, and more.