Tax Withholding for Seasonal and Part-Time Employees

Many businesses hire part-time or full-time workers, especially in the summer. The IRS classifies these employees as seasonal workers, defined as an employee who performs labor or services on a seasonal basis (i.e., six months or less). Examples of this kind of work include retail workers employed exclusively during holiday seasons, sports events, or during the harvest or commercial fishing season. Part-time and seasonal employees are subject to the same tax withholding rules that apply to other employees.

JOB LOSS COULD AFFECT YOUR TAX SITUATION

If you’ve lost your job you may have questions about how it could affect your tax situation. Here are some answers:

EMPLOYEE RETENTION CREDIT COULD HELP YOUR BUSINESS

Businesses that have been impacted financially by COVID-19 may be able to take advantage of a new, refundable tax credit called the Employee Retention Credit. The credit is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll and is worth 50 percent of qualifying wages up to $10,000 that are paid by an eligible employer.

New Tax Rules for Divorce and Alimony Payments

Divorce is a painful reality for many people both emotionally and financially, and quite often, the last thing on anyone’s mind is the effect a divorce or separation will have on their tax situation. To make matters worse, most court decisions do not take into account the effects divorce or separation has on your tax situation, which is why it’s always a good idea to speak to an accounting professional before anything is finalized.

Like-kind Exchanges are Limited to Real Property

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed in December 2017, made tax law changes that will affect virtually every business and individual in 2018 and the years ahead. One tax provision that taxpayers should be aware of is that like-kind exchanges are now generally limited to exchanges of real property. Here’s what you need to know:

Self-Employed? Five Easy Ways to Lower your Tax Bill

If you’re like most small business owners, you’re always looking for ways to lower your taxable income. Here are five ways to do just that.

1. Deducting the Cost of a Home Computer
If you purchased a computer and use it for work-related purposes, you can take advantage of the Section 179 expense election, which allows you to write off new equipment in the year it was purchased if it is used for business more than 50 percent of the time (subject to certain rules).

Five Tax Provisions Retroactively Extended for 2017

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA) retroactively extended a number of tax provisions through 2017 for individual taxpayers. Let’s take a look at five of them.

Employer Responsibilities Under the ACA

The health care law contains tax provisions that affect employers. The size and structure of a workforce–small or large–helps determine which parts of the law apply to which employers. Calculating the number of employees is especially important for employers that have close to 50 employees or whose workforce fluctuates during the year.

The Home-Based Business: Basics to Consider

More than 52 percent of businesses today are home-based. Every day, people are striking out and achieving economic and creative independence by turning their skills into dollars. Garages, basements, and attics are being transformed into the corporate headquarters of the newest entrepreneurs–home-based business people. And, with technological advances in smartphones, tablets, and iPads as well as a rising demand for “service-oriented” businesses, the opportunities seem to be endless.

Travel and Entertainment: Maximizing Tax Benefits

Tax law allows you to deduct two types of travel expenses related to your business, local and what the IRS calls “away from home.”