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What Your Tax Dollars Do For You

In this article, we will take a look at the influence the government exerts over our daily lives through our taxation, and the good and bad aspects of that influence.

Through direct spending, the U.S. government controls approximately 43-45% of the economy. Today, government spending accounts for almost as much of the economy as spending in the private sector. After the passage of the New Deal legislation, during the late 1930s, the private sector controlled almost 90% of the economy. We have experienced quite a huge change in the last 2 generations. The average American remits about 5.3 months of his or her work year in order to support government spending.

The American economy is separated into two sectors: there is one that is dependent upon federal, state, and local government spending, known as the public sector; all others known as the private sector. The private business sector is funded by tax dollars collected from Americans. What the government decides to spend and allocate is primarily funded by our tax dollars.

Government spending controls $5.4 trillion dollars of the total spending, and when you figure in the $1.4 trillion government-forced spending, the government actually controls somewhere near 58% of the economy's national income. That is a 3.5 times increase from a hundred years ago. And the economy has been in a steady decline. The ability of private sector growth to increase has been reduced over time, thanks to the fact that the government largely governs even private sector business.

Increased government control gets a big boost from the special interest groups, and the capability of big corporate entities to lobby Congress for programs and funding, as well as changes in tax laws that benefit them alone. In addition, government-funded welfare and public assistance programs are a major contributor to the government spending programs.

The problems with government spending are not going to end anytime soon. This isn't what our forefathers had it in mind when they broke free of oppressive British rule and penned the Declaration of Independence. Without major reforms, in the near future, we will see our children paying $25,000 each year to support an overburdened and imperious government.

IRS Wants to Know About Fake Emails Using IRS Name

Obviously, you use the Internet or you wouldn't be reading this article. Since you use the web, you know about phishing scams or should. Some scams are now using fake IRS identification.

IRS Wants to Know About Fake Emails Using IRS Name

The IRS has sent out numerous press releases and warning about phishing scams involving tax and IRS logos and fake sites. Now the IRS wants to have a go at hunting down the scam artists. Obviously, it can only do this if it sees the fake emails being sent out. If you receive one of these email messages, the IRS is asking that you forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

The IRS does not send unsolicited emails to taxpayers. Indeed, the IRS doesn't even know your email address, so how could it ?. When you receive email messages from something @irs.gov, it is a scam trying to fleece your private information in one form or another. Do not respond to these email messages. Instead, forward them to the IRS at the email address provided above.

An example of a fishing email using the IRS identity might read something like :

Pursuant to our automatic tax return review process, we have determined you are due a tax refund of $xxx.xx. Please submit a request for the issuance of your tax refund.

Once you click through to the page, you are asked to provide a variety of personal information such as social security number and bank account number. The purported reason is to verify your identity as well as issue the refund to your bank account. This is all completely fake. The scam artists are just trying to get your information so they can open accounts under your name or swipe money from your bank account.

Importantly, you must understand that domain names are really just representations of numbers. The fact you see "irs.something" does not mean it is from the IRS. If you think the IRS might really be trying to contact you, get on the phone and call them. Do not use any phone number in the phishing email.

Dear John Letters From The IRS

8:46 AM IRS , taxes

Undoubtedly, you are aware of Dear John letters. Often a young lady sent them to men in the military, often containing bad news. Well, the IRS sends them to taxpayers as well.

Dear John Letters From The IRS

The Internal Revenue Service sends out millions of Dear John letters to taxpayers every year. Instead of informing you of a break up, these letters let you know the IRS would like to get a bit closer. Before you bang your head on the wall, you should understand these letters are typically not the sign of impending doom.

Dear John letters from the IRS are technically known as correspondence audits. Instead of showing up on your doorstep, the IRS simply sends a letter regarding some aspect of your taxes. The letter may inform you the IRS believes you owe extra money because of some issue. Surprising, the IRS may also send you a notice that it believes you overpaid some aspect of business taxes. Unfortunately, it does not do this for personal returns. The letter may also contain a request for an explanation of some aspect of your return or documentation supporting the same. Regardless, you need to understand the IRS sends so many of these out that there really is no reason to panic.

Importantly, the IRS almost always asks you to take very simple steps in the letter. You are almost always asked to agree or disagree with whatever they are requesting. If you agree, you rarely have to actually do anything other than perhaps cut a check. If you disagree, you need to write a letter explaining why and then wait a few months for the IRS to get back to you. If the IRS does not agree with your explanation, a larger audit proceeding may be undertaken.

Dear John letters from the IRS almost always cover simple matters. Make sure to keep copies of all correspondence, so you have a record of how things went down. The IRS often loses such things, so it can keep you out of trouble down the road if the IRS sends a second letter on the same issue.

Strategies For Limiting Taxes If You Are Your Own Boss

10:47 PM Employment Taxes , loan , taxes

Self-employed individuals always cringe at the amount of taxes the pay to the IRS and state. Here are tax strategies for self-employed individuals that reduce those tax amounts.

Strategies For Limiting Taxes If You Are Your Own Boss

The good news is being self-employed is one of the best tax strategies out there. Unlike a salaried employee, the full scope of tax credits and deductions available in the tax code are now available to you. The key, of course, is understanding the available deductions and organizing your business in a manner that allows you to maximize the write-offs.

The number one tax strategy for self-employed individuals is to keep receipts for every business expense and write them off. Practically anything can be deducted, so do it. Acceptable expenses include cell phone usage, business mileage, office supplies, home office deductions including part of mortgage or rent and so on. If you've filed a tax return while self-employed, you are probably already aware of this so lets move on to more specific tax strategies for self-employed individuals.

Maximizing you non-capital losses can result in major tax savings. If your expenses exceed your income for a year, you obviously will not have to pay taxes for that year. What most people don't realize, however, is that such losses can be carried forward for seven years and deducted against future income. Alternatively, the same losses can be carried backward three years to recover past taxes paid. The end result of this situation is you can turn a bad business year into an income generator by applying the losses to taxes in other years which effectively wipes out your tax bill for those years.

Another tax strategy is to look at your side businesses. If you have one business, you'll often have a second one that is tailored to making some money off a personal interest. While you are in it mostly because you like it, you may not realize it qualifies as a business and can help you reduce your taxes. Let's assume you are primarily a self-employed consultant, but also write travel articles on the side. You may view the travel articles as a hobby, but it is in fact a business. If you've sold or even tried to sell any of your articles to a publication, all of your expenses related to travel writing can be deducted from your taxable income. This includes trips and so on. These, deductions can significantly reduce your taxable income from the consulting business. Make sure to get a grasp of your overall business efforts, even if you don't really consider them to be a business.

Consider employing your children to save on taxes. A child under 18 that works for you does not have to pay FICA and so on. If the total wages for the year are under $4,250, they will pay no taxes and you can write off this amount as a legitimate business expense. Of course, the child needs to actually be doing a legitimate business task, but filing and similar manual tasks certainly will qualify.

Tax strategies for the self-employed are plentiful. If you are self-employed, consider getting professional help. A good professional will save you thousands upon thousands of dollars in taxes, more than making up for their fees. Oh, you can also deduct their fees!

Income Tax Returns Your Accountant Should Not File

5:56 AM loan , Loan Information , Personal Loan , taxes

You've been feeling uneasy ( perhaps even guilty ) because you've failed to report your under the table business income. Perhaps you've never filed a tax return, even though you know you owe money. Finally, you contact an accountant to resolve the situation.

Although it is commendable that you are trying to correct matters, hiring an accountant to do these delinquent returns could be a big mistake. The reason why is because tax evasion is a criminal offence or felony. You might also be subject to civil action.

Would you hire an accountant to defend you in a criminal proceeding ? Not likely. You would be wise to hire a qualified attorney.

First of all, lawyers have something called solicitor-client privilege ( also known as attorney - client privilege or legal advice privilege ). This basically means that things you tell your lawyer when seeking legal advice are confidential and can't be used against you. Even written records can be covered by this privilege.

On the other hand, your accountant can be compelled to testify against you and all records in his possession can be demanded by the authorities.

Second, your lawyer can prepare a legally binding agreement that can protect you. In return for your coming clean, the tax authorities may agree not to charge you criminally and, in some cases, even reduce penalties or tax liability.

If your accountant tried to do the same thing, they could demand all information about you. Your accountant would not be protected by solicitor-client privilege.

If, say, your accountant filed your tax return from ten years ago on your behalf, the tax authorities could still charge you with tax evasion, despite the fact that you are obviously trying to rectify matters (albeit a bit late).

It is even possible that your accountant could get into trouble for failing to report your delinquency. On the other hand, your lawyer can't be compelled to testify against you, being protected by solicitor-client privilege. Your lawyer may also have his own in-house accountant in order to protect you.

Your lawyer ( specializing in criminal and tax law ) will likely negotiate an agreement with the tax authorities before filing any tax returns.

Therefore, if there is a good chance you could be charged criminally for your failure to file tax returns or properly report income or expenses, don't see your accountant. Instead, consult a lawyer specializing in such matters before you file or amend any returns.

Managing Freelance Tax

8:38 PM loan , Loan Information , taxes

According to business analysts, the home-based business trend is on the rise and a lot of people are jumping onto self-employment. The news is not surprising since there are many advantages in being self-employed and owning your own business. Aside from the fact that you can actually call something your own, there is also the sense of achievement brought by personal success. On the practical side, you get to be your own boss, which means that you decide your hours and how much effort you'll put into a project. Plus, there are certain advantages exclusive to dealing with self employed tax, sole proprietor tax, business tax, and other monetary matters.

Managing your taxes is easy, says Jan Zobel, a freelance tax specialist. Drawing from over 2 decades of tax management experience, she has the following suggestions on how to manage self employed tax, sole proprietor tax, business tax, and other independent taxes. She suggests filing appointment books, daily planners, or calendars with finance materials like taxes and banking records. Zobel tips that there is money in keeping time. Your schedule can be used as proofs to verify and clarify business expenditures like travel mileage, phone bills, and hotel receipts. Presto, instant tax deductions. She advises to log in your travel time and miles driven in business trips in your appointment book. Aside from this, Zobel also warns to take note of financial details. Often, these are the causes of tax troubles. Record those bank account deposits, regardless whether they are loans, gifts or business-related. It is also helpful if you note deposit sources. Keep these notes in a checkbook or a separate file. This way, you can separate business income from loans and gifts which aren't covered by tax. The IRS usually assumes undeclared income if audits reported an income excess even if these came as gifts. Proofs or records of these gifts prevent tax problems from the IRS. Zobel asserts that insisting you can remember everything related to your finances come tax time is unrealistic

Self employed tax, sole proprietor tax, business tax, and independent taxes benefit greatly from separating business accounts from personal accounts. Zobel advises to keep business money in a separate account and your own money in your own account. Be reminded to write checks for business purposes from the assigned account and vice versa. For those who don't want separate accounts, Zobel suggests to note each check with remarks such as "business" or "personal" each time you write one. Identifying the purpose of the check won't hurt either such as "for office furniture". This tip minimizes mix-up of your personal and business finances. Following this tip, keeping credit cards for personal and business use separately is also preferred. She also reminds that interest in credit cards for business purposes is a hundred percent deductible. Zobel advises keeping credit card and sales receipts. These are especially handy during audits for reference. Consulting tax specialists, professional tax managers, and the internet for tax managing tips are also advised.

Lastly, whether you pay self employed tax, sole proprietor tax, business tax or freelance taxes, keep your records clean and straight. Remember also to settle your taxes on time. Racing after deadlines can make you forget key documents which might cause tax problems.

Small Employers Rejoice - IRS Simplifies Filings

8:34 PM Auto Loans , IRS , loan , Personal Loan , taxes

One of the largest burdens on very small employers is dealing with taxes. Fortunately, the IRS has taken a major step to reduce this burden.

Quarterly Federal Tax Returns – Not !

There are millions of small businesses that labor under the burden of filing federal tax returns each quarter of the calendar year. These quarterly returns have been a major gripe of business owners who often feel they see their CPAs more than their families. The IRS is finally listening. Well, sort of.Beginning January 1, 2006, the quarterly federal tax return will go the way of the dodo bird for some small businesses. Instead of being required to file every three months, these small business will be allowed to just file an annual federal tax return with the IRS.

When it comes to taxes and the IRS, there is always a catch. So, what is it in this situation? The annual tax return procedure will only be available to very small businesses, often just sole proprietorships.

Under the new regulations, small businesses will only be eligible for the annual filing if their estimated annual employment tax is $1,000 or lower. Put another way, this equates to paying roughly $4,000 in wages in a calendar year. That is a significant catch.

Ostensibly, this new annual tax return procedure is designed to help mom and pop businesses or businesses that are barely running. Depending on the specifics of the regulations, however, a significant loophole may let a lot more people through the door. The IRS, for instance, categorizes a single member LLC as a sole proprietorship. As a result, the LLC doesn't technically pay employment taxes. Instead, the member can simply draw money from the business and then report it on his or her personal taxes.

To find out if you qualify for the annual return option, just sit and wait. The IRS is going to send out notices to qualifying small businesses during the first two weeks of February 2006. If you don't receive one, you can contact your CPA to see if there are any options for your business.

What Is A Dependent For Tax Purposes ?

7:58 AM taxes

What are the qualifying characteristics of a dependent for tax purposes ? Following is a general explanation on how to determine dependents, and how it relates to your tax status, liability and the credits you can claim on your tax return.

There are a few assessments that a person must pass in order to qualify as a dependent on a U.S. tax return. For starters, individual must be the taxpayer's child, stepchild, foster child, sibling or stepsibling, or a relative of one of these, and the individual must live at the taxpayer's residence for greater than 6 months of the tax year. There are exceptions for children of divorced parents, kidnapped children, and for children who were born or died during the year.

Employment Taxes - Depositing With The IRS

4:29 PM Auto Insurance , Employment Taxes , insurance , taxes

If your business has employees, you must pay employment taxes. The payment system can be a bit confusing, so this article discusses how to go about depositing employment taxes with the IRS.

Depositing Employment Taxes

To pay employment taxes, you must deposit the money with the IRS. As is typical with tax situations, the payments are not actually made to the IRS. Instead, you must deposit the employment taxes with a federal depository. Moving the burden to the private sector, the IRS requires most banks to act as depositories. If your business has just started hiring employees, ask you bank if they act as a depository. If they do not, you may want to change banks.

To deposit the taxes, you forward money per the bank specifications. You will also need to file a Federal Tax Deposit Coupon, Form 8109, with the deposit. The IRS typically sends these forms to you at the beginning of each calendar year. If you don't receive any, you can download the form from the IRS site or ask your tax professional.

When To Deposit

You must deposit employment taxes either once or twice a month. The IRS will send you a schedule at the end of each year for the subsequent year. As a general rule, you want to file within a few days of each pay period.

Failure To Deposit

Collecting employment taxes is a high priority of the IRS. Since the taxes include money deducted from an employee's paycheck, the IRS views an employer's non-payment as a form of theft. If you fail to pay, you can expect the IRS to come down hard on your business and, potentially, shut it down. In short, make absolutely sure you deposit the employment taxes.

In Closing

There is no other way to put it – paying employment taxes is a pain. Just make sure you pay them to avoid the wrath of the IRS.

What to Do If You Can't Pay Your Taxes

7:25 AM Cards , Credit , Credit Cards , Installment , IRS , loan , payments , taxes

The end of tax filing extensions is quickly approaching. What do you do if you can't pay the amounts you owe? You should still file your return by the due date and pay as much as you can. There are, however, additional steps that might help.

Credit Cards

You can charge your taxes on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover cards. If you go in this direction, you can use either of the following two sources:

Official Payments Corporation

1-800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829)

www.officialpayments.com

Link2Gov Corporation

1-888-PAY-1040 (1-888-729-1040)

www.pay1040.com

If a credit card is out of the question, you may be able to pay any remaining balance over time in monthly installments through an installment agreement. If you are completely wiped out and the future looks grim, you may also want to consider getting the tax amount reduced through the Offer in Compromise program.

The IRS charges a $43 fee for setting up an installment agreement. You will also be charged interest plus a late payment penalty on the unpaid taxes. The late payment penalty is usually one-half of one percent per month or part of a month of your unpaid tax.

The penalty rate is reduced to one-quarter of one percent for any month an Installment Agreement is in effect if you filed your return by the due date (including extensions). The maximum failure to pay penalty is 25 percent of the tax paid late.

   If you do not file your return by the due date (including extensions), you may have to pay a penalty for filing late. The penalty for failing to file and pay timely is usually five percent of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month that your return is late. The maximum penalty for failure to file and pay on time is 25 percent of your unpaid tax.

In Closing

   The IRS wants you in the system, even if you're broke. Whatever you do, file your tax return in a timely manner. Once filed, the IRS will work with you on payment issues. Don't get stressed. Keep in mind that millions of Americans have the same problem.

   To apply for an installment payment plan, fill out and attach Form 9465 to the front of your tax return. The IRS has streamlined the approval process if your total taxes (not counting interest, penalties or other additions) do not exceed $25,000 and can be paid off in five years or less. Be sure to show the amount of your proposed monthly payment and the date you wish to make your payment each month. Make absolutely sure you can make the payments.

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