When we ask our clients about dependents, a common response is "that depends, can I deduct my dog." Dogs, cats, and other household pets are expensive. It costs an average of $1,270 to $2,800 a year to own a dog. Unfortunately, the expenses you incur for a family pet that provides you only with love...
Tag: business tax deductions
Can You Speed Up Your Depreciation Deductions?
If you own rental properties than you know a significant tax benefit of owning investment property is depreciation—a deduction you get without spending any additional money. But regular depreciation for real property is slow. Residential rental property is depreciated over 27.5 years and non-residential property over 39 years, providing a relatively small deduction each year....Continue reading
Rental Property Owners: Deduct Old Roof
The IRS in its repair regulations gives you a partial disposition election that benefits you when you replace a structural component such as a roof on your office building or rental property. (check out previous post: Landlords and Business Owners: New Law Improves Energy Tax Benefits) Previously, when you replaced a structural component such as...Continue reading
IRS Doubles Down on S Corporation Reasonable Compensation
If your business is structured as an S corporation, not paying yourself an appropriate salary as an owner can torpedo your tax deductions, causing extra taxes and penalties. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act From 2018 to 2025, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is offering a 20 percent deduction on pass-through business income, with specific...
IRS Dirty Dozen List: Triggers IRS Scrutiny
For over 20 years, the IRS has issued an annual Dirty Dozen list identifying tax scams and avoidance schemes. This year’s list includes everything from employee retention credit claims to the use of fake charities. Before you invest your hard-earned money in these or other highly promoted tax schemes, you should check the IRS Dirty...Continue reading
Last-Minute Purchases to Maximize 2023 Vehicle Tax Deductions
Looking to maximize your vehicle tax deductions for 2023 and wondering if there's still time? - Do you need a replacement business car, SUV, van, or pickup truck? - Do you need tax deductions this year? - Do you need a tax credit to offset what you owe to the IRS? 2023 Tax Credits /...
Can You Write off More Than One Vehicle?
Are you hoping to write off more than one vehicle and have been told you can't? Contrary to popular belief, the IRS does not limit business owners to claiming deductions on only one business vehicle. When Should You Write Off More Than One Vehicle? You might maximize tax benefits by using multiple vehicles for business...Continue reading
Will Your Home Office Deduction Pass the Muster in an IRS Audit or Raise Red Flags?
With more people working from home, one has to wonder if the home-office deductions on tax returns are out of control or warranted. Will the IRS be scrutinizing home office deductions and what do they look for. In short, will your home office deduction pass in an IRS audit or will it raise red flags?...Continue reading
When to File Form 8275 to Avoid Penalties
Form 8275 is filed to disclose all types of tax positions. When you're considering taking an aggressive position on your tax return that could result in a substantial tax reduction, but you're worried about having to pay a penalty, talk with Ken-Mar Tax for a free consultation. As an Enrolled Agent, Ken Weinberg is up-to-date...Continue reading
How Do Owners of S Corporations Deduct Their Health Insurance?
An inconvenient rule applies to how S corporation owners deduct the cost of health insurance that a corporation puts on its W-2s. The words that make this an inconvenient rule are “earned income,” and this is unusual because you generally think of earned income as a good thing. But for the S corporation owner who...Continue reading
Do I Need to Pay Self-Employment Tax on Airbnb Rental Income?
In Chief Counsel Advice (CCA) 202151005, the IRS opined on this issue. But before we get to what the IRS said, understand that the CCA’s conclusions cannot be cited as precedent or authority by others, such as you or your tax professional. Even so, we always consider what the CCA says as semi-useful information, so here’s some...Continue reading
Can You Deduct a Home Office if You Have Another Office Outside the Home?
Question: Can you deduct a home office if you also have a non-home office? Answer: Yes! As the tax reduction specialists for the self-employed we navigate through the home office deduction issues regularly. We know what the IRS looks for and what you will not get away with. SO let's make sure your tax reduction...Continue reading
When Do I Have to Pay Self-Employment Taxes?
What Are Self-Employment Taxes? Do I Pay Them? Self-employment taxes are to individual business owners what payroll taxes are to employers and employees. They fund Social Security and Medicare. All individuals with self-employment income must pay self-employment taxes, regardless of their age. When business owners reach retirement age, they’ll be able to collect Social Security...Continue reading
Landlords and Business Owners: New Law Improves Energy Tax Benefits
Landlords and small business owners should know the newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act contains tax credits and depreciation benefits for owners of commercial property and residential rental property. As a Cleveland landlord, or small business owner, if you implement various types of renewable energy improvements, you can qualify for hefty tax credits or deductions. One...Continue reading
Beginning 2020 IRS Requires 1099-NEC Instead of 1099-MISC
What is Form 1099-NEC? Starting with the 2020 tax year, the IRS requires businesses to use the new Form 1099-NEC to report nonemployee compensation – not Form 1099-MISC, which was previously used. Filing Taxes With a 1099-NEC If you are self-employed and receiving any type of 1099 forms, you should be using a tax preparation...
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) Made Changes to Business Deductions
As our Ken-Mar Tax clients know, we pride ourselves on maximizing tax deductions for the self-employed – which is why so many of our customers are real estate agents, small business owners and W-2ed employees with “side-hustles” like ride-sharing with Uber or Lyft, selling hand-made crafts on etsy or re-selling on Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark or...Continue reading
Don’t Miss Tax Deductions for Uber, Lyft and other Ride Share Drivers
Have you recently started driving for Uber, Lyft or another ride-share company to pick up some extra cash? Unless you’ve met with Ken Weinberg of Ken-Mar Tax, you’re probably missing out on even more money in tax deductions! Being a tax reduction strategist for the self-employed, Ken specializes in helping people like you who get...Continue reading
Reduce Taxable Income with these Business Expenses to Claim on Your Taxes
At Ken-Mar Tax we specialize in tax reduction strategies for the self-employed because after decades of studying the tax code, working with the IRS and preparing tax returns for self-employed individuals we realize there are still many business expenses that get forgotten when filing taxes. One thing we do to help our clients is equip...Continue reading