Tax Planning

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Making the Most of Your Aircraft Deductions

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More than ever, the media, IRS and the Securities and Exchange Commission have expressed their disapproval of private aircraft use by businesses. They each hold a general perception that personal use of business aircraft is extravagant and difficult to justify. But, your purchase, lease, or charter of an aircraft by you or the corporation you own (remember if you’re married, “you” includes your spouse as well) can still create open the opportunity for significant tax benefits.

As you might imagine, the IRS does not take as kind of a view of the tax benefits of aircraft ownership as you or I might. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 reversed the favorable aircraft deduction strategies previously available to you as identified in a key Tax Court case (Sutherland Lumber-Southwest, Inc. v Commissioner).

An IRS notice now restricts certain aircraft deductions, requires specific treatment of business owners, and requires stricter, more detailed records of aircraft use. Even with these restrictions though, you can still increase your financial wellbeing by making the aircraft rules work for you.

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Do you have to file a tax return?

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It's that season of the year, that dreaded one following the holiday season... Tax Season.  Every year about this time we begin to get lots of calls and emails from students, retirees, etc. all asking, "Do I need to file a tax return this year?"

Well, besides just income level there are plenty of reasons why you may need -- or even want to -- to file a tax return.

You must file a tax return if your income is above a certain level. The amount varies depending on filing status, age and the type of income you receive. Here are the general guidelines.

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Want your home buyer tax credit? I hope you are patient.

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For all of you that are eligible for the home buyer tax credit this filing season I have some news from the IRS administrative front. Don't expect your tax refunds to come quickly. Oh, and you won't be able to file your federal income tax return electronically either. And make sure you have all your closing paperwork at your fingertips.

The Internal Revenue Service today (Jan 15, 2010) released the new form that eligible home buyers need to claim the first-time homebuyer credit this tax season and announced processing of those tax returns will begin in mid-February. The IRS also announced new documentation requirements to deter fraud related to the first-time home buyer credit.

The new form and instructions follow major changes in November to the home buyer credit by the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009. The new law extended the credit to a

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Top Ten Facts About Child & Dependent Care Credit

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Did you pay someone to care for a child, spouse, or dependent last year? If so, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your federal income tax return. Below are the top 10 things you should know about claiming a credit for child and dependent care expenses.

  1. The care must have been provided for one or more qualifying persons. A qualifying person is your dependent child age 12 or younger when the care was provided. Additionally, your spouse and certain other individuals who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care may also be qualifying persons. You must identify each qualifying person on your tax return.
  2. The care must have been provided so you – and your spouse if you are married filing jointly – could work or look for work.

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Schedule A for itemized deductions, now Schedule L too

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Not since the direct deduction for some charitable contributions was removed has the standard deduction changed from its basic amount plus its additional amounts for the aged or blind.

In recent years, however, we've had three law changes that add to the standard deduction.

  • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 added sales taxes paid on the purchase of a new car to the standard deduction.

  • The Housing Act of 2008 added the property tax deduction for non-itemizers to the standard deduction.

  • The Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 added a standard deduction for net disaster losses.

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How to get your home office deduction

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Have you wondered whether or not you’re entitled to a home office deduction? With tax time here again maybe you should take another look.

A few years back, more liberal rules came into play for home office deductions, allowing more people to qualify for the write-off. Specifically, the old, hard-to-meet “principal place of business” bar was lowered to a much more taxpayer-friendly level.

If you use your home office space regularly and exclusively for your sole proprietorship, LLC or partnership business, there are several ways to qualify for the deduction: