The IRS recently announced that it plans to increase audits of small businesses in the hopes of closing a $450 Billion gap. This announcement is interesting because it come on the heals of a recent report that most audits of small businesses turn up nothing. The eight significant audit areas the IRS will be concentrating are:
A New York court has ruled that the metropolitan commuter transportation mobility tax (MCTMT) was unconstitutionally passed by the New York Legislature. The tax, which is also referred to as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) payroll tax, applies to certain employers and self-employed individuals engaging in business within the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD).
The Internal Revenue Service has been looking the other way instead of rooting out fraud when people apply for taxpayer identification numbers, Treasury Department investigators said Wednesday, exposing a shortfall with both financial and national security implications.
The New York State Department of Taxation recently issued a ruling that Yoga is to be considered more spiritual, and less exercise. Therefore Yoga studios and businesses won’t have to collect or pay taxes. However, these rules will not apply if a Yoga class takes place inside a gym or other conventional exercise facility.
1. Cell phones.The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Pub. L. No. 111-240) made it easier for employers to claim income tax deductions for the cost of providing cell phones to employees. Starting with 2010, deductions have been allowed without detailed recordkeeping regarding personal and business use of the cell phones. However, in the wake of the tax law change, a big question remained: How are employer-provided cell phones treated on the employee end?
Now that the tax season has come to an end, a common question for many of our clients is “How long do I need to keep my tax return copies and tax related documentation”? We suggest that all copies of tax returns should be kept indefinitely. You never know when you might need them. If you are a current R&G Brenner client, our “Go Green” service stores all tax returns prepared by us since 2009 in a secure “Cloud” online, so they will always be accessible...
