• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Header Right

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Admin

Should I Pay My Child Wages?

September 13, 2017 by Admin

Children Running Office

Does It Make Tax Sense to Pay Jr?

Your child probably knows a lot more about technology—from designing a website to posting on social media—than you ever will. At many family businesses, Junior may already be helping with a variety of digital and other tasks.

Have you considered paying your kids for their work? Besides motivating them, putting kid(s) on the payroll is an attractive way to transfer assets to them while saving taxes. You might be able to help them fund their college costs or purchase a home while getting a tax break.

That’s because your company can take a deduction for the salary you’re paying them. The kid’s tax bracket will almost certainly be lower than yours, so the family unit saves thanks to the difference in the tax rates. It’s up to you to match their skills with your business’ needs, but we can help with some of the tax aspects.

Goodbye to Payroll Taxes

Are your children under 18? And are you a sole proprietor, a single-member LLC, or operate a partnership where the only members are you and your spouse? If so, congrats—your children won’t have to pay Social Security, Medicare taxes or NJ unemployment if they work for you. If your child’s earned income—generally salary, as compared to interest and dividends, is less than the standard deduction of $6,350 in 2017, he won’t have to file his own income tax return.

What are my Tax Savings?

Let’s assume, you pay your high school son, your computer tech, a salary of $6,300. He will pay no US or NJ income taxes on this salary. If you are in a high tax bracket, your US and NJ tax savings can be as high as $3,000!  And he will not have to file a tax return.

What If My Children Are Over 18?

Now let’s assume that your college daughter does the graphics and social media for the business. Or your child is under 18 but you own a “C” or “S” Corporation. You pay her $15,000. These wages are subject to Social Security & NJ unemployment. Her federal and N.J. income taxes plus the payroll taxes will be about $3,500. However, at your higher tax bracket, the federal and NJ income tax savings could be as high as $7,500. So the net tax savings to the family may be $4,000. Still a good deal!

The Retirement Savings Credit Saves More…

If your child over 18 who is not a full-time student contributes up to $2,000 into a Roth or traditional IRA, she will receive a Retirement Savings Credit of up to 50%. In our example, her tax burden of $3,500 will be only $2,600. And the family saves $4,900. A homerun!

The Bottom Line

Hiring your kids can be a good experience, while potentially offering some nice tax breaks. There are some twists: you must pay the salary in that tax year, and the pay must be “reasonable”. If your kid sweeps floors, forget about paying enough to cover his college costs and then trying to deduct it as salary expense. The state tax implications may differ from the federal. Before you go ahead and pay your child, it is a good idea to consult with your tax advisor. It could end up saving you money later.

Filed Under: BUSINESS FORUM, Hot Topics, MEDICAL PRACTICES, Payroll Taxes, STAFFING AGENCIES, TAX TIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS, Taxes, Taxes Tagged With: Payroll Taxes, Tax tips

Executor of Estate? Use our Executor Checklist as your Road Map

August 31, 2017 by Admin

The responsibilities of an Executor aren’t limited to deciding who gets which assets – it also means identifying all the decedent’s assets, and ensuring that the proper paperwork is filed with the

Overwhelmed?

IRS, the State and other agencies.To help you through this overwhelming time, Urbach & Avraham, CPAs has prepared an Executor Checklist that outlines the issues that an executor needs to consider.

         Click here to access the Executor Checklist

 

The checklist is a roadmap of tasks, from probating the will, to filing a final Income Tax return and other required estate filings, to dealing with beneficiaries and distributing the assets. It’s loaded with tips on how to locate all assets, save various taxes and efficiently manage the estate administration.   

This handy checklist is packed with reminders about technical questions to ask your CPA, legal or other financial advisor. We work with many qualified estate attorneys to seamlessly coordinate your situation.

Finally, the Urbach & Avraham Executor Checklist highlights the complexities presented when a family owned business is involved. Was there a buy sell agreement? Who is paying the estate tax on the business, and are funds available to pay the tax?

As an executor, you’re already coping with a lot of emotional and other issues. We’re available to help lift the financial burden by assisting you with accounting and tax matters during this difficult time.

Filed Under: Estate Taxes, ESTATE, TRUST, GUARDIANSHIP, Hot Topics Tagged With: estate tax, Estate Taxes, Executor Duties, NJ Inheritance Taxes

Who will access your digital assets when you can’t?

August 29, 2017 by Admin

Digital Assets

Proper Estate Planning Can Help Safeguard Your Digital assets

An increasing number of individuals are utilizing online tools, including email, social media and other electronic applications. With a click of a keyboard, they can take care of everything from email and text messages to activities like paying bills online and managing bank and other financial accounts.

Many individuals aren’t aware that the “digital assets” on their computers may represent an important component of estate planning. One study estimated that individuals have more than $35,000 each of personal records locked away on their electronic devices; and an executor or other fiduciary may not be able to access them after an individual has passed on.

Digital Assets Need an Estate Plan

Without an estate plan that addresses digital assets upon death, they may be subject to restrictive federal or state laws, or even the “terms of service” of an online service provider. A surviving spouse who tries to use the decedent’s password to log on to his or her online bank account may be violating the Stored Communications Act of 1986 and/or the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which keep Internet service providers from disclosing the contents of a user’s information.

These kinds of restrictions can even become an issue during a person’s life, since agents for an incapacitated individual—acting under a power of attorney or as conservators and trustees—may also be barred from access.

Digital assets that may be inaccessible to fiduciaries—and potentially lost to heirs—could include login credentials for online bank accounts, email accounts, social media accounts, and Word documents, PDFs, music and other information stored on computers, tablets, or Smartphones.

Proposed Legislation May Help

A bill recently passed in NJ—the “Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (UFADAA)- would enable a fiduciary to manage the digital property of a person who has passed away or has lost the ability to manage his own property.

The act covers four types of fiduciaries: executors, guardians of incapacitated persons; agents appointed under powers of attorney; and trustees. It would allow fiduciaries to manage certain digital property, including computer files, web domains, and virtual currency,

Urbach & Avraham Can Help

If Gov. Christie signs the UFADAA, it will be simpler for individuals to ensure that their digital assets are properly protected. The bill would still restrict a fiduciary’s access to email, text messages, and social media accounts—unless the original user consented to expanded access in a will, trust, power of attorney, or other record.

Urbach & Avraham, CPAs works closely with estate and elder law attorneys, and we will be pleased to work with you to address your estate planning and other needs.

Filed Under: ESTATE, TRUST, GUARDIANSHIP, Guardianships, Social Media, Wills- Probate Tagged With: Digital Assets, Executor Duties, Social Media

Own a foreign mutual fund? You may have a PFIC problem!

August 17, 2017 by Admin

PFIC is not a disease but, thanks to the IRS, if you’ve got one, you want to find a cure ASAP.

If you own shares in a foreign-based mutual fund, you have a PFIC (Passive Foreign Investment Company). If you don’t do something about it, you are subject to the onerous PFIC taxation regime imposed by the IRS. You pay tax at the highest ordinary income tax rate plus an interest charge whenever you take a distribution or the fund has a capital gain. This means that your capital gains get taxed at 39.6%+ rather than 15%. Ouch!

Example: The fund reinvests all income in 20×5, 20×6 and 20×7. You pay no tax.  In 20×8 you take a 10,000 distribution. You pay 3,960 tax plus interest on the tax you did not pay in the prior three years.

What can you do?

There are two possible elections that can be made:

Make the QEF election and you treat your PFIC as a regular mutual fund. You pay ordinary or capital gains tax on your share of the funds income annually.. OR

Make the Mark to Market election and you pay tax on the annual increase in FMV.

In either case, if you didn’t make the election in the first year you owned the fund, you have to pay the steep PFIC tax on all prior income and increases in FMV. For assistance with these difficult tax issues, please contact us.

 

 

Filed Under: BUSINESS FORUM, Hot Topics, TAX TIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS, Taxes Tagged With: Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, Foreign Accounts, Foreign asset reporting, PFICs

Should I Pay my Spouse a Salary?

August 3, 2017 by Admin

 

 It’s not worth the Taxes, Right? 

Spouses Working Together

It is not uncommon for one’s spouse to work in the family business, whether as manager or in some other capacity. Assume that Nicole Neurologist owns a medical practice. Her husband, Josh, supervises billing and IT operations. Is it worthwhile for both spouses to receive a salary? It may seem pointless. After all, their money ends up in the same bank account anyway. If Nicole has reached the maximum Social Security and unemployment thresholds, why pay Josh a salary and incur additional steep payroll taxes? While that is true, there are several advantages to employing the spouse that are worth considering.

Social Security Disability Benefits and Lost Wages

If Josh became permanently disabled, he would not receive Social Security benefits for his disability unless he satisfied two different earnings tests.  He must meet a “recent work” test based on his age at disability. For example, at age 31 or more, an individual must work five out of the ten years prior to claiming disability. He must also satisfy a “duration of work” test based on his age at disability. At age 50, he needs to have worked seven years in total prior to his disability.  If Josh was injured by an insured party, unless he has proof of a history of employment, he would not be able to recover any lost wages.

Enjoy Self-Employment Tax Savings

If Nicole’s business income is reported on Schedule C, she deducts the medical insurance expense for her and her family on page 1 of Form 1040. However, if Josh is an employee, then he can be the insured. She can deduct the medical insurance as a business expense on Schedule C.  This would result in significant tax savings, as she now saves the 3.8% Medicare portion of the self-employment tax; good deal for an expense she is incurring anyway.

Good Credit is Essential

Even if Nicole is the breadwinner, there may come a time that Josh will need to rely on his own credit history. If he is paid a salary it will be easier to obtain the credit he will need.

Boost his Social Security Benefits

The amount of Social Security benefits one receives is determined by the average of the 35 highest yearly salaries. Even if Josh’s earning power appears meager, one never knows what the future holds. If he eventually gets a more lucrative job, the years he received a salary from Nicole’s firm may ultimately boost his benefits significantly.

Maximize Pension Contribution

As an employee, Josh can be enrolled in the company pension. This allows the company to make contributions on his behalf. By adding Josh’s pension contribution to Nicole’s, the couple will enjoy increased tax free growth on their retirement funds, while the couple saves on both US and NJ income taxes.

Get a Dependent Care Credit

Unless both spouses have earned income they are not entitled to the dependent care credit, which is currently up to 35 percent of qualifying expenses of $3,000 for one child or dependent, or up to $6,000 for two or more children.

Additional Benefits

There are additional benefits to paying your spouse a salary. Call for a consultation.

 

 

Filed Under: BUSINESS FORUM, Hot Topics, MEDICAL PRACTICES, Taxes, Taxes Tagged With: Income Tax Planning, Medical Practices, Tax tips

Payroll Tax Savings for NJ Employers- August Deadline

August 2, 2017 by Admin

Did you check your NJ SUI rates?

Tax Savings

On July 28, 2017, the annual Notice of Employer Contribution Rates were mailed to all New Jersey employers. This is not a bill, but rather a summary of the way the NJ Department of Labor calculates your employer contribution rate for unemployment and disability. This form enables you to determine whether a voluntary contribution would save you money in the subsequent year.

Can I reduce my NJ SUI rate?
A voluntary contribution increases your reserve balance and may reduce your contribution rate. Each employer should calculate the amount of the voluntary contribution required to reduce the rate. The required voluntary payment should be compared to the savings realized from a lower rate.

The unemployment expense is a substantial component of the labor cost of staffing agencies. You should give it careful attention. If you wish to make a voluntary contribution to your reserve balance you have 30 days from the date of your notice to do so. We recommend that you verify all the NJ DOL calculations including the amount of the employer contributions and the benefits charged to your account. Report any discrepancies to the NJ Dept. of Labor.

By making a voluntary payment, employers may reduce the NJ SUI rate for the coming year. Please be aware that this payment increases your reserve balance and helps reduce the NJ SUI rate in future years as well.

Checked your TWES Account?

Good news…if you didn’t receive the Notice and have a Tax Web Enabled System (TWES) account online…you can find your contribution rates there as well. The TWES system provides a wealth of information allowing employers to review their account status, open balance, payment history, employer and worker contribution rates, credit balance and any delinquency. You can log on to the TWES website at https://my.state.nj.us/

Remember doing your summer homework now may save you money down the road! If you would like assistance in determining if a voluntary contribution will save you money, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately.

Filed Under: BUSINESS FORUM, Hot Topics, Payroll Taxes, STAFFING AGENCIES, Taxes Tagged With: NJ Unemployment Rate, Payroll Taxes, Staffing Agencies

  • « Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • …
  • Page 30
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Search

Category

  • Alimony
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • BUSINESS FORUM
  • Business Valuations
  • Business Valuations
  • Business Valuations
  • Diversion of Assets
  • DIVORCE FORUM
  • Elder Care
  • Employee Classification
  • Estate Taxes
  • ESTATE, TRUST, GUARDIANSHIP
  • Financial Abuse of Elderly
  • Fraud
  • Guardianships
  • Hot Topics
  • Income Taxes
  • Income Taxes
  • Joint Accounts
  • LITIGATION SUPPORT
  • Management
  • MEDICAL PRACTICES
  • NJ Assistance
  • Non-Profits
  • OSHA Requirements
  • Overtime Pay
  • Payroll Taxes
  • Property Settlement Agreements
  • Sales Tax
  • Social Media
  • STAFFING AGENCIES
  • Tax Fraud
  • TAX TIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS
  • Taxes
  • Taxes
  • Taxes
  • Taxes
  • Uncategorized
  • Unreported Income
  • Wage & Hour Violations
  • Wills- Probate

Copyright © 2017 · https://www.uandacpas.com/blog