April, 2011
If you owe estimates for 2011, they’re due. The IRS and states want you to “pay as you go” and this is the first date of the first payment for 2011.
You
may also be aware tax returns are due on this day as well. What you may not
be aware of is Friday is Emancipation Day in Washington DC, so it is a holiday,
so returns are not due until the next business day, not Saturday, not Sunday,
but Monday, April 18th. However, it is not a holiday in California, so CA
returns are still due on Friday (but CA has suggested they’ll forgive a few
days).
Vacation April 38, Extensions
Don’t panic. There’s still time to go on extension if you don’t reach me the first week. In order to provide better service to my clients, I’ll be spending a week away from deadline pressure in early April with my family. I may answer a few emails and schedule an appointment or two for after April 19th (I’m teaching all day after the April 18th deadline, see above). Let me know you need an extension, and be sure to receive confirmation back from me via email that I have filed the extension.
If you want to file your own personal extension, fill out Form 4868 available to download at www.irs.gov or try the link http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf?portlet=3Remember that some states require a separate extension.
Also, it’s an extension to FILE, not an extension to PAY, so if you believe you’ll owe taxes, send a check in with the extension. You’ll owe penalties on the underpaid amount.
After you file an extension, get your tax materials together, don’t wait
until
October. If you miss the extended filing deadline, they “void” your extension,
and penalize back to April as if you never filed the extension at all.
Tax Return Preparation for 2010
The “early bird” program has been quite popular this year and I have more than the usual number of emails arriving each day,. If I don’t respond immediately, it may be because I haven’t started on your return yet. I’m still working on other returns. I’ll try to acknowledge your email within a day or so to let you know I got your tax materials. If you don’t hear from me, please let me know via email as I don’t want to miss anything.
Thanks for your patience
in this busy time.
Want to be the first person on your block to sport the fabulous Tax Buddha
Messenger Bag? I’ve now got a “shop” on Café Press
at www.cafepress.com/TaxBuddha in case you’d like to order your own
Tax Buddha logo items. The messenger bag came out particularly well, not
quite “saffron,” but easy to find in an airport.
The Eightfold Path to Pay Less Tax and Avoid an Audit
Eight basic things business owners want to know printed in booklet form in “Executive Summary” form. This is ten years of working with the IRS Tax Code distilled down so it doesn’t take YOU ten years.
Just another way we’re trying to simplify your life. And the purchase is tax deductible!
You can order from Amazon.com. Here’s the link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eightfold-Path-Less-Avoid-Audit/dp/0615233422/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226611038&sr=1-22
The booklet also contains sections on how returns are selected for audit,
when to seek professional help, and how long to keep your tax records.
EBAEA—Speaker Development Group
I’m tired of going to see boring speakers for my continuing education
requirements, so at the East Bay Association of Enrolled Agents we’ve
started a group to help develop speaking skills. Our next meeting is scheduled
for after the April tax deadline. Go to the “permalink” for
the current bulletin for more information http://www.ebaea.org/Bulletin/current.pdf.
EBAEA—Audit and Representation Group
Our meeting is scheduled for Wednesday May 4. We’ll try to take a case and review it, and discuss other audit and representation issues. We’ll meet in Lafayette at Millie’s Café at 9 am, 1018 Oak Hill Road, A, just off highway 24. Go to the ‘“permalink’” for the current bulletin for more information http://www.ebaea.org/Bulletin/current.pdf
Classes—S Corporation Webinar, Basic Payroll, Schedule C and Household Employees
Here’s a link to the seminars page on my website: www.taxbuddha.com/seminars.html
I’m starting to work on an on-line S Corporation seminar for release this summer. Details to follow.
Intermediate S Corporation Class
We’ll be looking at how to quickly solve the
most common problems encountered with preparing an 1120S, and what to do now
to reduce the likelihood of future problems. A very practical class where you
have the opportunity to ask questions, this class is for tax preparers.
Monday, May 16th in Alameda, CA, from
10 am to 3 pm with a one hour lunch break on your own.
Fee to attend is $225, but $175 until April 19. CPE credit of 4 hours available
for
Enrolled
Agents
who
attend, no credit currently available for CTEC, but it’s a good class. Send me an e-mail if you want to attend for reservation of your spot and directions. Class size is extremely limited. Flyer is on the website at www.TaxBuddha.com/1120_S_Flyer.pdf and will be updated soon.
Basic Payroll
In conjunction with the IRS and EDD, I’ll going to be doing some Basic Payroll seminars coming up in the near future.
Basic Payroll Seminar runs 9 am 3 pm with an hour for lunch
The next seminars will be:
San Francisco at the SBA office 455 Golden Gate Ave
9 am 3 pm, April 19
San Rafael at 120 North Redwood Drive, 2nd Floor
9 am 3 pm, May 3
Oakland at Elihu M. Harris State Building,1515 Clay Street,
Room 20, Second
Floor,
9 am 3 pm, May 19
Register by going to http://www.edd.ca.gov/Payroll_Tax_Seminars/ and find your favorite location.
These seminars have proven to be very popular for business owners and bookkeepers, plus they’re free.
How to Prepare your Own Schedule C
Prepare your business taxes for ’10 and get ready for ’11. Review
what the IRS wants to know from you and how to report it on the Schedule C for
your business. This is a class for business owners who
need a basic
understanding of their 1040 Schedule C tax forms. We’ll also talk about
what to do with the numbers once you have them.
We can’t guarantee you won’t get audited, but this class will make it less
likely.
I will be at the US Small Business Administration offices in San Francisco at 455 Market Street, 6th Floor
Tuesday April 19th, 6-8:30 pm.
This class will be free. To
register, check out the SBA website www.SBAtraining.eventbrite.com, or just
show up.
Household Employees
This is an
update class for both employers and the tax practitioners
who help them. This is currently not scheduled yet. Cost to attend
this class is $75. Feel free to make a date suggestion if you’d
like to attend!
QuickBooks
If you’re in the market for QuickBooks training in a classroom
setting, I recommend Mani Business Services. This is a two day QuickBooks
seminar
offered in various places around the country. The website is http://www.manibusinessservices.com/
Our northern California physical office is shared commercial space in Alameda and we’ve been meeting people at Starbucks on
Mt. Diablo Blvd in Lafayette near the mailing address.
Phone numbers are:
Phone (510) 522-2300
Fax (510) 522-2307
Our mailing address:
3527 Mt. Diablo Blvd #366
Lafayette CA 94549
“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” — Albert Einstein, physicist