September, 2015
Corporation Returns on Extension due 9/15, Personal Returns on Extension due 10/15, Federal Estimate Payments due 9/15
I have a few people and entities left on extension; if you haven’t received a “reminder” email from me and you have not yet filed, it is because I don’t have you on my list.
Some people will need to make estimated payments for IRS taxes on September 15th. California does not have the same requirement (they spread their payments out over three installments, not four!). If you’re “missing” the third California estimate voucher, this is why—there is no payment due.
New Reporting for Health Plans? Form 1095-A
If you’ve done your personal tax return for 2014, you know you need to report that you had health insurance, or pay a penalty. If you haven’t done your personal tax return for 2014, tick tock….
There are several ways to get health insurance: you can buy it individually, the employer can provide it, or you can use the marketplace where there may or may not be a subsidy available to pay for your health insurance.
If you use the marketplace, you receive a Form 1095-A from them showing who was covered and amounts paid, including any subsidy, and then we reconcile a subsidy on the tax return to see if you get more subsidy, or if you have to repay a subsidy.
But let’s say your company provides health insurance. How can the IRS verify you’re covered? Starting in 2016, insurance companies will be required to provide a Form 1095-B for each person covered (for tax year 2015), and a transmittal 1094-B (similar to the 1099 – 1096 set we already know about). There’s a penalty if they don’t do this, or don’t do it on time.
You can find more information at http://www.irs.gov/instructions/i109495b/ar01.html
If you have a “self insured” plan, you have to file forms yourself; there’s a different set of forms for you. I don’t know of any of my clients who fall into this category. Possibly, if you are an employer of household employees, and you pay for their health insurance, you’ll be required to file these forms.
If you have fifty or more full time employees (or FTEs) and are “self insured,” you’ll need to file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C starting in 2016. If you don’t have fifty, ignore this. If you think you might be close to fifty, we need to set up a procedure to calculate this.
Classes: Basic Payroll and Schedule C
Here’s a link to the seminars page on my website: www.taxbuddha.com/seminars.html
Basic Payroll
In conjunction with the IRS and EDD, I’m 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 seminar will be:
San Francisco at the SBA office 455 Market Street, 6th floor
(I take BART to Embarcadero or Montgomery Street)
Tuesday, September 8, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday, October 6, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Oakland Basic Payroll “Short Course” at 7677 Oakport Street, Suite 400, Oakland CA
Tuesday, November 17, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
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
Get ready for next year and filing your own Schedule C for last year. Review what the IRS wants to know from you and how to report it 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 SBA office in San Francisco at 455 Market Street, 6th Floor.
Tuesday, November 17, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
You can register for this class at http://www.sbatrainings.eventbrite.com
The Eightfold Path to Pay Less Tax and Avoid an Audit
Eight basic things business owners want to know printed in a booklet 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.
Little Box of Inc: Incorporations Made Easy published on Kindle
The book with tips about how the S Corporation works is now published to Amazon’s Kindle, updated with additional information about S Corporations, and can be found by searching for Andrew S Rogers as author, and click on “Kindle.” Here’s the blurb:
Considering incorporating as an S Corporation? This booklet will help you understand how the S Corporation works, what you need to do to become incorporated and what you need to do once you have a corporation to stay out of trouble. The structure and the requirements are reviewed, as well as helpful tips to use your corporation to reduce your tax liability and retain your status as an S Corporation. I’ve worked with S Corporations for many years, and as a tax preparer, I can choose the kind of entity I have for my business: I choose the S Corporation myself, and I’ve convinced many of my fellow tax preparers to incorporate as well. I’ve divided the information into clear, easy-to-understand topics, and cross-referenced sections when it might be helpful.
After you’ve read this material, you can view on-line videos via YouTube.com for free to access more advanced information about S Corporations. You may also be interested in my “Choice of Entity” class – see below.
Our northern California occasional in Alameda:
1516 Oak Street, Suite 109
Alameda CA 94501
Phone numbers are:
Phone (510) 332-0401
Fax (925) 478-2726
“You too can be enlightened about tax” — Tax Buddha