Whether the economy is expanding or contracting, gambling remains a popular pastime. So, if you are an amateur (nonprofessional) gambler, you may need to know the applicable federal income tax rules that follow. Whether you play cards, roll dice, bet the ponies, or enjoy the slots as a casual gambler, your gambling winnings are fully [...]
Self-employed individuals, including qualifying sole proprietors, partners, and more-than-2% S corporation shareholder-employees, can deduct premiums paid for qualified health insurance (within limits) in computing their adjusted gross incomes (AGI). There had been some confusion concerning whether certain Medicare premiums counted for this rule. Recent IRS guidance indicates that premiums for all parts of Medicare [...]
Individuals starting a new business or acquiring the assets of an existing business often incur start-up expenses, which can be considerable, in the investigation and acquisition phase before actual business operations begin. Most start-up expenditures can be segregated into two broad categories: (a) investigatory expenses and (b) business preopening costs. Taxpayers can immediately deduct up [...]
Create item records in QuickBooks carefully, and QuickBooks will return the favor by running useful, accurate reports. Figure 1: Clearly-defined items result in precise reports. Obviously, you're using QuickBooks because you buy and/or sell products and/or services. You want to know at least weekly -- if not daily -- what's selling and what's not, so [...]
Next to payroll, paying bills is probably your least favorite task in QuickBooks. You don't have to use this feature – you can keep stacking bills on your desk, scrawling the due dates on a paper calendar, and writing checks. If you're still operating this way, though, you're missing out on the numerous tools that [...]
The 2010 Healthcare Act included several significant tax changes scheduled to take effect next year. Listed below is information on two provisions that could impact numerous taxpayers. We have also noted what you can do before year-end to minimize the negative impact of these provisions. $2,500 Cap on Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Contributions. Before [...]