Scams are on the rise now that it’s tax season. The IRS has made taxpayers aware of popular scams on their website, including: Charity Impersonators To make sure the charity you are donating to is legitimate, then you can use the tax exempt organization search function at https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/ Unfortunately, a contribution to a fake charity […]
Budgeting
Don’t Make These 2 Mistakes When Paying Your Taxes
When paying your tax balances or estimated tax payments, there are two ways that commonly create issues with the IRS and the states. These are: Paying by Check Making a tax payment with an old-fashioned check creates issues in multiple ways. Making a Payment from Your Spouse’s Tax Account or Social Security Number For some […]
Be Aware of These Upcoming Tax Due Dates
The IRS issued a 14-page tax calendar publication, which is useful for helping with insomnia. Instead, here are some upcoming, common due dates that you should be aware of: January 31st March 17th (normally it is the 15th, but it falls on a Saturday this year) April 15th June 16th September 15th October 15th January […]
How Long to Keep Your Tax Records?
How long should you keep your tax records? The answer may surprise you and there are pitfalls to be aware of. The IRS provides general guidelines for common situations as follows: General Rules Pitfalls to be Aware of Since most records can easily be converted to electronic form, I recommend keeping your tax returns and […]
Why You Should Know Vilfredo Pareto
According to Wikipedia, Vilfredo Pareto was born during 1848 and was an Italian polymath. I know it sounds boring, but his observations are so important to business, finances, and virtually all aspects of life. Let me explain . . . Background Pareto had an interest in sociology, civil engineering, economics, political science and philosophy. One […]
Unorthodox Emergency Funds
We are all told to set aside 3 – 6 months’ worth of expenses in a traditional savings account towards an emergency fund. It’s not a bad idea, but what if that isn’t enough for an uncommon occurrence and you’re in a bind? There are a few alternative options to accessing a larger amount of […]
Overlooked Financial Maneuver
I’ve noticed a recurring theme over the years, and it’s more common than you would think. It’s helpful to do this one thing, especially as a business owner, and I’ll explain why. Because it’s simplistic it is often overlooked, but I’ll tell you why it is so important. The one overlooked financial maneuver is to […]
Bank Failure Q&A and What to Do
After the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and the rescue of First Republic Bank, there are many questions about what happened and how you can protect yourself. Q&A: Why did Silicon Valley Bank Collapse? There are several reasons. We all know that there was a run on the bank, but let’s dig a […]
Would This Have Predicted Bitcoin’s Peak?
Starting a few tax seasons ago, the IRS started to ask the question. “At any time during 2020, did you receive, sell, send, exchange, or otherwise acquire any financial interest in any virtual currency?” What does this have to do with the price direction of Bitcoin? Let me explain. Tax preparers have to ask this […]
Know These 4 Economic Terms to Sound Like an Economist
Do you want to better understand what is happening in the economy and sound extra smart? Here are 4 terms you should know and understand. Inflation: Inflation is the decrease of purchasing power of your money. What used to cost $10 now costs $12 because your money is not as valuable. Good economists know that […]