Small business owners may qualify for a home office deduction that will help them save money on their taxes, and benefit their bottom line.

Taxpayers can take this deduction if they use a portion of their home exclusively, and on a regular basis, for any of the following:
​

• As the taxpayer’s main place of business.
• As a place of business where the taxpayer meets patients, clients or customers. The taxpayer must meet these people in the normal course of business.
• If it is a separate structure that is not attached to the taxpayer’s home. The taxpayer must use this structure in connection with their business
• A place where the taxpayer stores inventory or samples. This place must be the sole, fixed location of their business.
• Under certain circumstances, the structure where the taxpayer provides day care services.

Deductible expenses for business use of a home include:

• Real estate taxes
• Mortgage interest
• Rent
• Casualty losses
• Utilities
• Insurance
• Depreciation
• Repairs and Maintenance

Certain expenses are limited to the net income of the business. These are known as allocable expenses. They include things such as utilities, insurance, and depreciation.  While allocable expenses cannot create a business loss, they can be carried forward to the next year. If the taxpayer carries them forward, the expenses are subject to the same limitation rules.

There are two options for figuring and claiming the home office deduction.

Regular method
This method requires dividing the above expenses of operating the home between personal and business use. Self-employed taxpayers file Form 1040, Schedule C, and compute this deduction on Form 8829.

Simplified method
The simplified method reduces the paperwork and recordkeeping for small businesses. The simplified method has a set rate of $5 a square foot for business use of the home. The maximum deduction allowed is based on up to 300 square feet.

There are special rules for certain business owners:

• Daycare providers complete a special worksheet, which is found in Publication 587.
• Self-employed individuals use Form 1040, Schedule C, Line 30 to claim deduction.
• Farmers claim the home office deduction on Schedule F, Line 32.

"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720

The new tax legislation enacted late in 2017 rewrites large sections of the tax code. However, one key provision for investors has remained in place: the tax on net investment income (NII). Although it's still on the books, you can minimize the impact for this year with some timely tax action.
​
 
NII tax background
 
Generally, the NII tax is equal to 3.8 percent of the lesser of your NII or excess modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) over an annual threshold of $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 for joint filers).
 
NII includes most investment income items like interest and dividends, capital gains and gains from investments in passive activities. But certain other items - such as distributions from IRAs and qualified retirement plans and income from an active business - are specifically excluded from this calculation.
 
How to reduce NII tax
 
Even if the tax applies in your situation, you may minimize the tax damage by reducing NII, MAGI or both. Consider these ideas:

• Increase contributions to qualified retirement plans like a 401(k).
• Harvest capital losses to offset high-taxed capital gains.
• Postpone large capital gains to a future year.
• Invest in municipal bonds ("munis") or muni bond funds that produce tax-free income.
• Switch from dividend-paying stocks to growth stocks you can hold until you're in a low tax year.
• Set up a charitable remainder trust (CRT) that provides an income stream with tax benefits.
• Arrange a tax-free like-kind exchange of real estate instead of realizing a large capital gain.
• Sell real estate on the installment basis.
• Shift high-taxed income to family members in lower tax brackets.

​Of course, other financial factors may affect these strategies. Call today for help developing a plan that suits your needs.

"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720

IRS: Doing a ‘Paycheck Checkup’ is a good idea for workers with multiple jobs
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service urges taxpayers who work multiple jobs or who may be adding summer employment to complete a Paycheck Checkup. Doing so will help them check if they are having the right amount of tax withheld from their paychecks.
​
Checking and adjusting tax withholding as early as possible in 2019 is the best way to head off a tax-time surprise next year.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made changes to the tax law. Among other things, the new law increased the standard deduction, eliminated personal exemptions, increased the child tax credit, limited or discontinued certain deductions and changed the tax rates and brackets. As a result, many taxpayers ended up receiving refunds that were larger or smaller than expected, while others unexpectedly owed additional tax when they filed their 2018 tax returns.

Two-income families and people with multiple jobs may be more vulnerable to being under-withheld or over-withheld following these major law changes. For 2019, a Paycheck Checkup is especially important for taxpayers who adjusted their withholding in 2018, specifcally in the middle or later parts of the year. Doing a Paycheck Checkup can help determine the correct amount of tax for each of their employers to withhold.

The IRS urges everyone to do a Paycheck Checkup as early in the year as possible so that if an adjustment is needed, there is more time for withholding to happen evenly during the rest of the year. Waiting means there are fewer pay periods to withhold the necessary federal tax.

The easiest way to do a Paycheck Checkup is to use the Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov. The Withholding Calculator can help taxpayers estimate their income, credits, adjustments and deductions more accurately and check if they have the right amount of tax withheld for their financial situation. When using the calculator, it’s helpful to have a completed 2018 tax return and a recent pay stub available.

Based on the Withholding Calculator’s recommendations, the taxpayer can then fill out and submit a new Form W-4 to their employer. In many instances, this means claiming fewer withholding allowances or having an extra flat-dollar amount withheld from their pay.

Self-employment
Some workers are considered self-employed and are responsible for paying taxes directly to the IRS. Often, this includes people involved in the sharing economy. One way to pay taxes directly to the IRS is by making estimated tax payments during the year.

TCJA changed the way tax is calculated for most taxpayers, including those with substantial income not subject to withholding. As a result, many taxpayers may need to raise or lower the amount of tax they pay each quarter through the estimated tax system.

The revised estimated tax package, Form 1040-ES, on IRS.gov is designed to help taxpayers figure these payments correctly. The package includes a quick rundown of key tax changes, income tax rate schedules for 2019 and a useful worksheet for figuring the right amount to pay.

Other situations
Anyone who had a life change, such as getting married or divorced, buying a home or having a baby should also consider a Paycheck Checkup.

Pay electroniclly anytime
Taxpayers can pay their 2019 estimated tax payments electronically anytime before the final due date for the tax year. Most taxpayers make estimated tax payments in equal amounts by the four established due dates. The three remaining due dates for tax year 2019 estimated taxes are June 17, Sept. 16, and the final payment is due Jan. 15, 2020. Direct Pay and EFTPS are both free payments options, and taxpayers can schedule their payments in advance as well as receive email notifications about the payment. Visit IRS.gov/payments to schedule electronic payments online, by phone or the IRS2go mobile app.

More information:

• Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
• FS-2019-4: Tax Withholding: How to Get it Right
• Estimated Taxes
• IRS PayAsYouGo
• Self-Employment Tax, Social Security and Medicare Taxes
• Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center
• FS-2019-6: Basics of estimated taxes for individuals

"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720

Owners of pass-through entities (S corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies) and sole proprietors can benefit from a new deduction under Section 199A of the tax code. And now the IRS has issued new final regulations providing greater clarity that includes a safe harbor rule for rental real estate activities.

 Why it matters to landlords
 
Generally, the deduction is equal to 20 percent of your qualified business income (QBI) for the year, including your net income from an active trade or business. However, the deduction is phased out based on income levels and whether or not you're a taxpayer in a specified service trade or business (SSTB), such as an accountant, doctor or lawyer. Other limits based on wages of non-SSTB taxpayers may apply.
 
Previously, it wasn't entirely clear how these rules would apply to rental real estate activities, but the clarifications provide a safe harbor rule for landlords. Essentially, a rental activity (including multiple activities combined in a single enterprise) is treated as trade or business if:

• You keep separate books and records for each activity or combined enterprise;
• You perform 250 hours or more of rental services for the activity or combined enterprise; and
• You maintain the proper contemporaneous records and time reports.

On the other hand, certain rental activities are excluded from the safe harbor rule, including real estate used as your home and property rented on a triple net lease basis. With this type of lease, the tenant is typically responsible for real estate taxes, building insurance and common areas.
 
If you have questions about your rental real estate activities, call today.

​"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720

The IRS has some good news for taxpayers who are selling their home. When filing their taxes, they may qualify to exclude all or part of any gain from the sale from their income. Here are some things that homeowners should think about when selling a home:

Ownership and use
To claim the exclusion, the taxpayer must meet ownership and use tests. During a five-year period ending on the date of the sale, the homeowner must have owned the home and lived in it as their main home for at least two years.

Gains
Taxpayers who sell their main home and have a gain from the sale may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of that gain from their income. Taxpayers who file a joint return with their spouse may be able to exclude up to $500,000. 
Homeowners excluding all the gain do not need to report the sale on their tax return.

Losses
Some taxpayers experience a loss when their main home sells for less than what they paid for it. This loss is not deductible.

Multiple homes
Taxpayers who own more than one home can only exclude the gain on the sale of their main home. They must pay taxes on the gain from selling any other home.

Reported sale
Taxpayers who don’t qualify to exclude all of the taxable gain from their income must report the gain from the sale of their home when they file their tax return. Anyone who chooses not to claim the exclusion must report the taxable gain on their tax return.  Taxpayers who receive Form 1099-S must report the sale on their tax return even if they have no taxable gain.

Mortgage debt
Generally, taxpayers must report forgiven or canceled debt as income on their tax return. This includes people who had a mortgage workout, foreclosure, or other canceled mortgage debt on their home. Taxpayers who had debt discharged after Dec. 31, 2017, can’t exclude it from income as qualified principal residence indebtedness unless a written agreement for the debt forgiveness was in place before January 1, 2018.

Possible exceptions
There are exceptions to these rules for some individuals, including persons with a disability, certain members of the military, intelligence community and Peace Corps workers.

Worksheets
Worksheets included in Publication 523 can help taxpayers figure the adjusted basis of the home sold, the gain or loss on the sale, and the excluded gain on the sale.
​
"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720

As summer approaches, so do storms and other natural disasters. Whether it’s a hurricane, fire, flood or tornado, it’s important for people to be prepared. One way to get ready is for taxpayers to know what to do about important documents and paperwork that might be lost after a disaster.
 
Also, it’s good to know how to find out if the IRS is providing filing extensions or other tax relief due to the impact of a federally-declared disaster. Below are links that taxpayers can use to find IRS tax related disaster relief: 

Reconstructing records after a disaster; IRS provides tips to help taxpayers
This fact sheet helps people who are facing the challenge of reconstructing their financial records after a disaster. This may be essential for properly documenting a tax-deductible loss, supporting various tax-related transactions or getting federal assistance, or insurance reimbursement.

Tax relief in disaster situations
This page features links to resources that can walk taxpayers through information that will help them after facing a disaster. This page also links to local news releases and frequently asked questions.

Around the nation
This page highlights news specific to local areas. This includes disaster relief and tax provisions that affect certain states.

FAQs for disaster victims
From this page, users can link out to several different pages with FAQs, each about a specific topic to help people after a disaster.

Publication 2194, Disaster Resource Guide for Individuals and Businesses
This resource guide provides information to individuals and businesses affected by a federally-declared disaster. It also covers the assistance available to disaster victims. This guide can also help taxpayers claim unreimbursed casualty losses on property that was damaged or destroyed.

Publication 584, Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook
This workbook is designed to help individual taxpayers figure their loss on personal-use property in the event of a disaster, casualty or theft.

Publication 584-B, Business Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook
This workbook is designed to help businesses figure their loss on business and income-producing property in the event of a disaster, casualty or theft.

Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters and Thefts
This publication explains the tax treatment of casualties, thefts, and losses on deposits.

More information:
Publication 5307, Tax Reform Basics for Individuals and Families

"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720
​

The home sale exclusion is one of the biggest tax breaks around. If you qualify, you can exclude tax on up to $250,000 of profit from a sale if you're a single filer or $500,000 if you file jointly. Often, you'll pay zero capital gains tax. However, there's a little-known tax trap if you've claimed home office deductions in the past.
 
Home office tax breaks bite back when you move
 
If you use part of your home regularly and exclusively as your principal place of business or otherwise qualify, you are eligible for home office deductions. In that case, you could offset some business income through direct expenses (e.g., painting the office) and indirect expenses (e.g., utilities, repairs, insurance, property taxes and mortgage interest, etc.) based on the business use of the home.
 
But when you sell the home, you must recapture some of the prior tax benefits, resulting in an unexpected tax bill when you file your return.
 
The tax law says you must recapture the depreciation claimed for home office deductions claimed after May 6, 1997. The recaptured depreciation is taxed at a special 25 percent tax rate instead of the usual 15 percent rate (20 percent for certain high-income taxpayers) on long-term capital gains.
 
This recapture rule applies to "allowed or allowable" depreciation. In other words, you may have to pay a recapture tax, even if you didn't claim home office deductions in one or several years.
 
Despite this drawback, the benefits of home office deductions generally outweigh the potential for the recapture tax. Just make sure you understand the tax ramifications. Call today if you have questions.


"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720

Suppose you intend to donate personal property that has appreciated in value - say, artwork or a family heirloom - to one of your favorite charities. Generally, if you itemize deductions on your tax return, you can benefit from generous tax rules. However, for certain large donations you must obtain an independent "qualified appraisal" to preserve your deduction.
 
Charitable donation basics
 
When you donate property that you have owned for longer than one year, you may generally deduct the current fair market value (FMV) of the property, rather than its cost. For instance, if you bought a painting for $5,000 five years ago that is worth $7,500 when you donate it, you can deduct the entire $7,500. There is no tax on the appreciation in value.
 
Conversely, if the painting is worth $4,500 when it is donated, you can only deduct the amount of the current FMV, or $4,500. Also, if youve owned appreciated property for a year or less, your deduction is limited to the cost.
 
When do you have to get an appraisal?
 
For gifts of personal property valued above $5,000, you must attach an appraisal to your tax return. To qualify, the appraiser must have met certain education and accreditation requirements, be experienced with the type of property being appraised, regularly offer appraisals in exchange for compensation and otherwise comply with IRS regulations.
When do you NOT have to get an appraisal? No appraisal is required when you donate:

• Appreciated property owned less than a year
• Publicly traded securities
• Non-publicly traded stock of $10,000 or less
• A vehicle where the deduction is limited to the gross proceeds from its sale

Be aware that other special rules for charitable deductions may come into play. The best approach is to call before you make large gifts of personal property.

"Tax Tips" are published to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. If you would like more information on anything in "Tax Tips," or if you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive other tax information from time to time, please contact our office.
 
The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
 
We are trusted CPA advisors servicing Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien, Naperville, and all Chicagoland area. 

Do you need assistance with your business and/or personal tax returns? Would you like to have a trusted source for your accounting, allowing you additional time to focus on increasing your business? Do you use QuickBooks, or plan to in the future, for your accounting? We include these in all our service packages, customized to fit your personal or business needs.   
 
We are currently accepting new clients. Your initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our experienced staff is available to help you streamline your accounting, giving you more free time for yourself. Set up an appointment today by calling (630) 320-3720 or email us at info@monarchaccountinggroup.com. 
 
For more free resources, such as Tax Rates, Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com.

Monarch Accounting Group, Inc
145 Tower Drive, Suite 4
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone (630) 320-3720​