Nearly four million people are being sent their Economic Impact Payment by prepaid debit card, instead of paper check. The determination of which taxpayers receive a debit card was made by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, another part of the Treasury Department that works with the IRS to handle distribution of the payments.
 
These Economic Impact Payment Cards arrive in a plain envelope from Money Network Cardholder Services. The Visa name will appear on the front of the card; the back of the card has the name of the issuing bank, MetaBank®, N.A. Information included with the card will explain that the card is an Economic Impact Payment Card. 
 
Those who receive Economic Impact Payment by prepaid debit card can do the following without any fees:
 
  • Make purchases online and at any retail location where Visa is accepted
  • Get cash from in-network ATMs
  • Transfer funds to their personal bank account
  • Check their card balance online, by mobile app, or by phone
 
This free, prepaid card also provides consumer protections available to traditional bank account owners, including protection against fraud, loss, and other errors.
 
The card will come with instructions on how to activate and use it. Learn more at www.eipcard.com.
 
More information:
Economic Impact Payments by Prepaid Debit Card
Economic Impact Payment Card
Economic Impact Payment Information Center
 
"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

With the uncertainty in the marketplace, now is a good time to review the rules surrounding investment losses. This knowledge can really help minimize your tax obligation next year. This is because investment gains and income can be subject to a variety of federal tax rates as high as 37%. This, plus the 3.8% net investment income tax, makes planning around when to take investment losses an important tax subject this year.
 
Know the meaningful rules
 
What makes investment losses such an important tax planning subject? Here are the relevant tax ramifications surrounding investment losses.
 

1. Offsetting gains. Investment losses can be used to offset investment gains every year.
2. Short-term versus long-term. Short-term investment gains (from assets owned by you for less than one year) can be subject to ordinary income tax rates up to 37% while long-term gains have a maximum tax rate of up to 20%.
3. Netting rules. You first net investment losses against investment gains prior to applying losses against your ordinary income. Where possible you must net short-term losses against short-term gains and long-term losses against long-term gains.
4. Excess losses. Up to $3,000 of excess investment losses can be used to offset your ordinary income in any one year.
5. Unused losses. Unused losses can be carried forward to offset income in future tax years.

So given these rules, here are some tips.
 
Maximizing the impact of investment losses
 

1. Net losses against short-term gains whenever possible. If you are in a high income tax bracket, try to sell stocks with a loss to offset any profitable investments you wish to sell that you have owned less than one year.
2. Defer taking losses if they will be used to offset lower-taxed gains.
3. Time taking an investment loss to take advantage of the annual $3,000 reduction of income it provides.
4. Transfer stock from a low tax rate family member to a higher taxed individual.
5. Take full advantage of the loss carryforward rules. If you sold an investment that has a huge loss in a prior year, you can only take $3,000 against your regular income each year. If this applies to you, conduct an annual review of your portfolio and consider selling investments with a gain to offset more of this loss carryforward.

 
Remember, investment losses can be used to offset investment gains and a limited amount of your ordinary income. Since the tax rates vary so greatly, proper planning to match losses against higher taxed items can make these losers a real winner on next year's tax return.
 
"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

When is a tax planning session essential?
  
One of the biggest tax benefits available today is the exclusion of gains when you sell your qualified home. Here is what you need to know.
 
The tax benefit explained
 
For those who qualify, a married couple can exclude up to $500,000 ($250,000 for unmarried taxpayers) in capital gains from the sale of your principal residence. This exclusion can be taken once every two years as long as you meet a two-years out of five residency and ownership test before you sell the property.
 
Special situations can cause complications
 
Often tax planning is required to ensure you maximize this tax benefit. Here are some situations that require a review prior to selling your home.
 
Ownership and principal residency tests met using different years. As long as the two-year requirement is met for both tests you can take the deduction. It does not matter that you use different years for each test. The most common example of this occurs when you rent a home or condo and then buy it later.
 
Life events complicate things. Marriage, divorce, and death are common life-events that require planning to maximize the gain exclusion tax benefit. For example, you can take advantage of the full $500,000 gain exclusion after the death of a spouse, but usually only during the time you are able to file a joint tax return.
 
Selling a second home requires planning. While you can use the gain exclusion every two years, you need to be careful with a second home. You may be able to plan your living arrangements to make each home a primary residence during different tax years to meet the two-year requirement for both properties. This means you need to determine your primary residence each year with good record keeping in case you are audited.
 
Business use of your home. You will need to adjust your home basis (cost) for any business activity and depreciation of your home. This can create a depreciation recapture tax event when you sell your home.
 
A partial gain exemption is possible. There are exceptions to the two-year tests when certain events occur. The normal exceptions include a required move for work, health reasons, or unforeseen circumstances. Since the IRS definition of each is vague, you should review your options if you are required to move.
 
Record keeping matters. Be prepared to document the gain on your property and how you meet the residency and ownership tests. Please keep all documents relating to the purchase and sale of your property. Save any receipts that document improvements to your home. Also keep an accurate record to support your claim of principal residence if you own a second home.
 
Given the potential for tax savings, please ask for help before selling your home or vacation 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
​

WASHINGTON −The IRS and Treasury have successfully delivered nearly 130 million Economic Impact Payments to Americans in less than a month, and more are on the way. Some Americans may have received a payment amount different than what they expected. Payment amounts vary based on income, filing status and family size.
 
See below for some common scenarios that may explain why you received a different payment amount than expected:
 
You have not filed a 2019 tax return, or the IRS has not finished processing your 2019 return
 
Payments are automatic for eligible people who filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019. Typically, the IRS uses information from the 2019 tax return to calculate the Economic Impact Payment. Instead, the IRS will use the 2018 return if the taxpayer has not yet filed for 2019. If a taxpayer has already filed for 2019, the agency will still use the 2018 return if the IRS has not finished processing the 2019 return. Remember, the IRS accepting a tax return electronically is different than completing processing; any issues with the 2019 return mean the IRS would’ve used the 2018 filing.
 
If the IRS used the 2018 return, various life changes in 2019 would not be reflected in the payment. These may include higher or lower income or birth or adoption of a child.
 
In many cases, however, these taxpayers may be able to claim an additional amount on the 2020 tax return they file next year. This could include up to an additional $500 for each qualifying child not reflected in their Economic Impact Payment.
 
Claimed dependents are not eligible for an additional $500 payment
 
Only children eligible for the Child Tax Credit qualify for the additional payment of up to $500 per child. To claim the Child Tax Credit, the taxpayer generally must be related to the child, live with them more than half the year and provide at least half of their support. Besides their own children, adopted children and foster children, eligible children can include the taxpayer’s younger siblings, grandchildren, nieces and nephews if they can be claimed as dependents. In addition, any qualifying child must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or other qualifying resident alien. The child must also be under the age of 17 at the end of the year for the tax return on which the IRS bases the payment determination. 
 
A qualifying child must have a valid Social Security number (SSN) or an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN). A child with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is not eligible for an additional payment.
 
Parents who are not married to each other and do not file a joint return cannot both claim their qualifying child as a dependent. The parent who claimed their child on their 2019 return may have received an additional Economic Impact Payment for their qualifying child. When the parent who did not receive an additional payment files their 2020 tax return next year, they may be able to claim up to an additional $500 per-child amount on that return if they qualify to claim the child as their qualifying child for 2020. 
 
Dependents are college students
 
Pursuant to the CARES Act, dependent college students do not qualify for an EIP, and even though their parents may claim them as dependents, they normally do not qualify for the additional $500 payment. For example, under the law, a 20-year-old full-time college student claimed as a dependent on their mother’s 2019 federal income tax return is not eligible for a $1,200 Economic Impact Payment. In addition, the student’s mother will not receive an additional $500 Economic Impact Payment for the student because they do not qualify as a child younger than 17. This scenario could also apply if a parent’s 2019 tax return hasn’t been processed yet by the IRS before the payments were calculated, and a college student was claimed on a 2018 tax return.
 
However, if the student cannot be claimed as a dependent by their mother or anyone else for 2020, that student may be eligible to claim a $1,200 credit on their 2020 tax return next year.
 
Claimed dependents are parents or relatives, age 17 or older
 
If a dependent is 17 or older, they do not qualify the additional $500. If a taxpayer claimed a parent or any other relative age 17 or older on their tax return, that dependent will not receive a $1,200 payment. In addition, the taxpayer will not receive an additional $500 payment because the parent or other relative is not a qualifying child under age 17.
 
However, if the parent or other relative cannot be claimed as a dependent on the taxpayer's or anyone else’s return for 2020, the parent or relative may be eligible to individually claim a $1,200 credit on their 2020 tax return filed next year.
 
Past-due child support was deducted from the payment
 
The Economic Impact Payment is offset only by past-due child support. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service will send the taxpayer a notice if an offset occurs.
For taxpayers who are married filing jointly and filed an injured spouse claim with their 2019 tax return (or 2018 tax return if they haven’t filed the 2019 tax return), half of the total payment will be sent to each spouse. Only the payment of the spouse who owes past-due child support should be offset.
 
The IRS is aware that a portion of the payment sent to a spouse who filed an injured spouse claim with his or her 2019 tax return (or 2018 tax return if no 2019 tax return has been filed) may have been offset by the injured spouse’s past-due child support. The IRS is working with the Bureau of Fiscal Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement, to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. If you filed an injured spouse claim with your return and are impacted by this issue, you do not need to take any action. The injured spouse will receive their unpaid half of the total payment when the issue is resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused.
 
Garnishments by creditors reduced the payment amount
Federal tax refunds, including the Economic Impact Payment, are not protected from garnishment by creditors by federal law once the proceeds are deposited into a taxpayer’s bank account.
 
What if the amount of my Economic Impact Payment is incorrect?
Everyone should review the eligibility requirements for their family to make sure they meet the criteria.
 
In many instances, eligible taxpayers who received a smaller-than-expected Economic Impact Payment (EIP) may qualify to receive an additional amount early next year when they file their 2020 federal income tax return. EIPs are technically an advance payment of a new temporary tax credit that eligible taxpayers can claim on their 2020 return. Everyone should keep for their records the letter they receive by mail within a few weeks after their payment is issued.
 
When taxpayers file their return next year, they can claim additional credits on their 2020 tax return if they are eligible for them. The IRS will provide further details on IRS.gov on the action they may need to take.
 
The EIP will not reduce a taxpayer’s refund or increase the amount they owe when they file a tax return early next year. It is also not taxable and is therefore should not be included in income on a 2020 return.
 
More resources on Economic Impact Payments here:

• Questions about eligibility, payment amounts, and status of payment.
• Economic Impact Payments
• Get My Payment tool
• Chart of various payment amount scenarios 

"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

Lost in the pandemic is a tax law change that may require your attention

Lost in the media storm during the coronavirus pandemic is a law change enacted in late 2019 that eliminates an IRA withdrawal technique known as the stretch IRA. Here is what you need to know.

Time to review beneficiaries

While the chances of you having a severe reaction to the coronavirus are low, it is a reminder of the importance to review your retirement and legal documents. Key among this review should be the beneficiaries you have assigned to all your retirement accounts. This includes reviewing primary beneficiaries and establishing secondary beneficiaries on all your IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s and similar accounts. But it doesn't stop there, you also need to understand and adjust beneficiaries because of new stretch IRA rules.

The old stretch IRA technique

With the stretch IRA technique, you name a younger person—say, a child or grandchild—as beneficiary of your account. When you die, this non-spouse beneficiary can stretch out receiving the balance of funds from these inherited accounts over his or her longer life expectancy. A stretch IRA could allow withdrawals to go on for decades!

In the meantime, the funds in the account continue to grow with any taxes owed being deferred until the funds are withdrawn.

Current situation

As you can imagine, the federal government wants their share of the earnings built up in these accounts. The old rules could put off the receipt of tax for another 30 years or more! Under the new rules, funds in an IRA or defined contribution plan, like a 401(k), must now be distributed to non-spousal beneficiaries within ten years of the account owner’s death.

What you need to know

This rule change makes assigning beneficiaries for your retirement accounts more important than ever, but the rule does not apply in all cases. The new rules do not apply to:

• A surviving spouse.
• Disabled or chronically ill individuals.
• Individuals who are not more than ten years younger than the account owner.
• A child of the account owner who has not yet reached the age of majority.

​
So as you review your beneficiaries, be aware of who will be required to withdraw funds sooner using these new rules. Changing your account beneficiaries with an understanding of these new rules can provide significant tax savings.

Consider converting funds into another account type. Fortunately, you can take some of the sting out of the situation by converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Unlike a traditional IRA, Roth contributions are never tax-deductible, but payouts from a qualified Roth account are 100% tax-free. While you must pay tax on the transfer in the year of the conversion, your heir will not have to deal with getting taxed when taking funds out of the account.

In other words, your beneficiary can arrange to take tax-free withdrawals from the Roth IRA, as long as the account is emptied out within ten years. Not quite a stretch IRA, but still a good deal.

Tax efficiency becomes more important than ever. Should you pay the tax with a pre-conversion to a Roth IRA to save the hassle for your heirs? Should an heir take the money out all at once? How much should you take out of an inherited account each year? Given the progressive nature of our tax system (currently 0% to 37%), taking a planned approach can save you a bundle in tax as the funds are withdrawn. This makes creating a tax plan and reviewing it more important than ever!

In light of all the pandemic uncertainty, this is an area you can review now to not only be better prepared, but to create a strategy that can yield tremendous tax savings for you and your heirs.

"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

Economic impact payments bring out thieves

The IRS is warning you to be on the lookout for a surge of calls and e-mail phishing attempts related to the coronavirus pandemic and the one-time economic impact payment.

It can come in many forms

The IRS says that scammers may do the following when trying to contact you:

• Emphasize the words stimulus check or stimulus payment. If someone in an official capacity uses these terms your concern level should rise. The official term is economic impact payment.

 

• Ask you to sign over your economic impact payment check to them.

 

• Ask by phone, e-mail, text or social media for verification of personal information including your bank account information. The excuse given is that the information is being verified in order to send you your economic impact payment.

 

• Suggest that you can get a tax refund or economic impact payment faster by working with them on your behalf. This scam could even be conducted in person!

 

• Mail you a bogus check, then tell you to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it.

What you can do

• Be aware. Awareness is key. If it seems unusual, it probably is.

 

• Help the vulnerable. Seniors are often the target of these scams. So stay in touch with parents and grandparents as it relates to coronavirus activity. Tell them to let you know when they receive their payment. Make sure they understand that no personal information is required to receive these payments.

 

• Report suspicious activity. If you receive unsolicited e-mails, text messages or any other type of attempt to gather information that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS (such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, or EFTPS), you should forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

"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