 Here are some key changes to the tax code for 2022. Use this information to help manage your tax obligation, a practice that can pay rich benefits if reviewed throughout the year.
Tax brackets and rates While there is much discussion in Congress and the Executive branch to raise individual tax rates (currently 0% to 37%), to date no legislation is gaining traction....yet. In the meantime, inflation is impacting the income brackets subject to tax. The cost of living calculation is raising the income brackets subject to tax by approximately 3% to 3.8%. Standard deductions The higher standard deductions are still in place. For 2022, they are:
Key tax code changes
Outlined here are the major changes for current year tax laws. But stay tuned as there are a number of changes that are being proposed, but seem to stuck in Congressional discussion. "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 Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA
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Avoid tax surprises with a simple review With tax season in the rear view mirror, now is the time to take a hard look at your federal and/or state withholdings to ensure next year's tax bill does not surprise you.
A review is more important than ever There are a number of tax code changes that will impact the amount of tax you pay next year. So much so, that if you do not forecast your tax obligation now, you may be in for a very unpleasant surprise. This is true because: No more advance payments for the Child Tax Credit. The one year requirement of the IRS to pay out half of the Child Tax Credit in advance is no longer in place. So you will not only need to plan for this change, it will also impact your tax return. Child Tax Credits are lower. In addition, the Child Tax Credit amount for each child is rolling back to the 2020 dollar amount of $2,000. This could mean as much as $1,600 in lower credits for each of your children. Dependent care credits are lower. The dependent care credit is also lower in 2022. So if both you and your spouse work and have daycare expenses, you will need to forecast the impact of this on this year's tax obligation. New 1099-K reporting may require estimated tax payments. The IRS will be receiving millions of new informational tax forms reporting activity from those using digital payment platforms. So for those reselling event tickets, using sites like eBay, Esty and Amazon, you will now need to account for all this income. It may now require quarterly estimated tax payments throughout the year. Be aware of life events. In addition, a change in your situation could create the need to review your withholdings. It could be due to a job change, selling or buying a home, getting married or divorced, or having a birth or death in the family. Whatever the cause, be aware of the potential change and put a sharp pencil to revising your withholdings. High inflation is impacting everything. Finally, consider the impact of inflation on your situation. This is especially important if you have a small business as higher costs of labor and supplies could dramatically impact your pending tax bill. Calculating and making adjustments Using the IRS calculator. The IRS has an online tool to help you calculate how much you will need to withhold. In order to get an accurate reading, you need to have a copy of your latest paycheck or last quarterly estimated tax filing (Form 1040 ES) and a copy of your last tax return. The IRS tool is here: IRS Withholding Calculator Simply follow the tool's instructions and compare the tool's recommendation to your current withholdings. Get expert help if necessary. The IRS recently changed the way it calculates recommended withholdings. While the intent is well intended, many are confused by the change. It is always a good idea to call to review your situation if you have any doubts. But do it now, while there is plenty of time in the year to build the proper withholding amount. File a new withholding form with your employer. Whether you're paying too much or too little, you can fix it by filling out a new W-4 form and giving it to your employer. If you're filing quarterly estimated taxes, you can adjust your next quarter's estimate in a similar way. In a perfect tax world, you would not owe too much nor get too large of a refund. Think of overpayments as an interest-free loan the government borrowed from you. Conversely, a shortfall means writing a large check when you file your tax return. That's a surprise few of us want. "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 Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA MUST READ if using digital payment tools or reselling tickets A recent tax law change by this edition of Congress now requires transaction reporting to the IRS for anyone receiving more than $600 in payments through digital payment tools like PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp. It also impacts anyone using transaction platforms to buy or sell tickets for sporting events and concerts. Here is what you need to know.
What is happening now They need your Social Security number. If you use digital payment platforms you will now need to provide your Social Security number and a valid name and address to accept digital payments or to buy and sell tickets online. The IRS will know. Most of these transactions for those receiving funds will now have this activity reported to the IRS if the total for the year exceeds $600. This is true even if you lose money on the transaction. It will be done using Form 1099-K and will be issued to you in January. Your taxes may be more complicated. If the IRS considers the transaction a business transaction, you will now need to report the transaction on your 2022 tax return, even for casual transactions that lose money. This is often the case when selling event tickets for a loss or taking digital payments at a garage sale. You may receive many 1099-Ks. You can expect to receive a separate 1099-K from every platform you use where you exceed the $600 threshold. The IRS watchdog approach. Prior to 2022, the reporting threshold was $20,000 AND more than 200 transactions. But with the perceived under-reporting of income by those in the gig economy, the transaction threshold was eliminated and the dollar threshold was lowered to $600. Now the IRS will use their computer auditing to compare your 1099-Ks with what you report on your tax return and audit you if they do not match. What to do now Coach your friends. Whenever you exchange money with friends in a digital format like Venmo, have them mark the transaction as non-business. Each application will handle this differently, but it is critical you do this to avoid getting a 1099-K in error. Use cash or check. When receiving payments from friends, if there is potential for error ask for a check or cash. This will avoid the 1099-K reporting mess. Split payments. When splitting a bill at a restaurant, do not have one person pay and then get reimbursement. Instead, ask the restaurant to split the bill and everyone pay their share. You can make this easy on your server if you are willing to split the bill evenly. Understand the problem. When receiving a digital payment, you are relying on the person paying you to code the transaction correctly. Unfortunately, you cannot make them do it correctly, so you now need to keep track of digital money received, who it was from, and for what purpose. True business transactions. For those of you in the gig economy, you have a different problem. Many reporting platforms are inconsistent on reporting. Some will report your income twice, once on a 1099-K and again on another tax form (1099-MISC or 1099-NEC). You must actively monitor this information. Plus, you need to know whether the amount reported are gross proceeds (required) or whether they netted out their fees. Casual users of seller platforms are now in business. Infrequent users of places like E-Bay, Etsy and Amazon are now in business when payments received are more than $600. Be prepared to create a business tax return on Schedule C of your Form 1040. This seemingly simple change in the tax code is having a wide-reaching impact. It will further complicate filing taxes AND processing taxes for the IRS. Given the level of public outcry, a roll back of this new rule is possible, but given the nature of Congress, do not plan on it. "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 Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA |
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