Are you upgrading the offices or work space of your small business? This may be an opportunity to make improvements to accommodate individuals with disabilities (including your own employees and visitors to the business premises) if you haven't done so already.
These accommodations are legally required for larger businesses. The improvements may be pricey, but there's a potential tax payoff.
Benefits of the Disabled Access Credit
If your small business qualifies under a special tax law provision, it can claim the Disabled Access Credit for half the cost.
Specifically, the credit is available for making the business premises more accessible to disabled individuals. A "qualified small business" is one that had gross receipts of $1 million or less or didn't employ more than 30 full-time employees in the preceding tax year. The credit is essentially equal to 50 percent of the first $10,000 of qualified expenses. (Technically, the first $250 of expenses is excluded from the calculation, but then the credit applies to the first $10,250 of expenses.)
That means the maximum credit a qualified small business can claim in a given year is $5,000. Any excess may be carried back for one year and forward for up to 20 years.
The expenses need to be incurred to meet requirements established by the federal law protecting individuals who are disabled. Typically, the credit is claimed for costs related to:

• Installing ramps
• Adding guardrails
• Removing barriers

The credit also applies to material expenses needed for individuals with hearing or visual impairments, and for modifying equipment for their use.
Finally, the disabled access credit is claimed as part of the general business credit on the tax return of your small business. Remember that a credit is more valuable than a deduction because it reduces tax liability on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

"Tax Tips" are published weekly 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, 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 [email protected]. 
 
For more free resources, such as Online Advisor Newsletters, 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

A couple can claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit — commonly called the "child care credit" for short — if they pay someone to watch the kids while they're at work. But suppose one spouse plans to go back to school this fall. Can you still claim the credit? It depends.
Generally, the credit is equal to 20 percent of the first $3,000 of qualified expenses related to caring for one child under age 13, or $6,000 for two or more children underage 13. Therefore, your maximum credit is typically $600 for one child and $1,200 for two or more children. A higher percentage is available for certain low-income taxpayers.
What expenses qualify for the child care credit? The credit can be claimed for:

• Babysitters
• Day care centers
• Nursery schools
• Summer day camps (but not overnight camps)

How do you qualify for the child care credit?
To qualify, the expenses will need to have been incurred for you and your spouse to be "gainfully employed." A married couple is gainfully employed if one spouse works full time and the other works full time, part time or is a full-time student. A full-time student attends classes for at least five months (not necessarily consecutive) out of the year.
Say your spouse took a four-week course earlier this year and now has enrolled full time at college, beginning in September. You'll end up with child care costs because your spouse will be at school and you work full time. That means you might claim the child care credit, subject to the usual limits.
One more thing to remember — the qualified expenses are further limited to the earned income of the lower-earning spouse. This could affect couples where one spouse attends school. During the months a spouse is a full-time student, the tax law presumes an earned income of $250 for one child and $500 for two or more children.

"Tax Tips" are published weekly 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, 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 [email protected]. 
 
For more free resources, such as Online Advisor Newsletters, 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

Most investors face a 15 percent tax rate on long-term capital gains. This increases to 20 percent for people at the top of the ordinary income bracket (39.6 percent). That's not too bad, considering the higher tax rates on regular income.
But did you know that long-term capital rates are reduced to 0 percent in certain situations? This means you might be able to benefit from a reduced tax rate on your profits on the sales of assets.
How to qualify for 0% capital gains rate
Capital gains from transactions such as securities sales are taxed at ordinary income rates under a graduated rate structure. This structure ranges from 10 to 39.6 percent.
However, if you've owned assets like securities for longer than a year, the maximum tax rate on a gain is 15 to 20 percent if you're at the top of the ordinary income tax bracket. Capital gains may be offset by capital losses and vice versa, so this rule applies to your net gains.
On the other hand, short-term capital gains from sales of securities held a year or less are still taxed at ordinary income rates.
If your capital gains fall within the parameters of the 10 to 15 percent ordinary income brackets — the two lowest brackets — the maximum tax rate on a long-term gain is 0 percent. This often benefits low-income investors (ex. young investors), but it can also favor adults during a year when their other income is low.
Here's an example of how it could work: you file jointly and an S corporation loss reduces your taxable income to $65,900 this year. The upper dollar threshold for the 15 percent tax bracket for joint filers is $75,900. So, if you realize a $10,000 long-term capital gain in 2017, the entire gain is taxed at the 0 percent rate.
Keep this helpful tax break in mind when planning year-end securities transactions. The 0 percent tax rate might just help you hold on to more of your profits. Give us a call if you have questions about your year-end planning.

"Tax Tips" are published weekly 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, 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 [email protected]. 
 
For more free resources, such as Online Advisor Newsletters, 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 the end-of-year holidays approach, you may decide to be extra generous to your loved ones. Specifically, by giving your family members gifts that are usually sheltered by the annual gift tax exclusion. Not only does this reduce the size of your taxable estate, it can minimize the overall income tax bite for your family.

How does the annual gift tax exclusion work?
Under the annual gift tax exclusion, you can give each recipient cash or property valued up to $14,000 free of gift tax without eroding any of your unified estate and gift tax exemption. This exclusion is adjusted every year for inflation in increments of $1,000, but hasn't budged in recent years. The exclusion is doubled for joint gifts made by married couples.

For example, suppose you have three adult children and seven grandchildren. You and your spouse could each give every child and grandchild a gift of $14,000 in December to celebrate the holidays. Then you both could give each family member another $14,000 in January. In just two months, you and your spouse could reduce your taxable estate by a total of $560,000 ($28,000 x 10 recipients x 2 years)!

Normally, you don't have to file a gift tax return to benefit from the annual gift tax exclusion, but your spouse must consent to joint gifts on a return.

How does the family save?
Assuming you're in a high tax bracket and the recipients are in a lower tax bracket, any subsequent earnings from the cash or property you gift will result in reduced tax.

Special rules come into play if you give gifts of property that have appreciated or depreciated in value. Call today if you'd like to discuss your situation.
​​
"Tax Tips" are published weekly 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, 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 [email protected]. 
 
For more free resources, such as Online Advisor Newsletters, 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