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Know when you should ask for professional help.  Before taking action, talk to your tax adviser. How many times have you seen this legal disclaimer? Unfortunately, all too often taxpayers do not follow this advice and then must pay the price with an unnecessarily high tax bill.
Here are some of the most common situations that can save you money by seeking advice before you act:
In advance of any of these events, or when in doubt, please ask for assistance. There are too many stories that include the words “If only they had talked to someone first!” "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 [email protected]. 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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 Your grandson needs a car, but cannot afford the payments. As a favor, you provide the $25,000 to purchase the car. You tell your grandson to pay you back when he can, but there is no loan document. The IRS sees this payment during an audit and asks where your interest income is for this loan. Should this happen, you will quickly understand the meaning of AFRs.
AFRs Defined AFRs stand for Applicable Federal Rates. They are minimum interest rates that the IRS applies to a transaction when no rate is stated or implied. In other words, you may have a transaction that the IRS believes has an interest income/expense element to it, but none has been claimed by you. These minimum interest rates are published each month by the IRS for three different loan terms: Short-term (0 to 3 years); Mid-term (4 to 9 years); and Long-term (over 9 years). When does the AFR apply? You may think that money you gave to a friend or that car sale to your cousin with repayment over time has no interest rate, but the IRS may see it differently. If no interest rate is stated, the IRS will apply the applicable AFR. This means you might be in for a tax surprise. Here are some common examples when the AFR rates can come into play:
How to use the AFR knowledge to your advantage
Should you wish to see the published AFR rates, they are available on the IRS website at www.irs.gov/AFRs. "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 [email protected]. For more free resources, such as Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA Now is the time to make your estimated tax payment If you have not already done so, now is the time to review your tax situation and make an estimated quarterly tax payment using Form 1040-ES. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), forecasting your tax obligation is now more important than ever. You have two quarterly estimated tax payments due dates available to you after the passage of the bill in July: one payment due by September 15th and another due in January 2026. Spend some time adjusting your tax obligation and reforecasting your estimated tax obligation.
3rd Quarter Due Date: Monday, Sept. 15, 2025 You are required to withhold at least 90 percent of your 2025 tax obligation or 100 percent of your 2024 obligation.* A quick look at last year’s tax return and a projection of this year’s obligation can help determine if a payment is necessary. Here are some other things to consider:
So spend some time now to calculate your estimated tax liability. And remember that to avoid any underpayment penalties, simply use last year's tax as a baseline. *If your income is more than $150,000 ($75,000 if married filing separately), you must pay 110 percent of your 2024 tax obligation to be safe from an underpayment penalty. "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 [email protected]. For more free resources, such as Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA  With the uncertainty in the marketplace, now is a good time to review the rules surrounding investment losses. This knowledge can 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.
So given these rules, here are some tips. Maximizing the impact of investment losses
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 [email protected]. For more free resources, such as Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA Multiple changes make this more important than ever  With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025, there's the ability to receive a deduction for overtime pay from your federal tax obligation. Here's a recap of the rule and several tax tips to ensure you receive the full benefit of the deduction.
The Tax Law Change From 2025 through 2028, there is a new above-the-line tax deduction of up to $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers) for qualified overtime compensation. Overtime is the half portion of being paid time-and-a-half as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The benefit begins to phase out when your modified adjusted gross income exceeds $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers). It phases out by $100 for every $1,000 you exceed the amount. So the phaseout ranges are: Single: $150,000 – $275,000 Joint filer: $300,000 – $550,000 Example: Ima Working, a single taxpayer with $10,000 of overtime pay and MAGI of $170,000 can deduct $8,000 of her overtime pay. $10,000 overtime pay minus $2,000 or ($170,000 – $150,000)/1,000*$100). To receive the benefit:
Some tips
"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 [email protected]. For more free resources, such as Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA  Want to jump start your child's retirement with a million dollar tax-free account? Consider this:
The million dollar idea As soon as your child begins to earn income, open a Roth IRA and set a contribution goal to reach before they graduate from high school. Assuming an 8% expected rate of return, the investments made by age 19 will grow to FORTY times its value by the time they reach 67 (current full retirement age). For example, $2,500 invested before graduation will be $100,000 at retirement. If you can bump that up to a $25,000 investment before graduation, at retirement it will be worth $1 million! Why it works Compounding interest occurs when interest is earned on the interest generated from the initial contribution. The more time the investment has to grow, the more exponential growth will occur. By starting to save prior to graduating from high school, the investment will have almost fifty years of compounding growth. Even better, while contributions to Roth IRA's must be after-tax contributions, any earnings are TAX-FREE as long as the rules are followed! Simple to say, but how do you get $25,000 into a child's Roth IRA? Here are some ideas. Tips to achieve the goal
By helping your child get a head start on saving, it should ease any anxiety regarding retirement and help them focus on school, starting their career, and other personal development goals "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 [email protected]. For more free resources, such as Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA The IRS lays it all out As required by law, in every Form 1040 instruction booklet there's a section that shows where our federal government gets its money and where it is spent. As taxpayers it makes sense to know this information. Here is the data for the government's fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, as reported by the IRS in the 2024 instruction booklet for Form 1040:  Observations
With recent tax changes the impact on the deficit is sure to become more problematic, especially if interest rates remain high. None of this situation is set to improve until the will to reduce the debt is on everyone's mind. And that is why it is a legal mandate for the IRS to publish this chart in the Form 1040 instructions in order for all taxpayers to receive an update on the situation at least once every year. "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 [email protected]. For more free resources, such as Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA What everyone should know The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) addresses some tax law uncertainty while creating several benefits impacting your 2025 tax return. One of these benefits is a new $6,000 deduction for seniors. Here is what you need to know.
The Changes Personal exemptions are gone! First and foremost, the law permanently eliminates personal exemptions. Without the change, exemptions were scheduled to be reintroduced in 2026. New senior benefit. But the law also introduces a new senior deduction of $6,000 per individual with these requirements:
Joint filers: $150,000 to $350,000 Example: Mickey and Minnie Mouse, both 96 years old, file a joint tax return and have $200,000 in modified adjusted gross income. Their new senior exemption will be $9,000. It is reduced by $3,000 [6% times ($200,000 - $150,000)]. Tips you can use
There are a lot of details in OBBBA that impact you or someone you know. With a quick review you can see if you will need some assistance. When this happens, call for help. "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 [email protected]. For more free resources, such as Tax Organizers, and Record Retention Schedules, access our website www.monarchaccountinggroup.com. Mia Verc, CPA; Janice Papais, CPA You need tip tracking NOW! The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) makes tip income tax-free. But as with any new tax law, the fine print matters, and some of these details still need clarification.
Here is what you should know. The basic facts From January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028 you can deduct up to $25,000 as a deduction equal to the amount of qualified tips you receive during the year. These tips must be included on IRS approved statements furnished to the individual in order to take advantage of the deduction. There is an income limit of $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 for joint filers. This income limit is modified adjusted gross income, including the tips. The deduction amount is reduced (but not lower than zero) by $100 for each $1,000 in excess of these amounts. Example: Joanie Tipster, a single filer, with modified adjusted gross income of $155,000 is $5,000 in excess of the limit. So her tip deduction will be reduced by $500 which equals ($5,000/$1,000) x $100. Qualified Tips To qualify as a tip:
A list of qualifying business will be published on or before December 31, 2025, however the tax bill specifically mentions the following:
The fine print matters To receive the deduction:
What action to take If you think you may qualify for this deduction, here are some tax tips to consider:
Congress is very aware that there will be the temptation to reclassify taxable income into tip income to take advantage of this law change, so it's tasking the IRS to develop guidelines to keep this from happening. Stay tuned. There is more to come. "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 [email protected]. 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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