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Tax Reform: Tax Tips for Lowering Rates for 2018 Taxes!

tax reform
Be ready for the new tax reform.

Get your to do list out and take some action to reduce your 2018 taxes now! Although taxpayers might be hurriedly finishing their 2017 tax returns before the e-file deadline, some tax deductions will not be there for the next tax season due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (TCJA) Ultimately, the design of the new tax reform is to lower taxes for individuals of all income groups until 2025. Bear in mind that along with that idea, many individuals who itemize their deductions are worried about the tax turmoil they’ll face when filing with each capped or eliminated deduction.

Did you know that can take steps in 2018 to decrease your taxes for next tax season? Here’s a few tax tips for you.

Rack up your medical receipts.

Continue reading “Tax Reform: Tax Tips for Lowering Rates for 2018 Taxes!”

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What to do with a 1095-A, 1095-B and 1095-C

An apple a day keeps the doctor away…just not from your paychecks.

There are new tax forms that you should keep your eyes peeled for this year. These are the 1095-A, 1095-B and 1095-C. No need to panic. These forms are mainly for your reference and can be stowed away with the rest of your tax documents until you’re ready to file a tax return for the year. So why are they making a debut in a mailbox near you? Let’s take a look at what they are and how to handle them.

What is each form?

A 1095-A is your Health Insurance Marketplace statement. This provides you with the annual information about your health coverage if you or someone in your family was enrolled in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

A 1095-B is your Health Coverage statement. This shows you the yearly information about your health care coverage if you, your spouse or your dependents were enrolled in coverage through an insurance provider or self-insured employer.

A 1095-C is your Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer & Coverage statement. This form will provide you with the yearly coverage offered to you through your employer.

Which form will I get?

You’ll receive a 1095-A if you, your spouse or your dependent(s) were enrolled in health coverage for the year through the Marketplace.

A 1095-B will be coming your way if you and/or your family members received insurance through a health insurance provider. Health insurance providers consist of insurance companies, certain self-insured employers and government agencies that run Medicaid, Medicare or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Continue reading “What to do with a 1095-A, 1095-B and 1095-C”

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The 5 Ws of a 1099-K

Don’t let your 1099-K stand in the way of business.

If you’re an Uber driver, run an Etsy shop, or rent out your home to AirBNB frequenters, then you might notice a new tax form that has found it’s way into your mailbox in recent years.

It’s nothing to stress over. This is generally a straightforward form to review, and easy to report on your tax return.

What is a 1099-K?

Form 1099-K, otherwise known as Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions, is one of the more recently introduced tax forms. It was created by the IRS in order to report income received from online electronic payments (e.g. credit cards, PayPal, debit cards, etc.) through third party processors. Prior to this form, many independent contractors who used online payment methods were left confused on how to report those sales on their tax returns.

Who gets a 1099-K?

Wondering if you’re one of the lucky ones who will get a 1099-K this year? The qualifications are somewhat more specific compared to other forms such as the W-2. With a 1099-K, it is based on sales volume.

Retailers who accept online credit card payments will receive a 1099-K from any business that processed their payments. However, the 1099-K is only mandatory if online processing meets the following stipulations:

  1. Sales volume is over $600 per year via credit card companies.
  2. Sales volume is over $20,000 and more than 200 individual transactions were made via third party processors.

Continue reading “The 5 Ws of a 1099-K”