It’s finally here! After much political wrangling, Congress and President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (HR 133) into law on December 27, 2020. Attached to this omnibus spending bill were a number of unrelated pieces of legislation, including the latest COVID-19 relief and stimulus measures. The law puts much needed cash in the hands of business owners and individuals alike, while Congress thumbs its collective nose at the IRS by including an override of the recent notice disallowing the deduction of expenses paid for using PPP funds. Several more key provisions in the new legislation’s Division N include process simplification and forgiveness for PPP borrowers, which will make life easier for everybody. To find out how to qualify for new rounds of stimulus, automatic forgiveness, and how to get both tax credits and free money, keep reading.

As 2020 winds to a close, we have seen many beneficial programs provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). While most media coverage has focused on loans to employers such as PPP and EIDL, it is important to remember some of the lesser covered programs also included in the tax relief programs. In fact, eligible businesses may qualify to get cash back in some instances. The employee retention credit (ERC) under the CARES Act offers a refundable payroll tax credit for certain wages and health plan expenses paid by businesses during the economic hardship. However, many business owners have uncertainty as to how to qualify when they have also received a PPP loan. The paid sick leave and paid family medical leave credits also offer a refundable tax credit for qualifying wages and Medicare tax and health plan expenses. These refundable tax credits are stackable for maximum benefit when used correctly. Read on to discover how to qualify.

The end of the year is a time for holidays, family, and maybe overindulging at the dinner table. It can also be a time for substantial tax savings. There are many techniques a taxpayer can use to minimize their tax burden for the year. The key to many of them is acting before the calendar year comes to a close. Specifically, let’s examine tax strategies for the taxpayer with investments, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. These strategies can help taxpayers lower taxes, keep more money in their pockets, and donate to their favorite charities.

I have a few physician clients who earn their income via Form 1099 and are perfect candidates for an S corporation. However, the hospital won’t issue the Form 1099 in the name/EIN of an S corporation. Is this an issue? Can I still report the income on the Form 1120S and report the Form 1099 on a Schedule C with a negative adjustment for the same amount and attach an explanation annually? Or is there any other way?

For a business owner, almost nothing in life is more uncertain than running a company during a pandemic. Like most people, worry about your own livelihood, family, friends, and loved ones and how you’ll cope during COVID-19 is at the top of your mind. But unlike others, you’ve got the added concern about your employees – both for their health and safety, as well as their financial health. While the government made some relief available in the earlier days of the pandemic such as forgivable loans like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Emergency Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) one of the biggest benefits provided has to do with a little known tax provision to the tax law. This provision makes it possible to provide certain payments without tax during a terrorist attack or disaster, but if it weren’t for a certain interpretation of President Trump’s declaration in March 2020, this benefit wouldn’t exist for COVID-19.

Most taxpayers understand that having an S corporation often eliminates the so-called “double tax” issue C corporations pose. However, the majority of S corporations begin as C corporations and the activity that occurred during the time it was a C corporation will determine how and when to tax distributions from the S corporation. C corporations cannot avoid double taxation on profits simply by electing to be treated as an S corporation (yet there are many other ways to save this double tax on C corporations, stay subscribed to learn about them). Withdrawing C corporation profits even when it later becomes an S corporation can create an extra tax. Here’s how to avoid that.

You have likely heard that owning rental real estate provides great tax benefits. This is true for a multitude of reasons, but there’s one benefit that is arguably the best of the bunch: The Small Taxpayer Allowance for Deducting Passive Rental Losses. Based on average household income levels, more than three-quarters of taxpayers can potentially qualify for this fantastic tax benefit that offers taxable income reduction of up to $25,000.

My client plans to take about $15,000 in distributions in excess of his basis from his S corporation construction business. I know this generates tax for him. He’s in the 32 percent tax bracket and single. Does he also have to pay the 3.8 percent net investment income tax and the 0.9 percent additional Medicare tax on this amount? Is there a way for him to avoid taxes on this amount?