Helpful Tips that will Guide you with your Late Tax Returns


Taking Control of Your Back Taxes If you haven’t paid your taxes yet. It’s still not too late to turn them in; however, there are several important steps to take to ensure that all goes well for you on your taxes.

1) Pull out and Examine your Last Tax Return

First, bring to your table a copy of your last tax return. Then, bring together W-2s and other documents that you need in order to file. If you need any tax documents to file, you can get the documents you need from the Internal Revenue Service and these documents are free. Then, you need to prepare your tax returns or seek help from an attorney or other tax professional. A professional tax preparer can help you gather and complete the tax paperwork. In addition, a professional tax preparer can give you advice and counsel on how to prepare taxes that are late.

2) Be Aware of Audits, Refunds and Debt Collection

Keep in mind that, when you prepare late tax returns, you need to follow certain time limits for audits, refunds and debt collection. It will be important to find out how long it will take to receive refund checks because, if you any money on previous tax debts, you will need to know how much your refund checks will be to pay them off.

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How To Take Advantage of Mortgage Tax Deductions

Mortgage Tax Deductions

Often when considering purchasing a home, one of the things that intrigues potential homeowner’s is the right to be able to claim mortgage tax deductions. There are a number of deductions that are available including interest payments, points and some closing costs. What is not always evident however, is what must be done in order to claim these deductions and when they might be most beneficial.

Prepare for additional paperwork

One of the first things that a taxpayer will need to do to take advantage of mortgage tax deductions is to prepare to itemize deductions. The most significant opportunities for deductions come in the early phases of a mortgage, especially during the first five years. This is because this is when the most interest is paid and also when a new home buyer can deduct points and closing costs. This will require filing a Form 1040 as well as a Schedule A for federal tax filings.

Understanding who can deduct interest payments

Interest payments can only be deducted by the person who is legally obligated to pay the mortgage. When a property is owned equally by two or more non-spousal taxpayers, each of them may claim one half of the interest payments on the mortgage. It is also critical to note that the mortgage company should have issued a Form 1098 with the full amount of interest paid and if this is the case, then copies should be attached to the tax returns.

Second homes and mortgage deductions

For a second home to qualify for tax deductions, the owner, or the person responsible for the mortgage, must have spent a specific number of days in the home throughout the year. In other cases, the Internal Revenue Service would qualify the property as a rental property and is subject to different tax laws. Homeowner’s who have second homes should review Publication 527 if they are confused about the rules.

There are numerous opportunities for a homeowner to take a tax deduction for their home mortgage payments and for specific events that may occur such as destruction of the home, repairs and remodeling and refinancing of the home. However, a homeowner must ensure that they carefully review all of the rules that apply to their individual circumstances. For example, while a primary home loan to purchase may be eligible to claim points, personal mortgage insurance and other costs as a tax deduction, a cash-out refinance may not be eligible for these tax deductions. Homeowner’s should carefully review Internal Revenue Service Publication 936 for information and if in doubt, always contact a qualified tax accountant who can help take the mystery out of mortgage tax deductions.

Visit the California Apartments Blog to get more tax and home improvement tips as well as new home builder reviews such as this Denver real estate for sale.

How Accounting Management and Software Can Help Your Business

With every new company, it is important to have an accounting system that works well and is prepared to grow with the business. Office work may be the least favorite part of getting a start-up off the ground, after all, you are a visionary with a great business idea, and taxes and sales reports aren’t exactly exciting. The future of any new business depends on careful planning. Not being prepared with the tax and bookkeeping management can turn even the greatest business plan into a failure.

Choosing Software

The type of accounting software you choose really depends on the type of business. For many small companies, QuickBooks is the first choice, mostly because it has been around long enough to improve itself over the years. If your business is more global, a cloud-based program such as Salesforce.com may be more your speed. This application is useful for customer relationship management. It combines record keeping with customer interactions, which can help a new company grow. Freshbooks is another program that provides streamlined billing and organization tools you can manage online.

Keeping Track

A new business should keep track of all receipts and all expenses from the beginning. It is crucial to know how much money is going in and out of the accounts. Taxes aren’t something you think about once a year, as your business grows, new requirements come with it, such as quarterly filings with the state or federal governments. Many Balancing books and keeping track of the latest tax laws could very well be the reason why one business outperforms a competitor. Keeping the books balanced means you have fewer problems to fix, and let an owner spend time making the business a success.

Hire an Expert

The best way to make a company more productive is finding the right people to do the job. If you have an employee who is a natural with numbers and bookkeeping, let that be their specialty. If your establishment has more of the innovative and imaginative types, let them shine where they belong and hire an outside firm to do the books. Many accountants make a living helping small firms with their tax and record keeping tasks.

Plan Ahead

Getting a new business off the ground can be difficult, but the mistake many of them make is not continuing with their planning. Very few successful companies still use the same bookkeeping system they started with. Maybe a laptop and a simple software program was all you needed to get started, but after a while, your needs will change as the business does. Thinking about an expandable accounting system from the start will ensure that you have a start-up that takes off and stays profitable for the long haul.

Aristides Trimindis is the Managing Director of Istos Global Limited an independent Firm offering Cyprus Accounting, Audit, Cyprus Tax services and Advisory services. In addition to the above Istos Global can help you Register a Company in Cyprus.