by Leif Jensen | Jan 24, 2024 | Investing, Money Management |
I was recently reading that interest rates and payments were crippling small companies. Just how much costlier is credit these days? Small firms are paying 9.1% on average, per the National Federation of Independent Business. In 2019, the prime rate, the benchmark...
by Leif Jensen | Jan 22, 2024 | Economy |
Housing affordability is at its lowest point in almost two decades. Which my realtor clients can attest to. It has continued to worsen this year as mortgage rates have hovered above 7% since mid-Aug. Jumping to over 8% in November. Affordability is down 8% from a...
by Leif Jensen | Jan 17, 2024 | Money Management |
As the year winds down, a number of clients are suffering from cash flow drop offs. Cash is getting tighter, their clients are not spending, nor are they rushing to pay their bills. They are waiting for signs that the economy will be getting better. It may be a bit...
by Leif Jensen | Jan 10, 2024 | Investing |
As of this writing mortgage rates are over 8% for a 30-year fixed, and over 7% for a 15 year. Auto loans range from over 5% to over 14% based on credit scores. Money market rates from major banks range in the 4.3% range. So, I am thrilled that I was able to lock in a...
by Leif Jensen | Jan 8, 2024 | Rant |
Employee Retention Credit claims Taxpayers should be aware of aggressive pitches from scammers who promote large refunds related to the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). The warning follows blatant attempts by promoters to con ineligible people to claim the credit. The...
by Leif Jensen | Jan 3, 2024 | Rant |
If the IRS determines that fraud exists, fraud penalties could be applied to the additional tax accessed. The fraud penalty is an additional tax of 75% of the portion of the underpayment attributable to the fraud. Filing 941-X or 94-X will not necessarily alleviate...
by Leif Jensen | Dec 20, 2023 | Rant |
If you are claiming after the fact ERC refunds you need to amend filed payroll tax returns. The IRS has issued special statues of limitations for amending: For 2020 payroll tax returns, statute closes 4-15-24 For 2021 payroll tax returns, statue closes 04-15-25 If...
by Leif Jensen | Dec 18, 2023 | Rant |
Due to the perceived popularity of the ERC firms have been popping up and promoting the ERC. While this has been going on the IRS has been issuing advisory warnings of third parties promoting improper ERC claims to employers who may or may not qualify for the ERC. ...
by Leif Jensen | Dec 13, 2023 | Rant |
As someone who has an MBA, but not from a prestigious school. I didn’t have a mentor when I truly needed one. I was surprised to read that large firms are on hold with new hires. Imaging spending at least two years working on your future and being surprised that those...
by Leif Jensen | Dec 11, 2023 | Rant |
I am always curious on a number of topics as this blog has shown in the past. The latest instance was who is reading in the us and what are they reading? So, I found a 2022 Nation survey on US reading statistics. Here are their parameters. “The pandemic shifted the...
by Leif Jensen | Dec 6, 2023 | Running a Business |
For 2023 employers need to electronically file their 1099’s if they are issuing 10 or more! Most vendor charge a $3 fee per form for submission, but you have to retype in all the information. The final regulations reflect changes made by the Taxpayer First Act (TFA)...
by Leif Jensen | Dec 4, 2023 | Running a Business |
For 2023 employers need to electronically file their W-2’s if they are issuing 10 or more! Most vendor charge a $3 fee per form for submission, but you have to retype in all the information. The information also has to be retyped to send to IL as well. Regulations...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 29, 2023 | Running a Business |
If you did not collect new W-9 from vendor’s regularly, you should start collecting them now. A W-9 has all the relevant information to determine if you need to or not issue a 1099-M or 1099-Nec to your vendor. The IRS requires businesses to report payment of...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 27, 2023 | Taxes |
The IRS has issued Brokers guidance on how to comply with reporting rules on digital assets. A 2021 law requires brokers to report the sales price, tax basis and other information on digital asset trades. The rules were scheduled to first take effect for digital...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 20, 2023 | Rant |
Do you use a budget for your Thanksgiving meal? I know I don’t, I feel I would be afraid to gather all of the costs. I am sure I would be unpleasantly surprised. Each year, I start gathering ingredients early, especially those that are canned and difficult to locate,...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 15, 2023 | Taxes |
The Federal Income Tax from 1861 was repealed in 1872, the bills of the Civil War were paid. Alas, there were puritanicals that wanted to enforce their will and beliefs on others. They had disdain for those cultures that drank beer or wine, and hated those who...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 13, 2023 | Taxes |
At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor. Less than 34 hours later, Union forces surrendered. Thus, the Civil War began. So did the financial requirements to fund the Civil War. This prompted...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 8, 2023 | Rant |
When meeting with clients who have unexpected tax liabilities, usually tied to events they were not monitoring as well as they could, interest, dividends capital gains on brokerage accounts where the brokers have discretion on trading. At time it helps to show them...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 6, 2023 | Tax Court |
A tax-saving rent scheme backfires on the three owners of an S corporation. Each man owned one-third of a firm that operated fitness center franchises. The S corp didn’t have a central office, but instead paid rent to each shareholder for use of their personal...
by Leif Jensen | Nov 1, 2023 | Tax Court |
A canceled debt of a single-member LLC is taxable COD income to its owner. A man wholly ,owned an LLC that was disregarded for federal tax purposes. The LLC borrowed money from a bank but didn’t repay it. Eight years later, the bank sent Form 1099-C to the LLC,...
