Elderly Couple

When an Elderly Parent Might Qualify as Your Dependent

It’s not uncommon for adult children to help support their aging parents. If you’re in this position, you might qualify for an adult-dependent exemption to deduct up to $4,050 for each person claimed on your 2017 return.

Basic Qualifications

For you to qualify for the adult-dependent exemption, in most cases your parent must have less gross income for the tax year than the exemption amount. (Exceptions may apply if your parent is permanently and totally disabled.) Social Security is generally excluded, but payments from dividends, interest and retirement plans are included.

In addition, you must have contributed more than 50% of your parent’s financial support. If you shared caregiving duties with one or more siblings and your combined support exceeded 50%, the exemption can be claimed even though no one individually provided more than 50%. However, only one of you can claim the exemption in this situation.

Important Factors

Although Social Security payments can usually be excluded from the adult dependent’s income, they can still affect your ability to qualify. Why? If your parent is using Social Security money to pay for medicine or other expenses, you may find that you aren’t meeting the 50% test.

Also, if your parent lives with you, the amount of support you claim under the 50% test can include the fair market rental value of part of your residence. If the parent lives elsewhere — in his or her own residence or in an assisted-living facility or nursing home — any amount of financial support you contribute to that housing expense counts toward the 50% test.

Easing the Burden

An adult-dependent exemption is just one tax break that you may be able to employ on your 2017 tax return to ease the burden of caring for an elderly parent. Contact us for more information on qualifying for this break or others.

Foreign Accounts Call for Specific Reporting Requirements

In an increasingly globalized society, many people choose to open offshore accounts to deposit a portion of their wealth. When doing so, it’s important to follow the IRS’s strict foreign accounts reporting requirements. In a nutshell, if you have a financial interest in or signature authority over any foreign accounts, including bank accounts, brokerage accounts, mutual funds or trusts, you must disclose those accounts to the IRS and you may have additional reporting requirements.

To do so, your tax preparer will check the box on line 7a of Schedule B (“Interest and Ordinary Dividends”) of Form 1040 — regardless of the account value. If the total value of your foreign financial assets exceeds $50,000 ($100,000 for joint filers) at the end of the tax year or exceeds $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers) at any time during the tax year, you must provide account details on Form 8938 (“Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets”) and attach it to your tax return.

Finally, if the aggregate value of your foreign accounts is $10,000 or more during the calendar year, file FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) Form 114 — “Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR).” The current deadline for filing the form electronically with FinCEN is April 15, 2018, with an automatic extension to October 15.

Failure to disclose an offshore account could result in substantial IRS penalties, including collecting three to six years’ worth of back taxes, interest, a 20% to 40% accuracy-related penalty and, in some cases, a 75% fraud penalty. For further information, contact us.

Scheffel Boyle Ranks #14 on St. Louis’ Largest Accounting Firms Lists

The St. Louis Business Journal recently released its annual Largest Accounting Firms lists and ranked Scheffel Boyle as the 14th largest firm in the entire St. Louis region. The Journal publishes two lists for ranking CPA firms each year: one based on number of CPAs and the other on number of professionals. Scheffel Boyle ranked #14 on both lists this year.

Click here to view St. Louis’ largest accounting firms ranked by CPAs.

Click here to view St. Louis’ largest accounting firms ranked by professionals.

Choosing Between a Calendar Tax Year and a Fiscal Tax Year

Many business owners use a calendar year as their company’s tax year. It’s intuitive and aligns with most owners’ personal returns, making it about as simple as anything involving taxes can be. But for some businesses, choosing a fiscal tax year can make more sense.

 

What’s a fiscal tax year?

A fiscal tax year consists of 12 consecutive months that don’t begin on January 1 or end on December 31 — for example, July 1 through June 30. The year doesn’t necessarily need to end on the last day of a month. It might end on the same day each year, such as the last Friday in March. (This is known as a 52- or 53-week year.)

Flow-through entities (partnerships, S corporations and, typically, limited liability companies) using a fiscal tax year must file their returns by the 15th day of the third month following the close of their fiscal year. So, if their fiscal year ends on March 31, they need to file their returns by June 15. (Fiscal-year C corporations generally must file their returns by the 15th day of the fourth month following the fiscal year close.)

When does it make sense?

A key factor to consider is that, if you adopt a fiscal tax year, you must use the same period in maintaining your books and reporting income and expenses. For many seasonal businesses, a fiscal year can present a more accurate picture of the company’s performance.

For example, a snowplowing business might make the bulk of its revenue between November and March. Splitting the revenue between December and January to adhere to a calendar year end would make obtaining a solid picture of performance over a single season difficult.

In addition, if many businesses within your industry use a fiscal year end and you want to compare your performance to that of your peers, you’ll probably achieve a more accurate comparison if you’re using the same fiscal year.

Before deciding to change your fiscal year, be aware that the IRS requires businesses that don’t keep books and have no annual accounting period, as well as most sole proprietorships, to use a calendar year.

Does it matter?

If your company decides to change its tax year, you’ll need to obtain permission from the IRS. The change also will likely create a one-time “short tax year” — a tax year that’s less than 12 months. In this case, your income tax typically will be based on annualized income and expenses. But you might be able to use a relief procedure under Section 443(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code to reduce your tax bill.

Although choosing a tax year may seem like a minor administrative matter, it can have an impact on how and when a company pays taxes. We can help you determine whether a calendar or fiscal year makes more sense for your business. Please contact us for specific questions and consultation.

Bowl for Kids’ Sake was a HUGE Success!

Our amazing employees have, once again, outdone themselves. Our Bowl for Kids’ Sake volunteers raised an outstanding $6,100 to support the programs and overall mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois.

A big shout-out goes to our bowlers for their tenacious and dedicated attitude toward fundraising for this event. They really do go above and beyond every year for this fundraiser. And to all those who donated to this great, local cause, we appreciate your support!

The Tax-Manian Devils and the Ten-Key Strikers

Sarah Kinkead, Chad Frerichs, Carrie Evans, Michael Brokering, Maggie Stock, Josh Andres, Elizabeth Heil, Sarah Wells (subbing for Sarah Smith), Crystal Bock, and Jenna Andres

Best Accounting Firms 2018

It’s official… St. Louis Small Business Monthly has once again included Scheffel Boyle on its annual “Best Accounting Firms” list! Thank you to everyone who nominated us and to our dedicated team of employees who are the real stars of the show.

We are excited to be included on this list with other prominent firms in our industry and want to congratulate our team on this great recognition!

 

Employees Recognized for Years of Service

We are proud to recognize the following employees for their many years of dedication to our firm, our clients, and the communities we serve. Each of these professionals received awards for their years of service at our annual After Tax Party. We hope to have many more years working with you all!

Jean Jackson, Belleville Office | 30 Years

George Moore, CPA, Alton Office | 20 Years

Andrea Suhre, CPA, Belleville Office | 20 Years

Betty Petryk, Belleville Office | 15 Years

Jenna Andres, CPA, Alton Office | 10 Years

Julie Graham, CPA, Alton Office | 10 Years

Chad Burns, CPA, Scheffel Financial Services | 5 Years

Jason Grunlund, Edwardsville Office | 5 Years

Michael Brokering, CPA, CVA, Edwardsville Office | 5 Years

Tara Bock, Alton Office | 5 Years

Dorothy Kossakowski, Belleville Office | 5 Years

Cheri Copley, Carrollton Office | 5 Years

Jenni Flowers, Carrollton Office | 5 Years

 

Getting to Know Your Credit & Debit Cards a Bit Better

Virtually everyone has a credit and debit card these days. But many of us still live in fear of these plastic necessities because we’re not terribly familiar with the fine print of the arrangements under which they operate. Let’s get to know them a bit better.

Credit Cards

If your credit card is used without your permission, you may be responsible for up to $50 in charges, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If your card is lost or stolen and you report the loss before your card is used in a fraudulent transaction, you can’t be held responsible for any unauthorized charges. Some card issuers protect customers regardless of when — or if — they notify the card company.

When reporting a card loss or fraudulent transaction, contact the card company via phone; many provide toll-free numbers that are answered around the clock. In addition, the FTC advises following up via a letter or email. It should include your account number, the date you noticed the card was missing (if applicable), and the date you initially reported the card loss or fraudulent transaction.

Debit Dangers

Debit card liability can be a little riskier. It generally depends on whether the card was lost or stolen or is still in your possession, the type of transaction, and when you reported the loss or unauthorized transaction.

According to the FTC, if you report a missing debit card before any unauthorized transactions are made, you aren’t responsible for the unauthorized transactions. If you report a card loss within two business days after you learn of the loss, your maximum liability for unauthorized transactions is $50.

If you report the card loss after that time but within 60 calendar days of the date your statement showing an unauthorized transaction was mailed, liability can jump to $500. Finally, if you report the card loss more than 60 calendar days after your statement showing unauthorized transactions was mailed, you could be liable for all the funds taken from your account.

If you notice an unauthorized debit card transaction on your statement, but your card is in your possession, you have 60 calendar days after the statement showing the unauthorized transaction is mailed to report it and still avoid liability.

While the lower protections required on debit cards may make you wonder whether you’re safer using a credit card, some debit card companies offer protections that go above what the law requires. Check with your provider.

Risk Management Steps

Taking a few simple steps can help cut the risk that you’ll be held liable for unauthorized use of your credit or debit card. First, carry only cards you need and destroy old ones, shredding them if possible. Don’t provide your card number over the phone or online unless you’ve initiated the contact.

In addition, choose a PIN that’s not easily guessed and make sure to memorize it. If you have online access, take a few moments to scan transactions every time you log on or at least once a week. If you still use paper statements, be sure to review them when they arrive in the mail. If you notice a transaction that isn’t yours, report it to your credit card issuer or bank right away.

Finally, keep a list of important numbers and relevant data stored separately from the cards themselves. Having this information handy will make it easier to report a missing card or suspicious transaction quickly.

Ins and Outs

Many of us have grown so familiar with our credit and debit cards that we take them for granted. But keep in touch with their ins and outs. We can answer any further questions you may have.

Copyright © 2018

Upcoming Tax Deadlines

April 17 — Besides being the last day to file (or extend) your 2017 personal return and pay any tax that is due, 2018 first quarter estimated tax payments for individuals, trusts and calendar-year corporations are due today. Also due are 2017 returns for trusts, calendar-year estates and C corporations, FinCEN Form 114 (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts [but an automatic extension applies to October 15]), and any final contribution you plan to make to an IRA or Education Savings Account for 2017. In addition, Simplified Employee Pension and Keogh contributions are due today if your return isn’t being extended.

June 15 — Second quarter estimated tax payments for individuals, trusts and calendar-year corporations are due today.

Copyright © 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Deal on Employee Meals (And Entertainment)

Years and years ago, the notion of having a company cafeteria or regularly catered meals was generally feasible for only the biggest of businesses. But, more recently, employers providing meals to employees has become somewhat common for many midsize to large companies. A recent tax law change, however, may curtail the practice.

As you’re likely aware, in late December 2017 Congress passed and the President signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The law will phase in a wide variety of changes to the way businesses calculate their tax liabilities — some beneficial, some detrimental. Revisions to the treatment of employee meals and entertainment expenses fall in the latter category.

Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, taxpayers generally could deduct 50% of expenses for business-related meals and entertainment. But meals provided to an employee for the convenience of the employer on the employer’s business premises were 100% deductible by the employer and tax-free to the recipient employee. Various other employer-provided fringe benefits were also deductible by the employer and tax-free to the recipient employee.

Under the new law, for amounts paid or incurred after December 31, 2017, deductions for business-related entertainment expenses are disallowed. Meal expenses incurred while traveling on business are still 50% deductible, but the 50% disallowance rule now also applies to meals provided via an on-premises cafeteria or otherwise on the employer’s premises for the convenience of the employer. After 2025, the cost of meals provided through an on-premises cafeteria or otherwise on the employer’s premises will be completely nondeductible.

If your business regularly provides meals to employees, let us assist you in anticipating the changing tax impact.

Copyright © 2018