Newsletter

October 15 Individuals: File a 2025 income tax return (Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR) if an automatic six-month extension was filed (or if an automatic four-month extension was filed by a taxpayer living outside the United States and Puerto Rico). Pay any tax, interest and penalties due. Individuals: Make contributions for 2025 to certain existing retirement plans or establish and contribute to a SEP for 2025 if an automatic six-month extension was filed. Individuals: File a 2025

Business owners may be able to transfer wealth more tax efficiently by gifting ownership interests to family members. For 2026, the gift tax annual exclusion is $19,000 per recipient. Certain interests may qualify for valuation discounts. For example, a minority interest may qualify for a lack-of-control discount because the holder can’t dictate business decisions. A lack-of-marketability discount may apply when there’s no ready market for selling the interest. Assuming a com

The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act was signed into law in September. It extends expanded personal deductions for disaster-related losses temporarily available under the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act. Without the relief, victims of a federally declared disaster can deduct personal casualty losses only if they itemize deductions and only to the extent those losses exceeded 10% of their adjusted gross income (AGI). The now-extended relief allows eligibl

Beginning in 2026, taxpayers who take the standard deduction may deduct up to $1,000 of qualifying charitable contributions, or up to $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. Only cash contributions qualify, such as gifts made by check, debit or credit card, payment app or payroll deduction. Contributions of property, such as clothing, household items or securities, don’t qualify. If you expect to claim the standard deduction, you may want to make qualifying charitable gift

If your business is planning improvements to a building before year end, careful planning may allow you to maximize your 2026 tax deduction. A special safe harbor can allow qualifying small businesses to deduct such expenditures currently — but only if expenses don’t exceed the applicable limit. Could You Qualify? Normally, a business that has performed repairs or maintenance on a building can expense those costs and take an immediate deduction. But costs incurred to improve

Selling a highly appreciated investment late in the year could trigger an additional tax cost: the 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT). If you’re considering a significant transaction before January 1, first estimate the potential tax impact and evaluate planning opportunities. How the NIIT Works You may be subject to the NIIT if you invest outside of tax-deferred accounts and your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds the applicable threshold: $200,000 for single f

As year end approaches, businesses have plenty of tax and payroll tasks competing for attention. One easy-to-overlook area is employee and owner benefits. Identifying taxable benefits before the final payroll runs of 2026 can help prevent reporting errors, payroll tax problems and unexpected Form W-2 adjustments. Take Stock of Fringe Benefits Many fringe benefits are excluded from employees’ taxable income, yet employers generally may still deduct their cost as a business exp

September 15 Individuals - Pay the third installment of 2026 estimated taxes (Form 1040-ES), if not paying income tax through withholding or not paying sufficient income tax through withholding. Calendar-year corporations - Pay the third installment of 2026 estimated income taxes, completing Form 1120-W for the corporation’s records. Calendar-year S corporations - File a 2025 income tax return (Form 1120-S) and provide each shareholder with a copy of Schedule K-1 (Form 1120S)

Are long-term care (LTC) insurance premiums tax-deductible? It depends. Qualified LTC policies are considered health insurance under federal income tax rules. So if you buy a policy, your premiums are treated as medical expenses for itemized deduction purposes. But your total eligible medical expenses for the year must meet the 7.5% of adjusted gross income threshold before you can start deducting LTC premiums. And there are age limits on how much you can deduct — for example

Improving accessibility at your business may come with a valuable tax break: Eligible small businesses can claim the Disabled Access Credit for certain costs related to improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities. A business may qualify if, in the prior tax year, it had gross receipts of $1 million or less or no more than 30 full-time employees. The credit equals 50% of eligible expenses above $250 but not above $10,250. Examples of potentially eligible costs in

One of the most common bookkeeping mistakes business owners make is mixing business and personal finances. Addressing this issue before year end can simplify tax preparation, improve the accuracy of your financial records and help reduce the risk of IRS questions. Business expenses generally must be “ordinary and necessary” to qualify for a tax deduction. If personal purchases are recorded as business expenses, you could overstate deductions. On the other hand, if legitimate

If you’re eligible to contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA), consider taking a closer look at your contribution strategy. You may be able to reduce your 2026 taxes while strengthening your long-term financial security. Although many people use HSAs to pay current medical expenses, they can also help fund retirement. Maximize Tax Savings HSAs offer valuable tax advantages. Generally, contributions are pretax if made through payroll deductions or tax-deductible (without

As the end of 2026 approaches, look beyond investment performance and consider how taxes may affect your overall returns. Although tax considerations generally shouldn’t drive investment decisions, a year-end portfolio review may identify opportunities to reduce your taxes. Here are four to consider. 1. Harvest losses (or gains) Review the capital gains and losses you’ve realized so far this year. If you have a net capital gain, you may be able to offset some or all of it thr

When customers or others don’t pay what they owe your business, you may be able to claim a bad debt deduction to help offset the financial loss. But it isn’t automatic. Businesses must satisfy specific federal tax rules and maintain adequate records to support the deduction. Not Every Unpaid Debt Is Eligible Whether an unpaid debt is deductible depends on several factors. First, the debt generally must be connected to your trade or business. Examples include unpaid customer i

August 17 Employers: Deposit nonpayroll withheld income tax for July if the monthly deposit rule applies. Employers: Deposit Social Security, Medicare and withheld income tax for July if the monthly deposit rule applies. September 10 Individuals: Report August tip income of $20 or more to employers (Form 4070).

Making a personal loan to a family member or friend can create unexpected tax issues. If the loan carries little or no interest, the IRS might treat all or part of it as a taxable gift under the below-market loan rules. To pass muster with the IRS, your loan should be backed by a written promissory note that includes the interest rate, a schedule showing dates and amounts for interest and principal payments, and the security or collateral, if any. Charge an interest rate that

Due to rising fuel costs, the IRS has increased the 2026 cents-per-mile rates for calculating certain vehicle deductions. Effective July 1, 2026, the standard mileage rate for the business use of a car, SUV, van, pickup truck or panel truck is 76 cents per mile, up from 72.5 cents per mile for the first half of the year. The revised rate for medical and eligible moving purposes is 23.5 cents per mile, up from 20.5 cents per mile. For charitable driving, the 14 cents per mile

If you’re single with no children, an estate plan can help ensure your wishes will be carried out and important decisions remain in trusted hands. Without a will, state intestacy laws generally determine who inherits assets. While beneficiary designations may control certain accounts, assets without beneficiary designations or joint ownership typically pass according to state law. For singles with no children, state law may call for assets to be distributed to relatives such

With year-end fast approaching, now is a good time to review strategies that could affect your business’s 2026 tax liability. One area that may deserve attention is the tax treatment of advance payments. Some accrual-basis businesses may be able to defer recognizing a portion of that income. A Tax-Planning Strategy For federal income tax purposes, advance payments generally must be reported as taxable income in the year received. This treatment always applies if your business

Access to capital helps small businesses succeed and grow. Whether you need to cover cash flow gaps, fund expansion plans or invest in long-term assets, it’s important to understand all your financing options. This will help you make informed decisions and select funding that aligns with your goals. 5 Financing Options to Consider Your business may have access to several types of financing, with most options falling into five broad categories: 1. Lines of credit. This is a co