Mother Lode Tax Tips

Helpful Tax Tips for Individuals and Small Business

Tax Implications of the Health Care Reform Act

Richard Rogers, EA| May 20, 2010

H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as well as H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Tax Credits Reconciliation Act of 2010 were signed into law in March of this year. While these new laws focus on provisions to expand health coverage, control health costs, and improve the health care delivery system they will also have significant impact of on tax liabilities for both individuals (mostly high income earners) and businesses (mostly businesses with more than 50 employees). Below is a summary of the changes that have a potential impact on individuals and business:

Haiti Donations Deductable on 2009 Tax Return

Richard Rogers, EA| January 26, 2010

According to the IRS, if you gave to a charity providing earthquake relief in Haiti you can claim the deduction on your 2009 tax return if you choose. In order to get the deduction for the 2009 year you must itemize your deductions (use Schedule A) and have made a cash contribution after January 11, 2010 and before March 1, 2010; so there is still time to make a donation and get a deduction on your 2009 tax return.

Update on California’s Tax Law Changes for 2009

Richard Rogers, EA| January 20, 2010

For those of you that will need to file a California Tax return for 2009 I thought I would go over some of the more important California tax law changes that might have some impact on your tax return. Below are listed just some of the changes that I think may have the most impact.

Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009

Richard Rogers, EA| November 9, 2009

President Obama signed into law on November 6th the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009.

The major thrust of the new bill was to extend Unemployment Compensation by up to an additional 14 weeks for jobless workers but the new law also includes tax provisions for businesses and individuals, including new Net Operating Loss (NOL) provisions, increased penalties for S-Corporations and Partnerships for late filing of tax returns, the extension of the FUTA tax surcharge, plus a number of other changes. The law also extends the first-time homebuyer tax credit and makes modifications to allow existing homeowners to take advantage of the credit for the first time under certain circumstances

Home Buyer Credit Extension?

Richard Rogers, EA| October 29, 2009

Well, it has been a few weeks since my last blog; the October 15th deadline for individuals on extensions have come and gone and there is not too much going on in the tax world right now.  But one thing that I wanted to mention was that it looks like there will be an extension [...]

What are Your Payment Options for Your IRS Tax Liability?

Richard Rogers, EA| September 21, 2009

There are many options available in which to pay the IRS your tax debt, whether you are paying in full or not. Below is a list of those options as well as some information about when that particular option may apply.

2009 Tax Incentives

Richard Rogers, EA| September 14, 2009

As the October 15th tax deadline for filing your individual tax return approaches I just wanted to remind you of some of the special incentives that may be available to you this year. These incentives are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and were legislated to promote the economic recovery. It is still not too late to take advantage of these credits, so if you were thinking about the possibilities of any of the items below, now may be the time to do it.

Computer Costs Now OK for Qualified Tuition Programs

Richard Rogers, EA| September 11, 2009

In the past the cost of computers and Internet access was not an allowable expense for distribution from a qualified tuition program, commonly referred to as a 529 plan. But with the enactment of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that has changed, at least for the 2009 and 2010 tax year.