E-filing a tax return is the quickest and easiest way to get a refund if one is due, prevent identity theft, and arrange for the financial resources required if a balance is owed. Despite the convenience and ease of filing digitally, many still don’t take advantage of the technology even though it has distinct advantages.

E-filing is offered by tax preparers, online tax services, and tax software programs. Filing digitally is an easy way to know if the return has been accepted by federal and state governments and track its progress.

Faster Refund

The biggest motivator for e-filing a tax return is a quicker refund for those that have money coming back. By choosing to file electronically, tax returns arrive quickly and individuals can have the funds deposited directly to their bank, a pre-paid card, or a cash app card. Paper tax returns take longer to arrive at the IRS and requires extra effort on the part of IRS workers to process. A return can take weeks to be processed.

Balance Due

For individuals that owe the IRS, filing early lets them know how much they owe and buys them extra time to come up with the money owed. The amount is due on the filing deadline. If the money owed is readily available, people can opt to have the money automatically withdrawn from their account.

Late Filers

There are those that always procrastinate and wait until the last minute to file their taxes. E-filing ensures that tax returns arrive at the IRS in a timely manner and prevents them from being late.

Avoid Extensions

Filing early can prevent tax payers from the need to apply for an extension. The IRS will charge interest and penalties on any outstanding tax debt until the balance is paid in full.

Identity Theft

The risk of identity theft and having a refund stolen increases the longer tax payers wait to file their return. The instances of fraudulent tax returns continue to increase and all the unscrupulous need to file a return and steal a tax return is an individual’s Social Security number. Tax payers at the highest risk are those that wait until the last minute to file.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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Whether or not you pay taxes on your cryptocurrency holdings will rely on a variety of factors. Cryptocurrency is considered property by the IRS and is currently taxed in a similar way to stocks. However, if all you did was purchase digital currency with U.S. currency and it’s been sitting untouched in your wallet or an exchange, you may not need to report it.

Taxable Situations

You will need to report your cryptocurrency if you’ve traded one type of the digital currency for another or if you’ve sold cryptocurrency for government-issued currency known as fiat dollars. Similarly, the currency may be taxable if you’ve used it to purchase services or goods ranging from a cup of coffee to a new car.

Capital Gains

Using cryptocurrency doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll owe taxes on it, though you’ll need to report the transaction. Selling an asset such as cryptocurrency can be subject to a capital gains tax. Gains are taxed at either short or long-term rates. It will depend on when the digital currency was acquired and the date it was sold or disposed of, along with the amount you paid combined with any transaction fees.

Defer or Eliminate Taxes

You may be able to defer or completely eliminate, taxes on cryptocurrency holdings if you purchase inside an IRA, 401K or other retirement plan. Buying within a traditional IRA will defer taxes on the gains until you begin making distributions.

Hire a Professional

Cryptocurrency is still a gray area in the U.S. in many ways. It can be difficult and confusing to navigate the laws surrounding the digital currency. If your cryptocurrency history is complex, the expertise of a tax attorney can be invaluable when filing your yearly taxes. They can present you with strategies that are acceptable to the IRS for accounting for gains and losses.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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Individuals have an important decision to make each year at tax time – hire a tax accountant or use software. The decision will depend largely on how complicated an individual’s financial situation is, their income, investments, stocks and other factors.

Tax Accountant

One of the major benefits of hiring a tax accountant is that minimizes the potential for an audit. That’s especially important for high-income earners and those with stocks and investments. The IRS audits approximately 4 percent of all returns. The chances increase for people making over $200,000 per year, business owners – especially sole proprietorships, the credits and deductions claimed, if foreign assets are involved, and the complexity of the return.

Anyone with those risk factors would do well to seek the services of a tax accountant. They’re highly trained professionals that are knowledgeable about all aspects of tax law. Individuals consulting a tax accountant for the first time are usually surprised at the number of legal deductions they’ve been missing. A tax accountant can also provide advice about tax planning to lower your tax burden and help manage finances more effectively.

Tax accountants have access to professional-level tax software that’s far more sophisticated than that available as a single purchase or online as a service. A tax accountant is available to answer questions and provide guidance throughout the year, not just at tax time. Complicated business and investment issues that can be handled with alacrity by a tax accountant can take individuals days or weeks to research.

Tax Software

Most people simply look at the cost of consumer tax software as a primary benefit. Software to install on a computer can cost as little as $50. Online tax software fees are based on the complexity of the services requested and are charged when the taxes are completed. Software solutions are less expensive but really aren’t designed for those with complex tax forms.

Using tax software is easy, user-friendly, and faster than the services of a tax accountant, who make take several days or a week to complete taxes. Tax accountants must deal with sometimes hundreds of clients one at a time, while software servers can accommodate millions of users at the same time.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, many forward-looking individuals are already thinking about their tax return. Even though federal tax returns are due on April 15, there are a variety of legitimate reasons why individuals may want to file for an extension on their taxes. For those that file an extension, be aware that the deadline for paying their taxes is Oct. 15.

Incomplete Documentation

The IRS requires documentation of all earnings and individuals may not have it. They may have lost their W2 from an employer and be waiting for a copy or the documentation. Though it doesn’t happen often, forms may be lost in the mail. It’s far better to file for an extension and wait for the W2 or other forms. It’s not uncommon for documents such as Form 1099 or Schedule K-1 to be late.

Life Events

Natural disasters, a death in the family, or severe illness are also reasons for filing an extension. Filing taxes is something that requires an individual’s full attention and any of those situations are distractions that aren’t conducive to filing tax returns.

Tax Savings

In some instances, an extension can be a strategic money-saving decision for converting an IRA. Taxpayers can perform a Roth IRA conversion, and while they’ll still have to pay taxes on it, the advantage is that individuals can take tax-free deductions from the IRA in the future. Filing an extension makes good business sense.

Procrastinators

A number of individuals simply run out of time to file due to procrastination. The IRS won’t ask individuals to supply a reason for late filing, but for those that insist on waiting until the last moment, an extension does give them some breathing room.

Fees and Penalties

Even if a taxpayer files an extension on their taxes and doesn’t file by the extension deadline, they’ll still be subject to fees and penalties. The IRS will charge 1½ percent for each month the taxes aren’t paid after the filing deadline has passed. For those that don’t file a return at all by the extension date, the penalty increases to 5 percent per month and can reach a maximum of 25 percent.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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Documentation is essential for the IRS when filing taxes. Saving receipts and a myriad of tax-related items can seem overwhelming. Without a system for preserving documents, individuals can easily lose track of those important papers. The result is lost money in deductions.

No matter what method people use, it’s important that they choose a system that best fits their needs and more importantly, they’re likely to maintain. No one enjoys the process of saving documents for tax time or sorting through them, but it’s a critical step for income tax returns.

Another option that people are turning to is digital documents. Digital scanners are an excellent way to keep a backup copy of paperwork of all types. It’s a good idea to keep originals, while digital copies provide an important resource in the event of an audit. Digital documents can also be backed up to the cloud. The following are four ways that people can utilize to keep their tax documents organized.

Boxes

It may seem old-fashioned, but a simple box with file folders is still a reliable way to keep track of tax documents. When individuals receive receipts and other important paper documents, simply place them in the correct file folder. However, many people still maintain a box in which they drop documents, pay slips and receipts and just sort them at the end of the year.

Envelopes

Equally effective is using 9×12 manilla envelopes and labeling each envelope for specific categories. Don’t forget to write the tax year the documents are for on the envelope. The envelopes need to be placed in a box or file cabinet to ensure all tax documents are kept together in a single location.

Category

There are deductions for a wide variety of situations. Individuals can organize their documents by categories that include, home, business, military service, and employer, and self-employment for side hustles.

Spreadsheet

Individuals will still need to keep the originals, but a spreadsheet is an easy method to jog a memory at the end of the year and ensure that income and expenditures match the paper documents kept in boxes and envelopes.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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Millions of people across the nation file their taxes each year using popular online software. It’s easy, convenient, and fairly inexpensive. The IRS recommends that individuals use e-file options for their taxes. However, the best solution can be a tax professional. The more complex the tax filing, the more a tax professional makes sense and they can also e-file for clients.

1. Year-Round Help

Online tax software is only available for a limited time each year and it can’t provide advice on potential tax issues that may arise during the coming year. A tax professional is available to answer questions and concerns at anytime during the year, not just at tax time.

2. Best Software

Tax professionals have access to better and more sophisticated software than that offered online. An individual’s information can be scanned, entered, and organized quickly and efficiently. The process eliminates manual data entry, significantly reducing the potential for human error.

3. On Time

Online software depends on individuals buckling down, collecting their information and beginning the task of filing taxes. Fear of a mistake is common among self-filers and it’s exacerbated when the individual happens to be a procrastinator. Provided that individuals get the information to their tax professional in a timely manner, taxes will always be filed on time, thereby eliminating late fees and running afoul of the IRS. Filing via a tax professional may also reduce the potential of an audit.

4. Business Needs

Complying with new tax laws for operating a business and investments becomes more complicated every year. A tax professional is one of the first to have access to upcoming changes that affect clients’ taxes and livelihood. They have a thorough understanding of tax laws in multiple areas and can guide individuals. Even those with straightforward tax returns will fare better.

5. Stress

Tax time generates a considerable amount of stress each year and it’s compounded when people try to do their own taxes – even with online software. The changes in tax laws and the COVID-19 pandemic are further confusing requirements. An ordinary tax return can take up to two hours to complete online. A tax professional saves clients time, effort and stress.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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What is the reason to hire a CPA to handle your business taxes? CPA’s are highly experienced accountants who have gained valuable experience in the business world.  It is a very valuable tool for business owners to hire a CPA because a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) can negotiate with the IRS on your behalf to get you better tax benefits.

Hiring a CPA can save you money and hassle. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is trained and experienced in all aspects of small business accounting and tax laws. The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the person most qualified to interpret the complicated IRS instructions and other federal and state tax laws. They will be able to properly prepare your tax returns and advise you on the best option for taking advantage of every tax deduction available to you.

Small business owners can hire a CPA to handle their taxes due in April, July and October. Most accountants are already familiar with the complex procedures required to file an income tax return with the IRS. The IRS also requires small businesses to retain an accountant to manage their accounting and bookkeeping. Even if you do not currently use the CPA for your accounting needs it is still a wise decision to hire one to file your taxes for you.

One of the many benefits to business owners who fail to hire a CPA is the potential financial backlash from paying incorrect taxes. In 2021 the Internal Revenue Service audited more than 500 business owners for tax liability. The majority of these tax liability audits resulted in the taxpayer owing a penalty or interest amount. The majority of business owners were not even aware they had incurred taxes.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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Oh no! You need audit advice. You just received in the mail a notification that you are going to be audited by the IRS. What now? How do you respond to this and should you be having a heart attack now? While many people lose it as soon as they realize that the IRS is going to be asking for their records and proof, the fact of the matter is that the best audit advice is to stay calm and gather the information that you need carefully, accurately and without worry. 

Make a Call

Before you put it to the side and decide to deal with it later, (it won’t go away by the way) take the time to respond to it. Give the IRS a call and find out what is going on and when they want to come and see your paperwork. This simple phone call can help you find the right information before you react the wrong way. Remember, it’s not the fault of the lady on the other side of the phone, that this is yours either. So, be nice, play fair and be honest. 

Need more Time?

Do you need some extra time to get your information in order? Need to dig out that box, organize it and hope that it’s all there? Then make sure to ask for a postponement of the audit. This audit advice is very important: don’t wait until the last minute to do it either! Call them up and ask for a small delay so that you can get things in order. Simple, done. 

Don’t Panic

Lastly, it is important to realize that most audits are simply needed because of minor errors. You added or subtracted wrong. You entered the wrong information on the wrong line. That type of thing occurs every day. This audit advice is to be honest about what is happening with you. So, you made a mistake. Fix it by providing a good attitude to the IRS auditor that comes to see you.

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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Here are seven ways for owners of small businesses to save money on their taxes.

1. Incorporate Yourself: If you`re still a proprietor or partner of a business, it`s time to incorporate yourself. Not only will you limit your liability, but you may enjoy lower tax rates on small business income and other tax advantages as well. 

2. Be Home Based: If possible, continue (or switch to) being a home based business. Not only will you keep your overhead down, but you will be able to write-off (or deduct) the business use of your home.

3. Income Split: Pay reasonable wages to your spouse and children. In this way, you can legally divert income taxed at your higher rate to your family members that are in a lower tax bracket.

4. Rearrange Your Affairs For Maximum Tax Savings: Can you make some changes to turn your hobby into a moneymaking business? Can you use that extra room in your house as a home office for your business? Can you arrange to use your car more for business purposes? Can you arrange for more of your entertainment expenses to be business-related? 

5. Document Your Expenses Well: Do you document your expenses well so that they would survive a tax audit? Have you kept a mileage log so that you can prove the percentage of business use you claim for your vehicle? Have you kept receipts for all your entertainment expenses and listed the business purpose on the back of each receipt?

6. Be Punctual: File all returns and pay all taxes due (income, payroll, sales, et cetera) on time. This way, you avoid expensive late filing (and payment) penalties and interest. 

7. Develop a Tax Planning Mindset: Some people only worry about their taxes during tax season. However, you will save a fortune in taxes, legally, if you make tax planning your year-round concern. Do you make business and personal purchases, investments, and other expenditures with tax savings in mind?

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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1. Avoid Late Filing Penalties

Late filing can result in substantial and continuing penalties. This is in addition to any interest that is due.

2. Receive Better Service from Your Accountant

The earlier you get your paperwork to your accountant, the sooner he can start preparing your tax returns. More importantly, there will be more opportunities to explore and implement tax saving strategies. On the other hand, if you file late, you tie your accountant’s hands. For example, he may hesitate to retain profit in your corporation if such profit will be subject to substantial penalties.

3. Avoid Criminal Charges

Of course, if you don’t file tax returns at all for a few years, you may also face charges of tax evasion.

4. Prevent Bankruptcy

Generally speaking, persons who don’t file tax returns on a timely basis also lack adequate records for managing their business. Since they don’t keep their bookkeeping and accounting up-to-date, they only think they know how they’re doing and how they stand financially. This, of course, is a recipe for financial disaster.

5. Enjoy Better Relations with Tax Authorities

Late filers also receive the unwanted attention of the taxation departments. Non-compliance can result in audits, aggressive collection action and legal proceedings. In addition, if you ever do have extenuating circumstances that might call for some leniency or extraordinary consideration on the part of the tax department, you are more likely to receive it if you have a flawless history of co-operation and compliance.

6. Obtain Financing

You’ll have difficulty obtaining financing if you can’t provide your financial institution with current income information. Assessment Notices from taxation authorities give banks more assurance that the income claims you make are true. As well, if you haven’t filed your current income tax returns, what hidden tax liabilities exist? What is the state of your record-keeping? How do you run your business without adequate financial information? Your bank may hesitate to loan you money or refinance under these circumstances.

7. Reduce Stress and Worry

Many people who are late filing their tax returns feel guilty about it. At the back of their minds, they worry about taxation authorities contacting them, audits, asset seizures, criminal prosecution, penalties and interest, and so on. Some of these worries can become magnified beyond what the actual situation warrants. Save yourself unnecessary stress by filing your income tax returns on time.

By following these simple steps, you can have confidence in finding an accountant who will work hard to help you direct your company into a positive direction for financial growth and expansion.  

At Peavy and Associates PC our mission is to assist you with all your tax preparations, payroll and accounting needs.  We provide our clients with professional, personalized accounting services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Give us a call today and discover why our clients return to Peavy and Associates, PC year after year!

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