Reno, Nevada CPAs in the office of Barnard Vogler & Co. can assist individuals in many ways. We offer the traditional CPA services of 1040 preparation and tax planning. More specifically, our Reno CPAs have tax experience with California residency issues, cancellation of debts of recourse and nonrecourse, Chapter 11 bankruptcy tax matters and various trusts issues beyond just the preparation of the tax return.

Our CPAs in Reno, Nevada are also versed in a wide array of business matters. Some areas of expertise are the customary services that Certified Public Accountants typically provide such as financial statement preparations, compilations, reviews and audits. Additionally, we have assisted businesses with a congressional tax audit returning to the taxpayer a multimillion dollar tax refund, entity selections to provide the most beneficial business types, or controller/CFO services of remote bookkeeping, budget assistance and development of accounting policies and procedures. At our downtown Reno, Nevada location CPAs have also helped unravel and report on multimillion dollar frauds, been Chapter 7 bankruptcy examiners, and performed business valuation and expert witness testimony.

Give our office a call if you need a Reno CPA for yourself or your business.

 

Just over a month away is the election for the 45th President of the United States. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, there is no doubt that each candidate has proposed some substantial tax legislation changes. Here is a comparison of the candidates tax plans:

Hillary Clinton’s Plan:  

• “Fair Share Surcharge” – A proposed 4% increase to the top tax rate of 39.6% for individuals making over $5,000,000 per year. All other tax rates for individuals would remain constant.

• Closing loopholes – Strengthening the Buffet Rule and broadening the base of income subject to the rule, closing Bermuda reinsurance loophole and the “Romney Loophole”, and closing the “step up in basis” loophole.

• Closing the “Carried Interest” Loophole – Loophole which allows hedge fund managers to avoid ordinary income tax rates for earnings.

• Restore Estate Tax to 2009 Parameters($3,500,000 Estate exemption, 45% tax rate) with rates increasing to as much as 65% on estates over 1 billion.

• Ensure millionaires pay a minimum tax rate of 30%.

• Impose a “risk fee” on the largest financial institutions.

• Corporate tax rate will remain at 35%.

 

Donald Trump’s Plan:

• Reduce tax rates for individuals from 12% for Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) filers under $75,000, to a maximum of 33% for MFJ filers over $225,000. Single filers would be half of these numbers.

• Retain current capital gains rates(max of 20%).

• Repeal net investment income tax of 3.8%.

• Increase standard deduction to $30,000 for MFJ, and get rid of personal exemptions.

• Cap itemized deductions at $200,000.

• Repeal Estate Tax unless capital gain assets valued over $10,000,000 were held until death, disallow private established charity donations.

• Above-the-line deduction for childcare for children under 13, capped by states per child. Not available to MFJ taxpayers over $500,000.

• Spending rebates for childcare expense to certain low-income taxpayers through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

• Cut corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%, and provide 1 time repatriation of offshore funds for a 10% tax rate.

 

Each tax plan is diametrically opposed from the other, but both will change the tax planning efforts that accountants will need to have to properly advise clients in the coming years. To view the tax plans in full detail, click on each candidates name to connect to their websites.

 

 

The Harvard Business Review recently published an article outlining an interesting strategy which should make negotiations more civil, speedy and fair.

The authors have proposed an approach they call the “final-offer arbitration challenge” for reaching fair agreements efficiently.

It works like this. If the other side’s position is unreasonable, one’s initial reaction is often to be just as unreasonable, believing that the issue will be resolved somewhere in the middle, and thus be reasonable. This may ultimately be the result but often only after investing a lot of time and money to get there. It stands to reason that if the parties come to a negotiation with realistic starting positions, the negotiations that follow should be relatively civil, speedy and fair.

But how can a negotiator who wants to be fair at the outset be sure that his or her counterpart will do the same? This is where the “final-offer arbitration challenge” can help to reach fair agreements efficiently. It works like this: To encourage reasonableness, one side should make their offer demonstrably fair from the outset. Then, if the other side is unreasonable, they should be challenged to take the offers to an arbitrator who must not compromise, but must choose one or the other offer. This approach should result in offers that are more aligned from the beginning. Thus it is to everyone’s benefit if the parties come to the negotiations with reasonable offers in hand.

This is not unlike the way thoughtful parents have resolved disputes between two siblings. Have one cut the last piece of cake in half, and have the other choose first.

 

When is it time to retire? Is it some set age such as when social security or medicare benefits are available? It’s different for everyone. And people are continuing to work later in life. Why? Maybe because they need to (haven’t saved enough – the recession hit them hard) or maybe because they want to (enjoy what they are doing).

The toughest decision to make for many is “when do I have enough?” “When can I stop accumulating and be okay with spending?” It’s a difficult mindset to get around. During our careers we are constantly accumulating. It’s tough for some to flip that switch and say “ok, I’ll be okay. I’ll be able to continue living in the lifestyle I want.”

Lisa Du, in her article “Golden Years Redefined as Older Americans Buck Trend and Work“, provides some real life examples of why people are continuing to work:

1. Using dollars for discretionary spending, i.e. vacations.
2. Wanting to maintain their lifestyle.
3. Worried their lifespan will outpace their wealth.

There are other reasons for continuing to work other than just financial. Some want to keep their mental skills sharp and working is an opportunity to do this. They want to feel they are contributing and have a purpose. This is especially true for owners when they sell their business. They have worked long and hard and kicking back in the rocking chair doesn’t appeal to them.

I recommend that you think through what you want to do during your “retirement” years. Determine what you need to accomplish that. Evaluate what you have. Develop a timeline that fits. Be flexible. You may move it. This is your life plan. Make it happen.

There are many financial planning tools and advisors that can assist you. Utilize them. We have assisted clients with determining if it is “ok” to flip that switch. Feel free to give us a call.

 

 

On the ballot in November will be a tax rate adjustment that’s worth taking a look at: Sales Tax. The proposed sales tax hike would increase Washoe County sales tax from 7.725% to 8.265%, which would make Washoe County the highest tax rate in Nevada. The current high is in Clark County at 8.15%. To put this into perspective – if you bought an iPhone and it cost $400 pre-tax, the cost would go from $430.90 to $433.06 after tax under the new sales tax rate. The committee overseeing the proposal had several different options to choose from including sales tax, property tax, car registration, hotel room tax, and real-estate transfers before settling on sales tax for the final proposal.

Where would the money go?

The money received from the tax increase is to go to Washoe County schools, which currently are overcrowded and underfunded. However, the sales tax increase would be effective indefinitely. The intent is to allow the school district to use $781 million in bonds to fund school projects over the next 20 years to be used along with the $315 million in rollover bonds granted from state lawmakers stemming from the 2002 ballot election for Washoe County Schools that expired in 2012. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, the proposed fixes to the schools are: additions to Damonte Ranch High School, existing school repairs, three new middle schools, three new high schools, repurpose Hug High School, nine new elementary schools, expand Sparks High School, invest in older schools, expand nutrition services, and expand the transportation yard.

Where are Nevada schools ranked?

Currently, Nevada ranks lasts in education ranking in the nation; according to a report in the Reno Gazette Journal. Nevada also ranks 48th for school funding, only paying about $8,200 per student, when the national average is $11,700 per student.

 

An issue that can still have tax ramifications today, years after the great recession hit Reno, is that of debt forgiveness. If you think that since you never received any cash, debt forgiveness is not taxable, think again!

Whenever there is a loan balance that gets reduced in any way, either with debt forgiveness, a foreclosure, a short sale, or a cancellation of debt, there is a taxable event. Depending on whether the debt held was recourse or nonrecourse makes a difference as to whether the forgiveness will be classified as cancellation of debt income or a capital gain.

A taxpayer wants cancellation of debt income when they are either insolvent, the home is their principal residence or they are in bankruptcy. In these situations the income is excluded from taxable income. If these situations don’t apply then the debtor wants a capital gain. In this instance the gain will be taxed at lower rates and if they have any capital losses then the gain can be reduced by these losses.

Generally, if a loan is nonrecourse and the property backing the loan is foreclosed upon to satisfy the nonrecourse debt, then the excess of the debt over the tax basis of the property is a gain. However, if the lender merely reduces the principal of the nonrecourse debt, then cancellation of debt income occurs.

The rules are different for recourse debt. If there is a foreclosure of property to satisfy recourse debt than the taxpayer recognizes cancellation of debt income by the difference between the fair market value of the debt versus the debt discharged. The difference in the fair market value versus the tax basis is then recorded as a gain or loss.

This brief summary just hits the surface of the complex rules regarding debt forgiveness. When this situation occurs, consult a Reno CPA to figure out the tax consequences.

 

According to a recent article in the Journal of Accountancy, passwords continue to be a major security risk. SplashData’s report compiling millions of leaked passwords has found that since 2011 the most frequently used passwords are “123456” and “password”. In addition to using weak passwords people often use the same one for everything. This obviously puts other systems one uses at risk. Further, audits of IT systems security find passwords written down in all sorts of places and unsecured password documents stored in employee computers and mobile devices.

Managing a lot of different passwords can be a daunting task. Some advisors suggest you may want to consider a password manager that securely stores your passwords for various sites. This way you only need to remember only the STRONG password you create to access the password manager. Just search online and you will find several options.

One CPA has devised a standard approach to organizing all his passwords. He starts with his first old ten-digit phone number, followed by the name of the account (i.e. Delta, Amazon, etc.) and ending with a four-digit personal identification number (PIN). This results in a strong password and you only have to remember the PIN.

With a little creativity, one could create a similar organized system to manage what for many has become an overwhelming challenge.

 

Under the Affordable Care Act, large employers are required to file information returns with the IRS and provide statements to full-time employees.

You are a large employer if you employed, on average, 50 full-time equivalent employees or more during 2014. You must include employees of other members of any companies under common control.

A full-time employee is someone who works an average of 120 hours per month for purposes of determining large employer status.

If you are a large employer, you need to track the following information in 2015 so you can meet the reporting requirements of early 2016:

1. Whether you offered full-time employees and their dependents minimum essential coverage that meets the minimum value requirements and is affordable.

2. Whether your employees enrolled in the self-insured minimum essential coverage you offered.

It’s necessary to track the above information so you can meet the following reporting requirements mandated by the Affordable Care Act:

1. Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage – Large employers are required to provide this form to all of their full-time employees by Jan. 31, 2016. This form contains basic information about both the employee and the employer. It also provides information about the insurance coverage offered the employee during 2015 and the employee’s share of the premium cost.
2. Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns and Form 1095-C. Large employers are required to submit a copy of all of the Forms 1095-C issued to all of their full-time employees along with Forms 1094-C. The Form 1094-C is a type of summary sheet for the individual Form 1095-C. The 1094-C also requires some additional information disclosures regarding total number of employees, the full-time employee count and various eligibility information. These forms need to be submitted to the IRS by Feb. 29, 2016, or March 31, 2016, if filed electronically.

To be able to fill out the Forms 1095-C and 1094-C in a timely and efficient manner, large employers need to start tracking their full-time employee and insurance information for 2015 now. ■

©2015 CPAmerica International

When starting a new business, a wise first step is to seek the advice of your CPA.

Some things you might want to consider before starting the business:

1. Business Structure – Determining the business structure should be the first decision that you make. The basic choices are sole proprietorship, corporation, limited liability company or partnership. There are two different types of corporations: C corporation and S corporation. A limited liability company defaults to being taxed as a partnership – or a sole proprietorship in the case of a single member LLC – but may elect to be taxed as either a C or an S Corporation. The type of entity you select determines what forms you will need to file with the IRS and when you will need to file them.
2. Business Taxes – The four basic types of business taxes are payroll, income, self-employment and excise. The business structure you choose affects which taxes you will be subject to. The income tax could be either corporate income tax or individual income tax – again depending on the business structure.
3. Employer Identification Number –You are required to have an employer identification  number if you have payroll or if you choose the corporate or partnership form of business structure. Apply for your EIN through the IRS.
4. Accounting Method – An accounting method is a set of rules that you use to determine when to report income and expenses. The three methods available are cash, accrual and hybrid. Most taxpayers will choose the cash-basis method of accounting unless they are required to select another method. You are required to use the accrual method when your average gross receipts exceed $5 million computed over a three-year period of time.
5. Employee Health Care – The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is available to businesses that employ fewer than 25 employees who work full-time, or a combination of full-time and part-time, and purchase insurance through the Exchange. The maximum credit is 50 percent of premiums paid for small business employers and 35 percent of premiums paid for small tax-exempt employers, such as charities. The employer shared responsibility provisions of the Affordable Care Act affect employers employing at least 50 full-time equivalent employees.

Learn the tax basics of starting a business on IRS.gov at the Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center. ■

©2015 CPAmerica International

 

Most people are probably familiar with the general tax rule about hobbies: You can deduct expenses only to the extent that you have income from the hobby.

This rule applies to individuals, S corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts.

There is a certain pecking order in deducting these expenses:

1. Deductions a taxpayer can claim whether or not they are incurred with a hobby. Some examples are taxes and interest. These expenses are allowed even if they exceed hobby income.
2. Deductions not resulting in an adjustment to the property’s basis. These are the hobby’s operating-type expenses. An example is supplies. These expenses are allowed to the extent that the gross income from the hobby exceeds the deductions under No. 1.
3. Deductions resulting in an adjustment to the basis of property. Depreciation and amortization deductions are allowed but only to the extent that gross income from the hobby exceeds deductions under both No. 1 and No. 2.

The income from the hobby activity is picked up on line 21 on page 1 of the Form 1040 return. This income is not subject to self-employment tax but is subject to federal income tax.

No. 1 deductions are Schedule A-type itemized deductions not subject to the 2-percent-of-adjusted-gross-income limitation. To take advantage of these deductions, you must itemize your deductions.

Nos. 2 and 3 deductions are Schedule A-type itemized deductions, but they are subject to the 2-percent-of-AGI limitation. To take advantage of these deductions, you must itemize your deductions. But even if you itemize your deductions, a portion of the expense deduction is lost because of the 2 percent rule.

Hobbies are considered to be activities engaged in without a profit motive. Whether an activity is engaged in for profit is determined by a facts-and-circumstances test.

Here are a couple of general rules:

• An activity is presumed not to be a hobby if it produced a profit in any three of five consecutive tax years ending with the tax year in question.
• An activity involving the breeding, training, showing or racing of horses is presumed not to be a hobby if it produced a profit in two out of seven consecutive tax years.

© 2015 CPAmerica International