Coronavirus-Related Distributions and Loans The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act made it easier to access savings in IRAs and workplace retirement plans for those affected by the coronavirus. This relief provided favorable tax treatment for certain withdrawals from retirement plans and IRAs, including expanded loan options. Distributions: Certain distributions made from Jan. 1,…
Q & A: The $10,200 Unemployment Tax Break Generally, unemployment compensation received under the unemployment compensation laws of the United States or a state is considered taxable income and must be reported on your federal tax return. However, a new tax break – in effect only for the 2020 tax year – lets you exclude…
PPP Loan Deadline Extended Through May 31 The Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act of 2021 was signed into law on March 31, 2021, extending the deadline to apply for a loan by an extra 60 days, from March 31 to May 31, 2021. The law also gives the Small Business Administration (SBA) an additional 30…
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law on Thursday afternoon. This $1.9 trillion stimulus package contains extensions to unemployment, direct stimulus payments, provisions for small businesses, state and local aid, as well as funding for K-12 schools. Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Last year,…
Unemployment Benefits Identity Theft Scam Alert During 2020, millions of taxpayers were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through job loss or reduced work hours. Some taxpayers who faced unemployment or reduced work hours applied for and received unemployment compensation from their state. As a reminder, unemployment benefits are taxable income and must be reported on…
Capital Gains Tax on Sale of Stocks Apps like Robinhood make it easy for everyone to play the stock market. If you’re a retail investor who made money last year buying and selling stocks, you may owe capital gains tax when you file your tax return this year. If you lost money, you may be…
Tax Breaks for Families with Children If you have children, one or more of these tax credits and deductions could help your family reduce the amount of tax owed. Let’s take a look: 1. Child Tax Credit Generally, taxpayers can claim the Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child under the age of 17. The…
Renting Out a Second Home In general, income from rental of a vacation home for 15 days or longer must be reported on your tax return on Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss. You should also keep in mind that the definition of a “vacation home” is not limited to a house. Apartments, condominiums, mobile homes,…
Who Qualifies for the Earned Income Credit The earned income tax credit can give qualifying workers with low-to-moderate income a substantial financial boost. The credit not only reduces the amount of tax someone owes but may give them a refund even if they don’t owe any taxes or aren’t required to file a return. If…