Third Hand Bookkeeping Service

Numerous new laws provide economic relief to individuals and businesses hardest hit by this year’s pandemic. This much-needed financial assistance, however, comes with a few strings attached. Here are three potential surprises if you use the available economic relief packages: Getting a tax bill for unemployment benefits. While the $1,200 economic impact payments most Americans received […]

Your COVID-19 stimulus checks are in the mail! Find out how much you qualify for and when to expect the money. The IRS has two websites to help with stimulus payments: One for non-tax filers to register to receive their economic impact payment and a new “Get My Payment” tool. BackgroundAs a response to the […]

Every year the IRS publishes instructions to prepare your Form 1040, individual tax return. The publication for 2019 is a whopping 108 pages! On page 103 of the IRS booklet is a summary of collections (income) and spending (outlays) by the federal government. Given the election year, here is a summary of this recap and […]

Tax time is probably not your favorite time of year, especially if you have to pay the government your hard-earned dollars. Here are five tips on how we can make it just a bit less painful.  Have patience.  Practicing patience will go a long way when you’re dealing with taxes. Keep in mind that for tax professionals, […]

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, also known as the SECURE Act, was passed by Congress in late December 2019. Here are some of the features in the new legislation that will help you save more for retirement: Money can continue to grow tax deferred If you turn 70½ in 2020 or […]

With the major Form W-4 overhaul for 2020, you may field questions from your employees concerning their federal paycheck tax withholdings. While it’s not your responsibility to provide tax advice to your employees, it’s good to be prepared to help answer common questions about the new IRS form. Here is a summary of the W-4 […]

It’s easy to get inundated with documents during tax season. You can receive documents from many different organizations, including employers, financial institutions and others. Many documents are now also being sent via e-mail, which increases the likelihood it could get lost in your inbox. As tax season is quickly approaching, here are some of the […]

As part of your 2020 planning, now is the time to review funding your retirement accounts. By establishing your contribution goals at the beginning of each year, the financial impact of saving for your future should be more manageable. Here are annual contribution limits: Take action If you have not already done so, please consider: […]

There’s still time to reduce your potential tax obligation and save money this year (and next). Here are some ideas to consider: Estimate your 2019 and 2020 taxable income. With these estimates you can determine which year receives the greatest benefit from a reduction in income. By understanding what the tax rate will be for your […]

Handling employment taxes can be complicated, especially when you’re required to file important tax documents throughout the year. Here’s a list of key forms and deadline dates to help keep you on track. Form 941 — Employer’s quarterly federal tax return This form is used to report income tax withheld from employees’ pay and both […]