Wages and self-employment earnings are taxable, but what about the random cash or financial benefits you receive through other means? If something of value changes hands, you can bet the IRS considers a way to tax it. Here are five taxable items that might surprise you:
Scholarships and financial aid. Applying for scholarships and financial aid are top priorities for parents of college-bound children. But be careful – if any part of the award your child receives goes toward anything except tuition, it might be taxable. This could include room, board, books, travel expenses or aid received in exchange for work (e.g., tutoring or research). Tip: When receiving an award, review the details to determine if any part of it is taxable. Don’t forget to review state rules as well. While most scholarships and aid are tax-free, no one needs a tax surprise.
Gambling winnings. Hooray! You hit the trifecta for the Kentucky Derby. But guess what? Technically, all gambling winnings are taxable, including casino games, lottery tickets and sports betting. Thankfully, the IRS allows you to deduct your gambling losses (to the extent of winnings) as an itemized deduction, so keep good records. Tip: Know when the gambling establishment is required to report your winnings. It varies by type of betting. For instance, the filing threshold for winnings from fantasy sports betting and horse racing is $600, while slot machines and bingo are typically $1,200. But beware, the gambling facility and state requirements may lower the limit.
Unemployment compensation. Unfortunately the IRS doesn’t give you a break on the taxes for unemployment income. Unemployment benefits you receive are taxable. Tip: If you are collecting unemployment, you can either have taxes withheld and receive the net amount or make estimated payments to cover the tax liability.
Crowdfunding. A popular method to raise money for new ventures or to support a special cause is crowdfunding through websites. Whether or not the funds are taxable depends on two things: your intent for the funds and what the giver receives in return. Generally, funds used for a business purpose are taxable and funds raised to cover a life event (e.g., special causes or medical assistance) are considered a gift and not taxable to the recipient. Tip: Prior to using these online tools to raise money, review the terms and conditions and ask for a tax review of what you are doing. If you need to account for taxes, reserve some of what you raise for this purpose.
Cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are considered property by the IRS. So if you use cryptocurrency, you must keep track of the original cost of the coin and its value when you use it. This information is needed so the tax on your gain or loss can be properly calculated. Remember, the tax rate on property can vary if you own the cryptocurrency more than a year, so record all dates. Tip: For those considering replacing cash with things like Bitcoin, you need to understand the gain or loss complications. For this reason, many people using cryptocurrency do so for speculative investment purposes.
When in doubt, it’s a good idea to keep accurate records so your tax liability can be correctly calculated and you don’t get stuck paying more than what’s required. Please call if you have any questions regarding your unique situation.
Very few things in life can create a higher degree of stress than having your Social Security Number (SSN) stolen. This is because, unlike other forms of ID, your SSN is virtually permanent. While most instances of SSN theft are outside your control, there are some things that you can do to minimize the risk of this ever happening to you.
Never carry your card. Place your SSN card in a safe place. That place is never your wallet or purse. Only take the card with you when you need it.
Know who needs it. As identity theft continues to evolve, there are fewer who really need to know your SSN. Here is that list:
The government. The federal and state governments use this number to keep track of your earnings for retirement benefits and to ensure you pay proper taxes.
Your employer. The SSN is used to keep track of your wages and withholdings. It also is used to prove citizenship and to contribute to your Social Security and Medicare accounts.
Certain financial institutions. Your SSN is used by various financial institutions to prove citizenship, open bank accounts, provide loans, establish other forms of credit, report your credit history or confirm your identity. In no case should you be required to confirm more than the last four digits of your number.
Challenge all other requests. Many other vendors may ask for your SSN but having it may not be essential. The most common requests come from health care providers and insurance companies, but requests can also come from subscription services when setting up a new account. When asked on a form for your number, leave it blank. If your supplier really needs it, they will ask you for it. This allows you to challenge their request.
Destroy and distort documents. Shred any documents that have your number listed. When providing copies of your tax return to anyone, distort or cover your SSN. Remember, your number is printed on the top of each page of Form 1040. If the government requests your SSN on a check payment, only place the last four digits on the check, and replace the first five digits with Xs.
Keep your scammer alert on high. Never give out any part of the number over the phone or via email. Do not even confirm your SSN to someone who happens to read it back to you on the phone. If this happens to you, file a police report and report the theft to the IRS and Federal Trade Commission.
Proactively check for use. Periodically check your credit reports for potential use of your SSN. If suspicious activity is found, have the credit agencies place a fraud alert on your account. Remember, everyone is entitled to a free credit report once a year. You can obtain yours on the Annual Credit Report website.
Replacing a stolen SSN is not only hard to do, it can create many problems. Your best defense is to stop the theft before it happens.
Your business’s ability to retain customers is one of the most important components to sustain growth and profitability. Here are the three retention questions every business owner should be able to answer:
What percentage of your customers return each year? The first step to understanding retention is to know your customer retention rate. First, take your total customers from the end of a period and subtract the total customers you added during the period. Then, take that number and divide it by the total customers from the start of the same period. The result is your retention rate for that period. That rate by itself doesn’t tell you much, so you need to compare it to the same time period last month and for prior years. A rising rate means you are on the right track; a shrinking rate means you need to make changes. According to the Harvard Business Review, a 5 percent increase in your retention rate increases profits by 25-95 percent! Example: Cut’em Nail Salon starts the year with 700 active clients. They add 300 new customers during the year, and their active client base is 800 at the end of the year. On the surface things look good, right? This increase of 100 clients is over 14 percent! But when you calculate the retention rate, it is 71.4 percent (800 clients minus 300 new clients means 500 of last year’s clients still use Cut’em. 500 divided by 700 equals 71.4 percent). But Cut’em doesn’t know if this is good or bad news, as it only makes sense when comparing it to the last few years’ retention performance.
What percentage of your revenue comes from returning clients? Core customers almost always contribute the most to your profitability. But how much? To figure out your returning customer revenue percentage, start with a list of revenue by customer for the last 12 months. Identify the returning customers and add up revenue attributed to them. Divide that number by your total revenue. Use this information to balance your spending between new customer acquisition and retaining your core customers. If you are like most businesses, you will realize there is tremendous value in spending more time and effort on retention, even when your business is full! Part 2 Cut’em Nail Salon Example: Assume the nail salon’s total revenue is $1 million and the revenue from the 500 returning clients is $900,000. In this case, the core customers represent 90 percent of the revenue but only 62.5 percent (500 divided by 800) of the customers!
Do you know who your most valuable customers are? Now identify which customers spend the most and buy the most often. Odds are, many of your top customers have similar characteristics. In the end, your goal should be to keep these customers happy and get more just like them! Part 3 Cut’em Nail Salon Example: In the example above, the average revenue per client is $1,250 per client or over $100 per month ($1 million divided by 800 clients). If the top 20 clients represent $100,000 in revenue or $5,000 per client, you can quickly see how important they are!
Don’t make the mistake of assuming business success comes from constantly adding new customers. Most sustained growth and profitability comes from first understanding marketing activities targeted to keep your current customers. The best place to start is to calculate and understand your base retention numbers.
Whether you are hiring for the first time, filling an open position, or conducting annual performance reviews, finding a salary range that attracts and retains valued employees can be a difficult task. Here are some suggestions to help make the process a bit easier for you and your company:
Know what your business can afford. Like any business expense, you need to know how it will affect your budget and cash flow. Make a twelve-month profitability and cash forecast and then plug in the high end of the annual salary range you are considering to see if it’s something your business can absorb. After all, the greatest employee in the world can’t help you if you don’t have the money to pay them. Don’t forget to account for increases in benefit costs, especially the escalating cost to provide healthcare. Once you establish a budget, you can allocate your spending plan to your payroll.
Understand the laws. In general, the federal government sets the minimum requirements (minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, overtime rules and record keeping requirements). States and localities often add their own set of rules. For example, the state of Illinois, Cook County and the city of Chicago all have different minimum wage requirements. If you are located in Chicago you need to adhere to the highest rate. So research all payroll rules that apply to your location at the beginning of the process. When reviewing the rules, don’t forget that different rules often apply depending on the number of employees in your business.
Review and update job descriptions. Take some time to review key jobs and update them as appropriate. With new positions, note the exact tasks and responsibilities you envision for the role. Then, think about the type of person that will succeed performing these responsibilities. Once you have a clear picture of who you are looking for, you can begin to build a detailed job description and narrow in on a specific salary range.
Establish value ranges and apply them. Value is key when determining the perfect salary amount. Define the range of value for the position and then apply that valuation to the current person’s performance within the defined pay range. Use websites and recruiters to establish the correct range of pay, then apply experience and employee performance to obtain a potential new salary amount. Remember, size of company, location and competitiveness of the job market are all factors to consider.
Factor in company benefits. A strong suite of employee benefits is a powerful tool to couple with a competitive salary. Don’t be afraid to communicate their value to prospective and current employees (they help with retention, too!). According to Glassdoor, health and dental insurance are the most important, but flexibility is close behind – over 80 percent of job seekers take flexible hours, vacation time and work-from-home options into consideration before accepting a position.
Finding the right salary can be tricky, but with some preparation and research, you can find the balance that satisfies the needs of your business and your employees.
The IRS recently released its 2018 Data Book, including information on its audit activities for the last fiscal year. This details what you need to know regarding your audit risk, how to prepare for and what to expect in an IRS audit.
Know the facts
An IRS audit is a review to ensure your tax filings are reported correctly according to tax laws.
Both individual and business tax returns can be audited.
The IRS won’t initiate an audit by telephone.
IRS Audit Statistics
Totals
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
Tax returns filed in prior calendar year
191,857,005
192,936,878
195,614,161
195,750,099
Audits
1,373,788
1,166,379
1,059,924
991,168
Percentage of returns audited
Less than 1%
What are your chances of being audited?
It depends. But for most taxpayers, LOW.
Approximately 1 in 198 tax returns were audited in 2018.
The IRS audited 0.6% of all individual income tax returns filed in 2018, and 0.91% of corporation tax returns (excluding S corporations)
There are two types of audits:
Field audit: An in-person interview and review of records. It often happens at taxpayer’s home, business or accountant’s office.
Correspondence audit: A written request for more info about a specific tax return item or issue handled via mail.
Did you know? Approximately 2/3 of audits are handled through the mail.
Reasons you may be audited
Although the IRS uses random selection as one method to choose tax returns to audit, it may also flag returns because:
You’re in a higher income tax bracket.
You have math errors on your tax return.
You report no income or not all of your income.
Your tax return involves issues with other taxpayers whose returns are being audited.
Other reasons: reporting too many losses, deducting too many work expenses and claiming too many charitable contributions may also trigger an audit.
Always be prepared
Use your past tax return as a checklist of items to keep on hand:
A copy of your signed tax return and all supporting documents
Worksheets that support your return
Forms W-2
Forms 1099 (all versions)
Forms 1095
Business Forms K-1
Canceled checks of deducted items
Receipts supporting deducted items
Itemized deduction support
Child care receipts and reporting documents
Bank statements
Investment statements
Mortgage statements
Credit card statements
Major purchases or sales
Receipts for any charitable donations
Proof of fair market value for any inherited items
Mileage logs for business, charitable and medical transportation
Business meals and cellphone use documentation
Educational expenses
FYI: Always use copies of records during an audit. Keep your original documents.
More ways to prepare: Check IRS.gov to review its Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs). They are used by IRS examiners and can identify areas for potential audits, as well as help you understand what the IRS may question.
What to do if you’re audited
Your tax return may never be audited. But if it happens, here are a few tips to make the process go more smoothly:
Respond to the IRS in a timely manner. If you don’t, an in-person meeting may happen.
Ask for help. NEVER tackle the IRS alone!
Know what is being asked. Get a clear understanding of the core questions.
Understand how the auditor has been trained. IRS auditors are trained in certain areas. These are published in the ATGs.
The bright side: If you are audited, you may end up with a refund. In FY 2018, approximately 30,000 audits resulted in refunds, totaling $6 million.
