Avoiding Penalties: Choosing a Reliable Tax Return Preparer

With the tax season around the corner, a significant number of taxpayers are seeking the services of tax return preparers. This often involves choosing a preparer who has been recommended by friends and family members. Tax return preparers may be referred based not on their qualifications, but on their reputation for generating large refunds for…

Paying Personal Expenses from Corporate Bank Account

Can you avoid paying tax by paying your personal expenses from your corporate bank account? Is avoiding tax that easy? No, our system doesn’t work that way. The Moacir Santos v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2019-148 explains how the IRS handles these situations. Facts & Procedural History The taxpayer owns a engineering and paving company. It…

Discharging Unpaid Withholding Taxes in Bankruptcy

When a business owes unpaid taxes, bankruptcy can provide the business or its owner with a fresh start. The unpaid Federal taxes can be discharged if certain requirements are met. One of these requirements is that the tax returns for the unpaid taxes are filed within certain time periods. But what if there are more…

Answers for Common Small Business Tax Questions

Q: Is an S-Corporation required to pay quarterly estimated tax? Rarely does an S corporation make estimated tax payments. An S Corporation must make installment payments of estimated tax if the total of these taxes is $600 or more: The tax on built-in gains, The excess net passive income tax, and The investment recapture tax. Q:…