The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is the largest change to the tax code in over 30 years. To help you understand the changes to the tax code and how they may affect your individual federal return, we’ve created a helpful chart (below.)
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Groundbreaking Sales & Use Tax Case Decided by the Supreme Court
On June 21, the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in South Dakota vs. Wayfair (“Wayfair”). The fallout of this decision will significantly change the way online vendors handle sales and use (“S&U”) tax for out-of-state consumers going forward. It will, therefore, also affect online consumers. Are you impacted!?
ALERT: Be Wary of States Circumventing the $10,000 SALT deduction limitation
Current Law:
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 limits individual taxpayer’s state and local tax (SALT), itemized deduction to $10,000 (including real estate taxes). The previous law allowed an unlimited deduction. This change may be detrimental to many individual taxpayers who relied heavily on these deductions in the past.
State Work-Arounds:
Some states have considered “work-arounds” to combat this limitation. Select states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, New York and New Jersey, thus far) have created state read more…
The new tax law will change divorce tactics
When couples divorce, financial negotiations often involve alimony. The tax rules regarding alimony were dramatically changed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, but existing agreements have been grandfathered. In addition, the old rules remain in effect for divorce and separation agreements executed during 2018. Next year, the rules will change, and the roles will be reversed.
Under divorce or separation agreements executed in 2018, and for many years in the past, alimony payments have been tax deductible. Moreover, these deductions reduce adjusted gross income, so they may have benefits elsewhere on a tax return. While the spouse or former spouse paying the alimony gets a tax deduction, the recipient reports alimony as taxable income.
Shifting into reverse
Beginning with agreements executed in 2019, there will be no tax deduction for alimony. As an offset, alimony recipients will not include the payments in income.
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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
One Effect of the Recent Tax Reform on Not-for-Profit Organizations
By Howard J. Kass, CPA, CGMA, AEP®
As often as employers are maligned, there are times where they try to do the right thing for their employees. To be fair, many times, an employer may take an action or incur an expense that benefits its employees, knowing that the employer will benefit by a tax deduction for incurring an expense. In some cases, Congress encourages such behavior by explicitly permitting favorable tax treatment for certain programs.
One such case was a set of fringe benefits known as the “qualified transportation fringe” benefits that, in fact, received a double-barreled tax benefit for years, by virtue of Internal Revenue Code Section (IRC) 132(f)(5)(C). Under that section, employers were allowed to take a deduction for, among other things, qualified parking fringe benefits that they provided to their employees. What, exactly, was a qualified parking fringe benefit? Under IRC 132(f)(5)(C), “qualified parking” meant parking provided to an employee on or near the business premises of the employer, or on or near a location from which the employee commutes to work by transportation described in Code Sec. 132(f)(5)(A) (relating to “transit passes”), in a commuter highway vehicle, or by carpool.
Since 1938, Zinner has counseled individuals and businesses from start-up to succession. At Zinner, we strive to ensure we understand your business and recognize threats that could impact your financial situation.
One Big Beautiful Bill – New Individual Tax Provisions
On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBB”) into law after the Senate and House passed the bill on July 1 and July 3, respectfully. The OBBB includes numerous tax changes, including permanent and limited modification of many tax...
One Big Beautiful Bill – Business Tax Provisions
On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBB”) into law after the Senate and House passed the bill on July 1 and July 3, respectfully. The OBBB includes numerous tax changes, including permanent and limited modification of many tax...
One Big Beautiful Bill – Extended/Modified Individual Tax Provisions
On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBB”) into law after the Senate and House passed the bill on July 1 and July 3, respectfully. The OBBB includes numerous tax changes, including permanent and limited modification of many tax...
Ohio Sales Tax Holiday began on Aug. 1
Ohio’s annual sales tax holiday has arrived. This year’s weekend-long temporary tax break began on Aug. 1 at midnight and will end on Aug. 14 at 11:59 p.m. Initially introduced in 2019 to provide relief for families preparing for the back-to-school season, the sales...
Brown County Sale and Use Tax to Decrease
The sales and use tax rate for Brown County (08) will decrease from 7.25 percent to 7 percent, effective Oct. 1, 2025.Please visit the Ohio Department of Taxation’s website at tax.ohio.gov or contact your Zinner and Company Tax Team member with any questions...
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