Blog & Newsroom

Aug. 28, 2017  WASHINGTON –– Hurricane Harvey victims in parts of Texas have until Jan. 31, 2018, to file certain individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.

From the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation news desk
June 15, 2017

Ohio’s economy will get a big boost in July. That’s when the BWC will send $1 billion in rebates to eligible Ohio employers, the first part of The Third Billion Back plan that was announced in March.

While there are a myriad of ways to reduce Ohio income taxes that are well known and widely leveraged, some methods seem to go largely unnoticed.  One of those lesser-known and underutilized methods that every small business owner, or those interested in owning a small business, should be aware of is the InvestOhio program.

InvestOhio, launched by the State of Ohio several years ago, was created to encourage investment in Ohio-based eligible small businesses.  Qualifying applicants to this program will receive non-refundable Ohio personal income tax credits equal to 10% of their investment in an eligible small business.  Any unused credits can be carried forward up to seven years.

Dear Zinner & Co:

Q: We have a bunch of old un-cleared checks on our bank reconciliation. What should we do?
 -Ted E., Middle-market business owner, Solon, OH.

A: Laura Haines, CPA, Accounting and Tax Services Manager

If your business uses independent contractors as part of its work force, depending on the circumstances, the IRS might reclassify these workers as employees. Such a reclassification would expose your business to employment taxes and penalties. In addition, your business might be responsible for retroactive fringe benefits for any reclassified workers.

If you are an employer planning to add to your workforce, you need to know about the recent change regarding Form I-9, the Employment Eligibility Verification form. Form I-9 is compulsory for all employers to confirm every newly hired employee’s identity and that they are authorized to work in the United States.

For some, a simple flip through the day’s mail can soon turn into a panic-producing event. Bad news, bill collectors, or worse, a tax notice from the IRS, state department of taxation, or the local tax agency.  

The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2017 optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. 

For many small business owners, the fourth quarter signifies a final flurry of activity. Whether that is projecting inventory against sales or contemplating major purchases against anticipated revenue, for those who use QuickBooks software, it may seem as if the program takes care of the business loose ends on their behalf.  As a result, business owners view the end-of-year task list as one less thing  to think about in the middle of the night.