Small Business Financials

Big life events often trigger tax changes, and getting married is one of them. Though often overlooked, one of the most important steps you should take after getting married is updating your Form W-4 with your employer. Should I fill out a new W-4 when married? Yes! Your W-4 tells your employer how much tax to withhold from your paychecks. If you continue to list “single” on your W-4, your employer will likely withhold more tax from your paychecks than they would if you checked “married.” Updating Form W-4 will ensure you and your spouse have the right amount of taxes withheld, potentially giving you more money in your pocket throughout the year. How do I fill out a W-4 when married? When you get married, your financial situation may change, and you’ll need to account for this on your W-4. Here’s what you need to keep in mind. 1. Update personal information The name on your tax return must match your name on file with the Social Security Administration (SSA). If you plan on c...

Did you receive a 1099-K tax form this year? If you’ve never seen this form before and are unsure what to do with it, don’t freak out — we can help you understand your Form 1099-K and guide you through reporting any necessary income. How do I use my 1099-K when filing my tax return? TaxAct ® takes accurate tax reporting seriously. That’s why we’ve spent much time and care optimizing our 1099-K reporting this year. We’ve added more detailed questions about what your 1099-K was for so we can help pull the proper tax forms for you. First, we’ll ask you for information about what types of income you’ve earned this year: As you can see from the screenshot above, Form 1099-K appears in more than one place — typically, this form is used for those who are self-employed, operate a side hustle, or sell personal items online. You could also receive a 1099-K for real estate rentals and royalties or farming. If you received a 1099-K for goods you sold as a hobby, there is also a third opti...

The value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has undoubtedly seen better days. But there’s a small silver lining — if you sold crypto at a loss in 2022, you might be able to save on your tax bill this year. What is the definition of cryptocurrency? Cryptocurrency differs from traditional currency, like the U.S. dollar, because it doesn’t have any intrinsic value. It is a decentralized currency, meaning it isn’t issued by an authority such as the government but instead distributed by a peer-to-peer network. This allows crypto investors to trade their coins almost instantly without relying on a payment processor as the middleman. Cryptocurrency generally exists on a blockchain platform — a shared public ledger that records crypto transactions. Its value is highly volatile and depends on various factors, like the supply and demand of a particular digital currency. How does the IRS define cryptocurrency? For tax purposes, the IRS defines cryptocurrency as a digital asset and tre...

The IRS has advised that many people should expect smaller tax refunds for 2022. Here’s why your refund may not be as big as last year’s and some tips on what you can do to maximize your refund amount. Why do you get a tax refund from the IRS? Let’s review why we get a tax refund in the first place. What impacts the amount you receive when you file? For many people, your tax refund is exactly what it sounds like — a refund of taxes that you overpaid during the tax year. This can be due to withholding more tax than you owe from your regular paychecks or overestimating your self-employment taxes. Qualifying for a refundable tax credit may also contribute to your refund amount. When a refundable credit amount exceeds the tax you owe, you receive the leftover credit as a refund. For example, if you owe $400 in taxes and qualify for a $1,000 credit, you’ll receive the remaining $600 as a refund. Why you might get a smaller tax refund for 2022 Reason 1: Expiring pandemic relief measu...

Did you know that collectible sales come with their own tax rules? Here are the tax implications of selling collectibles and how to report the sale of a collectible asset on your income tax return. Does selling collectibles count as income? Yes, selling collectibles on eBay or a similar site counts as income that you need to report to the IRS. Collectible income is treated as a capital gain; however, collectibles come with their own unique tax rates and rules, which we’ll go over below. What is a collectible? The IRS defines a collectible as: •       Any work of art •       Any rug or antique •       Any metal, gem, stamp, or coin (with limited exceptions) •       Any alcoholic beverage •       Any other tangible personal property the IRS determines is a “collectible” If an item has an inherent value due to its market rarity,...

You might get a consolidated 1099 tax statement this year if you received taxable income from investments. Here’s what this form is telling you and how to report your 1099 income to the IRS in TaxAct ® . What is a consolidated 1099 tax statement? A consolidated Form 1099 combines five separate 1099 forms into one tax reporting document. The tax forms you might see in this consolidated document are 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, 1099-MISC, and 1099-OID. Your consolidated 1099 tax form will show all your reportable income and transactions for the tax year. It could include some or all of the following five forms: Form 1099-INT: Reports all interest income earned on bonds, CDs, and cash in your brokerage account Form 1099-DIV: Reports dividends received from stocks, mutual funds, and capital gains distributions Form 1099-B: Reports the sale, redemption, or exchange of securities such as stocks, mutual funds, CDs, or bonds Form 1099-MISC: Reports royalty payments, rent payments,...

Are you unsure about your tax situation this year? Not to worry. We’ve put together a list of tax calculators to help you crunch your tax numbers for 2022. Check out our extensive calculator list below and learn how to calculate your AGI, self-employment tax, crypto taxes, and more. Go-to tax calculators Refund Booster 1 and W-4 calculator : Would you prefer a big refund at tax time or a smaller refund and more money in your pocket throughout the year? This calculator can help you with either — just answer some questions, and we’ll tell you how to fill out Form W-4 to get your desired results. AGI calculator : This calculator helps you estimate your adjusted gross income (AGI) — in other words, your total gross income minus any deductions. Income tax calculator : Just answer a few simple questions about your life, income, and expenses. We’ll help you estimate your tax refund for this year based on your answers. Tax bracket calculator : Not sure what tax bracket you fall in? No...

Updated for tax year 2022. There’s no doubting it — having kids is expensive. Between paying for diapers, daycare, and many other baby supplies, new parents can quickly find themselves overwhelmed financially. Fortunately, several tax advantages are available to parents to alleviate some financial responsibility. 1. Child Tax Credit The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is a tax credit for parents of dependent children designed to help offset the cost of raising kids. As a parent, you can take advantage of the  Child Tax Credit  on your tax return if you have a child under the age of 17 whom you claim as a dependent. Under the current tax law, the CTC is worth up to $2,000 per qualifying child. If your adjusted gross income is over $200,00 for single parents or over $400,000 for married parents filing jointly, the credit value is reduced by $50 for each $1,000 of income over those thresholds until it is eliminated entirely. However, the unique part of the CTC is that it is partial...