Ken Berry, Esq., is a nationally-known writer and editor specializing in tax and financial planning matters. During a career of more than 35 years, he has served as managing editor of a publisher of content-based marketing tools and vice president of an online continuing education company in the financial services industry. As a freelance writer, Ken has authored thousands of articles for a wide variety of newsletters, magazines and other periodicals, emphasizing a sense of wit and clarity.
August 26, 2014
As with domestic travel (i.e., travel within the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia), you can deduct all of your travel expenses if the trip is entirely for business purposes. Otherwise, you’re entitled to travel deductions only if the primary purpose of the trip is business-related. Again, the days spent on business versus…
August 25, 2014
It is well-known in tax circles that taxpayers can deduct the cost of traveling “away from home” on business. For this purpose, your tax home is usually your principal place of business. As an example, if you live and work in New York and fly to L.A. for a two-day whirlwind of business negotiations, the…
August 21, 2014
Frequently, the IRS challenges deductions for business-related driving expenses, especially when they involve local travel. Start with this basic premise: To qualify for transportation deductions, you must be traveling away from your tax home to a business location. For this purpose, your tax home is generally your principal place of business, not the place where…
August 21, 2014
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite the thousands of revisions to the tax code that are made each year, the IRS continues to focus on travel and entertainment (T&E) deductions in audits of business taxpayers.
August 18, 2014
People are living longer due to medical advances and other factors. So it only stands to reason that outliving your retirement savings is becoming a greater concern. Nevertheless, the IRS continues to insist that elderly taxpayers make “required minimum distributions” (RMDs) from their qualified retirement plans and IRAs each and every year.
August 11, 2014
It is well-established that you can deduct home office expenses only if certain tax law requirements are met. Notably, no deduction is allowed unless the taxpayer uses the home office regularly and exclusively for business purposes.
July 16, 2014
As part of its ongoing efforts to deter identity theft, the Internal Revenue Service has issued final regulations on use of truncated Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs). The new regulations, which apply to those who furnish and receive payee statements and tax-related documents, generally follow proposed regulations issued last year, albeit with some modifications.
July 15, 2014
Do you remember those traditional pension plans from days of yore? Although such plans are nowhere near as prevalent as they were back in your grandfather’s day – especially for employers that must cover dozens of employees or more -- there’s still a time and place for the “defined benefit plan.” In fact, this option…
July 11, 2014
In the not-so-distant past, the Keogh plan was the hottest retirement planning commodity around. But like fax machines and VHS recorders, Keoghs are now regarded by many as relics. Nevertheless, this type of plan still might fit the bill for certain sole practitioners.
July 10, 2014
Once upon a time, an entrepreneur with just a handful of employees wouldn’t even think about starting up a 401(k) plan for the business. The administrative costs, as well as the complexity, could turn into a nightmare. But costs have come down in recent years and now the 401(k) is a viable vehicle for an…
July 2, 2014
Most of your clients who are small business owners are consumed with their day-to-day operations. They usually don’t have the time, nor the inclination, to devote to administering a qualified retirement plan for employees, even though they also will benefit from it personally. For these harried entrepreneurs, a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), also called a…
June 30, 2014
SIMPLE. The name says it all. It stands for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees, a contrived moniker, but you get the picture. This type of qualified retirement plan, created back in 1996, is designed to provide an easy and convenient retirement plan option for small business operations.
