Category: Taxes

Navigating the 2024 Landscape: A Guide to Beneficial Ownership Reporting

Welcome to 2024! If you find yourself as the “beneficial” owner of a business, whether it’s an LLC, corporation, or a similar entity, it’s time to gear up for the crucial task of filing your first beneficial ownership report with FinCEN. The primary mission of FinCEN is to safeguard the financial system from illicit activities, such as money laundering and…

Some thoughts on Gift Taxes To Anyone other than your Spouse

Gift-giving is a time-honored tradition that allows us to express our love, appreciation, and generosity towards the people we care about. Whether it’s a token of gratitude, a gesture of support, or simply a way to make someone’s day brighter, gifts hold immense significance in our relationships. However, when it comes to giving substantial gifts to individuals other than our…

What are Death Taxes, and What Do They Mean For Me?

A key component of estate planning is minimizing and planning for the taxes that might be owed.   Each state has its own rules, so this post concentrates on Maryland.  In Maryland, there are typically three potential taxes that might be owed when someone dies:  estate tax, inheritance tax, and income tax. Estate Taxes Estate taxes are taxes imposed on your…

Some Depressing News About the IRS

The troubles at the IRS for taxpayers are worse than I thought. It is more important than ever that you take action and file your taxes electronically. I recently spoke with an accountant that I work with frequently. He attended a tax preparation seminar in which he was told some shocking information.

The IRS and You in 2022

The 2021 tax season created chaos for the IRS as they were both  overloaded and understaffed. This resulted in substandard telephone service and delayed refunds.  This year things will be even worse. Deadlines to Note April 18, 2022, is the deadline for tax returns.  This date will only change if the President and the Secretary of the Treasury decide a…

What’s going on with the IRS?

Here are some truths about tax season this year that are very helpful but at the same time very disheartening: The IRS is very behind on its work and can’t keep up.  This is particularly troublesome for people who file paper returns and pay with paper checks.  Presently there are over 7 million individual returns and 2.3 million business returns…

Maryland Updates its State Estate Tax

For years, Maryland has imposed a state-specific estate tax on assets transferred from a recently deceased person to anyone other than his or her spouse. In 2017, the tax was assessed on assets with a total value greater than $3,000,000. For deaths in 2018, the tax is assessed on assets greater than $4,000,000. During the 2018 legislative session, the Maryland…