January 31st is the deadline to furnish Form 1099- Misc. to recipients.

The 1099-MISC form is used to report more than two dozen types of payments that must be claimed as income by the recipient. This category includes payments made by businesses as fees to attorneys, service providers and freelancers. Other types of payments covered by the 1099-MISC include reimbursement for auto expenses, awards and bonuses, commissions, prizes and vacation allowances for non-employees. more…

Originally under the Small Business Jobs Act, those who received rental income from real estate were going to be considered, to be engaged in a business, and were going to be subject to the requirements to issue 1099 information returns.  This act was going to make owners of rental properties report payments totaling $600 or more during the course of the year for any expenses relating to these properties. The provision required even the smallest property owners — those who might just be renting out a second home or other rental property — to track any work done for them that totals $600 a year or more over the course of a year and to send any vendors whose work reaches that amount an IRS Form 1099, so they can report the income to the federal government.  Examples of possible 1099-MISC recipients would include: gardeners, landscapers, contractors, property managers and repair services. more…

January 31, 2011 is the deadline to furnish Form 1099-MISC to recipients.  The 1099-MISC form is used to report more than two dozen types of payments that must be claimed as income by the recipient.  This category includes payments made by businesses as fees to attorneys, service providers, and freelancers.  Other types of payments covered by the 1099-MISC include reimbursement for auto expenses, awards and bonuses, commissions, prizes, and vacation allowances for nonemployees.  A payer of rents and royalties must also file this tax document. more…

Employers must make a determination whether someone who works for them is an employee or an independent contractor.

To assist them with this, the IRS has issued the “Twenty Factor Test”.  Here are the tests an employer applies in order to help make this determination: more…

Clients frequently ask us about the tax effects of government savings bonds they have in their house or safe deposit box.  When this question comes up, it’s usually in the context of estate planning.  To give an appropriate answer, we need to gather some facts:

• What type of bonds are they?
• Who is the legal owner of the bonds?
• When were the bonds issued and when do they mature?
• What is the interest rate earned? more…