Helpful Information
Below are the most common reminders I send out to clients related to paying taxes and filing tax returns.
Tax Season Timeline
• By January 16, tax organizers will be available in your client portal accessible here. If you need assistance logging in or otherwise accessing your account, please contact Client Services at service@steuernandtaxes.com.
• You are welcome to start uploading your tax documents as soon as you receive them; most will be sent to you at the end of January or in early February. Consolidated Forms 1099 from investment accounts may not be available until the end of February, and Forms K-1 from partnerships, trusts, etc. can be expected in March and even early April.
** For investment management clients of Soaring Wealth LLC, we'll collect all Forms 1099 from Schwab and TD Ameritrade on your behalf directly – you won't need to provide them to us.
Please note: you must submit complete information by March 15 if you would like to file your individual income tax returns by the April 15 deadline.
Policies & Procedures
• Tax returns will be prepared on a first in / first out basis.
• It is my intention to review your files within four business days after you submit the tax organizer in order to let you know if there is any missing information. This turnaround will be shorter earlier in the season, and longer after mid-March.
• Invoices must be paid in full before tax returns will be e-filed.
• If your tax returns need to be extended, I will issue a progress invoice which must be paid in full before the extensions will be e-filed.
Quarterly Estimates
You are generally required to pay in the lower of a) 90% of your current year income tax liability, or b) 110% of your prior year tax liability, throughout the year in order to avoid underpayment penalties, whether through withholding or quarterly estimated tax payments.
If you need to make Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments, deadlines are:
- based on Q1 income (January - March): April 15
- based on Q2 income (April - May): June 15
- based on Q3 income (June - August): September 15
- based on Q4 income (September - December): January 15
If you have any questions about whether you should make payments and/or what the payments should be, please let me know.
Here are links to make payments online (which I strongly recommend):
• IRS --> https://directpay.irs.gov/directpay/payment?execution=e1s1
• MA Department of Revenue --> https://mtc.dor.state.ma.us/mtc/_/#1
• NY Department of Tax --> https://www.tax.ny.gov/pay/ind/pay-estimated-tax.htm
• VT Department of Tax --> https://myvtax.vermont.gov/_/#1
Additional Resources for Small Business Owners
I would love for all my small business owner clients to use Quickbooks Online and have a professional bookkeeper to ensure all income and expenses are correctly reported, and all accounts are reconciled monthly. However, I realize that not all clients are there yet, so I offer these resources.
Bookkeeping
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I recommend using Quickbooks Online for you to manage your bookkeeping, and for me to be able to access your records easily. This link allows you to compare options – I find that the "Essentials" plan is appropriate for most of my small business clients: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/
1) Preferably, you have a dedicated bank account and credit card linked to Quickbooks Online. If you need help getting set up for 2024, please let me know.
2) If you haven't already, please "invite" me as a user:
From the gear icon in the upper right hand corner, under "Your Company" --> select "Manage Users."
Under the "Accounting Firms" tab, select the green "Invite" button and send an invitation to me: malissa@steuernandtaxes.com.
3) Once you've reconciled all your bank accounts and booked any out-of-pocket expenses, let me know, and I'll download all the reports I need to prepare your tax returns.
Business Registration
Each state has different requirements, depending on the type of business. Here are some links - please make sure your registrations are up-to-date:
MA - https://www.sec.state.ma.us/cor/coridx.htm
NY - https://dos.ny.gov/biennial-statements-business-corporations-and-limited-liability-companies
VT - https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/renewals-updates/reports-renewals/annual-biennial-reports/
Forms 1099
Did you pay any individual or partnership more than $600 during the year? If so:
1) Collect a signed Form W-9, confirming their name, address and Taxpayer Identification Number: Form W-9
2) Issue a Form 1099-NEC by January 31: there are many online services, but I use Tax1099.com
Other Considerations
Let me know if either of these situations apply to you, and you want to discuss them:
1) Are you reliably making significantly more than $160,000? Perhaps it's time to consider making an S-election.
2) Is your net income reliably high enough that it's time to consider setting up a retirement plan?
3) Do you need help optimizing not just your taxes, but your entire financial picture?