2023 Tax Planning to Take Advantage of Tax Saving Opportunities

It’s never too early to start this year’s tax planning.  Entrepreneurs should begin planning to take advantage of tax-saving opportunities and get ready for reporting changes in 2023. With next year’s filing deadline nearly a year away, taxpayers still have time to identify possible tax benefits, take action to qualify for them and claim them when they file in 2024. They also have time to plan for reporting changes and even claim overlooked tax benefits from the recent past.

Tax Planning May Include Employee Retention Credits (ERC) and Energy Cost Savings

Taxpayers should review the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which can save business owners money on energy costs. Additionally, eligible employers who overlooked the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) when they filed payroll tax returns for 2020 and 2021 can still claim it by filing the form 941-X.  Taxpayers should seek competent assistance from a reputable tax professional to determine eligibility requirements. Meanwhile, employers who provide educational assistance programs can use them to help pay student loan obligations for their employees. Employers should review the employment tax treatment of fringe benefits.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC (www.wilsontaxlaw.com) is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group is exclusively comprised of former IRS litigators and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division and Criminal Division.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Newport Beach and Yorba Linda, California

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office)

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

California Disaster IRS Tax Relief Notice Updated

Tax Alert-

A January 10, 2023 notice granting relief to victims of severe winter storms, flooding and mudslides that began on January 8, 2023, in parts of California was updated by the IRS on February 23, 2023, to clarify language in the fourth paragraph of the notice. The IRS clarified that the October 16, 2023, deadline also applies to the quarterly estimated tax payments, normally due on January 17, April 18, June 15 and September 15, 2023.  The notice was updated on 1/11/23, 2/23,23 and recently on 4/26/23.   Affected taxpayers who are contacted by the IRS on a collection or examination matter should contact a tax professional who can explain how the disaster impacts the taxpayer so that the IRS can provide appropriate consideration to their case.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC (www.wilsontaxlaw.com) is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group is exclusively comprised of former IRS litigators and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division and Criminal Division.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Newport Beach and Yorba Linda, California

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office)

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

2018 Is Benchmark Year For Upcoming IRS Audit Rates

The Internal Revenue Service will use 2018 as the benchmark year for determining audit rates as it plans to increase enforcement for those individuals and businesses making more than $400,000 per year.

The agency is "going to be focused completely on … closing the gap," IRS Commissioner Daniel said April 27, 2023, during a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee. "What that means is the audit rate, the most recent audit rate, we have that’s complete and final is 2018. That is the rate that I want to share with the American people. The audit rate will not go above that rate for years to come because for the next several years, at least, we’re going to be focused on work that we’re doing with the highest income filers."

Werfel added that even if the IRS were to expand its audit footprint a few years from now, "you’re still not going to get anywhere near that historical average for quite some time. So, I think there can be assurances to the American people that if you earn under $400,000, there’s no new wave of audits coming. The probability of you being audited before the Inflation Reduction Act and after the Inflation Reduction Act are not changed at all."

He also noted that many of the new hires that will be brought in to handle enforcement will focus on the wealthiest individuals and businesses. Werfel said that there currently are only 2,600 employees that cover filings of the wealthiest 390,000 filers and that is where many of the enforcement hires will be used.

"We have to up our game if we’re going to effectively assess whether these organizations are paying what they owe," he testified. "So, it’s about hiring. It’s about training. And it’s not just hiring auditors, it’s about hiring economists, scientists, engineers. And when I [say] scientists, I mean data scientists to truly help us strategically figure out where the gaps are so we can close those gaps."

Werfel did sidestep a question about the potential need for actually increasing the number of audits for those making under $400,000. When asked about a Joint Committee on Taxation report that found that more than 90 percent of unreported income actually came from taxpayers earning less than $400,000, he responded that "there is a lot of mounting evidence that there is significant underreporting or tax gap in the highest income filers. For example, there’s a study that was done by the U.S. Treasury Department that looked at the top one percent of Americans and found that as much as $163 billion of tax dodging, roughly."

And while answering the questions on the need for more personnel to handle the audits of the wealthy, he did acknowledge that "a big driver" of needing such a large workforce to handle the filings of wealthy taxpayers is due to the complexity of the tax code, in addition to a growing population, a growing economy, and an increasing number of wealthy taxpayers.

As we continue to see an uptick in audits for high income earners, having well-qualified tax professionals as representatives becomes even more essential.  Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC (www.wilsontaxlaw.com) is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group is exclusively comprised of former IRS litigators and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division and Criminal Division.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Newport Beach and Yorba Linda, California

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office)

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

FTB Extends filing deadline to 10/16/23 Due to Storms

Sacramento – The IRS announced tax relief for Californians affected by the recent winter storms. Taxpayers affected by these storms qualify for an extension to October 16, 2023, to file individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments. This includes:

• Individuals whose tax returns and payments are due on April 18, 2023.


• Quarterly estimated tax payments due January 17, 2023, April 18, 2023, June 15, 2023, and September 15, 2023.


• Business entities whose tax returns are normally due on March 15 and April 18.


• Pass-through Elective (PTE) Tax payments due on June 15, 2023.

The following counties are eligible for this extended tax relief, per the IRS January 10 announcement and IRS January 24 announcement:

Residents and businesses in Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba counties who have been affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides are eligible for tax relief.

Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC (www.wilsontaxlaw.com) is a boutique Orange County tax controversy law firm that specializes in representation of individuals and businesses before federal and state tax authorities with audits, appeals, FBAR, offshore compliance, litigation and criminal defense.  Firm founder, Joseph P. Wilson, is a former Federal tax prosecutor and trial attorney for the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.  Wilson Tax Law Group is exclusively comprised of former IRS litigators and Assistant US Attorneys from the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Tax Division and Criminal Division.

For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact: Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC

Newport Beach and Yorba Linda, California

Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office)

Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

FTB extends filing deadline for taxpayers impacted by 2022-23 winter storms to Oct. 16, 2023

Sacramento CA
Repost

Tax Relief

The IRS announced tax relief for Californians affected by the recent winter storms. Taxpayers affected by these storms may qualify for an extension to October 16, 2023, to file an individual extension and business tax to claim tax payments.

This includes:
• Individuals whose tax returns and payments are due on April 18, 2023.
• Quarterly estimated tax payments due January 17, 2023, April 18, 2023, June 15, 2023, and September 15, 2023.
• Business entities whose tax returns are normally due on March 15 and April 18.
• Pass-through Elective (PTE) Tax payments due on June 15, 2023.

The following counties are eligible for this extended tax relief, per the IRS January 10 announcement and IRS January 24 announcement:

Residents and businesses in Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba counties who have been affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides are eligible for tax relief.



For further information, or to arrange a consultation please contact Wilson Tax Law group, APLC. We will be more than happy to assist. As a former IRS trial lawyers a former Assistance US Attorneys in the Tax Division we are happy to share show up at the mall.

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Newport Beach and Yorba Linda, California
Tel: (949) 397-2292 (Newport Beach Office)
Tel: (714) 463-4430 (Yorba Linda Office)

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