Do You Have Any Questions?
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What should I bring to my first appointment?
If individual tax meeting: Bring a copy of your prior year tax return and current year information (W-2, 1099, a list of deductions). We will make a list of additional items needed after the first meeting. See the Income Tax Organizer under Tax Tips. If business tax meeting: Bring a copy of your prior year tax return and all current year financial statements or equivalent. We will make a list of additional items needed after the first meeting.
If I am a returning client, do I need an appointment to drop off my tax information?
No, you can drop off your information or send it by Email (info@aaalabamatax.com) and we will call you with questions, etc.
I received a tax notice in the mail from the IRS or State. What should I do?
Fax or email a copy of the tax notice to us and we will analyze it and prepare a response.
What Business Expenses Can I Deduct?
We can provide you with a list of standard business expenses. Basically, you can deduct the money that your business directly spends on services, rental space, equipment and other items. As long as there is no gray area, such as is with home-based businesses, an expense will usually qualify as deductible.
Does the legal structure of my business matter when filing taxes?
Yes, each entity type is treated in a different way for taxes. Maybe you are a sole proprietor looking to incorporate or trying to decide between LLC and S Corp; either way, you will want to know how your choice is going to affect you when filing taxes.
Do my employees counts as independet contractors or true employees?
This is a very important question because you have more responsibilities for a true employee, such as withholding income taxes and paying a portion of the employee’s employment taxes. In order to determine the answer to this, you will need to discuss your specific situation in order for us to provide you with the best way to treat those providing services to you.
How much of my home office is deductible?
This is an important question if you work from home. You can deduct utility and mortgage or rent amounts that you spend on your home office, but there are certain guidelines you must follow. As your tax preparer, we will know the exact answers that pertain to your situation.
What information do i need to keep?
You should keep all tax information you receive to provide to your tax preparer. Examples are W-2 forms, broker statements, bank interest statements, 1099 forms, end of the year Social Security statements, K-1 forms, etc. After you submit them to us.
I want to start a small business. What do I do first?
The first step you should take when starting your small is business is to contact us at AAAlabamaTax Service to schedule a free initial consultation so we can explain all of your options and what would work best for you.
What kind of records should I keep for my business?
The first step you should take when starting your small is business is to contact us at AAAlabamaTax Service to schedule a free initial consultation so we can explain all of your options and what would work best for you.
My records are a mess and have mounds of paper. Where do I start?
You’re not the first person to say their records are a mess and you are embarrassed for anyone to see the paper mounds let alone organize them. You should start by contacting us. We can organize your records, set you up on QuickBooks Pro and get you organized and your accounting up and running. Do not be ashamed of paperwork. We love paper!
If you do my bookeeping, what reports do I get?
We will usually provide you with a balance sheet and profit & loss as well as other reports based on your needs.
Do you have longer hours during tax season?
Yes, We are open 6 days a week during tax season. M-F we are open 9 to 6 or by appointment. Just call and make an appointment for weekends and evenings.
What Is Income Tax?
Income tax is, basically, the taxes put on everything you earned over the past year as income. Taxable income is a surprisingly wide category. If you have a full-time job, that’s probably going to account for the majority of your income that’s going to get taxed. But it’s far from the only thing that’s getting taxed. In addition to full-time income, freelance and self-employment income gets taxed, as do any unemployment benefits you receive from the government. Severance pay can also get taxed. Additional wages and tips are also subject to taxation. Essentially, income from a job is taxed – whether that job is maintained or lost.
Income Tax Brackets: What Are the Tax Rates?
How much you will owe in income taxes depends on how much taxable income you made over that year. Income is placed into tax brackets to determine how much it is taxed. In a bracketed system, those who make more money get taxed a higher percentage for that additional money they make. The ideal execution of this system is that those in the top percentages of income in the country pay a significantly higher level of taxes on their millions than those who make far less. The income you make is taxed at various rates depending on how much you make: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. The specific income ranges that get put into these tax ranges will depend on whether you filed your taxes as a single person, married filing jointly, married filing separately or head of household. If you were to calculate how much you owed in taxes by knowing how much taxable income you made that year, you’ll need to calculate all tax brackets you are technically in. Let’s say you filed as a single individual and made $100,000 in the last year. For a single filer, the first $9,525 gets taxed at 10%, or $952.50. The $9,526-$38,700 range gets taxed at 12%, which comes out to $3,501. $38,701-$82,500 is taxed at 22%, aka $9,636. The rest of your income is taxed at 24%, which ends up being $4,200. Add them up ($952.50 + $3,501 + $9,636 + $4,200) and you end up with $18,289.50 in taxes for the year. That means even though you’re technically in the 24% tax bracket, overall you paid about 18.3% in income tax.
What are qualified education expenses?
Qualified education expenses are costs associated with a college education. This includes amounts paid for tuition, fees, school supplies, and other student costs. Items that cannot be expensed include room and board, insurance, medical expenses, transportation, non-credit courses, etc.
Who can be claimed as a dependent?
Each dependent comes with a tax exemption, so it’s important to solidify who can and cannot be claimed. Put simply, a dependent is anyone you support financially. A key requirement: you provided a least half of the dependent’s support for the year. This includes food, clothes, shelter, etc.