2017 Tax Year Client Letter

The following is our client  letter for the tax year 2017. It contains useful information and suggestions to help you get ready for tax time. Don’t forget to schedule your appointment now!

 

Dear Client,

Once again, the New Year is behind us and tax time is coming. We will continue making our free tax organizers available to anyone who requests one. Personal organizers are available by calling the office to request a copy through the mail, or you can download a generic one at our new website, www.rbce.tax under the Resources tab.

 

Appointments

We request that you make an appointment to meet with us in person, for a phone consultation, or to drop off your tax paperwork. Paperwork may be submitted in person, by fax, email, or secure portal. Please include your contact information – phone number and email address.

Important Dates

January 31, 2018 – W-2 and 1099MISC Forms must be submitted to IRS/SSA and mailed out to taxpayers by this date.

February 09, 2018 – Deadline for submitting partnership and corporation business tax documents to make the March 15, 2018 filing deadline.

March 1, 2018 – Extensions will be submitted for all partnership and corporation business tax returns not e-filed.

March 09, 2018 – Deadline for submitting personal tax documents to make the April 18, 2017 filing deadline.

March 13, 2018 – Any appointments scheduled after March 13, 2017, will automatically have their tax return extended.

March 15, 2018 – Filing deadline for partnership and business tax returns.

April 15, 2018 – Deadline for Annual Reporting of Foreign Accounts

April 17, 2018 – Filing deadline for personal tax returns.

 

Affordable Care Act or ACA

If you receive a Form 1095 A, B, or C, from any issuer or agency, we MUST have a copy to accurately prepare your tax return. If you did not receive a 1095, we must ask you a number of additional questions about insurance coverage so that we can help you avoid any penalties for failure to have health insurance.

Charitable Donations

Any individual contribution over $250 must have an acknowledgement letter from the charity, and the letter must be dated by the date we file your return. All Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. donation slips must have a dollar value indicated and a listing of donated items on the slip.

Children/Student Tax Returns

Due to the ACA, we would like to file all of your dependent’s returns because allowing a dependent to file their own return, particularly a student, can cost the dependent and parent literally thousands of dollars in ACA penalties and/or credits.

Contact Information

Please confirm your contact information – address, telephone numbers, and email.

Driver’s License – We are required this year to make a copy of your drivers license to prevent identity theft.

Education Credits

We are required to have your 1098-T (Tuition Statement) on hand to place an education credit on your tax return.

Internal Revenue Service

We will be continuing to offer an Internal Revenue Service Limited Power of Attorney (POA).  You can sign a POA that gives the representative the ability to deal with IRS should any issue arise.  POAs can be coded so that we receive copies of any IRS correspondence you may receive. This will allow us to assist you more quickly with any IRS situation.

Life Change

Please inform us of any life changes: moves, divorce, marriage, children, or deaths. These changes could affect the way you need to file your tax return.

Other Items to Consider

Due to the numerous requests for copies of W-2 forms and prior year tax returns, especially during the active tax season, we have instituted a charge for this service.

Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act)

If you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, or the American Opportunity Tax Credit, your refund will be held by the IRS until February 15th.  The delay is mandated because of the surge in identity theft and fraudulent tax returns.  You should still file as soon as you have your tax documents as waiting to file will only delay your refund. IRS.gov/GetReady will help you understand the changes that may affect the processing of tax returns and release of refunds.

Rental Property

If you own rental property, you will need the location, the type of property (single-family, duplex, etc.), any tax documents received, a record of the number of days rented and the number of days used for personal purposes, as well as income and expenses (by category) for each property separately.

Services

We offer the following: notary services, small business planning, LLC setup, and IRS representation. As always, we will give you a paper copy of your return. We now have a secure portal available for sensitive documents such as tax returns. We will no longer be emailing returns due to IRS recommendations regarding identity theft.

2017 Personal Income Tax Preparation

Please gather all information needed to file your 2016 tax return. You should receive this information by the third week in February.  The following lists some of the documents you may have:

 

W-2 forms for wage earners 1099 for interest, dividends, retirement, royalty
1099B for stock transactions, interest, or dividends Social security statements
K-1 for partnerships, S-Corps, Estates, or Trusts 1098 for mortgage interest
Quarterly estimated tax payments HUD 1 or settlement statements for property bought or sold in 2017
Receipts for property tax paid in 2017 Income and expenses for self-employment/contract
Gambling winnings or unemployment payments Donations
Medical Savings or Health Savings Accounts Foreign bank accounts and assets information
   

 

2017 Business Income Tax Preparation

Please gather all information needed to file your 2017 tax return. You should receive this information by the third week in February.  The following lists some of the documents you may have:

 

  • Form 1099 K – Credit Card Transactions – provided by any credit card processors
  • 1099 MISC forms for income received
  • List of equipment purchased for 2017 – include purchase date and price, and a short description of equipment
  • Vehicle expenses require a mileage log. You need the total number of miles driven for business and the total number of miles driven for the entire year.
  • Profit and Loss statement listing all income and expenses by category.
  • Balance Sheet for all corporate tax returns.

 

Extensions

Extensions will be prepared for every return that is not e-filed by March 13, 2018. An extension will not red flag your return.  Please remember that an Extension of Time to File does not extend the time to pay taxes. If taxes are not paid by April 18, 2018, interest and penalties will accrue.  Filing an extension does prevent the larger penalty for “Failure to File”.

 

Please rest assured that we will utilize our best resources to once again provide you with timely, complete, and accurate service while keeping your tax burden to the lowest legal amount. We thank you for your support.