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The link to the article below was published on the National Council of NonProfits’ website. It contains lots of facts about the Small Employer Health Credit and how to claim the credit, which is applicable to both for-profit and nonprofit entities with 25 or fewer full time employees.
Small Employer Health Credit
If you have questions about this credit or need assistance in claiming it, contact Schutte & Hilgendorf, a full service CPA firm, providing auditing, accounting and tax services for individuals, small businesses, non-profits and homeowners associations throughout Yavapai County and Northern Arizona. Call us at 928-778-0079 or email info@prescottaccountants.com
MILTARY FAMILY RELIEF FUND TAX CREDIT
There is an Arizona Tax Credit available for military members and their families that is not widely known. The Arizona Department of Veteran’s Services administers the Military Family Relief Fund. The fund helps service members and their families faced with unforeseen expenses when a loved one becomes a casualty of war. Your donations of $200.00 for single taxpayer and $400.00 for married filing jointly to the fund may qualify for this income tax credit.
This credit is available for tax years 2011 and 2012. Donations will qualify if the total amount donated to the fund during the calendar year has not exceeded 1 (one) million dollars state wide. Qualifying credit will be determined on a first come basis. Information available indicated only about $200,000 has been received by the Fund so far in 2011.
This is a credit similar to the Working Poor and Public School credit which directly reduces your tax liability to the State of Arizona. This credit is available only to individuals. Corporations and other business entities may not claim this credit.
You must receive a receipt from the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services to verify your donation qualifies for the credit.
Click here to get the form to mail in with your check.
This tip brought to you by Schutte & Hilgendorf, CPA’s, a Prescott firm serving the greater Yavapai County, providing audit, accounting,bookkeeping,tax preparation and planning, Quickbooks accounting and setup to individuals and small businesses.
Contact us for a free initial consultation at 928-778-0079
On March 18, 2010, The HIRE Act was signed into law and provides some incentives for hiring and retaining previously unemployed workers.
An exemption was available on the 2010 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarter form 941 payroll tax reports for payroll paid to new employees who were qualified previously employed workers.
In effect for the 2011 tax year, a credit is available to employers who retain qualified employees for 52 consecutive weeks. The credit is claimed on the employers’ income tax return and is the lesser of $1,000 or 6.2% of wages paid to the qualified employee during the 52 week period. A qualifying employee’s wages for the last 26 weeks of the period must be at least 80% of the employee’s wages for the first 26 weeks of the period. The qualifying employee must have been hired between February 3rd, 2010 and December 31, 2010. The credit is available in addition to any exemptions claimed on the 2010 form 941 payroll tax reports.
Should you have questions regarding this post or any other tax needs, contact us at Schutte & Hilgendorf, PLLC, Prescott accountants serving the greater Yavapai County with tax, accounting, auditing, and QuickBooks consulting expertise.
Written and originally published by the Arizona Department of Revenue,
Changes to Arizona Withholding for Wages Paid After December 31, 2010.
The Department prescribed new withholding tables in early 2010 in accordance with Senate Bill 1185 (Laws 2009, 1st Reg. Session, Chapter 2). The new tables were effective for wages paid after June 30, 2010.
The new withholding tables are based on a percentage of gross taxable wages. “Gross taxable wages” is the amount that meets the federal definition of “wages” contained in IRC § 3401 and that will generally be included in box 1 of the employee’s federal Form W-2 at the end of the calendar year (i.e. gross wages net of pretax deductions, such as the employee’s portion of health insurance premiums).
Each employee subject to Arizona income tax withholding was required to complete a new Arizona Form A-4.
The Department has revised Arizona Form A-4 effective for wages paid after December 31, 2010.
The changes include:
■Providing an additional withholding percentage of 0.8%. Previously available percentages are unchanged.
■Removal of the $15,000 annual compensation threshold. All seven withholding percentage rates are available to all employees, regardless of annual compensation.
■Relaxing the exemption requirements. The employee only has to expect that there will be no Arizona tax liability in the current taxable year (instead of not having a liability in the prior year and not expecting one in the current year). However, this withholding exemption election will need to be renewed annually, similar to federal requirements.
Unlike the previous changes effective July 1, every employee is not required to complete a new Arizona Form A-4. Employees wanting to renew their withholding exemption are required file a new Form A-4 with their employer. Employees wanting to take advantage of the lower withholding percentage must file a new Form A-4 with their employer. Individuals with a current withholding percentage elected on Arizona Form A-4P or Arizona Form A-4V may also file a new form to take advantage of the new withholding percentage.
Withholding percentage options for wages paid after December 31, 2010.
Rates are a percentage of gross taxable wages.
Percentage Rates
0.8%
1.3%
1.8%
2.7%
3.6%
4.2%
5.1%
The 2011 Arizona Form A-4, Arizona Form A-4P, and Arizona Form A-4V are available on the
Department’s website at http://www.azdor.gov/Forms/Withholding.aspx
Arizona Withholding Tax Basics For Arizona purposes, an employer must withhold Arizona income tax from the payment of wages to an employee whose compensation is for services performed in Arizona.
Arizona income tax withholding is a percentage of the employee’s gross taxable wages.
“Gross taxable wages” is the amount that meets the federal definition of “wages” contained in IRC § 3401 and that will be included in box 1 of the employee’s federal Form W-2 at the end of the calendar year (i.e. gross wages net of pretax deductions, such as the employee’s portion of health insurance premiums). Employees may also have their employer withhold an additional amount.
The employee completes Arizona Form A-4, Employee’s Arizona Withholding Percentage Election, to elect an Arizona withholding percentage. Amounts that are considered wages for federal tax purposes are also considered wages for Arizona income tax and withholding purposes.
Amounts that are included in wages and are subject to mandatory federal withholding are subject to mandatory Arizona withholding. Amounts that are excluded from wages and are excluded from mandatory federal withholding are excluded from mandatory Arizona withholding.
An employer must withhold Arizona tax from wages paid for services performed within Arizona regardless of whether the employee is a resident or nonresident of Arizona. However, there are two exceptions to the general mandatory withholding requirements for nonresident employees temporarily performing services for their employer in Arizona. Although a nonresident employee may be exempt from Arizona income tax withholding, the employee may be required to file a nonresident Arizona income tax return if the employee meets the filing requirement.
An employer may not have to withhold Arizona tax from wages paid to a nonresident performing services in Arizona if:
■The employee is physically present in Arizona for less than 60 days in a calendar year for the purpose of performing a service that will benefit the employer; AND
■The employer is an individual, fiduciary, partnership, corporation or limited liability company having property, payroll and sales in Arizona, or of a related entity having more than 50% direct or indirect common ownership.
An explanation of this exemption (including examples) is included in the Employer’s Instructions for the Arizona Form A-4.
If you need more information about the article above, contact Schutte & Hilgendorf, CPAs serving all of Yavapai County with accounting, tax preparation and planning, auditing, bookkeeping, payroll, and QuickBooks consulting.
The newly passed and signed 2010 Tax Act, formally named the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, includes several provisions that will affect taxpayers. Here is the information you need to know now about this legislation.
Major Provisions
The new law
- postpones the sunset of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts;
- reduces the estate tax;
- extends unemployment benefits;
- includes an alternative minimum tax (AMT) patch;
- continues through 2012 the lower capital gains tax rate introduced by the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; and
- extends for two years the repeal of the itemized deduction phase-out and the personal exemption phase-out.
Provisions That May Affect You
Estate Tax
The Act temporarily reinstates the estate tax, with an estate tax rate of 35% and an estate tax exemption of $5 million (adjusted for inflation after 2011).
Payroll Tax
For 2011, the Act reduces the rate for the Social Security portion of payroll taxes to 10.4% by reducing the employee rate from 6.2% to 4.2%. The employer’s portion remains 6.2%.
Family
The Act extends several expired or expiring provisions affecting families, including the following:
- The increased standard deduction for married taxpayers filing jointly, which is scheduled to expire after 2010, continues for two years.
- The $1,000 child tax credit amount continues for two years instead of reverting to $500.
- The increased starting and ending points for the earned income credit continues for two years.
- The $3,000 amount for the child and dependent care credit, which was scheduled to revert to $2,400 after 2010, continues for two years.
- The American Opportunity Tax Credit continues for two years.
Business
The Act extends the 100% bonus depreciation for business property acquired after September 8, 2010, before January 1, 2012, and placed in service before January 1, 2012 (or before January 1, 2013, in the case of certain property). It also sets the expensing limitation under IRC §179 at $125,000 and the phase-out threshold amount at $500,000 for 2012. The Act then reduces these amounts to $25,000 and $200,000 for tax years beginning after 2012.
The temporary 100% exclusion of gain from the sale of certain small business stock under IRC §1202, enacted by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, is extended through 2011.
AMT
The Act includes an AMT patch for 2010 and 2011.
- For 2010, the AMT exemption amounts will be $47,450 for unmarried individuals and $72,450 for married individuals filing jointly.
- For 2011, the amounts will be $48,450 and $74,450, respectively.
Needless to say, the 2010 Tax Act is still very new. It is only just being analyzed by professional advisers. The law is potentially subject to modifications by technical correction acts. In addition, provisions of the law may be interpreted by the Treasury Department issuing regulations and by the IRS issuing forms and instructions.
Should you have questions regarding this post or any other tax needs, contact us at Schutte & Hilgendorf, PLLC, Prescott accountants serving the greater Yavapai County with tax, accounting, auditing, and QuickBooks consulting expertise.
On March 18, 2010, The HIRE Act was signed into law and provides some incentives for hiring and retaining previously unemployed workers.
Under the HIRE Act, employers who hire unemployed workers after February 3, 2010 and before January 1, 2011 are exempt from having to pay the employers share of Social Security taxes(6.2%) on the wages paid to the qualified employees after the March 18th effective date. The employer still withholds and pays the employee share of Social Security tax(6.2%) and both the employee and employer share of Medicare tax(1.45%).
Qualifying employees are those who certify to the employer on new Form W-11 that they did not work more than 40 hours in the 60 days prior to the hire date. If the new hire is replacing another worker, the exemption applies only if the worker left voluntarily or was fired for cause.
The credit is obtained by filing the new Form 941 for the 2nd quarter payroll tax reporting.
One additional credit will be available if the qualifying employee is retained for at least 52 consecutive weeks. The retention credit is taken in 2011 and will be the lesser of $1,000 or 6.2% of the wages paid to the worker during a 52 consecutive-week period.
If you need further information please contact us.
Should you have questions regarding this post or any other tax needs, contact us at Schutte & Hilgendorf, PLLC, Prescott accountants serving the greater Yavapai County with tax, accounting, auditing, and QuickBooks consulting expertise.
WASHINGTON ― Many small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that provide health insurance coverage to their employees now qualify for a special tax credit, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Included in the health care reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, approved by Congress and signed by President Obama on March 23, the credit is designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they already have. In general, the credit is available to small employers that pay at least half the cost of single coverage for their employees.
“This credit provides a real boost to eligible small businesses by helping them afford health coverage for their employees,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “We urge small businesses and tax-exempt employers to look closely at this important tax break — which is already effective — to see if they qualify.”
The maximum credit is 35 percent of premiums paid in 2010 by eligible small business employers and 25 percent of premiums paid by eligible employers that are tax-exempt organizations. In 2014, this maximum credit increases to 50 percent of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 35 percent of premiums paid by eligible employers that are tax-exempt organizations.
The credit is specifically targeted to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ low and moderate income workers. It is generally available to employers that have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees paying wages averaging less than $50,000 per employee per year. Because the eligibility formula is based in part on the number of FTEs, not the number of employees, many businesses will qualify even if they employ more than 25 individual workers.
The maximum credit goes to smaller employers — those with 10 or fewer FTEs — paying annual average wages of $25,000 or less.
Eligible small businesses can claim the credit as part of the general business credit starting with the 2010 income tax return they file in 2011. For tax-exempt employers, the IRS will provide further information on how to claim the credit.
The IRS will use postcards to reach out to millions of small businesses that may qualify for the credit. The postcards will encourage small business owners to take advantage of the credit if they qualify.
(From IRS Issue Number IR-2010-38)
Should you have questions regarding this post or any other tax needs, contact us at Schutte & Hilgendorf, PLLC, Prescott accountants serving the greater Yavapai County with tax, accounting, auditing, and QuickBooks consulting expertise.
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Schutte & Hilgendorf PLLC
3140 Stillwater Drive
Prescott, AZ 86305
Phone: 928-778-0079
Fax: 928-778-0261
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