Author: Gregory J. Cook, EA, CPA

  • Health Insurance on W-2

    Health Insurance on W-2

    You may be wondering if you have to report the value of your employer-sponsored health insurance coverage, which may appear on your W-2, Wage and Tax Statement when you file your 2013 federal income tax return. The health care law requires certain employers to report the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan. The…

  • News From Cook & Co.

    News From Cook & Co.

    Since launching our secure internet portal two years ago, more and more clients have elected to receive their “keep copies” of tax returns electronically. As a result, we are ordering the over-sized big red envelopes by the hundreds now instead of thousands. For those taxpayers that must send a check to the federal or state…

  • Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit

    Starting in 2014, if you get your health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you may be eligible for the premium tax credit. This tax credit can help make purchasing health insurance coverage more affordable for people with moderate incomes. The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance coverage for 2014 through the Marketplace…

  • Currency Exchange Rates

    To convert from foreign currency to U.S. dollars, divide the foreign currency amount by the applicable yearly average exchange rate in the table below. To convert from U.S. dollars to foreign currency, multiply the U.S. dollar amount by the applicable yearly average exchange rate in the table below. Click image to enlarge

  • 2014 Begins with More Returns Filed

    Tax filings this year, so far have outpaced 2013 by 2.5 percent. Refunds are up this year as well, on average by about 18%. The average refund is approximately $3,317.   Correction: The Average Refund has been $3,374. 

  • We Will Open Today

    We expect to open later this morning (by noon). All morning appointments have been rescheduled to afternoon or later so employees, do not rush to get here. Clients, if you have an appointment this afternoon we anticipate being ready and prepared. Freezing temperatures are predicted to return after midnight (Friday morning) so it appears that…

  • DAY 2 Closing Alert

    We will be closed again today. If you had an appointment scheduled, we are offering 1, 2, 3 and 4 o’clock times on Sunday afternoon February 16. If we err, we are going to err on the side of caution. Some of our employees must drive from Huntsville, Oneonta and areas around Marshall County. 

  • Closing Alert Due To Weather

    We will be closed today due to the severe weather. It appears that we may be closed tomorrow as well if the predictions for 3″ to 5″ of snow tonight are correct. We had clients scheduled from Birmingham to Huntsville. Clients coming from the north will not be able to make it up Brindley Mountain. It appears…

  • Did You Buy, Sell or Refinance a Home in 2013?

    If you bought, sold or refinanced a home in 2013 there is a document we will need at tax filing time. It’s called a HUD-1 Form. The form is two pages, often it is on the front and back of a single piece of paper. The HUD-1 Form has two columns on it, one for…