• IRS Urges Taxpayers to Check Their Withholding – New Factors Increase Importance of Mid-Year Check Up

    IRS Urges Taxpayers to Check Their Withholding – New Factors Increase Importance of Mid-Year Check Up

    As we head into Labor Day Weekend, the Internal Revenue Service is encouraging taxpayers to consider a mid-year tax withholding checkup following several new factors that could affect their taxes in 2017. Taking a closer look at the taxes being withheld can help ensure the right amount is withheld, either for tax refund purposes or…

  • Identity Theft of Decedents, It’s called “Ghosting”

    Identity Theft of Decedents, It’s called “Ghosting”

    If You Should be Called On to Act as Executor or Executrix, You Must Exercise Care and Caution Most likely you will require several original copies of the Death Certificate in order to settle all of the affairs. This one document contains more information about that person than almost any other document, to include date…

  • As Americans, We take the Bad with the Good

    As Americans, We take the Bad with the Good

    Who will our next President be, if Hillary wins in November and is indicted in December? Hillary Clinton Our Constitution requires only: the president must be above the age of thirty-five, have lived in the United States for at least fourteen years, and be a “natural-born citizen.” It’s a fact that the drafters of our…

  • Congress just keeps Putting Lipstick on our Tax Code

    Congress just keeps Putting Lipstick on our Tax Code

    PATH ACT The most recent layer of lipstick came in the form of a 233 page document named “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015.” Arriving the week before Christmas 2015, in a manner that has become all too routine over the last eight years, it has the appearance of being a last-minute ditch…

  • Child Tax Credit

    Child Tax Credit

    A qualifying child for purposes of the child tax credit is a child who: Is your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, or a descendant of any of them (for example, your grandchild, niece, or nephew), Was under age 17 at the end of 2015, Did not provide…

  • What happens when your job requires a security clearance, but you lose yours?

    What happens when your job requires a security clearance, but you lose yours?

    YOU LOSE YOUR JOB! This has been a hot topic in the news recently and is a subject with which I am very familiar, not just from my Army days, but from my daily activity as a Tax Advisor. My firm prepares tax returns and represents more than 600 individuals who possess security clearances at…

  • FERS Special Retirement Supplement

    FERS Special Retirement Supplement

    Congress created the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in 1986, and it became effective on January 1, 1987. Since that time, new Federal civilian employees who have retirement coverage are covered by FERS. Not long ago, I wrote an article about the effect Baby Boomers are having on the workplace landscape as they reach retirement…

  • Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer 2016

    Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer 2016

    Record Hot Temperatures Predicted for Last Week of Spring Here in North Alabama We have fallen behind on normal rainfall and water levels this Spring of 2016. Recently we’ve gained some ground catching up, thank goodness. Our routine day at the office this time of year, has us discussing quarterly estimated tax payments like the second…

  • IRS Launches More Rigorous e-Authentication Process

    IRS Launches More Rigorous e-Authentication Process

    Text-Enabled Cell Phone Required To access the new Get Transcript Online feature of the Internal Revenue Service, taxpayers must have an email address, a text-enabled mobile phone and specific financial account information, such as a credit card number or certain loan numbers. Taxpayers who registered using the older process will need to re-register and strengthen…