Tax Tip of the Week | No. 335 | Happy New Year!

Tax Tip of the Week | December 30, 2015 | No. 335 | Happy New Year!

And get ready for the tax filing season.Hopefully, you followed some of the suggestions we outlined a couple of years ago in TTW # 21 to organize your records. If you did, great!  This will make filing your tax returns a lot easier this year.  It also means that you and your tax advisor can spend more time on tax and financial planning issues for 2016 vs. looking back to 2015.If you are new to our Tax Tip of the Week series, or didn’t follow our suggestions from a few years ago, now would be a good time to review TTW #21.   You might want to make getting organized your 2016 New Year’s Resolution!This week we will look at some of the more common forms that you should be watching for in the coming weeks and months:W-2:                  Employers should mail these by 1/31/16.  If you have moved during the year, make sure former employers are aware of your new address.W-2G:               Casinos, Lottery Commissions and other gambling entities should mail these by 1/31/16 if you have gambling winnings above a certain threshold. Note:  Some casinos will issue you a W-2G at the time you win a jackpot.  Make sure you have saved those throughout the year.1096:                Compilation sheet that shows the totals of the information returns that you are physically mailing to the IRS. The check box for Form 1099-H was removed from line 6, while a check box for Form 1098-Q was added to line 6. The spacing for all check boxes on line 6 was expanded. The amounts reported in Box 13 of Form 1099-INT should now be included in box 5 of Form 1096 when filing Form 1099-INT to the IRS.1098-C :           This form is for contributions of motor vehicles, boats, and airplanes. A donee organization must file a separate Form 1098-C with the IRS for each contribution of a qualified vehicle that has a claimed value of more than $500. All filers of this form may truncate a donor’s identification number (social security number, individual taxpayer identification number, adoption taxpayer identification number, or employer identification number), on written acknowledgements. Truncation is not allowed, however, on any documents the filer files with the IRS.1099-MISC :     This form reports the total paid during the year to a single person or entity for services provided. Certain Medicaid waiver payments may be excludable from the income as difficulty of care payments.  A new check box was added to this form to identify a foreign financial institution filing this form to satisfy its chapter 4 reporting requirement.1099-INT:         This form is used to report interest income from banks and other financial institutions. Box 13 was added to report bond premium on tax-exempt bonds. All later boxes were renumbered.  A new check box was added to this form to identify a foreign financial institution filing this form to satisfy its chapter 4 reporting requirement.1099-DIV:         This form is issued to those who have received dividends from stocks. A new check box was added to this form to identify a foreign financial institution filing this form to satisfy its chapter 4 reporting requirement.1099-B:             This form is issued by a broker or barter exchange that summarizes the proceeds of transactions. For a sale of debt instrument that is a wash sale and has accrued market discount, enter code “W” in box 1f and the amount of the wash sale loss disallowed in box 1g.1099-K:             This form is given to those merchants accepting payment card transactions.  Completion of box 1b (Card Not Present transactions) is now mandatory for 2015.K-1s:                  If you are a partner in a business or a limited partner in some investments, your income and expenses will be reported to you on a K-1.  The tax returns for these entities are not due until 4/18/16 (if they have a calendar-year accounting). Sometimes, you may not receive a K-1 until shortly after the entities’ tax return is filed in April.If you are a beneficiary of an estate or trust, your share of the income and expenses for the year will also be reported on a K-1. The timing of when you may receive your K-1 is the same as outlined above.NOTE:  Many times partnerships, estates and trusts will put their tax returns on extension. If they do, the due date of the return is not until 9/15/16.  We often see client’s receiving K-1s in the third week of September.If you receive, or expect to receive, a K-1 it may be best if you place your personal return on extension.  It is a lot easier to extend your return then it is to amend your return after receiving a K-1 late in the year.So start watching your mailbox and put all of these statements you receive in that new file you created!You can contact us in Dayton at 937-436-3133 and in Xenia at 937-372-3504.  Or visit our website.Rick Prewitt – the guy behind TTW...until next week.