Author: The Relish Jar

  • Three Best Practices for Achieving Organic Sales Growth

    Three Best Practices for Achieving Organic Sales Growth

    Most business owners would probably agree that, when it comes to sales, there’s always room for improvement. To this end, every company should strive for organic sales growth — that is, increases from existing operations unrelated to a merger or acquisition. That’s not to say a merger or acquisition is necessarily a bad idea, but…

  • New Rules Will Soon Require Employers To Annually Disclose Retirement Income To Employees

    New Rules Will Soon Require Employers To Annually Disclose Retirement Income To Employees

    As you’ve probably heard, a new law was recently passed with a wide range of retirement plan changes for employers and individuals. One of the provisions of the SECURE Act involves a new requirement for employers that sponsor tax-favored defined contribution retirement plans that are subject to ERISA. Specifically, the law will require that the…

  • New Law Provides A Variety Of Tax Breaks To Businesses And Employers

    New Law Provides A Variety Of Tax Breaks To Businesses And Employers

    While you were celebrating the holidays, you may not have noticed that Congress passed a law with a grab bag of provisions that provide tax relief to businesses and employers. The “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020” was signed into law on December 20, 2019. It makes many changes to the tax code, including an extension…

  • Do You Have A Side Gig? Make Sure You Understand Your Tax Obligations

    Do You Have A Side Gig? Make Sure You Understand Your Tax Obligations

    The number of people engaged in the “gig” or sharing economy has grown in recent years, according to a 2019 IRS report. And there are tax consequences for the people who perform these jobs, such as providing car rides, renting spare bedrooms, delivering food, walking dogs or providing other services. Basically, if you receive income…

  • Congress Gives a Holiday Gift in the Form of Favorable Tax Provisions

    Congress Gives a Holiday Gift in the Form of Favorable Tax Provisions

    As part of a year-end budget bill, Congress just passed a package of tax provisions that will provide savings for some taxpayers. The White House has announced that President Trump will sign the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 into law. It also includes a retirement-related law titled the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement…

  • What Is Your Taxpayer Filing Status?

    What Is Your Taxpayer Filing Status?

    For tax purposes, December 31 means more than New Year’s Eve celebrations. It affects the filing status box that will be checked on your tax return for the year. When you file your return, you do so with one of five filing statuses, which depend in part on whether you’re married or unmarried on December…

  • Holiday Parties And Gifts Can Help Show Your Appreciation And Provide Tax Breaks

    Holiday Parties And Gifts Can Help Show Your Appreciation And Provide Tax Breaks

    With Thanksgiving behind us, the holiday season is in full swing. At this time of year, your business may want to show its gratitude to employees and customers by giving them gifts or hosting holiday parties. It’s a good idea to understand the tax rules associated with these expenses. Are they tax deductible by your…

  • 2 Valuable Year-End Tax-Saving Tools For Your Business

    2 Valuable Year-End Tax-Saving Tools For Your Business

    At this time of year, many business owners ask if there’s anything they can do to save tax for the year. Under current tax law, there are two valuable depreciation-related tax breaks that may help your business reduce its 2019 tax liability. To benefit from these deductions, you must buy eligible machinery, equipment, furniture or…

  • Small Businesses: Stay Clear of a Severe Payroll Tax Penalty

    Small Businesses: Stay Clear of a Severe Payroll Tax Penalty

    One of the most laborious tasks for small businesses is managing payroll. But it’s critical that you not only withhold the right amount of taxes from employees’ paychecks but also that you pay them over to the federal government on time. If you willfully fail to do so, you could personally be hit with the…

  • Using Your 401(k) Plan To Save This Year And Next

    Using Your 401(k) Plan To Save This Year And Next

    You can reduce taxes and save for retirement by contributing to a tax-advantaged retirement plan. If your employer offers a 401(k) or Roth 401(k) plan, contributing to it is a taxwise way to build a nest egg. If you’re not already contributing the maximum allowed, consider increasing your contribution rate between now and year-end. Because…