Summertime has a special meaning for children: bike rides, swimming, sleeping late, and most importantly, no school for two and a half months. But many parents—whose work schedule is unaffected by the changing seasons—dread the end of the school year, because finding summer childcare during the day becomes a difficult (and expensive) task.
Sound stressful? Don’t worry, there’s good news.
To ease the financial burden of summer expenses, the IRS offers special tax credits for qualifying taxpayers who pay for summer childcare. This means that the money you pay these next couple of months for daycare, summer day camps, and even in-home baby-sitters can help you earn a significant tax credit on next year’s return—up to 35% of what you pay now. This helps offset the cost as you go to work every day (or look for work, if you are unemployed).
Of course, there are certain rules that apply:… Read More
How Much Are You Worth?
Building a business from the ground up is an exhilarating endeavor that comes with a number of decisions: the name of the company, whom you should hire, where you’re headquartered. But there is one question that many entrepreneurs don’t consider until things are already in motion: what are you worth? How much should you really pay yourself for owning and running the place?
Unfortunately, there’s not a magic answer. There are actually a number of approaches business owners take in determining their salary—it all depends on several factors, including the size of the business, the owners’ determination to re-invest in the company, and the amount of debt owed.
Many financial experts, including the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), recommend following one of the following approaches:
- Pay yourself what others in the field earn. This means doing a little research (the SBA’s income statistics page is a good place to start)
… Read MoreSame-Sex Ruling Offers Tax Benefits to Couples
For many same-sex couples living in Minnesota, filing taxes in 2014 is going to be very different—and possibly much more rewarding.
The background: In May 2013, Minnesota moved to legalize same-sex marriage, paving the way for ceremonies to begin August 1st. Shortly after the state senate’s ruling, the Supreme Court ruled Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, meaning that the federal government must recognize same-sex marriages in states where it is legal.
This means that same-sex couples in Minnesota who decide to get married will be allowed to file a joint federal tax return in April, as will other couples who are married in one of the 13 states where same-sex marriage is legal. They will also be eligible for many other financial perks of marriage, including:
- Possible tax benefits. Some married couples pay less taxes when filing jointly (this depends on each spouse’s income).
- Equitable estate planning
… Read MoreTax Credits for Summer Camps and Childcare
Summertime has a special meaning for children: bike rides, swimming, sleeping late, and most importantly, no school for two and a half months. But many parents—whose work schedule is unaffected by the changing seasons—dread the end of the school year, because finding summer childcare during the day becomes a difficult (and expensive) task.
Sound stressful? Don’t worry, there’s good news.
To ease the financial burden of summer expenses, the IRS offers special tax credits for qualifying taxpayers who pay for summer childcare. This means that the money you pay these next couple of months for daycare, summer day camps, and even in-home baby-sitters can help you earn a significant tax credit on next year’s return—up to 35% of what you pay now. This helps offset the cost as you go to work every day (or look for work, if you are unemployed).
Of course, there are certain rules that apply:… Read More