Year-End Tax Tips for 2021

As we wrap up 2021, it’s important to take a closer look at your tax and financial plans. This year likely brought up questions that significantly impact your personal and financial situation. Now is the time to work on your current tax strategies to make sure they are still meeting your needs and take any last-minute steps that could save you…

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Client Alert: Revised Maryland Tax Forms are Available

All individual tax forms have been revised and are ready to use for Maryland’s 2020 tax year. Taxpayers who have been waiting for the revision of forms to amend their taxes to take advantage of an unemployment insurance subtraction can now file or amend with Maryland Form 502LU. Tax returns are due for the state…

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Q1 2021 Stock Market Commentary

The market continued to surge higher as we said goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021. Additional stimulus, mass vaccinations, and hopes for a return to a fully opened economy provided a nice backdrop for the market to further its gains. As rosy as that all sounds, we did run into some volatility late in…

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Is my Maryland (MD) unemployment income/benefits taxable in 2020?

ALERT: If you received unemployment income/benefits in 2020, and have already filed your taxes, you will most likely be due a refund. Contact us if you find yourself in this situation as the corrected Maryland tax return forms were not ready and are still not available. If you received unemployment, do not file your MD…

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Teachers Can Deduct COVID-19 Supplies on Tax Return

Eligible teachers can write off their expenses for coronavirus protective items that will help stop the spread of COVID-19. The IRS has just issued guidance under which teachers can deduct unreimbursed expenses for protective items thanks to the COVID-Related Tax Relief Act that was passed in December.     Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other items used to stop the…

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The Jobs Recovery: More Work to Be Done

In April 2020, the U.S. economy lost an astonishing 20.8 million jobs, by far the largest loss recorded in a single month dating back to 1939. To put this in perspective, the second largest monthly job loss was about 2 million in September 1945, when defense industries reduced production at the end of World War…

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Temporary Payroll Tax Deferral: What You Need to Know

On August 8, 2020, the president issued an executive order to allow the deferral of certain payroll taxes during the last four months of 2020, and the IRS recently provided related guidance. This has implications for both employers and employees. Here’s a brief summary of the issues. Already-existing payroll tax deferral provisions There are generally…

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IRS Clarifies COVID-19 Relief Measures for Retirement Savers

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in March 2020 ushered in several measures designed to help IRA and retirement plan account holders cope with the financial fallout from the virus. The rules were a welcome relief to many people but left questions about the details unanswered. In late June, the IRS…

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Q2 2020 – Second Quarter Stock Market Commentary

There is an old saying on Wall Street, “The stock market is not the economy and the economy is not the stock market.” We all got a little taste of that this past quarter when we saw a negative -4.8% GDP in the first quarter and predictions of negative -30% to -50% GDP for the second quarter. We saw record…

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U.S. Government Sends Millions of Economic Impact Payments by Prepaid Debit Card

In May 2020, the IRS sent Economic Impact Payment (EIP) prepaid VISA debit cards to individuals who qualified for a stimulus payment under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and didn’t receive a payment via direct deposit. How is the card activated? The Economic Impact Payment Card (EIP Card) arrives in a…

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