Knock-Knock-Knock
Who's there?
The IRS!
The next quarterly payment of estimated income tax for the self-employed is not far off. Network marketers who receive a form 1099 at the end of the year, and/or who are expected to owe $1,000 or more in taxes, must file a form 1040-ES Payment Voucher quarterly to avoid paying a penalty.
When it comes to paying income tax, I'm like Arthur Godfrey who said, "I am proud to pay my taxes. I'd be just as proud to pay half as much.
Like most network marketers, I work hard for what I earn and do not savor sending the government any more money than what I legally owe. So you can imagine how I felt four years ago, when I learned I had overpaid my income tax by some $9,800 over three years.
I had trusted the guy who did my tax returns. After all, preparing tax returns was big part of his business.
But guess what, I fired him.
Once I learned what the law provides home-based business owners to deduct, I went back through three most recent years of returns, revising my 1040 to claim deductions my tax guy didn't have the foggiest notion existed. Or if he did know, he failed to ask me about them.
For instance, my tax guy failed to ask me if I had any dogs. Did you know your dog (or three dogs in my case) qualifies as a "security system" for your home-based business? 100% of all dog food, Vet bills, license fees and medication is tax deductible! I have the IRS tax code to prove it. My tax guy didn't know that. I called him on it and told him to look it up for himself.
You see, I did something worthwhile. I invested in a well-known and respected home-based business tax-reduction book. I learned that with some 43,000 tax codes on the books, a typical CPA could not possibly know them all. How could they?
CPA's typically specialize in corporate tax code, and are often short sighted when it comes to tax deductions for home-based business owners. But I now have my home business tax-guide that lays out exactly what deductions I can take and cites the tax code for each one.
Thankfully, the law allows me to revise previous tax returns, so I was able to save a bundle of money, money I thought was gone. My point to you is this: The likelihood is great that you, too, have overpaid your taxes and are not even aware of it. How much?
According to what I read, the average home-based business owner overpays $1,000 to $2,000 in taxes every year. But the IRS is not about to refund what we overpay without us asking for it through an amended tax return. When you add in the interest
that tax money is earning and refunded with your overpayment, the average refund is more like $3,000 to $6,000.
From my experience, do not trust anyone doing tax preparation who is not intimately familiar with home- based business tax deductions and tax strategies. They could cost you thousands of dollars if they are not up on home-based business tax law, no matter how many initials they carry after their name.
Congress knows that small business is the engine that runs our nation's economy. To encourage small business, Congress has passed legislation giving huge tax breaks to people who invest in a small business. Your network marketing enterprise places you squarely into that small business category.
That fact presents another problem for many part- time network marketers, because they do not think they have earned enough money from their business to qualify for tax deductions. This erroneous thinking is costing them literally thousands of tax dollars.
When I do business seminars, I hold up a Distributor Application and romance it. Why, because just the act of signing that piece of paper qualifies us as a home-based business owner; one who is now eligible to claim thousands of dollars in legally authorized tax deductions; deductions we could not claim before signing that piece of paper.
Profit or loss is not the criteria, it is our intent to make a profit that allows us to claim deductions year after year.
No matter how you view your business, this is your money. So it should behoove you to learn what you can about minimizing your tax liability.
You should do so for yourself, and then for others. How much more good could we do if learned how to keep tax dollars at home? How much more could we do for others if we taught them the same?
Jim Lynn is the author of, "Real World Secrets Behind America's Most Successful (And Profitable) People Who Network." Website: http://peoplewhonetwork.net
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIn trying to comply with tax laws for your e-business,... Read More
How about a Tax Tip?As we all know Taxes are... Read More
Anyone who is closely related to an accountant knows that... Read More
No one likes paying tax. Everyone understands that tax is... Read More
On June 3, 2005, the IRS released guidance on charitable... Read More
Deduction of Refinance PointsAny points that you pay in the... Read More
Most people trying to make a crust online (or offline... Read More
Following is a reproduction of the IRS's rules and requirements... Read More
Often people fall on hard times and stop paying on... Read More
Newlyweds and the recently divorced should make sure that names... Read More
Statistics for IndividualsUnfortunately, the IRS increased its rate of auditing... Read More
Media reporting of a new EU savings tax directive has... Read More
Over 50% of marriages end in divorce in the United... Read More
As a gentleman was leaving my class recently, he wanted... Read More
Taxpayers have two easy and convenient options for getting copies... Read More
One can never underestimate the enthusiasm that politicians have for... Read More
If you are a Small Business Owner or Self-Employed Person,... Read More
If you paid someone to care for a child so... Read More
We need real tax reform and we need it now.... Read More
Recently, I stumbled across a concept that could change your... Read More
The federal tax code is complex. This complexity generally arises... Read More
Emerging Legal issues of Tax compliance of e-business Self-assessment system... Read More
According to the IRS, taxpayers underpay their taxes by some... Read More
Q: I was contacted by the city tax collector to... Read More
Does your incorporated business pay alternative minimum tax ["AMT]? If... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..All tax authorities to e-commerce transactions should investigate the record... Read More
Over 50% of marriages end in divorce in the United... Read More
Q: I was contacted by the city tax collector to... Read More
With gas prices at an all time high before Hurricane... Read More
As a sole proprietor, it's wise to familiarize yourself with... Read More
Often people fall on hard times and stop paying on... Read More
The Internal Revenue Service has certified the 2006 Toyota Highlander... Read More
Import duties continue to be significant elements in the cost... Read More
We all love to criticize the IRS, don't we? And... Read More
In a past article I relayed the plight of the... Read More
An early distribution from an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) or... Read More
"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." ... Read More
Background issues of access to recordsTo assess the records at... Read More
Whether helping the kids with a down payment on their... Read More
"Deducting Meals and Entertainment"O.K. You've been working really hard on... Read More
As an employer, you must pay employment taxes if you... Read More
As a small business owner or self-employed person, one of... Read More
Many taxpayers are confused about how long they should keep... Read More
It's a moment every person dreads. You pick up the... Read More
Deduction of Refinance PointsAny points that you pay in the... Read More
Excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age... Read More
Most people trying to make a crust online (or offline... Read More
The IRS has obtained civil injunctions against more than 100... Read More
For many business owners the answer to this quandary is... Read More
If your identity is stolen, your finances can quickly become... Read More
Tax |