Blog

Employer concerns highlight the need for an ACA solution

Recent surveys have shown that employers are concerned about how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will drive up operational costs and affect business. These survey results indicate that companies need to put a solution in place to mitigate these issues and adjust to the new health care law’s provisions. Since the ACA was implemented, there have been […]

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Ohio county pays the price for unfiled 1099 forms

Lorain County in Ohio recently paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the IRS as penalty for 1099 forms that weren’t filed in 2011. The Chronicle Telegram reported that the county failed to send the documentation to vendors, resulting in a $246,376 settlement. Back in October 2013, when the source first reported on the IRS audit, it […]

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Nuances of State Reporting, No. 3: Untying the Knot – Withholding Repercussions from DOMA

A little over a year has passed since the United States Supreme Court, in United States v. Windsor, tackled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The chief issue considered by the Court was whether the federal government should treat same-sex couples, who were legally married under the laws of a particular state, as married under […]

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House voted to cut IRS enforcement budget

On July 14, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to reduce the IRS’ budget, and a part of the cut affects the agency’s enforcement funding. The overall budget will be lowered by $1.14 billion. According to Bloomberg, the budget cuts will leave the IRS with $9.8 billion for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, 13 […]

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Nuances of State Reporting Series, No. 2: Top 10 List of State Reporting Challenges

In recent years, states have faced budget deficits and are looking for ways to raise revenue without increasing taxes. One way to do this is to improve the enforcement of tax laws that are already on the books. Because of the improved enforcement, many companies are starting to receive penalties for requirements they didn’t know […]

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Industry trade groups pen letter to Senate Finance Committee about Form 1098 changes

Several industry trade groups, including the American Bankers Association (ABA), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Housing Policy Council of the Financial Services Roundtable and Consumer Mortgage Coalition, sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee requesting flexibility in regard to proposed new rules for Form 1098, Mortgage Interest Statement. These new instructions will require that additional information […]

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ETAAC presents report on modernizing tax administration

During a public meeting held June 24, the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) presented its 2014 Annual Report to Congress, which detailed various observations and recommendations. Among these suggestions were five key areas that can be improved. The 11-person committee was first created in 1998 as part of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. […]

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Are You Aware of the Indirect Tax Laws for Pharmaceutical Drugs?

Indirect Tax Laws for Pharmaceutical Drugs are Complex In order to promote good health via public policy, many states apply a variety of sales tax exemptions to sales of prescription drugs. However, some states limit this exemption by excluding over-the-counter (OTC) prescription drugs or by applying strict regulations as to what is a drug and […]

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Paper or Plastic: More Washington Cities Are Saying “No Thanks!”

In an effort to combat the often devastating effect of unnecessary litter and protect clean waterways and wildlife, several localities around the state of Washington have turned to plastic bag bans and fees on single use paper bags to encourage the use of reusable shopping bags. The majority of Washington localities with single use bag […]

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Tackling the big task of ACA reporting

Tax information reporting under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is understandably confusing. There are new obligations, and many internal stakeholders within an organization could be seen as responsible for some part of the ACA reporting process. There are a lot of new forms that need to be processed and mailed. Some of these forms include […]

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Recent Indirect Tax Changes in the Crimean Peninsula

While most of us have been watching with close interest the events that have been unfolding in the Ukraine over the past few months, Taxware has been paying particularly close attention to the potential indirect tax ramifications of the shifting political landscape. The changes for taxpayers located in the region of Crimea and in the […]

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Nuances of State Reporting Series, No. 1: Electronic Reporting Requirements

State reporting can be an arduous task. Each state has an ‘Employer Withholding Guide’ (or a similar framework for instructions) that provides information regarding payment and reporting of the withholding tax which is unique to that state. The challenges of state reporting can be boiled down to the following premise: the information detailed in state […]

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ACA challenge: Which internal department will be responsible for ACA reporting?

Tax information reporting under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that insurance providers and large employers with 50 or more full-time employees report to the IRS on their health coverage offerings for their members and employees. Some of these companies are experiencing confusion regarding when reporting is necessary – and many are scrambling to determine which internal department will […]

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The Headaches of Calculating Transaction Tax on a Lease

How to Calculate Tax on a Lease Most people are familiar with leasing a car, but did you also know you can lease an airplane, a copier, or a computer? Leasing is commonly defined as an agreement between a lessor and a lessee, where the lessor conveys the right to use an asset for an […]

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IRS official discusses complex ACA tax information reporting obligations

Tax reporting for large employers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enforces Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 4980H, the employer mandate of the health care law. According to Bloomberg BNA, Stephen Tackney, IRS deputy associate chief counsel of employee benefits, says that many are wondering why so much reporting is necessary. “We still get questions why all […]

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What is this 8% tax in Chicago?

One of the most common sales tax questions, heard over and over from businesses providing products and services in Illinois is – What is this 8% tax in Chicago? That 8% tax is the Chicago Personal Property Lease Transaction Tax. The tax applies to personal property leases or rentals in Chicago, or to personal property […]

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ACA challenge: Will insurance companies take on ACA reporting for their clients?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will present many challenges for businesses due to the new tax information reporting responsibilities. Some have pondered whether insurance companies will provide ACA reporting services to these businesses, especially for their self-insured clients. Self-insured companies will be reporting as both insurers and employers. Therefore, they will be required to do […]

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Massachusetts income tax laws could hinder new casinos

Several companies are vying for one of the first casino licenses to be made available in Massachusetts. Two of the competitors, Las Vegas-based Wynn and MGM, are appealing to legislators to amend the state’s income tax laws, which according to Wynn and MGM, will be bad for business. According to The Associated Press, the two […]

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