Business Mileage Rate Stays The Same

The IRS has announced that the optional mileage allowance for owned or leased autos – including vans, pickups and panel trucks – will remain at 55.5 cents per mile for business travel after 2011. The rate is unchanged from the July 1, 2011, midyear adjustment....

‘Tis The Season: Gifts As A Tax Strategy

Are you planning to make year-end gifts? Every person can give any other person up to $13,000 for 2011 without incurring any gift tax. The annual exclusion amount increases to $26,000 per donee, or recipient, if your spouse consents to gift splitting. Annual exclusion...

Withdrawing College Savings Has Consequences

Anyone who has set up a Section 529 plan to help pay for the education of a family member should be aware of the plight of Timothy Karlen, as described in a recent Tax Court case. Timothy Karlen was experiencing financial difficulties. On Sept. 4, 2008, he took...

New Act Benefits Government Contractors, Veterans

On Nov. 21, 2011, President Obama signed the Three Percent Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act.  Under the new act, Congress has repealed the 3 percent withholding rule, which was set to apply to all payments to government contractors beginning Jan. 1, 2013....