Mileage rates increased mid-year

The IRS has announced that the optional mileage allowance for owned or leased autos (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will increase from 51 cents to 55.5 cents per mile for business travel. The increase took effect on July 1, 2011. The new rate is...

June wedding? Tax tips for newlyweds

While June may be the traditional month for weddings, the IRS offers a number of tax tips for newlyweds at any time of the year. Among those tax-related changes that newlyweds should think about now are notifications of change of name and address, as well as updating...

Is your favorite charity still a nonprofit entity?

Most tax-exempt organizations are required to file an annual return or notice, a requirement that is important to people claiming a tax deduction for charitable giving. The IRS automatically revokes the exemption of any organization that fails to satisfy its filing...

‘Cat lady’ denied deductions by court

It seems as if every neighborhood has a “cat lady.” And now the Tax Court has Jan Van Dusen. Van Dusen is an attorney who cares for cats in her private residence. She volunteers for a qualified charitable organization called Fix Our Ferals. Van Dusen traps...

IRS proposes rules for new markets tax credits

The IRS has issued proposed regulations that should allow more investments in non-real estate businesses located in low-income communities to qualify for a new markets tax credit. Through 2009, the new markets tax credit (NMTC) has helped approximately 3,000...

How bonus depreciation works

If your business claimed bonus depreciation on machinery or equipment in a previous year and then trades it in for an upgrade during 2011, you may qualify for bonus depreciation on the remaining depreciable basis in the old assets. The calculations can seem...