How the government shutdown affects your taxes.

government shutdown

Update: The IRS has announced that the tax season will begin January 28, 2019 to start filing your 2018 tax returns!

Did you try calling the IRS?

Many taxpayers are confused as to how the government shutdown will affect the 2019 tax season. If you pick up the phone and contact the IRS, you’ll receive a short message instead of the typical menu. “Welcome to the IRS. Live telephone assistance is not available at this time. Normal operations will resume as soon as possible,” is what you hear when you call their toll free number.

Overall, this means that all IRS offices are closed because of the government shutdown. Read on to find out what you need to know for this tax season.

First off, what does “government shutdown” mean?

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How the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Affects Businesses

business taxes

The upcoming tax year brings in a lot of changes for self-employed and business taxpayers.

Taxpayers with sole proprietorship, partnerships, trusts, and S corporations will face some difficulties when they’re ready to file for the 2019 tax season because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

Read below for the changes you need to know for your business taxes.

Here’s what qualifies as business income.

In order to have qualified business income (QBI), it must be domestic income from a trade or business. Your qualified business income (QBI) is calculated into a net amount and does not include employee wages, capital gain, interest and dividend income.

The maximum deduction increases.

Prior to the TCJA, you could deduct up to $500,000 for any section 179 property. It has now increased to $1 million. The phase-out threshold also increases from $2 million to $2.5 million. (Subject to change due to inflation.)

The new 20% deduction.

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10 Tax Changes for 2019!

how will my taxes change

After each tax season ends, another creeps up on you.

You might wonder what the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has in store for you this year. The answer is a lot. Many of the common deductions you know will either be limited or removed until 2025, when the TCJA expires.

  1. No more personal and dependent exemptions.

The $4,050 personal exemption that taxpayers claim for themselves, spouses and dependents are no longer available in 2019. Currently, you can still deduct personal exemptions for the 2017 tax year. Click here to deduct your personal exemptions now.

  1. The Standard Deduction doubles.

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