Here are a few key tax deadlines for businesses during Q2 of 2019. APR. 1: File with the IRS if you’re an employer that will electronically file 2018 Forms 1097, 1098, certain Forms 1099 and/or Form W-2G. APR. 15: If you’re a calendar-year corporation, file a 2018 income tax return (Form 1120) or file for a six-month extension (Form 7004) and pay any tax due. APR. 30: Employers report income tax withholding and FICA taxes for Q1 2019 (Form 941) and pay any tax due. Contact us to learn more about filing requirements and ensure you meet all applicable deadlines.

If you’re the parent of a child age 17 to 23, and you pay all (or most) of his or her expenses, you may be surprised to learn you’re not eligible for the child tax credit. But there’s a $500 dependent tax credit that may be available to you. That can provide some extra spending money! To qualify, you and your child must pass certain tests. These include: The child lives with you for over half the year; the child is over age 16 and up to age 23 if he or she is a student; and you provide over half of the child’s support for the year. Contact us for more details.

Related party transactions and relationships aren’t necessarily bad. But they raise some concerns about the risk of misstatement or omission in financial reporting. In recent years, updated professional standards have led external auditors to focus more attention on related parties. This scrutiny may help avert corporate failures and lead to improvements in accounting transparency and disclosures. We need your help throughout the audit process to identify, evaluate and disclose all related party relationships and transactions, openly and completely.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created a federal tax credit for employers that provide qualified paid family and medical leave to employees. However, it’s subject to numerous rules and is only available for the 2018 and 2019 tax years. An eligible employer can claim a credit equal to 12.5% of wages paid to qualifying employees who are on family and medical leave, if the leave payments are at least 50% of the normal wages paid to them. For each 1% increase over 50%, the credit rate increases by 0.25%, up to a maximum credit rate of 25%. Contact us for more information.

Did you make large gifts to your heirs in 2018? If so, it’s important to determine whether you’re required to file a gift tax return by April 15 (Oct. 15 if you file for an extension). Generally, you’ll need to file one if you made 2018 gifts that exceeded the $15,000-per-recipient gift tax annual exclusion (unless to your U.S. citizen spouse) and in certain other situations. But sometimes it’s desirable to file a gift tax return even if you aren’t required to. If you’re not sure whether you must (or should) file a 2018 gift tax return, contact us.

Did you make large gifts to your heirs in 2018? If so, it’s important to determine whether you’re required to file a gift tax return by April 15 (Oct. 15 if you file for an extension). Generally, you’ll need to file one if you made 2018 gifts that exceeded the $15,000-per-recipient gift tax annual exclusion (unless to your U.S. citizen spouse) and in certain other situations. But sometimes it’s desirable to file a gift tax return even if you aren’t required to. If you’re not sure whether you must (or should) file a 2018 gift tax return, contact us.

If you own a business and don’t have a tax-advantaged retirement plan, it’s not too late to establish one and reduce your 2018 tax bill. A Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) can be set up for 2018 as long as you do it before your 2018 income tax return filing deadline. You have until the same deadline to make 2018 contributions and claim a potentially substantial deduction on your 2018 return. Contributions are discretionary and may be as large as $55,000 for 2018. Contact us with questions and to discuss whether it makes sense for you to set up a SEP for 2018.

Recent changes to tax law and accounting rules may affect whether you decide to lease or buy equipment or other fixed assets. Many businesses that have typically leased assets are now buying them instead. Lease payments generally are deductible, but buying allows you to take advantage of expanded Section 179 and bonus depreciation deductions to potentially write off the full cost of equipment in the year it’s purchased. Also, the accounting advantages of leases generally are disappearing. We can help you determine whether leasing or buying is better for you.

It’s not just businesses that can deduct vehicle-related expenses. Individuals also can deduct them in certain circumstances. But the TCJA might reduce your deduction compared to your 2017 return. For 2017, miles driven for business, moving, medical and charitable purposes were potentially deductible. For 2018 through 2025, business and moving miles are deductible only in much more limited circumstances. The near-doubling of the standard deduction may also affect the tax benefit. Questions? Contact us. We can help you with your 2018 return and 2019 tax planning.

In 2018, the average organizational cost of a data breach in the United States was $7.91 million. With so much at stake, it’s no surprise that auditors consider data security when conducting their audit risk assessments. During audit fieldwork, expect to answer questions about cybersecurity and the effectiveness of your company’s internal controls against these threats. Your answers, in turn, can help you formulate more effective governance strategies.