Best Practices for Scanning Tax Documents With A Mobile Device
Mar 02, 2023
Every year, tax season requires clients to share large amounts of data – mostly in the form of paper documents. As technology has evolved, so have the ways in which we share and collect personal files. The use of electronic document exchange software has become the standard for most accounting firms as it is quick and easy.
While most people don’t have a personal document scanner, almost everyone has a mobile device. This year we wanted to share best practices for scanning your tax documents so they are legible and compatible with our tax preparation software.
Image Files (.jpg, .png, .tiff, etc.) are not the best option
Many times, we receive documents as pictures or images which have been taken utilizing the camera app on your mobile device or tablet. Typically, photo/image file types utilize compression to reduce the size of the file for ease of upload. However, this compression results in a loss of quality, which ultimately makes the file harder to read. Instead, you can use your same mobile device or tablet to scan and submit documents in a PDF format! See below for tips!
Why are PDF files optimum?
When you create a PDF file containing data such as paragraphs, images, numbers, graphs, tables, etc., it will always display that data in the exact same way no matter where you are viewing it. PDF files also have universal compatibility meaning most modern browsers are fully capable of opening and displaying PDF files, and most modern operating systems come with basic pre-installed apps to open PDFs with ease.
Tips for creating PDF files
We have provided some resources below for your convenience. You can also do an internet search for your exact phone model for additional scanning options as well as where to find support for scanning from a mobile device.
- Article: Scan Documents with your phone: iPhone and Android
- iPhone specific – Video: Scanning using the Files App
- Android specific – Video: Scanning using Google Drive App
- Adobe Scan
Finally, as you’re working to prepare your tax records for the current filing season, take the time to connect with your tax professional to avoid any surprises and to ensure you have all the necessary documents to meet your filing deadlines. We do not require our clients to send documents electronically, you can still provide your files to us directly in paper form. We will provide you with your original documents when we complete your tax return but we always encourage you to make a copy of your files for safekeeping.
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Categories: Tax Planning
Proposed Regulations Address Foreign Tax Credit Rules
Dec 27, 2022
The IRS has recently issued proposed regulations relating to the foreign tax credit covering:
- Guidance on the reattribution asset rule for purposes of allocating and apportioning foreign taxes
- The cost recovery requirement
- The attribution rule for withholding tax on royalty payments
Reattribution Asset Rule
The 2022 foreign tax credit final regulations provide rules for allocating and apportioning foreign income tax arising from a disregarded payment. Foreign gross income included by reason of the receipt of a disregarded payment has no corresponding U.S. item because Federal income tax law does not give effect to the payment as a receipt of gross income. The new proposed rules therefore characterize the disregarded payment under Federal income tax law for purposes of assigning this foreign gross income to the statutory and residual groupings.
These rules treat the portion of a disregarded payment, if any, that causes U.S. gross income of the payor taxable unit to be reattributed as a “reattribution payment” under either the rules for gross income attributable to a foreign branch in the case of a taxpayer that is an individual or domestic corporation; or the rules for gross income attributable to a tested unit in the case of a taxpayer that is a foreign corporation. The excess of a disregarded payment over the portion that is a reattribution payment is treated either as a contribution from one taxable unit to another taxable unit owned by the first taxable unit, or as a remittance of a taxable unit’s current and accumulated earnings.
Cost Recovery Requirement
Under the cost recovery requirement, the base of a foreign tax permits the recovery of significant costs and expenses attributable, under reasonable principles, to the gross receipts included in the tax base. The proposed regulations provide additional guidance with respect to whether the test is met in certain cases where foreign tax law contains a disallowance or other limitation on the recovery of a particular cost or expense that may not reflect a specific principle underlying a particular disallowance in the Code. The proposed regulations also provide that the relevant foreign tax law need only permit recovery of substantially all significant cost or expense, based on the terms of the foreign law. A safe harbor is provided for applying the requirement.
Attribution Requirement for Royalty Payments
The attribution requirement allows a credit for foreign tax only if the country imposing the tax has a sufficient nexus to the taxpayer’s activities or investment in capital. Under the source-based attribution requirement, a foreign tax imposed on the nonresident’s income on the basis of source meets the attribution requirement only if the foreign tax sourcing rules are reasonably similar to the U.S. sourcing rules. With respect to royalties, foreign tax law must source royalties based on the place of use of, or the right to use, the intangible property, consistent with how the Code sources royalty income.
The proposed regulations provide an exception (the single-country exception) to the source-based attribution requirement if a taxpayer can substantiate that the payment on which the royalty withholding tax is imposed was made pursuant to an agreement that limits the right to use intangible property to the jurisdiction imposing the tested foreign tax. The exception applies only when the taxpayer has a written license agreement that meets certain requirements.
The proposed regulations also modify the separate levy rule to provide that a withholding tax that is imposed on a royalty payment made to a nonresident pursuant to a single-country license is treated as a separate levy from a withholding tax that is imposed on other royalty payments made to such nonresident and from any other withholding taxes imposed on other nonresidents.
William Vaughan Company will continue to monitor proposed changes on foreign reporting. For immediate questions or concerns, please contact our team of experienced tax professionals.
Categories: Tax Compliance
Ohio Tax Update: State Offers Dollar-for-Dollar Tax Credit for Scholarship Fund Donations
Dec 14, 2022
Starting with the 2021 tax year, the state of Ohio began offering dollar-for-dollar tax credits to individuals who donate to an Ohio-certified scholarship granting organization, or SGO. Defined by the state, SGOs are organizations exempt from federal taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that prioritize awarding academic scholarships for low-income students to attend primary and secondary schools (K-12), and that receive certification from the Office of the Ohio Attorney General.
Individuals that donate to an SGO can expect to receive a tax credit equal to 100 percent of their contribution (up to $750,) while married couples could receive up to a $1,500 credit. In addition to claiming the state tax credit, eligible charitable contributions can also be claimed on federal income tax returns if the taxpayer opts to itemize their deductions.
Currently, there are 25 certified SGOs in the state of Ohio, all of which are listed on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.
“This is a very easy credit for Ohio taxpayers to take advantage of,” says William Vaughan Company Tax Partner, Sandi Towns. “Those who have donated to Ohio-certified SGOs in 2022 need simply include their proof of donation letter(s) with other tax documents given to their accountants.”
Says Towns, “William Vaughan Company’s tax team will continue to monitor this and other tax credit updates, however I urge anyone wishing to take advantage of these credits to contact their accountant in order to determine which credits make the most sense for their specific tax and financial situation.”
Sandi Towns, CPA/PFS, CFP®
Tax Partner
sandi.towns@wvco.com
Categories: Tax Planning
Inflation Reduction Act Expands 179D (Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction)
Oct 17, 2022
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (2022 IRA) was passed to incentivize investment in clean energy and promote the reduction of carbon emissions. A large share of the incentives come in the form of tax credits, which in some cases are extensions or expansions of current credits, such as those for electric vehicles or residential energy upgrades.
Of the tax provisions introduced by the 2022 IRA, one of the most significant to businesses has been the expansion of the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction (§179D), which increases the maximum deduction and updates the eligibility requirements for a property’s reduction of energy costs, in addition to other changes.
Under the expanded provision, a deduction is allowed for all or part of the cost of certain energy-savings improvements made to domestic, commercial buildings placed in service as part of the building’s:
- interior lighting systems
- heating, cooling, ventilation (HVAC), and hot water systems
- building envelope
The tax deduction benefits both commercial building owners and lessees along with designers of government-owned buildings. Additionally, the provision states that installation of energy-efficient property may occur as a result of new construction, or through the improvement of an existing commercial or government building.
Efficiency standard: To qualify for the deduction, newly updated eligibility requirements call for energy-efficient property to reduce associated energy costs by 25% or more (decreased from 50% or more) in comparison to a reference building that meets the latest efficiency standards.
Applicable amount: The applicable dollar value of the deduction is $0.50 per square foot, an increase of $0.02 for each percentage point above 25% that a building’s total annual energy cost savings are increased. However the amount cannot be greater than $1/ square foot, and the maximum amount of the deduction in any tax year cannot exceed $1/ square foot minus the total deductions taken over the previous three years (or during a four-year period in cases where the deduction is allowable for someone other than the taxpayer). The applicable dollar value will be adjusted for inflation for tax years beginning after 2022.
An increased dollar value is available for projects that satisfy prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements for the duration of the construction.
Alternative deduction for energy-efficient retrofit property. Under the 2022 Inflation Act, taxpayers may elect to take an alternative deduction for a qualified retrofit of any eligible property. However, instead of a reduction in total annual energy power costs, the deduction is based on the reduction of energy usage intensity.
For more information on how you may be able to take advantage of this deduction or any other tax relief provisions under the 2022 Inflation Act, contact William Vaughan Company’s team of trusted tax professionals.
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Categories: Tax Planning
5 Tips for Building Culture in a Disconnected Workspace
Aug 30, 2022
With the labor shortages and hiring challenges facing employers nationwide, now more than ever, companies are beginning to put their “office culture” under a microscope. But what exactly does that mean, and how important is workplace culture in relation to employee retention?
We sat down with Aaron Swiggum, managing partner at William Vaughan Company to learn what innovative techniques his leadership team has initiated within the firm to create a culture that keeps talent motived and engaged: Give your team the trust and flexibility to work remote.
“At William Vaughan Company, we give our employees the option to work from home or at any of our three offices, depending on the needs of their schedule,” said Swiggum. “To support our staff working remotely, we offer a take-home technology package fully equipped with monitors, docking stations and the like to ensure their success while off-campus.”
Create space for connections within the office.
Meanwhile, for those working on-site, Swiggum has repurposed unused office space into multi-person, collaboration rooms where our team can work together, bounce ideas off each other, and grow together as professionals. Expanding opportunities for engaging connection beyond just the traditional “water cooler” chat is crucial for the ever growing, virtual workspace.
Keep an eye on corporate culture trends to stay ahead of curve.
Corporate cultures at companies like Google and Facebook typically come to mind when you think of progressive work environments and trendy perks. But you don’t have to be a tech giant to incentivize your team. William Vaughan Company noticed what those companies were doing, then polled our team to see which perks would be most beneficial to them. “We’ve increased our maternity leave, added paternity leave for new dads, and created wellness programs that encourage healthy habits during our busiest, and often most stressful, times of the year.
Reimaging what teambuilding looks like.
Modeled after the esteemed, Seattle Fish Market, William Vaughan Company launched a program known as “Fish Groups” which aims to connect 7-8 team members who may not normally work together. Each group meets off-campus periodically throughout the quarter, allowing for deeper connections to form between colleagues that may have only previously communicated via email.
Define your core values and stick to them.
Of all the core values that define William Vaughan Company, “work hard, play hard,” “family,” and “community” are the pillars upon which we’ve built our culture. “We pride ourselves on having created a work environment where our team can have fun, participate in community service activities, and at the end of the day, feel secure about putting their families first,” Aaron says.
Although “culture” has become somewhat of an overused buzzword today, William Vaughan Company knows how important building and maintaining a positive and engaging work environment can be. According to Aaron, “when your team feels valued and supported, that directly translates into the work they’re doing for the clients. And ultimately, our goal is to help our clients and their businesses succeed, so we have to start by creating a space for our internal team to be successful.”
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