Michael Gray, CPA's Tax and Business Insight

March 4, 2009

© 2009 by Michael C. Gray

ISSN 1539-395X

A monthly report to help you prepare for your financial future, keep more of what you earn by minimizing your taxes, and build an extraordinary business!

Route to _______   _______   _______   _______   _______

(If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend!)

Table of Contents

• On my father’s passing.
• Family and firm celebrations.
• Tax season is here! Make your appointment now!
• Corporate due date for calendar year returns is March 16.
• President Obama enacts tax legislation.
• President Obama’s budget revealed.
• Uncle Sam giveth and Uncle Arnold taketh away.
• Watch recovery rebate credit on 2008 income tax return.
• Questions and Answers
• Can I deduct my drycleaning bills?
• Do you have employee stock options?
• Do you have real estate tax issues?
• PS Marché Aux Fleurs and AVA
• Subscribe/Remove from Michael Gray, CPA's Tax & Business Insight

Aubrey Gray July 16, 1918 - February 24, 2009

On my father’s passing.

My father, Aubrey Gray, passed away on February 24. He developed massive internal bleeding when recovering from surgery for colon cancer. We had his Celebration of Life and placed his urn at a cemetery on March 2.

My family is thankful to have had him in our lives for his 90 years. My parents celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary last January 31. We had a family dinner at Black Angus restaurant.

We looked to him as our shining example of a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. In his younger years, he was an outstanding all-around athlete.

His influence on me is profound, and will continue the rest of my life. He will be sorely missed.

His obituary was published in the San Jose Mercury News.

Return to Table of Contents

Family and firm celebrations.

My brother-in-law, Wade Allison, will celebrate his birthday on March 16. My sister, Arlene Gray McLean, will celebrate her birthday on March 26.

On Sunday, March 8, there will be a baby shower for my niece, Michelle Davis. She has two sons and now is expecting a daughter.

Return to Table of Contents

Tax season is here! Make your appointment now!

There is less than a month and half before April 15.

To have us prepare your income tax returns, start with the online Tax Notebook organizer. Call Dawn Siemer at 408-918-3162 for instructions to get started. We also have a paper organizer, if you prefer. We still need your documents (W-2s, 1099s, receipts for donations) to prepare your income tax returns.

We can prepare most income tax returns using information provided online and by mail. If you wish a personal meeting, please call Dawn Siemer at 408-918-3162 to schedule an appointment. Our calendar is filling up fast!

We expect to file for extensions when we receive clients’ tax information after March 15.

Return to Table of Contents

Corporate due date for calendar year returns is March 16.

The due date for 2008 calendar year corporate income tax returns, including for S corporations, is March 16. Although many corporations will apply to extend the due date for their income tax returns, there is no extension for paying the tax. That means they need to have a pretty good estimate of what their income is before that due date. Now is the time to get those extension computations in process with your tax return preparer.

Return to Table of Contents

President Obama enacts tax legislation.

The stimulus bill that President Obama signed on February 17, 2009 includes significant tax legislation and other incentives. The tax hikes for high-income taxpayers discussed during his campaign for office have been postponed until after 2010.

Here are just a few highlights:

• Certain taxpayers may elect to carry back net operating losses for tax years ended in 2008 three, four or five years. Alternatively, a taxpayer may elect to use the longer carryback for a tax year beginning. (The long carryback can only be used by a taxpayer for one tax year.) A business qualified for the election includes a corporation, partnership or proprietorship with average annual gross receipts of no more than $15 million for the year of the loss and the two immediately preceding tax years.
  
  Taxpayers who have already filed their tax returns for a year ended in 2008 should note they have until 60 days after February 17 (April 18) to make the election for a long carryback.



• An individual who is involuntarily separated from employment between September 1, 2008 and January 1, 2010 may elect to pay 35% of his or her COBRA coverage and have it treated as paying the full amount.
  
  The former employer is required to pay the remaining 65%. The payments will be reimbursed by crediting those amounts against income tax withholding and payroll taxes it is otherwise required to pay to the federal government.
  
  The Secretary of Labor will issue guidelines about how the program will work, including notice requirements to employees.
  
  This provision will probably be horrific to implement. Consult with your benefits company and tax advisor about this new requirement as soon a possible!



• A Making Work Pay Credit equal to the lesser of 6.2% of an individual’s earned income or $400, $800 for married, filing jointly. The credit applies for 2009 and 2010. The IRS will issue new withholding tables for the employee’s share FICA (social security) taxes, to be used starting April 1, 2009. (The employer’s share of FICA is unchanged.)
  
  The credit will be phased out for individuals with modified adjusted gross income exceeding $75,000 or $150,000 for married, filing jointly.



• For 2009 only, individuals on fixed incomes, mostly social security recipients, railroad retirees and disabled veterans, will receive a one-time Economic Recovery Payment of $250.



• An AMT patch is included for 2009. The 2009 AMT exemption amounts are $70,950 for joint filers and surviving spouses and $46,700 for singles and heads of households. (The refundable minimum tax credit was not extended.)



• The first-time homebuyer credit was increased for 2009 through November 30, 2009 from $7,500 to $8,000. The "interest free loan" feature that applies for residences purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before January 1, 2009 was repealed for homes purchased that are eligible for the credit during 2009. Now the credit only is required to be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years after the purchase. The credit is still phased out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $75,000 or $150,000 for joint filers.



• An "above the line" deduction will be allowed for sales tax paid for the purchase (not a lease) of a new car from February 17 to December 31, 2009. The sales tax will only be allowed for up to $49,500 of the purchase price of a vehicle and the deduction will be phased out when the purchaser has adjusted gross income exceeding $125,000 or $250,000 for joint filers. The vehicle must first be used by the taxpayer and weigh no more than 8,500 gross pounds.



• Education credits have been enhanced.



• 50% bonus depreciation, previously expired after December 31, 2008, has been extended through December 31, 2009. The higher caps for vehicle depreciation have also been extended.



• The $250,000 equipment expense limit, previously expired after 2008, has been extended through 2009. The deduction is reduced when equipment purchases exceed $800,000.



• New energy credits have been enacted, including an enhanced tax credit for plug-in motor vehicles.



• Taxpayers with adjusted gross income less than $500,000 and who have income from a small trade or business that is more than 50% of their adjusted gross income can make 2009 estimated tax payments based on 90% of the tax on their 2008 income tax returns, instead of 100% or 110%. A small trade or business for this purpose has an average number of employees of 500 or fewer.



• The period for which the built-in gains tax applies to C corporations that convert to S corporations in tax years beginning in 2009 and 2010 is reduced from 10 years to 7 years.

Return to Table of Contents

President Obama’s budget revealed.

President Obama released his "Budget Overview For Fiscal Year 2010 of the United States Government" on February 26.

Here are a few features of the tax provisions in the budget.

• The Bush tax cuts will not be repealed until they expire after 2010.



• In 2011, the maximum tax rate for high-income taxpayers is scheduled to return to 39.6% and the maximum tax rate for long-term capital gains will return to 20%.



• The tax benefit of itemized deductions for taxpayers in the two top tax brackets would be reduced to the amount of benefit received as if the taxpayer was in the 28% tax bracket.



• The exemptions for the alternative minimum tax will be automatically indexed for inflation.



• The Making Work Pay credit would be made permanent (See tax legislation passed 2009, above).



• Eliminate capital gains taxation for small businesses – starting 2014.



• Make research and experimentation tax credit permanent.



• Expand net operating loss carryback.



• Repeal LIFO inventory method starting in 2012.



• Eliminate most oil and gas company preferences, including expensing intangible drilling costs and the passive activity loss exception for working interests in oil and natural gas properties, starting in 2011.

Bear in mind this budget is a proposal. I expect there will be arguments in Congress about many of the provisions.

Return to Table of Contents

Uncle Sam giveth and Uncle Arnold taketh away.

California was facing a $40 billion budget shortfall. The legislature finally approved a budget with steep spending cuts and tax increases.

• The California sales and use tax rate is increased by 1%, effective April 1, 2009.



• The personal income tax rates for 2009 are increased 0.25% or 0.125%, depending on stimulus revenue provided by the Federal government.



• The dependent exemption credit is decreased to the same amount as the personal exemption credit, effective for 2009 and 2010.



• The vehicle license fee is increased from 0.65% to 1.15%, effective May 19, 2009.



• California has adopted a new homebuyer credit.



• A tax credit was enacted for small businesses with under 20 employees who hire new employees.



• California has adopted a single sales apportionment factor that will make it more favorable for companies to do business in California.

Return to Table of Contents

Watch recovery rebate credit on 2008 income tax return.

Some taxpayers who didn’t receive an advance cash payment of the recovery rebate credit based on their 2007 income tax returns may find they are entitled to the credit on their 2008 income tax returns because their income has declined, so the credit isn’t phased out. See the worksheet on page 63 of the 2008 federal individual income tax return instructions.

You will need to know how much you received as a stimulus payment to compute the credit. At www.irs.gov, search "How much was my stimulus payment?" to find out the amount received. Here’s a link you can use: https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof/IRServlet?app=IRACTC&selectLanguage=en.

The IRS has said that getting the recovery rebate credit wrong can delay receiving your tax refund.

Return to Table of Contents

Questions and Answers

Question

I sell automobiles for a living. In our employee handbook, it states that we are supposed to wear a shirt and tie for employment. Would my drycleaning for the shirts, ties and suits be tax deductible?

Answer

The IRS regards suits as “street clothes," not uniforms. I know it doesn’t seem fair, but your dry cleaning expenses aren’t tax deductible.

(I share your pain. I also regularly wear suits for my business attire.)

---

Michael Gray regrets he can no longer personally answer email questions. He will answer selected questions in this newsletter.

Return to Table of Contents

If you have employee stock options, have you subscribed to Michael Gray, CPA's Option Alert at no charge or obligation?

To learn more, visit stockoptionadvisors.com/subscribe.shtml

Return to Table of Contents

Real estate investors, have you subscribed to Michael Gray, CPA’s Real Estate Tax Letter at no charge or obligation?

For details, visit www.realestatetaxletter.com

Return to Table of Contents

IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: As required by U.S. Treasury Regulations, you are hereby advised that any written tax advice contained in this communication was not written or intended to be used (and cannot be used) by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

Return to Table of Contents

P.S. My daughter and her husband, Holly and Dan Baker, have a Southern French Restaurant at 23 Ross Common, Ross, California, about 15 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The name of the restaurant is Marché Aux Fleurs and their website address is marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com. For the best meal of your life, call 415-925-9200 for a reservation and give them a try! For directions, visit our website at taxtrimmers.com/directions.shtml.

They also have a second restaurant, AVA, at 636 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo, California. AVA serves food and drinks produced in California. For reservations, call 415-453-3407. The web site is avamarin.com.

Return to Table of Contents