If you’re subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs), you must take your 2024 RMD by Dec. 31 to avoid penalties. RMDs are mandatory withdrawals from retirement plans such as 401(k)s, IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs and SEPs. Roth accounts aren’t subject to RMDs during the owners’ lifetimes. RMDs are taxable income subject to ordinary-income tax (not long-term capital gains) rates.
Previous tax law required RMDs to begin at age 72 and imposed a penalty of 50% on missed withdrawals. The SECURE 2.0 Act raised the age to 73 and lowered the penalty to 25% (or 10% if corrected within two years). Younger taxpayers can be subject to RMDs if they inherited a retirement account. Contact the office as soon as possible for help calculating the correct amount for your RMDs.
California law requires an annual tax based on business property owned as of 12:01am on January 1st, 2025. The tax is assessed by the County in which the business property is located. Assessed business property consists of any property which you owned, claimed, possessed, controlled, or managed on the tax lien date. The property statement form titled “571-L Business Property Statement” is used to report these business assets.
Form 571-L Business Property Statement
You must file this form if:
You receive the 571-L Property Statement Notice from the County, which is generally sent in January via mail, or
You have taxable business property with a total cost of $100,000 or more as of the tax lien date.
Due Date:
The initial filing due date of the Form is April 1, 2025, but the return will be considered timely filed without incurring any penalties if filed by May 7, 2025.
Do you need assistance?
If you would like Wheeler Accountants to prepare the required form and schedules for you, please send us your 571-L Property Statement Form via ShareFile, email, fax, or mail. If you did not receive the form and have taxable assets of $100,000 or more, please notify us, and we will advise you.
For Wheeler Accountants to guarantee your forms are filed timely, we must receive all necessary information no later than April 1, 2025. If available on the corresponding County’s website, Wheeler Accountants will file the form electronically on your behalf by May 7, 2025.
Our minimum fee for the preparation of this form is $600, or our standard hourly rates, whichever is higher. Due to our compressed workload, we will begin preparation of these forms in April 2025.
Please contact our 571-L team at 571L@WheelerCPA.com or call the office if you have questions.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023, was the deadline for most taxpayers to file their tax returns. If you haven’t filed a 2022 tax return yet, it’s not too late.
First, gather any information related to income and deductions for the tax years for which a return is required to be filed, then call the office. If you are owed money, the sooner you file, the sooner you will get your refund. If you owe taxes, file and pay as soon as you can, which will stop the interest and penalties you owe.
Some taxpayers filing after the deadline may qualify for penalty relief. Those charged a penalty may contact the IRS by calling the number on their notice and explaining why they couldn’t file and pay on time.
For 2022 tax returns due April 18, 2023, some taxpayers automatically qualify for extra time to file and pay taxes due without penalties and interest, including:
Some disaster victims. Individuals living or working in a federally declared disaster area have more time to file and pay what they owe.
Taxpayers outside the United States. U.S. citizens and resident aliens who live and work outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including military members on duty who don’t qualify for the combat zone extension, may qualify for a two-month filing and payment extension.
Members of the military who served or are currently serving in a combat zone may qualify for an additional extension of at least 180 days to file and pay taxes.
Support personnel in combat zones or a contingency operation in support of the Armed Forces may also qualify for a filing and payment extension of at least 180 days.
The military community can also file their taxes using MilTax, a free tax resource offered through the Department of Defense. Eligible taxpayers can use MilTax to file a federal tax return electronically and up to three state returns for free.
If You Don’t File, You May Miss Out on a Refund
Every year, more than 1 million taxpayers choose not to file a return and miss out on receiving a refund due to potential refundable tax credits. The most common examples of these refundable credits are the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. For example, the IRS estimates nearly 1.5 million people did not file a tax return for 2019 and missed out on an estimated average median refund of $893 (i.e., half of the refunds are more than $893, and half are less).
Taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim their tax refunds. If they don’t file within three years, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. However, the three-year window for 2019 unfiled returns was postponed to July 17, 2023, due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.
How To Make a Payment
If you owe money but cannot pay the IRS in full, pay as much as possible when you file your tax return to minimize penalties and interest. The IRS will work with taxpayers suffering financial hardship. Taxpayers with a history of filing and paying on time often qualify for administrative penalty relief. A taxpayer usually qualifies if they have filed and paid promptly for the past three years and meet other requirements. However, if you continue to ignore your tax bill, the IRS may take collection action.
There are several ways to make a payment on your taxes: credit card, electronic funds transfer, check, money order, cashier’s check, or cash. If you pay your federal taxes using a major credit card or debit card, there is no IRS fee for credit or debit card payments, but processing companies may charge a convenience or flat fee. It is important to review all your options. The interest rates on a loan or credit card could be lower than the combination of penalties and interest imposed by the Internal Revenue Code.
What To Do if You Can’t Pay in Full
Taxpayers who cannot pay the full amount owed on a tax bill are encouraged to pay as much as possible. By paying as much as possible now, the interest and penalties owed will be less than if you pay nothing. Based on individual circumstances, a taxpayer could qualify for an extension of time to pay, an installment agreement, a temporary delay, or an offer in compromise. Don’t hesitate to call if you have questions about these options.
Direct Pay. For individuals, IRS Direct Pay is a fast and free way to pay directly from your checking or savings account. Taxpayers who need more time to pay can set up either a short-term payment extension or a monthly payment plan.
Payment Plans. Most people can set up a monthly payment plan or installment agreement that gives taxpayers more time to pay. However, penalties and interest will continue to be charged on the unpaid portion of the debt throughout the duration of the installment agreement/payment plan. You should pay as much as possible before entering into an installment agreement.
Cash Payments. Individual taxpayers who do not have a bank account or credit card and need to pay their tax bill using cash can make a cash payment at participating PayNearMe Company payment locations (places like 7-Eleven). Individuals wishing to take advantage of this payment option should visit the IRS.gov payments page, select the cash option in the “Other Ways You Can Pay” section, and follow the instructions.
What Happens if You Don’t File a Past Due Return
It’s important to understand the ramifications of not filing a past-due return and the steps that the IRS will take. Taxpayers who continue not to file a required return and fail to respond to IRS requests for a return may be considered for various enforcement actions, including substantial penalties and fees.
Need Help Filing Your 2022 Tax Return?
If you haven’t filed a tax return yet, don’t delay. Call the office today to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
