Tax Chicks

The economy added 172,000 jobs in May.

So why does hiring still feel so hard for your business?

The report looked strong overall, but growth wasn’t spread evenly across every industry.

If you’re struggling to find employees, it might be time to look at the team you already have:

• Who could grow with a little training?
• What tasks could be shared differently?
• What tools could take pressure off the team?

When hiring feels stuck, start inside your own business.

Labor market adds 172,000 jobs in May, but growth remains uneven Most industries saw no changes or declines in total employment.

𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙭 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩, 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙?

For the American Opportunity Tax Credit, the answer comes down to whether you claim your child as a dependent. If you do, the credit goes on your return.

That can still be true even if your child paid some of the tuition with a summer job or student loans.

If your child is not your dependent and files their own return, they may be the one who claims the credit instead.

The student also has to meet IRS rules, including being enrolled at least half-time for at least one academic period and pursuing a degree, certificate, or other recognized credential.

Have you checked whether the credit belongs on your return or your student’s?

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙭 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙨?

The American Opportunity Tax Credit can slash up to $2,500 off your tax bill for each eligible student in college. And it includes a "refundable" safety net, so even if you don't owe any taxes at the end of the year, the government will still send you a refund check for up to $1,000 of the leftover credit.

Expenses that 𝗱𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 for this are tuition, mandatory enrollment fees, required books, and required supplies and equipment. Room and board, meal plans, transportation, parking, and medical insurance 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆.

Also, if scholarships, Pell grants, or employer tuition assistance covered part of the cost, that tax-free money has to be subtracted from your qualified expenses.

College costs add up fast. Before you assume you do or don’t qualify, it’s worth checking which expenses actually count.

Contact us to look at this for your specific tax situation.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨?

A new idea doesn’t have to be perfect before you try it. But it does need to answer:
1. Who is this for?
2. What problem does it solve?
3. What would someone actually pay for?
4. What’s the smallest way to try it?

A business is an opportunity to fill a need, so making sure you're clear on what need is being filled and how to actually charge for it is your basis for everything.

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨’𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙭 𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡?

The employer credit for family and medical leave can range from 12.5% to 25% of the wages you pay while an employee is on leave.

But before the credit applies, the policy has to meet specific regulations.

To see if your business qualifies, we’d need to review your leave plan, including:
• Who on your team qualifies based on compensation and hours
• Whether your written policy covers the right employees
• How your leave is funded
• Where your employees are physically located
• Whether your business can actually use the credit this year

Want to know whether your policy may qualify? Comment “LEAVE” and let’s look at the tax side before you try to claim the credit.

Entrepreneurship is a big thing in our economy right now, especially with the major influx of content creators over the past few years.

But being an entrepreneur doesn't mean you need to wait for a big “aha” moment to start a successful business.

Sometimes a business idea simply comes from paying attention, asking better questions, and finding a need to fill.

Want help processing your business idea? Let's talk it out in the comments.

https://www.inc.com/yuvaltal/you-dont-need-a-eureka-moment-to-start-a-company/91285000

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧?

No. Even if you’re legally married on December 31, the IRS considers you married for that tax year.

That means your federal filing options are: Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.

You don’t get to choose single just because you were single for part of the year.

If your relationship status changed this year, your tax filing status needs to change too.

Want to know whether filing jointly or separately makes more sense for your situation? Schedule an appointment and let’s talk it through.

Some great low-start-up cost business ideas in here, but remember... Starting a business also means bigger tax responsibility. Let's talk about what the IRS expects of you as a business owner and how to set you up for success with the right tax structure.

7 Small-Business Ideas You Can Start for Less Than $10,000 Not all startups require a lot of capital to launch. These small-business ideas come with minimal startup costs.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣?
Start with what’s fair for the work and realistic for your business.

A good college intern pay rate should account for:
• What similar businesses in your area are paying
• Whether the role requires special skills or education
• How much training and oversight the intern will need
• Whether your budget can support the role well

If you’re bringing on an intern, the arrangement should focus on training, mentorship, and real learning experience, while also giving your business a better way to build future talent.

𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨?
Getting married changes how the IRS views your finances, but it doesn’t guarantee a lower tax bill.

For some couples, filing jointly can open up planning options. For others, filing separately may be the better option, especially when one spouse has high out-of-pocket medical expenses or other complications to their tax situation.

Getting married can change your...
• Filing status
• Tax bracket
• Credits you qualify for
• Deductions you can take
• Retirement savings options
• Workplace benefit choices

Want to talk through whether filing jointly or separately is the best option for you? Or just see if there are ways to lower your tax bill now that you're married?

Comment MARRIED below to request an appointment to talk this through.