Dutton Legal Group LLC

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 2025?

If you still owe from 2025 or earlier, you don’t have to keep guessing at what to do next.

Start by getting clear on:
• Which years have balances
• Whether returns are missing
• What notices you’ve received
• What payments are already set up
• What the IRS or state says you owe

Before you send another payment or put it off again, let’s look at the full picture together.

𝙄𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧?

For loans forgiven in 2026, the answer depends on which forgiveness program your discharge came from.

Some forgiveness is still tax-free at the federal level, including:
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• Teacher Loan Forgiveness
• Death discharge
• Many total and permanent disability discharges

But if your forgiveness comes through a long-term Income-Driven Repayment plan, you may need to plan for a federal tax bill.

If your loans are being forgiven this year, don’t wait until tax time to check your paperwork.

DM us to schedule a time to review your forgiveness program, discharge date, and what it could mean for your return.

Did the job market change your tax situation this year?

If you lost a job, switched roles, picked up gig work, or had your hours cut, your tax picture may have changed too:

• Unemployment and severance can be taxable
• Gig or 1099 income doesn’t have automatic withholding
• Multiple W-2s in one year can throw off withholding
• A household income change can affect what you owe

If your income shifted this year, don’t wait until filing season to find out whether you paid enough tax.

https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/may-job-growth-uneven-labor-market?mbcid=46039271.4093642&mblid=2a8ee9dc8a40&mid=07b33c9f5339a15bd3763206a28228ec&utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙢 990?

Start by reviewing why there is a difference between your records and what was reported on Form 990.

Is it a revenue issue? Were expenses not recorded accurately (or missed)? Were there donor restrictions or board approvals involved? Was unrelated business income overlooked?

When you see a discrepancy, take time to compare the return against your:
• Financial records
• Board minutes
• Donor restrictions
• Program activity
• Unrelated business income records

If something doesn’t match, we can help you review the issue, document what happened, and decide what needs to be corrected. DM us to schedule an appointment.

𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙢 990 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠?

Yes, if a nonprofit misses 3 Form 990 filings in a row, its tax-exempt status is automatically revoked. And even before it gets to that point, late or missing filings can raise questions with the IRS.

Make sure you're...
• Tracking donated dollars
• Using restricted funds as promised
• Reporting activities accurately
• Keeping nonprofit money separate from private benefit

And if your Form 990 is filed, review it against your records while the details are still fresh. (Or let us handle it for you.)

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙭 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙥?

Yes, and if you’re already thinking like an entrepreneur, we want to help you build on that vision. But before new income starts coming in, it’s important to steady your tax situation first by setting a plan in place for 1) unfiled returns, 2) tax debt, 3) missing records, 4) payment plans, and 5) upcoming tax deadlines.

This isn't meant to hold you back, but to help you start with a clearer picture, fewer surprises, and a better plan for the business you want to build.

If you’re ready to take the idea seriously, let’s get the tax side cleaned up so you can move forward with more confidence.

𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠?

Yes, the IRS wants to see that nonprofit funds are being used for the organization’s tax-exempt mission, not for private benefit.

That means the records need to clearly show:
• What money came in
• Where it went
• Whether restricted funds were used as promised
• Whether expenses were tied to the mission
• Whether Form 990 matches the actual activity

A nonprofit audit doesn’t always start with fraud. Sometimes it starts with records that look incomplete, inconsistent, or hard to explain.

If your organization’s records feel messy, reach out before it turns into a bigger issue.

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

How Does The Employer Credit For Family and Medical Leave Work for Indiana Small Businesses? https://duttonlegalgroup.com/how-does-the-employer-credit-for-family-and-medical-leave-work-for-indiana-small-businesses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-does-the-employer-credit-for-family-and-medical-leave-work-for-indiana-small-businesses&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS

How Does The Employer Credit For Family and Medical Leave Work for Indiana Small Businesses? Lower your 2026 taxes with the employer credit for family and medical leave. See how you can claim it using your wages or insurance premiums.

𝙄𝙛 𝙄'𝙢 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧'𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩?

If every available dollar in your business is going toward a previous year's tax balance, but it makes you struggle to pay this year’s estimated payments, your debt will snowball.

And getting behind like that will make it harder to get approved for a payment plan or keep the one you already have. The IRS really likes you to stay on top of current requirements while also taking care of past due ones.

So, before you put all of your emphasis on tackling old balances, figure out what you need to set aside for the current year first.

Look at:
• Profit/income from the current year
• Federal tax you've already paid
• Estimated payments you've already made
• State estimated tax requirements
• An estimate of income you expect for the rest of the year

Those details will help you get a clearer picture of where your current obligation sits, so that you can know what amount and payment plan makes sense for the previous year's debt.

That can be overwhelming, so if you'd like some professional guidance (or handling), DM us to start that conversation.