Tax tips and guidance built for small business owners and the self-employed — deductions, filings, and the stuff that actually applies to you.
When I got up this morning, I was all set to blog more about the disaster that is (and let me type it out one more time) the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010. Specifically, I was going to focus on the S corporation provisions, which seem to be taking a beating…
Taxpayer asks: I’m a graphic designer and I do printing on the side. Last year, when business was slow, I was in a jam and needed some work done on my roof that I couldn’t afford. I have a friend who just started a roofing company so I agreed to swap out the labor for…
Taxpayer asks: I’m an independent contractor using 1099s. I have one w-4 for a small amount from 2009. I missed the tax deadline and did not file an extension. What kind of advice can I get? I live in CA but need some general direction. Taxgirl says: File. That’s my advice in a nutshell. One…
For months now, both sides have been firing shots in the health care reform debate. Despite the fact that we now have a signed bill, many of the details are yet to be worked out and that causes concern that the bill will either be overworked or under reaching; my best guess is that it’s…
Taxpayer asks: Thanks for your blog, I really enjoy it.I have a question about deductions. I went to school for business but long story short, couldn’t find work and moved back home. I decided to follow my original passion and open a photography studio. Since I didn’t have a job, my mother bought all of…
Taxpayer asks: Can food bloggers write off ingredients from paid campaigns where advertisers paid them to create a recipe? Taxgirl says: As promised, this is the answer to the second part of a previous question. The world of paid reviews can be tricky. In this post, I’m going to focus solely on the question that’s…
This time of year, most of the focus in the media tends to be on negativity – taxes gone bad, driving folks out of business and others to distraction. That’s why it was heartening to see this story on CNN about a taxpayer who caught a break with the new tax laws. As previously blogged,…
Taxpayer asks: Can food bloggers write off ALL or part of their ingredients from the recipes they post on their food blog? And/or, can they write off ingredients from paid campaigns where advertisers paid them to create a recipe? Taxgirl says: I’m actually going to answer this question by saying that I’m not going to…
Taxpayer asks: Thanks taxgirl for helping me out on this one! I have a couple of different ad and affiliate accounts for my blog. When I earn money, they bank it until I hit a certain dollar amount and then they make a deposit into my PayPal account. A few of them accumulated earnings in…
Taxpayer asks: Hi taxgirl, I have a strange question. I write a food blog. I create and cook all of my own recipes and post them online. Two years ago, I found out that someone was stealing my recipes and some of my photos and using them on another site. I ended up hiring a…