Monthly Archives: December 2011

Ohio Charity and Non-Profit Changes

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Letters have recently been sent out by the Ohio Attorney General asking to spread the word about changes to the Ohio Charitable Registration.  In short, as explained in the letter, “most charities in Ohio now will be required by recent statutory and rule changes to register on-line.” Later on in a sample letter it reads, “Mandatory on-line filing is effective immediately for all non-profits with fiscal years ending after November 30, 2011.”

There are more details to it and the specific new requirements and changes can be found here: www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/CharitableRegistration.

Top 5 Medical Deductions People Overlook

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Let’s face it, medical costs can eat up a large chunk of your money. And they are unpleasant to deal with and a general hassle. So here we are combining the topic of medical costs and taxation – I’m sure this article will be a laugh riot. But regardless, it is wise to take full advantage of any tax deductions that are available for medical costs. And who doesn’t want to save money? (Put your hand down and keep reading)

While the list of available deductions is very long, it may not be a deduction that helps everybody. That is because for a lot of medical deductions, they have to total more than 7.5% of your income before they start contributing to your itemized deductions. In 2013 that is scheduled to go to 10% for those under 65. And THEN your itemized deductions normally need to total more than your standard deduction. So there are some hoops to jump through to get a benefit from those medical bills! Flaming hoops with tigers and lions! Ok maybe not, but there are exceptions to those limits – including for Ohio, which are discussed below. Here are the top 5 items I commonly see people forget to include, or didn’t know they could deduct on their tax returns:

1. Dental and Eye Expenses

When people think medical deductions, they immediately think, doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, and co-pays. They seem to forget that their glasses, contacts, and dental expenses could be deductible as well!

sit right down 150x150 Top 5 Medical Deductions People Overlook

Don't forget dental expenses!

For dental expenses, don’t forget to consider cleaning, fluoride treatments, sealants, x-rays, fillings, braces, dentures, extractions and possibly others. Just because a dentist does it, however, doesn’t mean you can deduct it, so be sure to ask or check if there is a question.

For eye expenses, don’t forget to consider glasses, contact lenses, eye exams, and eye surgery – which can include laser eye surgery as well. There are a lot of things that an eye doctor can do and charge for so be sure to keep everything documented so you can go over it for your taxes.

Bottom line is, when you do your taxes, do a face check. Glasses? Contact lenses? Hearing aids? Dentures? Braces? Teeth? Eyes? There you go.

2. Health Insurance Premiums

OK, on the surface, people don’t normally forget this, because it is sometimes the largest item they pay for, but some people don’t realize it does not have to be subject to that 7.5% or 10% (2013) limitation. If you are self employed and not eligible to participate in a subsidized health plan through an employer of yours or your spouse, it is possible you can deduct all of your health insurance expense on your main 1040 form. The calculation is a little more complicated than that, but that is the basic gist of it. It’s worth planning for if you are eligible because it takes the deduction out of the itemized deductions game and reduces adjusted gross income, which can affect many other things on your tax return.

Ohio: Here again, if you aren’t eligible to participate in a subsidized plan, these medical costs could possibly be directly deducted if it wasn’t on your federal return.  In addition, if you have excess medical expenses over the 7.5% amount (or 10% in 2013 for some), these can be factored in, as well as long term care insurance premiums. It is very easy to miss this Ohio deduction, so even if your itemized deductions don’t look so promising for the federal return, don’t ignore them!

3. Medical Miles

road1 300x225 Top 5 Medical Deductions People Overlook

Many people miss the tax deduction for medical mileage

People know they can frequently deduct business miles of some sort. People also know they should keep a mileage log for those miles. But when it comes to medical miles, a lot of people completely forget about it. It is very common to have medical mileage, and if you are able to deduct medical expenses, you need to look at this hard. You can deduct expenses for the use of their own vehicle as medical transportation. The mileage rate for January 1 – June 30, 2011 was 19 cents, and it was 23.5 cents from July 1 – December 31, 2011. For 2012 it is set to be 23 cents. That may change as time passes. In addition to miles, don’t forget your parking fees and tolls. All it takes is good record keeping.

4. Chiropractors, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Acupuncturists, Osteopathic Doctors, Physical Therapists, Podiatrists

Doctors can have different specialties, and that doesn’t mean what they do can’t qualify for a medical deduction to save money on your taxes. While there can be exceptions, it is a good idea to keep track of expenses from these often overlooked fields come tax time.

5. Crutches and Wheelchairs

So you broke your leg getting out of the bathtub and needed to get crutches. Fortunately, you do not have to disclose how you broke your leg. I do, however, recommend sharing it with me because we can all use a laugh during tax season. Now if you’ve ever broken your leg while preparing your taxes, that’s priceless.  Regardless, you can deduct the cost of crutches or if necessary a wheelchair. This can be a forgotten item if you are not careful. There are a myriad of other medical devices that are out there so be diligent and keep your records straight so no potential deduction is overlooked at tax time.

If medical expenses are a major item for you, it is a good idea to consider some tax planning. The amount of paperwork when dealing with health issues is astronomical. Also, it can be challenging getting all the information together and even knowing what to get together for tax purposes. It can get complicated because you could have insurance coverage, reimbursements, adjustments, timing issues, and other things coming into play. So it is best to start during the year and not at tax time to keep yourself organized and make sure nothing slips through the cracks! And as always, if you aren’t sure, ask. Everybody has unique situations. Check with a CPA for tax advice relating to your specific situation.

See? It wasn’t that bad. Maybe medical expenses and taxation were meant to go together. Like cottage cheese and ketchup. And you may just have saved taxes and learned something too! Thanks for reading and feel free to share.

How Long To Keep Tax Returns

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So you are de-cluttering and you have tax returns from 2007, 2006, etc.  taking up space over in a filing cabinet taunting you, “Shreeeeed meeeee, shreeeeed meeeee….”  Ok, maybe not, but you may be thinking, “Can I get rid of those?” 

I get this question quite frequently and it is no wonder people keep asking me this question.  There is no solid rule you can apply to everything so it can be confusing. Many people think of the ol’ three year period of limitation rule for tax returns and can be true but it is not always the case.  Also, some documents related to returns you need to keep for a very long period of time.  Some you don’t need to keep at all.  But for now let’s take a look at how long to keep tax returns.

Tax Returns

Three years: Normally the IRS has three years to audit or make an assessment on your return.  That three years starts on the tax return deadline or when you actually file a valid return.  The date of filing is the postmark if filed timely or when physically delivered if not prague astronomical clock detail 871291743639AGq 300x200 How Long To Keep Tax Returnstimely.  So if you are one of those that go to post office at midnight on April 15th, it’s the “timely mailing/timely filing” rule that makes that work.  If you want to shred your 2008 return that was filed March 2, 2009, don’t have a tax return shredding party on March 2, 2012. And that’s not just because its a horrible idea for a party. It’s because the three year period started on the tax filing deadline (in April), not the actual date it was filed since it was filed early.  But if your return was filed on July 5th 2009 under extension to October, the clock starts on July 5th, not in October.  But as far as those 2006 and 2007 tax returns, could you shred them?  Maybe, but you may not want to because:

Six years: If there is a big mistake on your return, the statute of limitations could be as much as six years.  There is a benchmark to cross for this:  you have to omit 25% of gross income as stated on the return. What is included and what isn’t in what is used to calculate 25% can be debatable.  Bottom line is, if you think there might be an issue with your tax return, best to keep it for more than three years. 

Unlimited:  So you haven’t filed since 2000.  You think you will owe a lot for those early years.  Should you have a party because those years are too long ago and beyond the IRS’s reach? Nope.  A stopwatch doesn’t run if you don’t start it – unless it is broken and really creepy. But anyway, you have to start the limitation period with a valid return. Also, if you file a fraudulent return or willfully try to evade tax, there again can be an unlimited amount time the IRS can issue an assessment.   

Ohio: The Ohio Department of Taxation recommends keeping your returns for four years. Same principle applies here regarding from date filed as mentioned above.

Ohio Cities: The Ohio Revised Code for cities is somewhat similar to the IRS. They have a three year limit on civil actions to collect or prosecute and possibly six years to pursue legal action in other situations. The 25% rule is mentioned here too. So definitely keep your city returns for at least these periods.

Things can get complicated if you have worthless securities (7 years) or loss carrybacks. So it is best to get specific advice from a CPA for your specific situation.  But if you have a very simple return from 2000, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about regarding the IRS.  However, your tax returns are useful for many other things.  It can help prove income for that year, how much you paid for investments, residency, and many other things.  The better option over shredding is to digitize those files if you are trying to de-clutter.  Then you can keep that useful information, and then you can fill that filing cabinet with useful things, like dust bunnies, balls of twisty ties, and rubber bands.

Lose your return? Need to know what was on it?  You can get a transcript from the IRS: Transcript Info. Need an actual copy? You can order copies as well (fee may apply): Ordering a Copy Info. If I prepared your return, please contact me, because I keep records for a long time. And be more careful next time!