Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed Senate Bill 254, which affects building permit holders and late property tax payments. The bill, which Evers signed on Friday, October 15, 2021, and is now known as 2021 Wisconsin Act 80, allows municipalities and other taxation districts to waive interest and penalties on late 2021 property tax payments. It also adds a timely payment requirement for filing certain property tax claims if payment was submitted by October 1, 2021. The Act
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Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: What Should You Do If You Are Named Trustee?
Perhaps a friend or loved one has recently passed away and has named you as the trustee of their trust. You may be wondering, “What does it mean to be a trustee?”
Your job as “trustee” makes you responsible for carrying out the terms of the trust. In a nutshell, think of this job as stepping into the grantor’s shoes and making the same decisions he or she would have if they were alive. The grantor likely chose you to
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Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Reminder–Deadline For Q2 Estimated Tax Payments Is June 15
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has issued a reminder to taxpayers who pay estimated taxes that they have until June 15 to pay their estimated tax payment for the second quarter of tax year 2021 without incurring a penalty.
Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that isn’t subject to withholding, including income from self-employment, interest, dividends, rent, gains from the sale of assets, prizes, and awards. Taxpayers may also have to pay estimated tax
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Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Reminder–May 17 is the Deadline for More Than Just Individual Returns
The IRS extended the deadline for individual taxpayers to file and pay taxes to May 17, 2021 in Notice 2021-21. However, Monday, May 17 is the deadline for more than just individual returns. Here is a list of some other May 17 deadline items that IRS has noted:
- Individual return extension requests. Taxpayers can extend the deadline beyond May 17, 2021 by filing Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
Breaking–IRS Says Restaurant Entertainment Expenses Fully Deductible
Businesses can now claim a 100% deduction on restaurant meals through the end of 2022, the IRS announced. The IRS released guidance today, April 8, which temporarily allows businesses a full deduction for food and beverages purchased from restaurants, starting after December 31, 2020 and before January 1, 2023. Importantly, the full deduction only applies to food purchased from take-out and dine-in restaurants. The deduction does not apply to pre-packaged food or groceries. Additionally, food from third-party facilities operated
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IRS Officially Delays Tax Deadline to May 17
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) announced late yesterday that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The IRS will be providing formal guidance in the coming days.
The postponement applies to individual taxpayers, including individuals who pay self-employment tax. However, the postponement does not apply to estimated tax payments that are due on April 15, 2021. These payments are still
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IRS to Delay Tax Deadline to Mid-May
The Internal Revenue Service is planning to delay the April 15 tax filing deadline as it grapples with a massive backlog of 24 million returns it has yet to process since the 2019 tax year. The agency is considering setting the filing deadline for either May 15 or May 17, but a decision has not been finalized. May 15 is a Saturday and the IRS typically delays filing deadlines that fall on a weekend or holiday to the next
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When Should You Update Your Estate Plan?
You will experience various changes in circumstances during your life. Some of these changes will warrant updates to your estate planning documents. Indeed, estate planning is often a lifetime process of implementing the proper legal arrangements in the event of your incapacity and upon your death.
Consider updating your estate plan upon any of the following events:
Tax Law Changes
What might have been a proper estate plan under the tax laws that existed at the time you created
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Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Wisconsin Department of Revenue Says Expenses Paid with First Round Forgiven PPP Loans are Not Deductible
A little less than a month ago, the IRS reversed its original position, and stated that businesses can deduct expenses paid for with the proceeds of a forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, as further detailed here. However, in guidance issued on Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue clarified that expenses that are paid with the forgivable PPP funds (in the first round) are not deductible for Wisconsin income/franchise tax purposes and must be added back to Wisconsin
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Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: Breaking News–IRS Says Expenses Paid with Forgiven PPP Loans are Deductible
Businesses can now deduct expenses paid for with the proceeds of a forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The IRS, in Revenue Ruling 2021-2 issued today, reversed its original position that prohibited businesses with PPP loans from “double-dipping” by paying expenses with a forgivable loan, then writing off those expenses. Congress, in the latest COVID-19 relief bill, as we explained further here, explicitly stated that such expenses were deductible, forcing the IRS to reverse course.
This ruling is
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Tax & Wealth Advisor Alert: New Covid Relief Bill Says Expenses Paid with Forgiven PPP Loans are Deductible
Late Monday, Congress passed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill that includes a provision that allows business owners to claim tax deductions for expenses covered by Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds. The bill goes to President Donald Trump today, who is expected to sign it into law.
Among other tax provisions, the bill specifies that business expenses paid with forgiven PPP loans are tax-deductible. This supersedes IRS guidance (as we previously discussed here) that such expenses could
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Estate Planning Considerations for Second Marriages
It is becoming increasingly common for people to get divorced and then remarried. In these situations, one or both spouses entering into a new marriage usually has children from a prior relationship. Anyone who has children from a prior relationship and remarries should review their estate plan and make any necessary updates to ensure their assets are distributed according to their wishes.
Under Wisconsin law, the assets of a deceased spouse who dies intestate will automatically pass to the
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What Property is Subject to Probate?
During the estate planning process, it is important to consider what types of assets make up your estate. Specifically, you should understand the difference between your “probate” and “non-probate” assets. As you might imagine, your probate assets are the ones that must go through probate, a time-consuming and costly process which we previously discussed here.
Contrary to popular belief, a Last Will and Testament will not, on its own, help your estate avoid probate. Whether or not your
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A Brief Overview of Wisconsin’s Marital Property System
In general, states are considered either “common law property” or “community property” states. Wisconsin, along with a few other states, is a community property state (community property is referred to as “marital property” in Wisconsin). It is important to understand the difference between these two systems for purposes of wealth management planning, estate planning, and divorce.
Under the common law property system, assets and debts earned or acquired by one spouse during the marriage belong only to that spouse.
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The Importance of a Power of Attorney for Health Care
A proper estate plan covers not only what should happen upon your death, but also what should happen if you lose your decision-making skills. While planning for incapacity may be as unpleasant as planning for death, it is an important step in the estate planning process. Planning for incapacity ensures that someone you specifically choose and trust can act on your behalf while you are unable to do so for yourself. In another article, we discussed the importance of
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Considerations When Appointing a Fiduciary
Various estate planning documents require you to appoint someone to act on your behalf. These appointees are your “fiduciaries” and include your personal representative, guardian for minor children, trustee, attorney-in-fact, and health care agent.
Often times, people name certain individuals for these roles without much consideration, or they may consider the wrong criteria. Below is a general description of each fiduciary role and a few suggestions on what to consider when deciding who to appoint to those roles. In
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