Everything you need to know about tax relief implemented for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019

by Mounica Kota | Apr 2, 2020 | COVID - 19, HSA, IRA, IRS, state tax, tax deadline, Tax Exception, Tax regulations

Everything you need to know about tax relief

implemented for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019

The dreadful coronavirus disease has taken a toll on the global economy. Businesses are suffering from losses and employees are losing their jobs. In such a situation, tax compliance is an additional factor of stress on the common people and business entities as well. In such difficult times, the US Government has taken an initiative and introduced certain changes to federal tax laws.

Extension in federal tax deadlines

The US Department of Treasury and the IRS issued Notice 2020-17on 18th March 2020. According to the guidelines of this notice, there has been an extension in the deadline for payment of federal income tax or federal tax return. Any taxpayer having a federal income tax payment or federal income tax return due on 15th April 2020 can file the returns by 15th July 2020. This extension of 90 days has been provided by the IRS without charging any penalties or interest for late filing. This tax relief is applicable for all taxpayers who include individual, trust, estate, partnership association, corporation, etc.

The affected taxpayers do not need to file the forms Form 4868 or Form 7004. Also, there is no limitation on the amount of payment that might be postponed. This relief on taxes is applicable for the Federal Income tax and Federal tax return of 2019 and for the estimated federal income tax payment of 2020 which were due on 15th April 2020. However, no extension has been announced for the filing of any other type of federal income tax or federal tax return.

Extension in State tax deadlines

The majority of the States have agreed to the tax changes implemented by the Federal Government and have responded accordingly. However, there are some states which have responded differently to these tax changes implemented by the Federal Government. Taxpayers can obtain all information related to the changes in State tax laws from their state tax agencies.

Contributions to IRA

With the changes in the deadlines for tax payment and filing of tax returns for the federal tax, the deadline for making contributions to IRA has also been extended. The deadline for making contributions to the IRA has been also extended to 15th July 2020. This extension of 90 days for making contributions to the IRA has been provided by the IRS without charging any penalties or interest.

Taxpayers can contribute a maximum amount of $6000 towards their IRA and if the taxpayer is above the age of 50 years then there can be an additional contribution of $1000.This is an excellent opportunity for the taxpayers to save more for their retirement if they have not done so.

Contributions to HSA

Along with the extension made in filing federal tax payments and federal tax returns up to 15th July 2020, the deadline for making contributions to HSA has also been changed to 15th July 2020.

In case if the taxpayer is having a high –deductible health insurance plan with an HSA then he can add up to $3500 if he has self-only coverage. This amount can be increased to $7000 in case of family health plans. In the case of the taxpayer being above the age of 55, a contribution of an additional $1000 can be made into the account.

The stimulus package and

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The Stimulus package will help the taxpayers in obtaining stimulus checks. These stimulus checks would of amount $1200 for the individual taxpayers, $2400 for those who are filing tax returns jointly and $500 for each qualifying child. These payments related to the stimulus package would be done by using the tax information of the taxpayers based on their recent tax filings. The amount which would be paid would be reconciled on the next year’s tax return based on the taxpayer’s situation in 2020.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act helps in providing relief to the individual taxpayers as well as self-employed individuals and small businesses. The eligible employees who have been impacted by the coronavirus would receive emergency sick leave and paid sick leave.

Under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), if an employee needs to be quarantined, took care of a family member who was quarantined or took care of minor children whose schools/child care centers are closed due to COVID-19 can avail 12 weeks of job-protected leave. Also, if an employee is himself seeking medical supervision or is being quarantined then he would be eligible to receive two weeks paid sick leave and two-thirds pay for the care of the family member/child.

Furthermore, self-employed taxpayers and small business owners can obtain tax credits for providing paid sick leave and emergency family medical leave to the employees. Self-employed taxpayers can obtain a tax credit which is equivalent to the qualified sick leave amount whereas they can obtain a refundable tax credit equivalent to 100% of a qualified family leave amount. Small business owners are eligible to obtain refundable tax credits equivalent to 100% of both the qualified paid sick leave and qualified family leave wages.

Conclusion

Hence, with the implementation of these tax relief strategies by the US Government the stress of the taxpayers would be reduced up to some extent until things return to square one.

References

Answers to the top queries on tax regulations during COVID-19

by Mounica Kota | Mar 24, 2020 | COVID - 19, federal government, Form 1040, HSA, IRA, IRS, refund due, state tax, Tax Break, tax deadline, Tax Payers, Tax regulations, tax return, Top queries, US Government

Answers to the top queries

on tax regulations during COVID-19

The outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19 has created huge economic disruption globally. Amidst all the chaos and economic troubles, the US Government has announced certain changes related to the tax filing activities. Amongst these changes, the most important one is the extension in the deadline for federal tax filing to 15th July 2020. This step has been taken by the US Government to provide some relief to concerning handling taxes amidst the trauma spread by the COVID-19.Answers to the top queries on tax regulations during COVID- 19.

Now, with these changes been introduced by the US Government, it is quite obvious for you to have several questions related to the changes made, new tax deadlines and other associated impacts. Let us check out the answers to all the evident questions related to these changes introduced by the IRS.

Is there a possibility of state taxes to have a different deadline?

Mostly, a majority of the states have confirmed to the same extended deadline as that of the Federal tax i.e. 15th July 2020. However, there can be some states which will have different tax deadline than that of the Federal tax. You can know in detail about your State tax filing deadline by checking with your respective state tax agencies.

Can I file my tax return according to the original tax filing deadline i.e. by 15th April 2020?

Yes, you can file your tax returns according to the original deadline i.e. 15th April 2020. If you expect a refund from the IRS it is advisable to file your tax returns now to get your refund money soon.

Is there a probability of obtaining the tax refund being delayed?

There are no such probabilities of tax refund being delayed and would be processed as normal. If the tax return has been filed by electronic medium or via direct deposit then it would be refunded within a maximum of 21 days.

Is there any specific eligibility for availing this extended deadline for filing a federal tax return?

Any person who has a federal income tax payment or returns due on 15th April 2020 is eligible for availing the relief of the extended timeline. Here “person” can denote an individual, an estate, a trust, a corporation or even a business entity. The payment here refers to the Federal income tax payments for 2019 and the estimated federal income tax payment 2020. It must be noted that the return or tax payment must be due on 15th April 2020 and this relief does not apply to any return/payment due on any other date.

Does this extension in the tax filing deadline means that I can some more time for making contributions to my HSA?

You can make contributions to your HSA anytime until the extended tax filing deadline. Since the tax filing deadline has currently been extended to 15th July 2020you can make your contributions into HSA until then.

I have already filed my tax return 2019 which was due on 15th April 2020 and even I have to pay taxes that are not paid yet? What can be done to avoid penalties and interest?

You can avoid penalties and interest by paying your income tax by 15th July 2020. Interest/penalties will be charged only after 15th July 2020 if the due tax has not been paid. In case of filing the tax return by Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR the amount to be paid will be found on Line 23. If the return has been filed by using Form 1040-NR, the amount can be found on Line 75. For a corporation that is filing a return using Form 1120, the tax amount can be found online 35.

Does this extension in the tax filing deadline mean I have more time to make contributions to my IRA for the year 2019?

Contributions into IRA for a particular year can be made till the tax filing due date of that year. Now since the income tax filing for the year 2019 has been shifted to 15th July 2020 you can make contributions to your IRA till 15th July 2020.

What to do if I am not able to pay my taxes due on 15th April 2020 by 15th July 2020 even?

If you are individual and are not able to pay your taxes that are due on 15th April 2020 even by 15th July 2020 then you must request an automatic extension. You will have to request for this automatic extension by 15th July 2020 and can be done by electronically filing Form 4868. Business entities and trusts can file for this extension by filing Form 7004.

Hence, these are some of the common queries answered related to the extension of the federal tax filing deadline. This effort by the US Government during these times of emergency is sure to reduce stress related to finances up to some extent.

References

https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/tax-news/your-top-tax-questions-about-coronavirus-covid-19-answered-46591/

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/filing-and-payment-deadlines-questions-and-answers

How to save money from your Employee Benefits offered to NRIs in the US

by Mounica Kota | Sep 26, 2019 | 401 Plan, federal income tax, income tax, state tax, tax deductions, tax filing, tax rate, tax savings

How to save money from your Employee Benefits offered to NRIs in the US

ForIf you are an NRI and doing a job in the US, you will have to pay taxes to the US Government according to the tax laws framed by the US Government. an NRI doing a job in the US, there are numerous taxes to be paid. However, some substantial amounts of money can be saved by an NRI by availing of the various employee benefits offered by the employer in the US.

Let us have a look at the taxes which an NRI doing a job in the US is supposed to pay.

Taxes to be paid by an NRI employee in the US

Social Security taxes

Every individual working in the US has to pay the Social Security Tax. This amount is contributed by you and your employer together. Half of this amount is contributed by your employer and you will contribute the other half for the payment of the Social Security Tax. An amount ranging to 6.2% of your gross salary is deductible from your salary for the payment of social security tax.

Medicare Tax

The Medicare tax would be paid by you for the health care services to be availed after your retirement. Your employer will deduct 1.45% from your gross salary for making the payment of the Medicare Tax. Even if you will not be present in the country to avail the retirement benefits, but you are still liable to pay this tax.

Federal Income Tax

This is a tricky category of taxation for the US residents including NRIs and PIOs as well. You will have to pay taxes on the income earned in the US but you will not be able to claim any deductions which the US citizens will avail. However, if you are willing to avail of these deductions then you will have to pay tax on your income earned outside the US as well.

State Tax

You are liable State Tax for that particular state in which you are working.

Global Income Tax

You will have to pay this tax if you are earning dividends on mutual funds, shares, agricultural income, etc.

Paying all these taxes would definitely reduce your take-home salary by a considerable amount. However, in the US your employers will provide a number of employee benefits which would be very helpful for you in saving money.

Let us check out some of these benefits available to NRI employees in the US which help in saving money.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

In case your employer is providing a good health plan with a high deductible, you can consider the option of opening a Health Savings Account (HSA). The maximum limit on the contribution to be made by families is $6900 and for singles, the maximum limit is $3450. This money is taken from your paycheck and is accumulated in a Savings Account that can be used during medical emergencies. However, your withdrawal from the HSA will be tax-free only when you are doing it for medical expenses.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

This is another benefit provided by your employer is giving you an opportunity to set aside the entire amount in this account free from ant taxation. The contribution into this account has to be made by your employer but you will have to use the money in this account within a stipulated time period otherwise you tend to lose the amount.

Medical Insurance

This insurance is a major benefit provided by your employer and it will cover expenses incurred in hospital visits, doctor’s visits, medicines, prescriptions, etc.

401(K)

This is otherwise known as your retirement plan and by this; you are contributing towards your savings for your retirement. The contribution to this corpus for retirement is made by you and your employer as well. The maximum limit on the contribution made by you would be up to $19000. Moreover, if you are above the 50 years you can contribute an additional $6000 into your retirement corpus.

Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

This can be termed as Group Health Plans and are sponsored by you and your employer. The amounts which qualify for your medical expenses in a particular year up to a specific limit are free from taxes. The amount which remains unused can be used in the subsequent years as well.

Accident Insurance

This insurance covers medical examinations, emergency treatments, and ambulance or transportation charges, in-hospitalization expenses.

Hence, in addition to the above-mentioned benefits provided by employers, there are a number of other benefits as well such as Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Disability Insurance, Accidental death and, dismemberment insurance, etc. These benefits offered by employers can be a great help to NRIs working in the US in saving money.