FAQs

FAQs

Top Tax Pros

Have a tax-related question? We have the answer. Check out these FAQs and give us a call today for more information!

  • How do I notify the IRS my address has changed?

    There are several methods on how to notify the IRS of your address change:


    1. Use Form 8822, Change of Address or Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business

    2. Use your new address when you file

    3. Written statement – send IRS a signed written statement that includes

    • Full name
    • Old and new address
    • Social security number, ITIN or EIN
    • Mail your signed statement to the address where you filed your last return

    4. Oral notification – tell the IRS in person or by telephone. The IRS will need to verify your identity and the address they have on file for you. Please have ready your:

    • Full name
    • Old and new address
    • Social security number, ITIN or EIN
    • They may request additional information to verify your identity

    As the most trusted tax prep service Paramount, CA offers, we'll guide you through the process from start to finish.

  • Can I get a transcript or copy of Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from the IRS?

    Yes, but an actual copy of your Form W-2 is only available if you submitted it with a paper tax return:


    Transcript

    1. You can get a wage and income transcript, containing the Federal tax information your employer reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA), by visiting the IRS's Get Your Tax Record page. Refer to Transcript Types and Ways to Order Them and About Tax Transcripts for more information.
    2. You can also use Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return. Check the box for Form W-2, specify which tax year(s) you need, and mail or fax the completed form. Most requests will be processed within 10 business days from the IRS received date.

    Note: Wage and income transcripts are available for up to 10 years but current processing tax year information may not be complete until the earnings are reported. This transcript doesn't include any state or local tax information reported by your employer to SSA on Form W-2.


    As the home of the most sought-after tax person in Long Beach, CA and the surrounding areas, we can assist you with this process.

  • Can I file an amended form 1040-X electronically?

    You can file Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return electronically with tax filing software to amend tax year 2019 or later Forms 1040 and 1040-SR, and tax year 2021 or later Forms 1040-NR. See Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Frequently Asked Questions for more information. You still have the option to submit a paper version of the Form 1040-X and should follow the instructions for preparing and submitting the paper form.


    If you have any additional questions, you can rely on the most qualified tax prep service in Paramount, CA to assist you!

  • I received an incorrect Form W-2. My former employer won’t issue me a corrected Form W-2. What should I do?

    Our exceptional tax prep service in Paramount, CA is here to help you navigate this issue. If by the end of February, your Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement has not been corrected by your employer after you attempted to have your employer or payer issue a corrected form, you can request that an IRS representative initiate a Form W-2 complaint. Call the IRS toll free at 800-829-1040 or make an appointment to visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC). 



    Depending on the time of year, the IRS may have federal wage information in the form of a wage transcript. See Topic 159 for more information on how to get a transcript of W-2 information.


    When you call the IRS or visit a TAC office, please have the following information available:


    • Your employer's or payer's name and complete address including ZIP code, phone number.
    • Your name, address including ZIP code, social security number, phone number, and dates of employment.

    If you file your return and attach Form 4852, you’ll need to estimate the wages you earned, taxes withheld, and the period for which you did not receive or received an incorrect Form W-2. You should base the estimate on year-to-date information from your final pay stub, if possible. When filing a Form 4852 instead of a Form W-2, there may be delays processing your refund while we verify the information you gave us.


    To help protect your social security benefits, keep a copy of Form 4852 until you begin receiving social security benefits, just in case there's a question about your work record and/or earnings in a particular year. After September 30 following the date shown on Form 4852 line 4, use a my Social Security online account or contact your local SSA office to verify wages reported by your employer.


    If you receive a corrected Form W-2 after you filed your return with Form 4852, and the information differs from the information reported on your return, you must amend your return by filing Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

  • What is the difference between a Form W-2 and a Form 1099-MISC or Form 1099-NEC?

    We know that tax documents can feel foreign. As your reliable tax person in Long Beach, CA, we're here to help you make sense of it all.


    Although these forms are called information returns, they serve different functions.


    Employers use Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement to:


    • Report wages, tips, and other compensation paid to an employee.
    • Report the employee's income and social security taxes withheld and other information.

    Employers furnish the Form W-2 to the employee and the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration shares the information with the Internal Revenue Service.


    Payers use Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Information or Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation to:


    • Report payments made of at least $600 in the course of a trade or business to a person who's not an employee for services, payments to an attorney, or any amount of federal income tax withheld under the backup withholding rules (Form 1099-NEC).
    • Report payments of $10 or more made in the course of a trade or business in gross royalties or broker payments in lieu of dividends or tax-exempt interest or $600 or more made in the course of a trade or business in rents or for other specified purposes (Form 1099-MISC).
    • Report sales totaling $5,000 or more of consumer products to a person on a buy-sell, a deposit-commission, or other commission basis for resale (Form 1099-NEC or Form 1099-MISC).
    • Report payment information to the IRS and the person or business that received the payment.
  • Is money received from the sale of inherited property considered taxable income?

    To determine if the sale of inherited property is taxable, you must first determine your basis in the property. The basis of property inherited from a decedent is generally one of the following:



    For information on the FMV of inherited property on the date of the decedent’s death, contact the executor of the decedent’s estate. Also, note that in 2015, Congress passed a new law that, in certain circumstances, requires the recipient’s basis in certain inherited property to be consistent with the value of the property as finally determined for Federal estate tax purposes. Check What's New - Estate and Gift Tax for updates on final rules being promulgated to implement the new law.


    If you or your spouse gave the property to the decedent within one year before the decedent's death, see Publication 551, Basis of Assets.


    Report the sale on Schedule D (Form 1040), Capital Gains and Losses and on Form 8949, Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets:



    Under the new law passed by Congress in 2015, an accuracy-related penalty may apply if an individual reporting the sale of certain inherited property uses a basis in excess of that property’s final value for Federal estate tax purposes. Again, check What's New - Estate and Gift Tax for updates on final rules being promulgated to implement the new law.


    For estates of decedents who died in 2010, basis is generally determined as described above. However, the executor of a decedent who died in 2010 may elect out of the Federal estate tax rules for 2010 and use the modified carryover of basis rules.


    Under this special election, the basis of property inherited from a decedent who died during 2010 is generally the lesser of:


    • The adjusted basis of the decedent.
    • The FMV of the property at the date of the decedent’s death.

    Under this special election for estates of decedents who died in 2010, the executor of the decedent’s estate may increase the basis of certain property that beneficiaries acquire from a decedent by up to $1.3 million (plus certain unused built-in losses and loss carryovers, if applicable), but the increased basis cannot exceed the FMV of the property at the date of the decedent’s death. The executor may also increase the basis of certain property that the surviving spouse acquires from a decedent by up to an additional $3 million, but the increased basis cannot exceed the FMV of the property at the date of the decedent’s death. The executor of the decedent’s estate is required to provide a statement to all heirs listing the decedent’s basis in the property, the FMV of the property on the date of the decedent’s death, and the additional basis allocated to the property. Contact the executor to determine what the basis of the asset is.


    Report the sale on Schedule D (Form 1040) and on Form 8949, as described above.


    You can rely on our qualified and reliable tax prep service in Paramount, CA to assist you with issues like these.



  • I’m a minister and receive a salary plus a housing allowance. Is the housing allowance considered income and where do I report it?

    A minister's housing allowance (sometimes called a parsonage allowance or a rental allowance) is excludable from gross income for income tax purposes but not for self-employment tax purposes.


    If you receive as part of your salary (for services as a minister) an amount officially designated (in advance of payment) as a housing allowance, and the amount isn’t more than reasonable pay for your services, you can exclude from gross income the lesser of the following amounts:


    • The amount officially designated (in advance of payment) as a housing allowance.
    • The amount actually used to provide or rent a home.
    • The fair market rental value of the home (including furnishings, utilities, garage, etc.).

    The payments officially designated as a housing allowance must be used in the year received.


    Include any amount of the allowance that you can't exclude as wages on line 1a of Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return or Form 1040-SR, U.S. Tax Return for Seniors. Enter “Excess allowance” and the amount on the dotted line next to line 1a.


    If your congregation furnishes housing in kind as pay for your services as a minister instead of a housing allowance, you may exclude the fair market rental value of the housing from income, but you must include the fair market rental value of the housing in net earnings from self-employment for self-employment tax purposes.


    For more information on a minister’s housing allowance, refer to Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers.


    For information on earnings for clergy and reporting of self-employment tax, refer to Tax Topic 417, Earnings for Clergy. As the tax prep service Paramount, CA residents rely on, we're always available to answer your questions.

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