[Check out the new items at the bottom of this page.]
1. COST OF INCOME TAX PREPARATION
2. AUTHORIZATION FOR SIM USA TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
3. INTERNET SECURITY
4. Gross Income and Earned Income
5. PAYMENTS FOR TAXES
6. Payment to Liberty Tax Service
7. IRA Investing
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1. COST OF INCOME TAX PREPARATION:
Q. Ed Welch of SIM has referred me to you in reference to income taxes.
I have just been assigned to active status with SIM. Currently I am living in Canada for French language training and will be going overseas in 2009. In the past I have been doing my own taxes but now am unsure how to proceed.
Would you be willing to do my income taxes? If so, what is your fee and what information would you need.
A. Tax preparation is priced by the various forms needed to complete the return. Most returns are in the range of $165 to $320. For 2009, the maximum charge will be $300 for SIM missionaries asking us to do their return for the first time. For subsequent years, we will discount the standard fee by $40. Estimated taxes, bookkeeping and other personal or financial services are billed separately.
2. AUTHORIZATION FOR SIM USA TO PROVIDE INFORMATION:
Q. Does SIM need to know if Liberty will be doing our taxes?
A. Tax information can flow more smoothly if SIM has authorization for them to provide information to me. I suggest the following authorization be emailed to alethea.vissers@sim.org and a copy to me:
"This is to authorize Harley Snyder at Liberty Tax Service to receive or access prior and current year information needed to prepare our federal, state and local income tax returns. This authorization is good until I write to rescind it." Print and sign your name and show the date.
3. INTERNET SECURITY
Q. Is the Tax Organizer and CyberCabinet SECURE? It's asking for SSN numbers.
A. Yes, it is protected with 128 bit encryption as evidenced by the locked padlock at the bottom of many pages of this website. The "Website Security" article on our Newsletter page explains "SSL 128 bit" and the significance of the padlock.
4. Gross Income and Earned Income
Q. What is the difference between Gross Income and Earned Income? Why is this important?
A. First, why it is important. One must pay social security taxes on ALL earned income, while Gross Income is a starting point for calculating income tax. From Gross Income, there are many exemptions, deductions and exclusions that apply to arrive at Taxable Income.
Gross income is "all income you receive in the form of money, goods, property and services that is not exempt from tax, including any income from sources outside the United States". This includes all earned income that is not otherwise excluded. (Excluded income includes inheritances, gifts, child support, qualifying foreign earned income, clergy housing, and more.)
Earned income (also called compensation) might be colloquially called “sweat of the brow” income. Common sources are wages, salaries, tips, self-employment income, speakers fees, bartered services, etc. It does not include investment, pension, rental, scholarship income, etc.
5. PAYMENTS FOR TAXES:
Q. How can I pay my taxes?
A. The IRS and all states will accept check or money order. The IRS has additional options of direct debit to your bank account, credit card payment and electronic payment (EFTPS) via the web.
For Americans abroad we suggest the use of a direct debit to your bank account for your IRS payment. For this, your bank routing and account numbers are included on your federal tax return. Tax Organizer and CyberCabinet transmissions of your information to us is encrypted, and your electronically filed federal tax return is also encrypted when sent. (See Q.3., above, about security via the internet.)
Payments to the IRS by check should be make payable to “United States Treasury”. The memo line should read, “200__ Form 1040” and your SSN. Mail the payment to Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301-0215, USA.
Credit card payments are made through two service providers and will incur a processing fee. Check the websites of www.officialpayments.com and/or www.PAY1040.com.
Electronic payment, using the IRS EFTPS system, can work well once registration is completed. Registration can be initiated via the web at www.irs.gov. It is a two-part process which requires immediate interaction to information coming from the IRS. Feedback indicates registration must be initiated well ahead of the first payment date and may be frustrating.
State tax payments will normally be made via check to the state’s Department of Revenue. The memo line should read, “200__”, the state abbreviation and your SSN. Payment addresses are usually noted near the signature lines of the state income tax return.
To avoid international mailing of checks, many taxpayers living overseas make arrangements with a family member or friend to act as their financial manager. A few employers may provide this service. At this time, our office is not equipped or licensed to provide this service.
6. Payment to Liberty Tax Service
Q. How should I pay Liberty for the tax preparation fee?
A. We can accept check or your credit card payment on VISA, MasterCard or Discover. If you are an SIM missionary, ask the mission if you can make payment from your ministry or personal account.
7. IRA Investing
Q. How much can I invest in my IRA account?
A. If you are overseas for an entire year, you cannot contribute to your IRA that year because your taxable compensation is zero. A 6% excise tax is applied for overcontributions.
For income earned in the U.S., you can contribute the smaller of (1) your U.S. compensation reduced by your contributions to your 403(b) retirement plan and the deduction allowed for one-half of the self-employment taxes that you must include in income for the year, or (2) the maximum allowed for the year. For 2009, the maximum contribution allowed is $5,000 each for taxpayer and spouse, a total of $10,000. Each taxpayer over the age of 50 can contribute $6,000, subject to the same calculation described above. This is the most you can contribute regardless of whether your contributions are to one or more regular or Roth IRAs.
Q. Why can't I invest in an IRA account when we are overseas all year?
A. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation on this issue. Many tax advisors do not understand or consider the effect of the foreign earned income credit on the calculation of how much can be contributed to a regular or Roth IRA for the year.
IRS Pub. 590 explains that contributions are limited to the amount of taxable compensation. For missionaries, this is generally calculated as total wages and gifts from churches, MINUS the foreign earned income and the deduction of one-half of the social security tax. For a taxpayer who has been overseas for the entire year and claims the Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, the taxable compensation is zero. Since one cannot contribute more than his taxable compensation for the year, no IRA contribution is allowed.
Q. Can I undo an excess IRA contribution that I've made?
A. Because an excise tax of 6% of excess contributions is payable each year on the excess balance in the account, the excess should be corrected or used up as early as possible.
If the excess contribution was made during a tax year (or prior to April 15th of the next year), you can instruct the trustee of your account to withdraw the excess contribution from your IRA account by the date your return is filed for that year. This can be done without financial penalty.
If an excess contribution to a Roth IRA is discovered for a prior tax year, it must be used up in the current or later years in which a contribution is allowed. Until it is used up, the 6% excise tax applies. Contact our office if you have this situation.
If an excess contribution for a prior year was made to your traditional IRA account, it may be possible to avoid the 6% excise tax by filing amended returns for the years in which an IRA deduction was taken on Form 1040 of your tax return. Contact us if you have this situation.