As we approach year-end, Smith Dickson professionals are meeting with many of our clients to implement strategies to minimize taxation for 2018, as well as plan for 2019.

The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) has made a significant impact to federal and state tax planning. Senior tax manager Richard Warner, CPA prepared a short review of the TCJA last year as the law was enacted; now may be a good time for you to once again read our "Tax Outlook" and let us know if you have any questions.

Smith Dickson was proud to sponsor the recent "7th Annual Bocce Invitational" to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. The event, held at IL Fornaio restaurant in Irvine, was attended by Orange County business leaders and raised thousands of dollars for the organization.

An exciting highlight for our Smith Dickson team was repeating as champions of the Bocce tournament (we also won in 2017)! The event was fun for all involved and we enjoyed supporting such a worthwhile cause.

The number of tax returns examined by the IRS drops every year, to the point where the agency now audits just 0.5 percent of all returns - but that still amounts to over a million squirming taxpayers.

With that in mind, here are a round dozen red flags that will draw the IRS's attention to a return.

1. Misreporting or not reporting income: Making sure that the income from W-2s and 1099s matches the income reported on the return is critical. Among other things, it's easier than ever for the IRS to access and compare the amounts reported — making it harder and harder to get away with discrepancies, which then stand out like sore thumbs.
2. Earning more than $200,000: In Fiscal Year 2017 (the most recent year for which data is available), the IRS audited just 0.2 percent of most returns of taxpayers with under $200,000 in income — but it was four times as likely to audit those with between $200,000 and $1 million in income, looking at 0.8 percent of those returns. But the real red flag is earning of $1 million — the IRS audited 4.4 percent of those returns in 2017.
3. Big changes in income: Whether it's a scary drop or a significant increase, major changes in income catch the IRS's eye.

5. Unusually low salaries: The IRS takes a close look at S corporation compensation practices, particularly if the salary paid to a principal owner looks suspiciously low.

6. The wrong Social Security number: Between concerns about ID theft and underreporting of income, returns with inaccurate Social Security numbers or discrepancies between the numbers on source documents and the return itself, will often draw added scrutiny, and possible rejection.

7. Hobby losses: The IRS has some very specific rules and guidelines for what qualifies as a business and what's just a hobby that happens to cost a lot of money. Some of those hobbies, like horse racing and horse breeding, will often generate increased attention.

8. Inconsistent alimony reporting: Since those who aim to deduct alimony need to report the Social Security number of the ex-spouse to whom they're paying it, it's easy for the IRS to detect if the claim matches what was actually paid. Note that alimony for divorce settlements made after Dec. 31, 2018, will no longer be deductible.

9. Home offices: It's perfectly legitimate to claim a home office — but it has to meet the strictures of the Tax Code and the IRS's guidance. With too many taxpayers attempting to claim their living room because they sometimes answer work-related e-mails in it, this is a red flag for auditors.

10. Overly rounded numbers: A procession of suspiciously even figures draws the eye. A certain amount of rounding is acceptable, but experts generally suggest going for the nearest dollar, rather than the nearest ten or hundred — it stretches the imagination to suggest that all of a taxpayer's expenses are either $50 or $100. That said, in these days of electronic receipts and computers that do all the calculations, if an exact figure is available, that's the best bet.

11. Entertainment and meal expenses: The TCJA eliminated the deduction for expenses related to entertainment, amusement, or recreational activities. However, the ability to generally deduct 50% of business meals has been retained (note: See our February 2018 newsletter for more details).

12 Owning a cash business: It's much easier for a business that deals in cash — think restaurants, bars, convenience stores and the like — to hide or misreport income, so the IRS is more likely to examine the return of an individual who owns one.

Source: "Accounting Today"

Smith Dickson is pleased to provide our year-round "Tax Calendar" available on our website. Reference it for key dates for individuals, businesses (of all types), employers, and estates/fiduciaries.

Some of the important upcoming due dates:

• Dec. 15: Employers — Deposit withholding due for Social Security, Medicare, withheld income tax, and nonpayroll withholding
• Dec. 15: Corporations — Tax installment due. Deposit the second installment of estimated tax for current year.

Be sure to contact us to discuss your tax questions and needs.