Anthony Sykes & Company

            With filing season approaching very soon, it is important for every Taxpayer to know what their Filing Status is. The Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) has five. They can have a strong impact on how much tax is owed, what the Standard Deduction is, or if a return is even needed. The marital status is determined by how things are as of December 31.           Those who choose Single must be unmarried, divorced, or legally separated. Married filing jointly allows for a joint tax return with a spouse. If one passes away, the one who is widowed can still file jointly for that year. Married filing separately allows for separate tax returns and may result in less tax owed. Head of household can be used by unmarried Taxpayers, but under certain conditions. For example, it must be proven that one paid more than half of the cost of keeping a home for themselves and another individual. Qualifying widow...

                 Starting a business is hard work and can be expensive. Some of these costs can be deducted over time and recovered by the business. This can be done over a period of 15 years after the business is active, but it does not apply to every expense.           A qualifying start-up cost must be paid before the business is active. It must also be related to the field the business operates in. It can include advertisements for opening the business, travel costs related to securing suppliers and customers, and fees for consultants and other professional services. Costs related to investigating whether to purchase another business can also be deducted.           Not all costs qualify. Interest, taxes, and costs for experiments do not qualify for deduction. The actual purchase of another business cannot be deducted from federal taxes. The...