2018 Tax Reform Information

HOW WILL THE NEW TAX REFORM AFFECT YOU?

By now, most people are aware that there is major tax reform beginning early this year that will impact most American individuals and/or businesses. Please click on the link(s) below for detailed information regarding these important new tax changes.

LONG VERSION SHORT VERSION

Record Retention Guide

STORING TAX RECORDS: HOW LONG IS LONG ENOUGH?

Federal law requires you to maintain copies of your tax returns and supporting documents for three years. This is called the "three-year law" and leads many people to believe they're safe provided they retain their documents for this period of time. However, if the IRS believes you have underreported your income (by 25 percent or more), or believes there may be indication of fraud, it may go back six years in an audit.

To be safe, use the following guidelines.

Business Records

business documents to keep for one year
  • Correspondence with Customers and Vendors
  • Duplicate Deposit Slips
  • Purchase Orders (other than Purchasing Department copy)
  • Receiving Sheets
  • Requisitions
  • Stenographer's Notebooks
  • Stockroom Withdrawal Forms
business documents to keep for three years
  • Employee Personnel Records (after termination)
  • Employment Applications
  • Expired Insurance Policies
  • General Correspondence
  • Internal Audit Reports
  • Internal Reports
  • Petty Cash Vouchers
  • Physical Inventory Tags
  • Savings Bond Registration Records of Employees
  • Time Cards For Hourly Employees
business documents to keep for six years
  • Accident Reports, Claims
  • Accounts Payable Ledgers and Schedules
  • Accounts Receivable Ledgers and Schedules
  • Bank Statements and Reconciliations
  • Cancelled Checks
  • Cancelled Stock and Bond Certificates
  • Employment Tax Records
  • Expense Analysis and Expense Distribution Schedules
  • Expired Contracts, Leases
  • Expired Option Records
  • Inventories of Products, Materials, Supplies
  • Invoices to Customers
  • Notes Receivable Ledgers, Schedules
  • Payroll Records and Summaries, including payment to pensioners
  • Plant Cost Ledgers
  • Purchasing Department Copies of Purchase Orders
  • Sales Records
  • Subsidiary Ledgers
  • Time Books
  • Travel and Entertainment Records
  • Vouchers for Payments to Vendors, Employees, etc.
  • Voucher Register, Schedules
business records to keep forever
  • While federal guidelines do not require you to keep tax records "forever," in many cases there will be other reasons you'll want to retain these documents indefinitely.
  • Audit Reports from CPAs/Accountants
  • Cancelled Checks for Important Payments (especially tax payments)
  • Cash Books, Charts of Accounts
  • Contracts, Leases Currently in Effect
  • Corporate Documents (incorporation, charter, by-laws, etc.)
  • Documents substantiating fixed asset additions
  • Deeds
  • Depreciation Schedules
  • Financial Statements (Year End)
  • General and Private Ledgers, Year End Trial Balances
  • Insurance Records, Current Accident Reports, Claims, Policies
  • Investment Trade Confirmations
  • IRS Revenue Agents' Reports
  • Journals
  • Legal Records, Correspondence and Other Important Matters
  • Minute Books of Directors and Stockholders
  • Mortgages, Bills of Sale
  • Property Appraisals by Outside Appraisers
  • Property Records
  • Retirement and Pension Records
  • Tax Returns and Worksheets
  • Trademark and Patent Registrations

Personal Records

personal documents to keep for one year
  • Bank Statements
  • Paycheck Stubs (reconcile with W-2)
  • Cancelled Checks
  • Monthly and quarterly mutual fund and retirement contribution statements (reconcile with year end statement)
personal documents to keep for three years
  • Credit Card Statements
  • Medical Bills (in case of insurance disputes)
  • Utility Records
  • Expired Insurance Policies
personal documents to keep for six years
  • Supporting Documents For Tax Returns
  • Accident Reports and Claims
  • Medical Bills (if tax-related)
  • Property Records / Improvement Receipts
  • Sales Receipts
  • Wage Garnishments
  • Other Tax-Related Bills
personal records to keep forever
  • CPA Audit Reports
  • Legal Records
  • Important Correspondence
  • Income Tax Returns
  • Income Tax Payment Checks
  • Investment Trade Confirmations
  • Retirement and Pension Records
special circumstances
  • Car Records (keep until the car is sold)
  • Credit Card Receipts (keep with your credit card statement)
  • Insurance Policies (keep for the life of the policy)
  • Mortgages / Deeds / Leases (keep 6 years beyond the agreement)
  • Pay Stubs (keep until reconciled with your W-2)
  • Property Records / improvement receipts (keep until property sold)
  • Sales Receipts (keep for life of the warranty)
  • Stock and Bond Records (keep for 6 years beyond selling)
  • Warranties and Instructions (keep for the life of the product)
  • Other Bills (keep until payment is verified on the next bill)
  • Depreciation Schedules and Other Capital Asset Records (keep for 3 years after the tax life of the asset)

Track Your Refund

WHEN WILL YOU RECEIVE YOUR REFUND?

The answer depends on how you filed your return. The IRS should issue your refund check within six to eight weeks of filing a paper return. If you chose to receive your refund through direct deposit, you should receive it within a week. If you use e-file, your refund should be issued between two and three weeks. You can check on the status of your refund by clicking on the links below.

TRACK FEDERAL TRACK STATE

Tax Organizer

A tax organizer can help facilitate the process of pulling together your tax information. This basic tax organizer is designed for new clients and allows you to enter your information right on the screen. You can then print the completed tax organizer and fax or mail it to the office. Current clients should contact the office to request a "proforma" tax organizer that includes prior year information and carryover data.

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Government Links

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Tax Forms

Federal State