William Byrnes' Tax, Wealth, and Risk Intelligence

“Millions of people enjoy hobbies that are also a source of income. Some examples include stamp and coin collecting, craft making, and horsemanship.” the IRS stated in its Summertime Tax Tip 2014-15.

A taxpayer must report on the tax return the income earned from a hobby.  The rules for how a taxpayer reports the income and expenses depend on whether the activity is a hobby or a business.  There are special rules and limits for deductions a taxpayer can claim for a hobby.  Five tax tips  about hobbies:

1. Is it a Business or a Hobby?  A key feature of a business is that a taxpayer do it to make a profit.  Taxpayers often engage in a hobby for sport or recreation, not to make a profit. A taxpayer should consider nine factors when to determine whether an activity is a hobby.  A taxpayer must base the determination on all the facts and circumstances of the situation.

2. Allowable Hobby Deductions.  Within certain limits, a taxpayer can usually deduct ordinary and necessary hobby expenses. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted for the activity. A necessary expense is one that is appropriate for the activity.

3. Limits on Hobby Expenses.  Generally, a taxpayer can only deduct your hobby expenses up to the amount of hobby income.  If hobby expenses are more than the hobby’s income, then a loss results from the activity.  That loss is not deductible from other income.

4. How to Deduct Hobby Expenses.  A taxpayer must itemize deductions on a tax return in order to deduct hobby expenses.  Expenses may fall into three types of deductions, and special rules apply to each type.  See of Publication 535 for the rules about how you claim them on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions.

Due to a number of recent changes in the law, taxpayers are currently facing many questions connected to important issues such as healthcare, home office use, capital gains, investments, and whether an individual is considered an employee or a contractor. Financial advisors are continually looking for updated tax information that can help them provide the right answers to the right people at the right time. This book provides fast, clear, and authoritative answers to pressing questions, and it does so in the convenient, timesaving, Q&A format for which Tax Facts is famous.

Anyone interested can try Tax Facts on Individuals & Small Business, risk-free for 30 days, with a 100% guarantee of complete satisfaction.  For more information, please go to www.nationalunderwriter.com/TaxFactsIndividuals or call 1-800-543-0874.