For the past several years … as we all know, tax season was delayed for various reasons, with exceptional confusion last year due to various filing dates depending on your geographic location. As we finished those seasons, which due to the delays were very long, we wished for our tried and true middle of April due date.
In truly be careful what you ask for form, it has been … to say the least … hectic this year! We will get through this together (and except for those extension filers) on the other side of middle/April we will have the great majority of the yearly tax filings completed! Yay
Tax Seasons Findings
Each tax season seems to have its own theme or spirit so to say, and this one is no different!
We are finding an abnormally large amount of missing basis on transactions … especially any unusual transaction. Please double check to make sure your bases is included on your return, just because there’s zero marked on the tax form it’s highly likely you have a basis and it was just not reported. We have seen numerous zero basis reporting by one of the very largest firms that specializes in stock options this year. Don’t miss a basis as this is a mistake to our own disadvantage that the IRS would not catch! Yikes
We are neutral on the automatic download from your financial company to import transactions,. We completely understand it’s a hassle especially for those that are doing it themselves to download all of the transactions, that being said, the automatic downloads are sometimes working perfectly and other times not at all. Similar to your missing bases from before above, check those transactions to make sure they’re in the correct spot of your return…. i.e. Long term or short term
From a very high level we are broadly seeing more taxes due across-the-board than in prior years for various reasons. Not to be a downer but just to set everyone’s expectations as we get closer to completion, there may be extra taxes due!
Be sure to reach out if you have any questions or concerns and we urge you if you have not started your taxes or delivered your information to your tax professional, do so now as the aforementioned normal deadline has everyone shell shocked as we return to the normal super busy season.
Have a Great “Tax Season Spirit Update” Day!
John A. Kvale CFA, CFP
Founder of J.K. Financial, Inc.
A Dallas Texas based fee only
Financial Planning Total Wealth
Management firm.
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