IRA or the Individual Retirement Account will help lower your taxable income for the tax season 2022. IRA is easy to set up, and it allows to save for retirements with tax-free benefits. One can open a traditional IRA from a bank, brokerage, mutual fund, or insurance company. The money saved in this account can be used to invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other approved investments.

As we know, IRA is an individual-owned account that provides more flexible benefits than the 401(K) plans.  The 401(K) plans are sponsored by employers.    The employer has the right to change the plan or limit the investment options.

Traditional IRA vs. Roth IRA

These are two common IRAs that an individual can set up to contribute to their retirement savings. The important difference between these two is traditional is tax-deferred and Roth is tax-free.

Traditional IRA: The contribution is deductible from your tax return. The earnings grow tax-deferred until you withdraw them upon retirement. But the withdrawals are taxable as income after age 59½. There is also a 10% IRS penalty tax in addition to current income tax if the withdrawal is made before 59½. Individuals with a low tax bracket at the time of retirement or taking withdrawals can use a traditional IRA.

Roth IRA: Savings for Roth IRA is contributed after the tax is paid. But the withdrawal is penalty-free and tax-free after the age of 59½. Still, one needs to wait at least five years to withdraw the savings from Roth IRA.

What has been changed for the tax year 2022?

The contribution limit for tax season 2022 is not changed from the previous year for the IRA, but the adjusted gross income (AGI) has been increased like every year. One can contribute a maximum of $6,000 in the tax year 2022 if you are below the age of 50. An additional contribution of $10,00 is allowed for individuals older than 50. But the contributions for the 401(k)s and 403(b)s plans that are provided by employers for the tax season 2022 have been increased. For the retirement savers younger than 50, the maximum contribution limit has been set as $20,500 in 2022, an increase of $1,000 from 2021. Those 50 and older can add an extra $6,500 (same as 2021) — for a maximum contribution of $27,000 in 2022.

The AGI limits for the tax year 2022 on Traditional IRA tax deduction are summarized below

The AGI limits for the tax year 2022 on Roth IRA tax contribution are summarized below

The savings on an IRA can help build sizable retirement savings. It gives more investment options and choices while having benefits like tax-deductible and tax deferral. Take advantage of this terrific opportunity and jump-start your IRA account. Taxpayers can contribute to an IRA for the 2021 Tax Year until the tax deadline (April 18, 2022).

Call our consultants with IRS Audit Group, Los Angeles at (888) 300-6670 for more information and to find out if you are eligible to contribute. Let us help you establish your retirement funding plan today.

To deal with budget shortfalls, state governments revenue agencies continue stepping up their efforts in raising revenue through sales tax audits.

You never ask for it, but you have been selected for and will be notified of a sales tax audit. At that point in time you may get confused – What should you do and what you should not? Most companies are not regularly audited by the state for sales and use tax purposes, so it is unlikely you have previously handled an audit. While the requested lists of records and documents that will be reviewed appear straightforward, there is much more to handling a sales tax audit. There are a lot of potential pitfalls during the interaction with auditors that may occur as you address the questions they typically ask.

Here are a few tips to Manage Your Sales and Use Tax Audit from IRS Audit Group Newport Beach. The best practices as listed below need to be considered in such situation.

Hire an external representative tax expert. IRS Audit Group Newport Beach has a pool of experts specializing in State Sales Tax matter. Once you are identified for audit, it is better to initiate communication with experts. They can discuss the audit process with you, provide some background on various sampling methods, and provide insights on specific industry issues targeted by the state. Also, make them aware of the initial schedules vs. revised schedules.
Ask your tax expert from if it is appropriate to perform a refund study or reverse audit at the same time to identify potential opportunities for refunds. IRS Audit Group Newport Beach can provide immediate solutions to such questions.
Do not engage in contingent fee arrangements on questioned items by the auditor unless you have already made the first pass. Otherwise, you may be paying them on reductions for errors made by the auditor or obvious exempt transactions.
If sales state tax auditors are doing a refund study/reverse audit, their fee should not be based on savings in periods outside the audit period. Their fee should always be based on offsets actually granted by the state. Payment should be made at the end of the audit, or a provision should be included to reverse any offsets not allowed.
A sales tax audit is not an ordinary occurrence. Therefore, you need to invest the proper efforts internally or with external assistance from experts like IRS Audit Group Newport Beach.

Lastly, be ready to play defence. Do not assume all questioned sales and purchases are taxable. Familiarize yourself with the regulations of your state with the help of expert advice from IRS Audit Group Newport Beach. Once you are convinced that questioned item should not be assessed, go ahead and challenge it. Also, understand any sampling techniques employed by the auditor, and be sure samples used are representative of your operations. If you have not experienced a sales tax audit before, and unfamiliar with your state’s regulations, or you have identified significant problem areas in your self-review, you may want to consider engaging a tax advisor to assist in your defence.

IRS Audit Group Newport Beach professionals are knowledgeable and experienced in assisting companies undergoing state sales and use tax audits as well as conducting overpayment reviews. Let IRS Audit Group Newport Beach help you navigate the audit landscape.

There are multiple purposes for auditing of any enterprise.  It is mandatory for all publicly listed companies to audit their financial statements, and subsequently make it available to the public.   Audited financial statements can be used for improving internal controls or for assessing the financial position or performance of an entity.  The elements of financial transparency which results out of audit help in establishing a good relationship with investors and the company.

While preparing for an audit, it’s important to set internal controls and policies that are monitored and reviewed by the internal audit team.  The auditing group which performs such audit collects substantial information relevant to the enterprise, and issues statement or opinion about the quality and integrity of the company’s operations and financial status.  During the statutory audit, the auditor has to review the processes and procedures by which the financial information was prepared.  That is, the auditor has to check if the preparation of the company’s financial reports is aligned with GAAP or other applicable reporting frameworks.  Statutory audits underscore the importance of financial reporting in corporate transparency.

There are multiple types of audit as elaborated below;

Financial – Financial audits typically look into the accounting controls present in the general ledger or sub-ledger systems.  Financial statement auditing is the focus of our external auditors.

Operational – Operational audits focus on the review and assessment of a business process.  The activities of the business process may result in a direct or indirect financial impact on the organization.  Internal Audit primarily focuses on operational audits but can extend the scope to include accounting procedures that can impact financial reporting.

Compliance – Compliance audits review the level of compliance with internal policies or external regulatory requirements.

Information Systems – Audits of Information Systems look at the overall infrastructure and network controls that relate to the security of the network and the systems.  Such audit includes technical operations, data center operations, project management procedures, and application controls.

Integrated Audits – Integrated audits look at controls that address financial, operational, compliance and information systems risks.  These audits are typically centered on a business cycle or a specific part of a process.

Auditors protect the public from investing in companies that use corrupt business practices or that attempt to defraud investors with false financial statements.  They also provide assurance to investors and creditors that company funds are handled appropriately.  By reviewing financial statements and digging into accounting records, auditors can determine if the financial statements and records accurately depict the company’s true financial profile.