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Monthly Archives: January 2013

Withholding Tax Payment Schedule Restates Existing Law For Simplicity

Leave a comment Posted by on January 23, 2013

RULE
Department of Revenue
Policy Services Division

IncomeWithholding TaxPayment (LAC 61:I.1516)

Under the authority of R.S.47:1511, R.S.47:1519, and R.S.47:114 and in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, R.S.49:950 et seq., the Department of Revenue, Policy Services Division, adopts LAC 61.I.1516.

Pursuant to Act 107 of the 2012 Regular Legislative Session relative to Returns and Payment of tax, this Rule provides for payment and due dates for payment of tax by every employer or person who deducts and withholds any amount from any wage as required by Louisiana law.

Title 61  REVENUE AND TAXATION
Part I. Taxes Collected and Administered by the Secretary of Revenue, Chapter 15. Income

Withholding Tax

§1516. Payment

A. All employers or persons who deduct and withhold any amount from any wage pursuant to R.S. 47:114 shall remit payment on a quarterly basis.

B. The due dates for quarterly payments are:

1. first quarterApril 30;

2. second quarterJuly 31;

3. third quarterOctober 31;

4. fourth quarterJanuary 31.

C. Exceptions

1. When the amount deducted or withheld within any calendar month from the combined wages of all employees is an amount equal to or greater than $500.00 but less than $5,000, the taxes withheld shall be paid monthly. Payment is due on the last day of the month following the close of the monthly period.

2. When the amount deducted or withheld within any calendar month from the combined wages of all employees is an amount equal to or greater than $5,000, the taxes withheld shall be paid semimonthly. For wages paid during the first 15 days of a calendar month, the due date is the last calendar day of that month. For wages paid between the sixteenth day and the last day of a calendar month, the due date is the fifteenth day of the following month.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 47:114, R.S. 47:1511, R.S. 47:1519, and R.S. 47:1520.

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Louisiana Department of Revenue, Policy Services Division, LR 39:000 (January 2013).

Tim Barfield
Executive Counsel

§1520. Withholding by Professional Athletic Teams

A. – C. …

D. Due Date of Withholding Return and Payment. A withholding payment must be submitted for each game played in Louisiana. The payment must be submitted on or before the last day of the month following the month in which the game was played. A withholding return must be submitted for each quarter in which a game was played in Louisiana to reconcile all payments made within that quarter. The withholding return must be submitted quarterly on or before the last day of the month following the quarter in which the game was played.

E. – F. …

AUTHORITY NOTE: Adopted in accordance with R.S. 39:100.1, R.S. 47:164(D), R.S. 47:295, R.S. 47:1511, R.S. 47: 114 and R.S. 47:1602.1.

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Revenue, Policy Services Division, LR 30:91 (January 2004), amended LR 39:000 (January 2013).

Tim Barfield
Executive Counsel

 

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Louisiana Income Tax

Louisiana to Repeal Income Tax? LDR Tax Facts January 2013 Building A Case For It.

Leave a comment Posted by on January 17, 2013

http://taxtopics.revenue.louisiana.gov/2013/01/17/know-the-facts-sales-taxes-income-taxes/

Know the Facts: Sales Taxes & Income Taxes

January 17, 2013 at 10:59 am · Filed under LDR News Release · Tagged , , , , ,

BATON ROUGE – With news outlets continuing to report on the Governor’s goal of eliminating personal and corporate income taxes, some comparisons have been made between the sales tax and the income tax, and what it means for individuals and the state. Here are some facts and figures to keep in mind: 

1. Sales tax is a MORE STABLE form of revenue compared to the personal income tax. According to the Louisiana Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) and the Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR), sales tax collections have historically been MORE STABLE than personal income tax collections.  (REC Historical Data; LDR Annual Reports). Additionally, according to R. Alison Felix, who authored “The Growth and Volatility of State Tax Revenue Sources in the Tenth District,” state sales taxes have proven to be a more stable source of revenue for year-to-year budgetary expenditures.”

2. Over a 30-year period, the nonpartisan Tax Foundation used 26 different economic studies to determine sales taxes were MORE BENEFICIAL for economic growth than both personal and corporate income tax. (Tax Foundation Special Report No. 207 December 18, 2012)

3. Eliminating personal income tax will create a business climate that encourages MORE BUSINESS INVESTMENT and MORE JOBS. According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, America’s economy would steadily grow by “0.6 percent larger than otherwise after two years; 1.8 percent larger after ten years; and 3.6 percent larger in the very long run” if the nation switched to a tax system that relied on sales tax, not income tax. (Tax Policy Center)

4. Sales tax grows with the economy. When compared to other sources of revenue, sales tax is relatively stable during economic downturns resulting in more revenue as the need arises.

5. Governor Jindal’s proposal will KEEP the Constitutional protections for the exemptions of food for home consumption, prescription medicine, and residential utilities. These exemptions result in the average individual or family with income under $30,000 per year having almost half of their annual purchases exempt from state sales tax. These progressive provisions lessen the impact of the sales tax on lower income individuals and families.

6. In order to offset unfair impacts to low income groups, Governor Jindal’s proposal will set aside funding to operate an Earned Income Tax Credit or a similar mechanism.

Louisiana Income Tax, Louisiana Local Sales Taxes, Louisiana State Sales Taxes

IRS Announces Simplified Option for Claiming Home Office Deduction Starting This Year; Eligible Home-Based Businesses May Deduct up to $1,500; Saves Taxpayers 1.6 Million Hours A Year

Leave a comment Posted by on January 16, 2013

IRS Announces Simplified Option for Claiming Home Office Deduction Starting This Year; Eligible Home-Based Businesses May Deduct up to $1,500; Saves Taxpayers 1.6 Million Hours A Year.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced a simplified option that many owners of home-based businesses and some home-based workers may use to figure their deductions for the business use of their homes.

In tax year 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available, nearly 3.4 million taxpayers claimed deductions for business use of a home (commonly referred to as the home office deduction).

The new optional deduction, capped at $1,500 per year based on $5 a square foot for up to 300 square feet, will reduce the paperwork and recordkeeping burden on small businesses by an estimated 1.6 million hours annually.

“This is a common-sense rule to provide taxpayers an easier way to calculate and claim the home office deduction,” said Acting IRS Commissioner Steven T. Miller. “The IRS continues to look for similar ways to combat complexity and encourages people to look at this option as they consider tax planning in 2013.”

Home OfficeThe new option provides eligible taxpayers an easier path to claiming the home office deduction. Currently, they are generally required to fill out a 43-line form (Form 8829) often with complex calculations of allocated expenses, depreciation and carryovers of unused deductions. Taxpayers claiming the optional deduction will complete a significantly simplified form.

Though homeowners using the new option cannot depreciate the portion of their home used in a trade or business, they can claim allowable mortgage interest, real estate taxes and casualty losses on the home as itemized deductions on Schedule A. These deductions need not be allocated between personal and business use, as is required under the regular method.

Business expenses unrelated to the home, such as advertising, supplies and wages paid to employees are still fully deductible.

Current restrictions on the home office deduction, such as the requirement that a home office must be used regularly and exclusively for business and the limit tied to the income derived from the particular business, still apply under the new option.

The new simplified option is available starting with the 2013 return most taxpayers file early in 2014. Further details on the new option can be found in Revenue Procedure 2013-13, posted today on IRS.gov. Revenue Procedure 2013-13 is effective for taxable years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2013, and the IRS welcomes public comment on this new option to improve it for tax year 2014 and later years. There are three ways to submit comments.

  • E-mail to: Notice.Comments@irscounsel.treas.gov. Include “Rev. Proc. 2013-13” in the subject line.
  • Mail to: Internal Revenue Service, CC:PA:LPD:PR (Rev. Proc. 2013-13), Room 5203, P.O. Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044.
  • Hand deliver to: CC:PA:LPD:PR (Rev. Proc. 2013-13), Courier’s Desk, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The deadline for comment is April 15, 2013.

Federal Tax, Louisiana Income Tax