_____As was the case last year, you must have a contemporaneous written receipt for donations totaling over $250 to a particular charity. Also, I cannot prepare your tax return if you hold any assets outside of the United States. Identity theft continues to be a problem. Please do not send any documents by e-mail that contain social security numbers or bank account numbers, unless they are password protected. I am in the process of setting up a secure online drop box and will send you details if you e-mail me.
_____Representation of both buyers and sellers in a real estate transaction gives rise to apparent, potential, and actual conflicts of interest. An attorney may provide legal services in such a situation only if there has been a full disclosure of the conflict of interest in writing and an explicit waiver of any actual or potential conflict of interest by the parties involved. Potential risks of waiving any objection to the conflict of interest include the following: ___1....Should a legal dispute arise between the buyers and the seller, I would be prohibited from rendering further legal services for either party in this matter. ___2....Information that would otherwise be protected by attorney-client confidentiality may be disclosed to the opposing party as a result of dual representation. ********************************************************** ______I do not recommend such dual representation, but it is not unheard of in rural Iowa, where relatively small stakes and economy often take precedence over an abundance of caution. In such situtations you should treat me as if I am working for the other side, because I am, regardless of who is paying the bill. ************************************************************* ______You are advised to seek independent legal advice regarding whether you should waive any actual or potential conflict of interest. You should not sign any document that you do not fully understand.
A general practice law firm offering but not specializing in or limited to Business Organization, Estate Planning, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Probate, Tax, Trusts, and Wills in Iowa. ________ EXCLUDED areas of practice: Bankruptcy, Criminal, Family, Personal Injury, Admiralty, Aviation, and Securities Law.
Throughout its thirty years, Varley Law Office has provided a variety of legal services to the community, including business organization, estate planning, real estate transactions, tax planning and tax return preparation, and probate administration. Projects of particular note that the firm was involved in include the restoration of the Historic Saints Center and the Rock Island Railroad Depot; the organization and construction of 13 locally-owned and operated wind-energy turbines across Adair, Cass, and Taylor Counties; and a variety of development projects in conjunction with Stuart Enterprise for Economic Development, Inc.
Wills
Power of Attorney
Joint return signatures. Both spouses must normally sign a joint income tax return. However, if military service prevents that from happening, one spouse may be able to sign for the other or get a power of attorney.
It is time again to be thinking of income taxes. IRS in its continuing effort to close the tax gap (the gap between income tax paid and the income tax that ought to be paid, estimated to be over $300 billion) is requiring increased documentation on capital gains (and a new Form 8949) and stepping up audits on capital gains. Congress has also stiffened reporting requirements and penalties on foreign held assets. Because the penalties are so high ($10,000 minimum for inadvertent misreporting; $100,000 or half the balance of the account, whichever is greater, for intentional misreporting), I cannot prepare your tax return if you hold any assets outside of the United States. On the positive side, conversions from traditional retirement plans to Roth IRAs are no longer limited by income and taxpayers with gross income less than $57,000 and access to the internet are eligible for free tax preparation and filing. IRS requires mileage logs for vehicles with business use; standard mileage rates for 2011: Jan 1 to June 30 July 1 to Dec 31 Iowa Business: 51¢/mi. 55.5¢/mi. “ Medical & moving: 19¢/mi. 23.5¢/mi. “ Charitable 14¢/mi. 14¢/mi. 39¢/mi. You are required to send a Form 1099 to any individual, partnership or LLC that you paid $600.00 or more for services, rent or interest. Payments to cooperatives, banks and other corporate entities are excluded. Wages in excess of $150 in any quarter require the filing of Forms W-2 and W-3. If you would like us to prepare these forms, you will need to provide us with the information before January 27, 2012. If you have questions on any of the above or other tax matters feel free to call, e-mail, or stop in. When you have your records ready you may let us know and we will set up an appointment that is convenient for you. Evening or Saturday appointments can be arranged. Pursuant to U.S. Treasury Regulations, you are hereby advised that any federal tax advice included in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, to avoid any U.S. federal tax penalties or to promote, market, or recommend to another party any transaction or matter. For further information, see IRS Circular 230.