Tax Preparation & Planning Services

The Mercadien Group is pleased to announce several promotions within the firm’s corporate leadership team. Ms. Raji Sathappan, CPA, MBA, CRCM, CAMS, a member of the Financial Institutions Services Group, is promoted to managing director of The Mercadien Group and principal in Mercadien, P.C., CPAs (the official titles of firm partners). Raji has been employed…

New Jersey taxpayers may see a deduction for charitable giving for 2019 on the NJ-1040!  On March 25, 2019, the Senate voted in favor of Bill No. S2179 that would allow a charitable deduction for individual taxpayers for contributions made to qualified New Jersey-based charitable organizations.  Creating this tax write-off for New Jersey residents could…

On April 17, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations and further guidance related to Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) investments. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 22, 2017, introduced Subchapter Z of the Tax Code, which established the QOZ program.  Under this program, Federal income…

The New Jersey State Legislature passed a new Paid Sick Leave Act, that takes effect on Monday, October 29, 2018. Below we’ve summarized the highlights for you to ensure your business is in compliance with the new law. Who is affected? Anyone who employs another individual  When does the Act go into effect? Monday, October…

With the passage of the new tax law on December 22, 2017, there may be some unintended consequences of which everyone should be aware.  One change directly affected the federal income tax withholding rate at which taxes are withheld from paychecks.  Employers are required to use these new rates and ultimately reduce employees’ federal withholding…

The State of Pennsylvania issued changes to 1099-MISC tax withholding requirements for individuals and businesses for 2018. Details can be found on this resource document provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (A – link to doc), which contains links to additional information and State websites. Essentially, if a Pennsylvania company is paying a non-resident…

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 made significant changes to itemized deductions for individuals starting in 2018.  While many are focused on the limitation of $10,000 of state and local taxes as a deduction, the tax benefit of your charitable contributions is also impacted.  With the loss of most itemized deductions other than…

We know identity theft is a frustrating process for victims. The IRS is taking this issue very seriously and continues to expand on their robust screening process to stop fraudulent returns. What is identity theft? Identity theft occurs when someone uses personal information such as your name, Social Security number (SSN) or other identifying information…

Taxpayers of high-tax states often contemplate relocating and establishing their domicile in a more tax-friendly state.  With the latest tax act and the maximum federal deduction available for state and local taxes capped at $10,000, many more taxpayers are posing this question and exploring a strategy to change their domicile.  The strategy and success of…

You may qualify for a $3,000 exemption on your New Jersey tax return if you are a military veteran who was honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces on, or any time before, the last day of the tax year 2017. You will be able to add…