Tax Time Ahead: 5 Helpful Tips for Agents

By
Real Estate Technology with ReferralExchange CA License #01426453

Tax time is just around the corner. If you haven’t already done so, here are some tips to help you get started – and to get you better organized for next year! And, of course, always work with a Tax Advisor or Accountant:

 

1) Use a Money Management Program: Organize, track and manage all expenses with finance tools like Quicken, Quikbooks or Mint.com. Automatically integrate these platforms by adding personal bank accounts to categorize spending habits, so you can track details year round.

 

2) Reference last year’s tax returns: Reference last year’s returns to make sure that you don’t miss any deductions. You can also ask your Tax Advisor for a list of items you’ve deducted in the past.

 

3) Check your figures and any changes: It’s key to remain as accurate as possible for deductions and tallied expenses to ensure you don’t have any erroneous data entries, and in order to protect yourself from being audited.  Also, make sure they comply with current deduction requirements, formulas and amounts. Your Tax Advisor can help you determine how much and what you can/cannot deduct.

 

4) Track/Manage your deductions year-round: Over the course of the year, track your expenses and keep your receipts organized. Try to set aside some time each month to catch up.

 

5) Savings Accounts that also help you save on taxes: Work with your Tax Advisor to determine which retirement account makes the most sense for you.

 

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Posted by

Lisa Fettner

VP Marketing

Referral Exchange

lisa@referralexchange.com

www.referralexchange.com

 

Comments (18)

John Pusa
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Crest - Glendale, CA
Your All Time Realtor With Exceptional Service

ReferralExchange (Lisa Fettner) Excellent tax tips for agents.

Mar 24, 2016 06:10 AM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks John! 


 

Mar 25, 2016 01:30 AM
Mark MacKeil
RE/MAX Right Choice - Trumbull, CT
First time home buyers and sellers. Buying/selling

Timely and helpful tax tips for agents 

Mar 24, 2016 09:49 PM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks Mark! 


 

Mar 25, 2016 01:30 AM
Anna Hatridge
R Gilliam Real Estate LLC - Farmington, MO
Missouri Realtor with R Gilliam Real Estate LLC

Congratulations on the well deserved feature.  These are indeed helpful tips.

Mar 24, 2016 11:35 PM
ReferralExchange .

Thank you Anna! 

Mar 25, 2016 01:32 AM
Shirley Coomer
Keller Williams Realty Sonoran Living - Phoenix, AZ
Realtor, Keller Williams Realty, Phoenix Az

Great tax advise.  Agents often struggle with this.  I got Quickbook years ago and it has made a world of difference to track expenses, a PNL and get the tax preparer what he needs without pulling my hair out!

Mar 25, 2016 01:32 AM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks for sharing Shirley! 

Mar 25, 2016 01:37 AM
Sam Shueh
(408) 425-1601 - San Jose, CA
mba, cdpe, reopro, pe

These days pay a CPA for too complicated forms. The money is worth the headaches and troubles.

Mar 25, 2016 02:01 AM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks for sharing Sam! 

Mar 25, 2016 03:26 AM
Olga Simoncelli
Veritas Prime, LLC dba Veritas Prime Real Estate - New Fairfield, CT
CONSULTANT, Real Estate Services & Risk Management

And... beware of identity fraud - we were victims last year!

Mar 25, 2016 04:19 AM
ReferralExchange .

Sorry to hear that Olga, but thank you for sharing your experience! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:55 AM
Lisa Friedman
Great American Dream Realty - Essex, VT
30 Years of Real Estate Experience!

Very good post with some common sense reminders which we may not think about on a daily basis.

Mar 25, 2016 09:58 AM
ReferralExchange .

Thank you Lisa! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:55 AM
Marc St Martin
United Real Estate Infinity - Cape Coral, FL
Your friend in the business!

Good advice Lisa!  Happy Easter!

Mar 25, 2016 12:14 PM
ReferralExchange .

Thank you Marc! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:56 AM
Mike McCann - Nebraska Farm Land Broker
Mike McCann - Broker, Mach1 Realty Farmland Broker-Auctioneer Serving Rural Nebraska - Kearney, NE
Farm Land For Sale 308-627-3700 or 800-241-3940

Ha!!  Had to laugh with Olga #6.  Okay...not laugh...commiserate.  We also were victims of tax id fraud for the 2014 tax return.  The state lost some money but the Feds caught it.

Never again will I worry  if anyone questions why I do NOT pay quarterly taxes.  Notice I said the state lost some money...why?

Because the state paid the scam artists a "refund". 

We actually owed both state and federal and although it was a pain in the behind and we felt violated...what a joy knowing we did not lose any of our money!!

Mar 25, 2016 12:49 PM
Mike McCann - Nebraska Farm Land Broker
Mike McCann - Broker, Mach1 Realty Farmland Broker-Auctioneer Serving Rural Nebraska - Kearney, NE
Farm Land For Sale 308-627-3700 or 800-241-3940

On a serious note.  The scammers hit early in February.  Not to early in the tax season and not too large of numbers.  Even had false W-2's.  What alerted the Feds about the scam? Email me and I will tell you if I see you have an active AR account.

Mar 25, 2016 12:52 PM
ReferralExchange .

Sorry to hear that Mike, but thank you for sharing your experience! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:57 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Ugh... I've been so busy that I haven't even looked at my taxes yet. By the time I'm too tired to write at night, I'm also too tired to do tax work. 

Somehow... before "The Ides of April" I'll get enough done to send a payment and file for an extension. 

Mar 25, 2016 02:51 PM
Craig Cooper
Chase International Real Estate - Tahoe City, CA
Creating-Preserving-Growing Wealth in Real Estate

Lisa, I just learned from a friend that his CPA of 30 plus years was having health issues over the last several years. He has been contacted by the IRS to find out that his CPA was not doing his work correctly and has significant fines and penalties as a result of underpayment of his previous years taxes. I think the moral of the story is that we need to be as involved in our own process as we are capable of. Even our accountants can make costly mistakes!

Mar 25, 2016 05:22 PM
Kimo Jarrett
WikiWiki Realty - Huntington Beach, CA
Pro Lifestyle Solutions

Good tips, yet, the best tip is to take an extension and file in October.

Mar 25, 2016 05:47 PM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks Kimo! 


 

Mar 28, 2016 01:57 AM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Give your accountant bi monthly or quarterly reports...the best surprise is none at all !

Mar 25, 2016 10:36 PM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks Sally & David! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:58 AM
Ron Aguilar
Continental Mortgage - Saint George, UT
Mortgage & Real Estate Advisor since 1995

The most important is: 4) Track/Manage your deductions year-round: Over the course of the year, track your expenses and keep your receipts organized. Try to set aside some time each month to catch up.

Mar 26, 2016 12:20 AM
ReferralExchange .

Yes, thanks Ron! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:58 AM
Jackie Adams
Idaho Falls, ID
Jackie Adams

Thank you for the great tax tips.  Great things to remember this time of year. I need to do better at tracking.

Mar 26, 2016 02:26 AM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks Jackie! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:58 AM
Fred Sweezer Sr.
Hud Certified 203K Consultant - Long Beach, CA
Certified Home Inspector

Every Year for the rest of our working career as Will Rodgers said "Taxes and Dealt cannot be avoided" for sure it is good to "avoid taxes" but please don't "EVADE TAXES" thanks for your Post. 

Mar 26, 2016 02:13 PM
ReferralExchange .

Thank you Fred! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:58 AM
Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

Every year I vow to work on taxes monthly.  This month I'm making the same promise to myself and my CPA.

Mar 26, 2016 03:25 PM
ReferralExchange .

Thanks for sharing Sharon! 

Mar 28, 2016 01:59 AM

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