Facing a Use or Sales Tax Audit in Maryland? Here’s What to Do
If you are facing a use or sales tax audit, S.H. Block Tax Services in Baltimore can help. Contact us today.
Sales and Use Tax Compliance in Maryland: What You Should Know
If you’re a small‑business owner in Maryland, keeping your sales and use tax (SUT) compliance on track is a core part of protecting your business from disruptive audits, unexpected tax bills, fines, and penalties.
At S.H. Block Tax Services, we help business owners build a smart compliance posture so that they are audit‑ready, not audit‑reactive.
Here are some tips on how to proactively manage SUT that covers Maryland‑specific rules, practical steps, and how we can support you every step of the way.
Need to Release a Tax-Related License Hold? S.H. Block Tax Services Can Help
You may depend on your state-issued driver’s license and permits to commute to work and support your family. Losing that ability is more than just an inconvenience. It can harm your ability to earn, maintain independence, and live your fullest life.
Sometimes, the state may place a driver’s license hold—or holds on other important allowances such as professional or business permits—because of unpaid taxes or unfiled returns. It can feel overwhelming, but there’s a clear path to getting your license back in your wallet.
That’s where S.H. Block Tax Services comes in. We help people resolve their tax issues quickly and compassionately. If you need help now, don’t hesitate to call our Baltimore tax office at (410) 872-8376 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation.
Can I Get a Passport if I Owe Taxes?
Owing back taxes can cause plenty of setbacks and headaches. It can even stop you from obtaining, renewing, or keeping your U.S. passport.
If you owe over a certain amount in seriously delinquent federal tax debt, the IRS may notify the State Department of your account. This can lead to passport denial, suspension, or full revocation.
But there are ways you can reclaim your passport and move on with your life. In this blog, we’ll discuss what your options are and how S.H. Block Tax Services can help.
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Take Advantage of the IRS’ First-Time Penalty Abatement Policy
Filing and paying state and federal taxes can be complicated, inconvenient, and unnerving. Deadlines can be hard to remember and even harder to meet. And since state and federal tax law is constantly changing, it’s nearly impossible to keep up.
With all this confusion and bureaucracy, failing to file and pay your taxes is an understandable mistake—and one that is easy to make.
If you’ve missed a filing or payment deadline, you’re probably subject to penalties. But you could be eligible to waive these fees if you meet certain criteria. Keep reading to learn more about the IRS First Time Penalty Abatement program and how it could improve your tax situation.
What Tax Deductions Can I Receive as an Uber Driver?
One of the biggest side effects of pandemic lockdowns was the rise in some gig economy jobs—namely, things like Uber Eats and Instacart. These jobs, and other rideshare and delivery services, are very popular because of their flexibility in both time commitment and working hours.
One potential downside, however, is that filing taxes for these jobs can require a little more work, especially if you want to take advantage of all the business tax deductions available to you as a driver.
It’s always a good idea to seek out tax advice on the specifics of your tax return, although most of these tax deductions will apply to almost all drivers. Talking to a tax accountant like S.H. Block Tax Services can prepare you for what kind of expense tracking you should do throughout the year in order to get the biggest tax deductions available to you.
11 Tax Deductions for Truck Drivers—Maximizing Your Return
If you’re a long-haul truck driver, chances are you make several work-related purchases in a typical day. You grab a cup of coffee and hit the road. You have to stop for fuel, and you pick up some lunch while you’re off the freeway. As you make these notes in the logbook you purchased for your trips, you realize your truck is due for regular maintenance soon. After driving another leg of your journey, you get to your truck stop or hotel. That evening, you check your credit card app and see that your automatic payment for union dues went through. After buying some dinner and a shower, it’s time to hit the hay so you can get an early start tomorrow.
There are a lot of expenses when you spend your day traveling! These can eat away at your hard-earned paycheck. However, smart truck drivers know that by carefully keeping records of all expenses, they can use these costs to reduce their taxable income with truck driver tax deductions.
The record-keeping is your responsibility, but knowing exactly how to take these tax deductions can get complicated. If you’re uncertain about how these deductions work, or simply don’t want to bother with the minutiae of tax law, hiring an experienced tax professional can make your taxes easy.
Tax Deductions for Nurses: What Can You Claim?
Nurses have gotten a lot of press lately with labor shortages and wage concerns. If you are a full-time employee in a hospital, you may be questioning whether now is the time to make the leap into travel nursing or other contract work.
One of the considerations for employees vs. self-employed nurses (also called contract employees) is the difference in how income tax is treated. There’s also a whole list of tax breaks that are available when you are a contract worker.
If you have any questions about what expenses can be deducted when you are a nurse, it’s always a good idea to talk to a tax professional. S.H. Block Tax Services can help you navigate the specifics of tax law to make sure you are taking the right deductions available to you.
How Far Back Can You File Taxes?
If you’ve fallen behind on filing your taxes, you’re not alone. There are a multitude of reasons that people get behind on taxes, from family emergencies to mental health crises to natural disasters. This can turn a difficult situation into an even bigger source of stress, but fixing the problem might not be as bad as you think.
You can file back taxes for any year, no matter how far in the past. However, in order to be considered “in good standing” with the IRS, you only need to have filed your federal income tax return for the previous six years. Unfortunately, if you are owed a tax refund, the IRS will only pay you up to three years past the due date.
One of the biggest challenges of filing back taxes is finding the right tax documents to show your income, deductions, and tax credits. Hiring professional tax preparation services, such as S.H. Block, can help you rebuild your financial history and get those past due tax returns properly filed.
Self-Employed? IRS Safe Harbor Tax Rules Can Help You Avoid Costly Penalties
The gig economy is here to stay, and more people than ever are earning money through self-employment or contract work. For taxpayers who get a portion or all of their income from self-employment sources, knowing the rules of estimated taxes can save them a big headache—and financial penalties—come tax time.
One of the biggest challenges with this kind of income is that it can be unpredictable. If you’re selling holiday decorations on Etsy, for example, you may make far more income at the end of the year than you do at the beginning. Other people choose to put in hours based on their needs, so in months with high expenses they may work more hours to help offset extra expenditures.
When your income isn’t steady, how can you make accurate quarterly estimated tax payments? Underpaying can cause financial penalties, but overpaying means the government holds on to your hard-earned cash until tax refund season.
With IRS Safe Harbor tax rules, you can make estimated tax payments and avoid penalties despite having a highly variable income stream.
