vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
"As cryptocurrencies are rather new compared to most assets, there hasn't been a lot of specific guidance for a lot of situation, but in 2014 the IRS announced that it published guidance in Notice 2014-21. I'm not aware of further guidance that has been published beyond that, though it wouldn't surprise me if treatments changed over time. In that notice, the answer to the first question describes the general treatment: For federal tax purposes, virtual currency is treated as property. General tax principles applicable to property transactions apply to transactions using virtual currency. Your specific questions (about what constitutes a ""business"", and when you're considered to be ""selling"" the cryptoproperty) are likely to be considered on a case by case basis by the IRS. As the amounts involved here are so small (relatively speaking), my recommendation would be to read through what the IRS has published carefully, make reasonable assumptions about what scenarios that are described are closest to what you're doing, and document doing so clearly as part of your tax preparations. And when in doubt, erring on the side of whichever option incurs more tax is unlikely to be objected to by them. Of course, I'm not a lawyer or tax advisor, I'm a stranger on the Internet, so for ""real"" advice you should contact somebody qualified. I doubt you'd be faulted too much for not doing so given the amounts involved. You could also attempt contacting a local IRS office or calling them with your specific questions, and they may be able to provide more specific guidance tailored to you, though doing so may not save you from an auditor deciding something differently if they were to examine your return later. There are also phone numbers to contact specific people listed at the end of Notice 2014-21; you could try calling them as well."
"Gnucash is first and foremost just a general ledger system. It tracks money in accounts, and lets you make transactions to transfer money between the accounts, but it has no inherent concept of things like taxes. This gives you a large amount of flexibility to organize your account hierarchy the way you want, but also means that it sometimes can take a while to figure out what account hierarchy you want. The idea is that you keep track of where you get money from (the Income accounts), what you have as a result (the Asset accounts), and then track what you spent the money on (the Expense accounts). It sounds like you primarily think of expenses as each being for a particular property, so I think you want to use that as the basis of your hierarchy. You probably want something like this (obviously I'm making up the specifics): Now, when running transaction reports or income/expense reports, you can filter to the accounts (and subaccounts) of each property to get a report specific to that property. You mention that you also sometimes want to run a report on ""all gas expenses, regardless of property"", and that's a bit more annoying to do. You can run the report, and when selecting accounts you have to select all the Gas accounts individually. It sounds like you're really looking for a way to have each transaction classified in some kind of two-axis system, but the way a general ledger works is that it's just a tree, so you need to pick just one ""primary"" axis to organize your accounts by."
I store all my receipts digitally, and make sure to input them into accounting program sooner than later, just so I don't forget about it. For practical purposes, the two important things are: Any kind of a digital system makes this pretty easy, even just putting the sums in a spreadsheet and the receipts into files with the date in the name. However, because it's easy enough, I also have a box where I stuff the paper receipts. I expect never to need them, but should something very weird happen to my computer and backups, they would be there.
Unless there is a compelling reason to do so, like reducing interest charges, IMO you shouldn't do this. The fact that the bank teller or a computer files a CTR doesn't imply that you are doing something improper -- it is simply a regulation that banks are required to adhere to. Millions of CTRs are probably filled out over the course of the year. It doesn't add more time to your transaction, nor does it impact your tax or other liability. Learning about this stuff can instill a sense of paranoia. Don't fall victim to that -- these are measures in place to make it more difficult to dodge taxation and launder money.
Have you looked into GnuCash? It lets you track your stock purchases, and grabs price updates. It's designed for double-entry accounting, but I think it could fit your use case.
I am not an accountant. However I am an independent contractor.  When making money, it's best to estimate the taxes. Especially as you make more money.  For two reasons: Your estimates will never be spot on, no worries everything will be reconciled when you file your return.
"It's not really my field, but I believe it's all the information that doesn't change (i.e. isn't ""real-time"") about the business of hedge funds.  For example, this site quotes: The product maintains comprehensive static data records including assets,       depositories, accounts, settlement instructions and a wide range of       supporting data..."
The IRS has a calculator for this purpose.
Conceptually, the entries are:   Yes. And since you're the sole owner, your basis will equal to the equity balance on the balance sheet. Keep in mind the book and tax basis will probably be different, so you may want to keep a separate calculation to track the tax basis. There is no journal additional journal entry for this. If you're using bookkeeping software, be sure to research its book-closing/closing entries feature, as it is handled differently depending on the software. For example Quickbooks doesn't explicitly close its books, but re-computes the balance sheet dynamically depending on the selected date range.
"Xero and WaveAccounting can make things easy, but they also have their limitations. I've used both for short periods of time but found both of them to be lacking. While the ""ease"" is appealing, the ability to drill into the details and get good reports is the downfall of both of these accounting systems. QuickBooks may seem like the easy answer here, but it really is the best for getting the power you want without getting too complicated."
The stores track the individual items for inventory planning and marketing purposes. Having worked in the transaction processing business for a time (writing one), I can say with confidence that the credit/debit card companies do not receive an itemized list of the items involved in the transaction. There is usually a description field in the information transmitted to the processor, which may or may not contain useful information. But it is not big enough to contain an itemized grocery list of any size. And it is not standardized in any way that would facilitate reliable parsing. There may be an amount of metadata about the transaction that would indicate the types of products involved in the transaction, which they can also infer from the merchant reporting the transaction. There are efforts to increase the amount of data reported, but they are not widely used yet, due to the overwhelming numbers of banks that would need to be upgraded. These efforts are rolling out only in specific and limited uses where the banks involved are willing to upgrade software and equipment. For now, the best way to know what you bought is to keep your receipts from the store. Shoeboxes work great for this. So do smartphone cameras and a folder on your hard drive. There are also mobile apps that track receipts for you, and may even try to OCR the data for you.
Basically the idea is you put the exact amount of cash into each envelope and set those aside for a specific purpose. Then when you go to accomplish that specific purpose such as grocery shopping or whatever, you take the corresponding envelope and use only the money that is inside. It is sort of a way to train yourself to follow budgets very strictly. Many people stand by this method and it really is as simple as the website you linked to. As far as tracking, this method really doesn't track anything aside from what you note down about where the money is going. Others have moved on to using ING sub accounts to do the same thing but in a digital form.
If you want to keep any consistent standard, you need to knuckle down and make those transaction entries. Honestly, this is a lot faster doing in bulk than doing day-by-day.  But change how you account so it isn't annoying.  I minimize my bookable transactions.  For instance I deposit all income whole (for tracking) but stop tracking when the money is converted to cash or gift card money - I log adding $50 to a McDonalds gift card, but not the individual meals.  I only use cash for the myriad small things I do not want to track - fast food, parking meters, etc.  Anything big or that I want to track goes on a credit card.  Then it's easy to reconcile credit cards to accounting system.   (Cathy) Ryan's Law: if it wasn't written down, it didn't happen.
I have been a private tutor on and off for about 30 years, in three countries, so I understand your concerns!  I always kept records as though it was a real business - even if I only had one student I kept records of dates/times/names, and also tracked where the money went (I never spent it straight up - it always got deposited to complete the paper trail; yes, this is paranoia on my part).  I've never been asked to prove anything with regards this income (although I have no Canadian experience). It's always been a case of tell the tax folks and make sure my arse is covered if they come asking questions. Hope this helps.
If you're willing to use OFX or QIF files, most Canadian banks can spit output more data than 90 days. The files are typically used to import into Quicken-like local programs, but can be easily parsed for your webapp, I imagine.
"You need one ""company file"" for each company that you want to track through QuickBooks.  Looks like, in your case, that is at least the PM and the PH (as you labeled them in your question).  The companies that just hold property and pay utilities might be simple enough that you don't need the full power of QB, in which case you might just track their finances on a spread sheet.  Subsidiary companies will probably appear as ""assets"" of some sort on the books of the parent company. This set-up probably does limit liability at some level, but it's going to create a lot of overhead for your that incurs some expense either in your time or in actual fees paid.  You should really consider whether the limitations on liability balance against those costs. (Think ahead to what you're going to do when you have to file taxes on this network of companies, whether you need separate insurance policies for each instead of getting one policy covering multiple properties, etc.)"
"Assuming that the ETF is tracking an index, is there a reason for not looking at using details on the index?  Typically the exact constituents of an index are proprietary, and companies will not publish them publicly without a license.  S&P is the heavyweight in this area, and the exact details of the constituents at any one time are not listed anywhere.  They do list the methodology, and announcements as to index changes, but not a full list of actual underlying constituents. Is there a easy way to automatically (ie. through an API or something, not through just reading a prospectus) get information about an ETF's underlying securities? I have looked for this information before, and based on my own searches, in a word: no.  Index providers, and providers of APIs which provide index information, make money off of such services.  The easiest way may be to navigate to each provider and download the CSV with the full list of holdings, if one exists.  You can then drop this into your pipeline and write a program to pull the data from the CSV file.  You could drop the entire CSV into Excel and use VBA to automagically pull the data into a usable format. For example, on the page for XIU.TO on the Blackrock site, after clicking the ""All Holdings"" tab there is a link to ""Download holdings"", which will provide you with a CSV.  I am not sure if all providers look at this. Alternatively, you could write the ETF company themselves."
To be on the safe side - you'll want to get the full invoice. You don't need to actually print them, you can save it as a PDF and make sure to make your own backups once in a while. Only actually print them when the IRS asks you to kill some trees and send them a paper response, and even then you can talk to the agent in charge and check if you can email the digital file instead. The IRS won't ask for this when you file your taxes, they will only ask for this if you're under audit and they will want to actually validate the numbers on your return. You'll know when you're under audit, and who is the auditor (the agent in charge of your case). You'll also want to have some representation when that happens.
The IRS allows filers to attach a statement explaining the reason for late filing.  I have had clients do this in the past, and there has never been an issue (not that that guarantees anything, but is still good to know). Generally, the IRS is much more lenient when a taxpayer voluntarily complies with a filing requirement, even if it's late, than if they figure it out themselves and send a notice.
I'm trying to organize my financial papers as well.  I have a Fujitsu ScanSnap and it's tearing through my papers like a hot knife through butter (i.e. awesome). Here's how I'm addressing organizing the paper. I'm organizing mine a little bit organically.  Here are the main parts: So anyway, all that to say that it's not necessary to organize the files to the hilt.  If you want to, that's fine too, but it's a tradeoff:  up-front organization for possibly some time savings later.  The search function available is decreasing the advantage of organizing your files carefully.  If throwing all of your files in a digital pile makes your skin crawl, then I won't force you otherwise, but I'm not worried about it for the time being. What you're doing with the other tracking sounds fine to me.  Others may have different insights there.
"Yes.  The simplest option to track your spending over time is to familiarize yourself with the ""Reports"" menu on the toolbar.  Take a look specifically at the ""Reports > Income/Expense > Income Statement"" report, which will sum up your income and spending over a time frame (defaults to the current year). In each report that you run, there is an ""Options"" button at the top of the screen.  Open that and look on the ""General"" tab, you'll be able to set the time frame that the report displays (if you wanted to set it for the 2 week block since your last paycheck, for example).  Other features you're going to want to familiarize yourself with are the Expense charts & statements, the ""Cash Flow"" report, and the ""Budgeting"" interface (which is relatively new), although there is a bit of a learning curve to using this last feature. Most of the good ideas when it comes to tracking your spending are independent of the software you're using, but can be augmented with a good financial tracking program.  For example, in our household we have multiple credit cards which we pay in full every month.  We selected our cards on specific benefits that they provide, such as one card which has a rotating category for cash back at certain business types.  We keep that card set on restaurants and put all of our ""eating out"" expenses on that card.  We have other cards for groceries, gas, etc.  This makes it easy to see how much we've spent in a given category, and correlates well with the account structure in gnucash."
"Actually, if you don't care about paying a bit more, either hire an accountant and dump the paper on them, or (may be cheaper but a bit more work) spring for tax software. Modern tax programs can often download most of your data directly. If you don't care about claiming deductions you can skip a lot of the rest. I'm perfectly capable of doing my taxes on paper or in a spreadsheet... but I spring for tax software every year because I find it a _LOT more pleasant.  Remember that most of the complexity does come from policies intended to reduce your taxes. When you call for simplification, you may not like the result. It's better than it was a decade or two ago. I used to joke that the battle cry of the next revolution would be ""No Taxation Without Proper Instructions!"""
Starting of 2011, your broker has to keep track of all the transactions and the cost basis, and it will be reported on your 1099-B. Also, some brokers allow downloading the data directly to your tax software or to excel charts (I use E*Trade, and last year TurboTax downloaded all the transaction directly from them).
Here's my approach: As for Google Docs, I think that its safe enough for most people. If you in a profession that was subject to heavy regulatory scrutiny, of if you are cheating on your taxes, I would probably not use a cloud provider. Many providers will provide documents to government agencies without a subpoena or notice to you.
"In the UK Directgov don't specify anything more than ""records"", which leads me to think that a digital copy might be acceptable. With regards to bank statements, individuals (i.e. not self-employed, or owning a business) need to keep them for between 12 and 15 months after your tax return, depending on when you filed it. Source: Record keeping (individuals and directors) - Directgov"
It's always beneficial to have detailed business records.  There are any number of reasons where you'd need to prove both the types of services you've rendered and the payment history - you've already noted audits (for IRS taxes).  Other possibilities: Whether these records need to be original or electronic might be the topic for another question.
"Rather than reading news stories, why not go straight to the HMRC source? https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-your-private-pension/lifetime-allowance Seems your lifetime allowance measurement differs based on whether your pension is defined contribution or defined benefit.  The latter seems fairly simple at 20 times first year payout, though the HMRC usage of the word ""usually"" is disconcerting.    The language for defined contribution implies they check multiple times for violation of the LFA, just like you've pointed out.  Of note, they specifically list: Note that you can also file to ""protect"" a larger LFA that you might have previously had.  This generally means not contributing any longer to your pension though.  There is info on the page linked above."
When you submit for reimbursement, the cash you get should be FIFO (first in, first out) and a large bill should empty out 2011 first, automatically tapping 12 for remaining amount owed. I doubt you need to do anything.
I'd say you have a couple options that differ by the amount of time required. Option 1: Export your checking/credit card ledgers from your banks for the unaccounted for periods you mention then import them into GNUcash.  They won't be categorized, but it's a fairly simple task to go through and categorize the main ones.  Anything else can be categorized in an 'unaccounted for' account and either properly categorized over time at a later date or just left unaccounted for. Option 2: Make one entry in each of your liabilities and assets that is also part of the 'unaccounted for' expense account, but contains the number required to balance your accounts now.  This is by far the easiest and will allow you to start with a clean slate now but keep your prior records in the same ledger.   Option 3: Start a new ledger with the same account/expense structure as your previous ledger.  From here on out, you'd open this GNUCash file and start fresh.  Also quick and easy but there is no way to look at the old ledger and run reports unless you open that separately.  I actually do this every couple of years as a way to force me to clear out obsolete accounts and trim the fat since GNUcash can take a long time to open when the ledger contains many years of transactions.
"There's no such thing as ""leniency"" when enforcing the law. Not knowing the law, as you have probably heard, is not a valid legal defence. Tax law is a law like any other. That said, some penalties and fines can be abated if the error was done in good faith and due to a reasonable cause. First time penalties can be abated in many cases assuming you're compliant otherwise (for example - first time late filing penalty can be abated if you're compliant in the last 5 years. Not many people know about that.). Examples for a reasonable cause (from the IRS IRM 20.1.1): Reliance on the advice of a tax advisor generally relates to the   reasonable cause exception in IRC 6664(c) for the accuracy-related   penalty under IRC 6662. See IRM 20.1.5, Return Related Penalties, and If the taxpayer does not meet the criteria for penalty relief under   IRC 6404(f), the taxpayer may qualify for other penalty relief. For   instance, taxpayers who fail to meet all of the IRC 6404(f) criteria   may still qualify for relief under reasonable cause if the IRS   determines that the taxpayer exercised ordinary business care and   prudence in relying on the IRS’s written advice. IRM 20.1.1.3.2.2.5 -   Erroneous Advice or Reliance.   Treas. Reg. 1.6664–4(c). There are more. IRM is the ""Internal Revenue Manual"" - the book of policies for the IRS agents.  Of course, you should seek a professional advice when you're non-compliant and want to ask for abatement and become compliant again. Talk to a CPA/EA licensed in your state."
"Square use SSN to verify identity, and they only ask for the last 4 digits for that purpose. If she entered the full SSN - then she entered it into the tax id field, which was a wrong thing to do. It is also worth mentioning that since you mentioned a ""business partner"" that ""should have taken care of taxes"" that you should have a tax adviser whose job would be to take care of taxes and ensure that your interests are well-represented. I would suggest not to try interacting with the IRS on your own. Hire a tax adviser (EA/CPA licensed in your State) to do that. That tax adviser will be able to fix the problem (there are different ways of doing it, depending on the circumstances) and also verify that the business taxes were properly taken care of. When dealing with business partners - assume that what they've ""supposedly"" did was not done, until you see it with your own eyes. Saying that ""Supposedly, her business partner took care of all tax issues"" means, in this case, that you've been caught with unreported income that you tried to conceal. It is your (your sister's...) responsibility to prove otherwise. It is a very weak defense when the IRS comes knocking on the door for their money."
Before starting to do this, make sure that you are squeaky clean in all aspects of your tax preparation and are prepared to back up any claims that you make with documentation. Home office deductions are a huge red flag that often trigger audits. Follow mbhunter's advice and be incredibly meticulous about following the rules and keeping records.
If you don't track the accrued costs involved, then it means that the valuation of the deal will be somewhat arbitrary, but it still can be made by looking at the value of equivalent or similar goods or services. It's rather similar to accounting treatment of (noncash) gifts, for example. You make up a valuation, and as there are obvious tax reasons to make it as low as possible, the valuation should be justifiable or you risk the wrath of IRS. If you sell the same goods or services for cash, then the value of the barter deal is obvious. If this barter is the only time you're handling this particular type of goods, a wholesale price of similar items (either of your items, or the items that you're receiving in barter) could work.