This obviously creates problems for employers trying to accrue the proper amount of tax to pay in the first quarter. It will also require changes to rates in software, and adjustments for incorrect accruals.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
PA Unemployement Confirms Late Rate Letters
The Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Department has confirmed that compensation rate notices which are normally mailed at the end of December will be delayed into 2012. They say they will be mailed prior to April 1, 2012.
This obviously creates problems for employers trying to accrue the proper amount of tax to pay in the first quarter. It will also require changes to rates in software, and adjustments for incorrect accruals.
This obviously creates problems for employers trying to accrue the proper amount of tax to pay in the first quarter. It will also require changes to rates in software, and adjustments for incorrect accruals.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
PA to Stop Mailing Corporate Tax Coupons
The PA Department of Revenue will no longer mail REV-857-I coupon packets or specialty taxes coupons, forms and instructions to taxpayers effective 01/01/2012. The forms and instructions will be available on their website. Of course, they encourage everyone to file on e-TIDES if possible.
Monday, December 5, 2011
2011 Tax Year Publication 17 Posted
Publication 17 was posted yesterday, and is available for
download at
If past years are any guide, there may be revisions, so keep
the web address handy. Even if you order a paper copy (which if you tell them
you are a tax preparer they will charge you for) the PDF is useful since you
can search the document by any word, and there are hyperlinks in the documents
to other sections.
IRS Releases 2012 W-4 and W-4P
The updated forms are available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf and http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4p.pdf
Friday, July 22, 2011
PA Dept. of Revenue Tax Seminar Schedule Fall 2011
The PA Department of Revenue has finally posted the dates for the update seminars it gives every fall throughout the state at http://bit.ly/muXp2P . Unfortunately the agenda is not posted yet, but normally they cover individual, corporate, inheritance, sales & use, and unemployment taxes. In my area (the Lehigh Valley), the PSPA is sponsoring it on 9/27/11 at the Holiday Inn in Breinigsville. You can get a registration form or register online fot the Lehigh Valley location at www.pspacpe.com . Hope you can make one of the sessions.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Webinar on Gas Tax Issues Recording Available
A Penn State Extension webinar, "Dealing with Gas Tax Issues for Marcellus Shale" held 02/16/2011, gave a one hour overview of how to report income, depletion, and expensing opportunities, severance, and property tax. Although it was necessarily brief, I thought the information presented was accurate and informative.
http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas/webinars/recorded/webinar-gas-tax-issues-for-landowners
Mary Lew Kehm, CPA
http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas/webinars/recorded/webinar-gas-tax-issues-for-landowners
Mary Lew Kehm, CPA
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Mandatory PUC Electronic Filing Delayed Past First Quarter 2011
Because the new Unemployment Compensation Management System, or UCMS, is not yet available, employers and employer representatives should continue to file quarterly report including reports for the quarter ending March 31, 201 using magnetic media or e-TIDES until further notice. Paper return filers will receive first quarter 2011 forms to file on paper for at least one more quarter.
All employers and their representatives will be notified when the new UC system becomes available. At that time, paper forms will be phased out.
Thank goodness for this extension. Those of us who do income taxes and also prepare payroll taxes would have had less than two weeks to register and file all clients on the new system in April.
Note that there is still no projected date for the implementation of UMCS. PA Labor & Industry will be informing us of any updates. Implementation has now been postponed twice. However, I am all for getting it right the FIRST time, especially with something as important as unemployment, which affects nearly every employer and worker in the state.
All employers and their representatives will be notified when the new UC system becomes available. At that time, paper forms will be phased out.
Thank goodness for this extension. Those of us who do income taxes and also prepare payroll taxes would have had less than two weeks to register and file all clients on the new system in April.
Note that there is still no projected date for the implementation of UMCS. PA Labor & Industry will be informing us of any updates. Implementation has now been postponed twice. However, I am all for getting it right the FIRST time, especially with something as important as unemployment, which affects nearly every employer and worker in the state.
Monday, February 14, 2011
PSU Marcellus ShaleTax Issues Webinar 2/16/11
An upcoming webinar, "Dealing with Gas Tax Issues for Marcellus Shale" will cover how to report income, depletion, and expensing opportunities, severance tax, and property tax. The link to sign up for the "Dealing with Gas Tax Issues" Marcellus Shale seminar is http://t.co/0iQojxz . It is sponsored by Penn State Extension, and will be held 02/16/11 at 1PM.
They also apparently allow replays afterward so hopefully if you can't make it you can watch again when you have more time (or are forced to by a client situation).
Mary Lew Kehm, CPA
They also apparently allow replays afterward so hopefully if you can't make it you can watch again when you have more time (or are forced to by a client situation).
Mary Lew Kehm, CPA
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Pennsylvania Property Tax Rent Rebate Forms Available
Form PA-1000, the application form for rebates on Pennsylvania property taxes or rent paid in 2010 are now available, the PA Department of Revenue said today. All residents who received rebates last year should have received 2010 application forms in the mail by now. Applications are also available online at http://www.revenue.state.pa.us/ or by calling 1-888-222-9190.
Older adults must reapply for rebates by June 30 every year because rebates are based on property taxes or rent paid each year and annual income. (The deadline has been extended to December 31 for the last few years). The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded. The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.
The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2010 is June 30, 2011. Rebates will be distributed beginning on July 1.
Older adults must reapply for rebates by June 30 every year because rebates are based on property taxes or rent paid each year and annual income. (The deadline has been extended to December 31 for the last few years). The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded. The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.
The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2010 is June 30, 2011. Rebates will be distributed beginning on July 1.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Berkheimer lists changes to areas administered
Please be advised that the areas listed below have appointed Berkheimer as their Earned Income Tax Administrator. Please update your records accordingly and remit all future Earned Income Tax (EIT) payments for these areas to our office.
4th quarter 2010 - forward
• Butler ASD/All Municipalities, except Oakland Township – 4th quarter 2010 forward
• Eldred Township, Jefferson County – ½% municipal only – Effective 4th quarter 2010
• Slippery Rock SD/Franklin Township – effective 4th quarter 2010 forward
• Southern Lehigh SD/Municipalities – effective 4th quarter 2010 and forward
• Sullivan County SD/All Municipalities – effective 4th quarter 2010 and forward
• Upper Perkiomen SD/Municipalities - effective 4th quarter 2010 and forward
1st quarter 2011 – forward
• Conneaut SD/W. Fallowfield & Pine Townships – 1% effective collector, 1st quarter 2011
• Halifax SD/All Municipalities – 1% collector for all, effective 1st quarter 2011
• Henderson Township – ½% municipal only, effective 1st quarter 2011
• Kiski ASD/All Municipalities(except East Vandergrift Township) –1% collector for all, effective 1st quarter of 2011
• North Mahoning Township – ½% municipal only, effective 1st quarter 2011
• North Wales Borough – Full 1% collector as of 1st quarter 2011
• Oliver Township – ½% municipal only, effective 1st quarter 2011
• Springfield Twp/Springfield SD – Montgomery – 1%, collector change effective 1st quarter 2011
Please also be advised there has been a change in the collector for the following areas in which Berkheimer is no longer the collector:
• Chester County – All Municipalities and School Districts – effective 4th quarter 2010 – Berkheimer is no longer the administrator.
• Bucks County – All Municipalities and School Districts – with the exception of Pennridge SD and its Municipalities, (Dublin Borough is the only Municipality in Pennridge SD that Berkheimer is no longer the administrator) - effective 1st quarter 2011.
Mary Lew Kehm, CPA
Thursday, January 20, 2011
PA Dept. of State Decennial Report Searchable Database Available
The promised Pennsylvania Department of State searchable database for those companies operating in Pennsyvlania that need to file a decennial report is operational.
You can search by Department of State entity number (not the same as the Department of Revenue Box Number) or Name.
The decennial report must be filed every 10 years (as the name implies). 2011 is the year for the reports this time around.
All domestic and foreign profit and nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships that are not also limited partnerships, business trusts, insignias and "marks used with articles and supplies" that have not made a new or amended filing with the Corporation Bureau from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2011 shall during the year 2011, file in the Department of State a report that they continue to exist. 54 Pa.C.S. § 503(b)(1), § 1314(b), § 1515(b). Fictitious names and trademarks are not required to make decennial filings.
There are some exceptions -- see the FAQ's on Decennial Filing available at
You may want to check your corporation, LLC etc. as you complete the tax returns this year. (nonprofits must file too if they haven't been sending in their officer reports each year). You must file by 12/31/2011 if you need to file.
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