Joel Jensen
Joel is a partner of Tax Sentry, a CPA firm focused on small businesses and real estate. Joel is currently a licensed certified public accountant in the State of Utah and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants (UACPA). Joel began his career with Ernst & Young, LLP where he worked for nine years and was promoted to Senior Manager. In 2003 Joel left Ernst & Young to form Tax Sentry. His primary focus was to take his background and focus on helping self-employed individuals rather than large established companies. Since 2003, Tax Sentry has processed tens of thousands of tax returns helping self -employed and real estate professionals reduce their government tax burden. He also enjoys real estate investing himself and has participated in commercial rentals as well as residential flips.
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Taxes on a Flip
When it comes to flippers, there’s always one question: how do I minimize my taxes? The IRS classifies Real Estate professionals as either Investors or Dealers. The IRS views both differently. Dealers are normally taxed at their ordinary income tax rates (which caps out at 39%). Investors are usually taxed at Capital Gain rates (which caps out at 20%). One of the major factors is how long a property or asset was held. If a property is sold and only held at 11 months, it is taxed per the ordinary income tax rules. If it is held over a year,…
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How to find and pick the right CPA?
CPAs are often trusted because of their accreditation, not because of what they can do. This sounds harsh but is simply the truth. Taxes for a business are not equivalent to personal taxes. Here are insider tips from a CPA on what to look for in a CPA: Knowledge about your area of business – A lot of CPAs are general practitioners when it comes to tax. They tend to know a little about a lot. Most business owners should rely on a CPA who processes multiple returns for the area of business they operate in. You wouldn’t go to…
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What is a Deduction and How Does it Really Work?
I’ve had clients who make 14 million dollars a year ask me this question and clients who made 14 thousand dollars ask me this question. Let me give you a phrase to remember. The phrase is simply “Ordinary and Necessary.” This is a phrase the IRS often uses during an audit. If a deduction was in the grey area they ask if it was ordinary and necessary. This phrase should be asked before every purchase for your business. If an expense is ordinary (meaning most people do it) and necessary (meaning you must have it to operate), then it is…
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Why, how, what to do? A guide to an audit.
Everyone has some form of tax anxiety. This anxiety can stem from the fear of audit, the unknown, or the amount paid in taxes. We have all heard the term innocent until proven guilty. That’s the society that we feel we live in. But with the IRS, it is the opposite. You are guilty until you can prove yourself innocent. That’s right, you are not innocent until you can show them you didn’t do it. Outlined below are some ways to lessen the chance of an audit and be ready in case you ever get one:Why do people get audited?This…
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How Does a Rental Affect My Tax Return?
The IRS has a special schedule on a tax return for rentals. A schedule is normally an appendage to either a business or a personal tax return. A Rental is reported on a Schedule E. This is where you can locate where your accountant took expenditures related to the rental. Rentals are usually tracked per property opposed to lumping them all together. This tends to be a headache from some new rental owners but it can be made simple with categorization. It is very difficult to know your true profit with a rental or business if taxes are not factored…
