TSBAS Accounting Bookkeeping Payroll Tax Preparation
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Learn More
    • About >
      • Meet the Team
      • Reviews
    • Services >
      • Tax Debt Relief
      • Accounting & Bookkeeping
      • Tax Services
      • Payroll Services
      • Seminars & Training
      • QuickBooks Services
      • Specialized Services >
        • Spa Bookkeeping
        • Services for Real Estate Agents
  • Schedule
  • Contact Us
  • TSBAS Client Guide
  • Service Requests
    • Payroll Service Quote Request
  • Links to Important Things
  • careers
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Learn More
    • About >
      • Meet the Team
      • Reviews
    • Services >
      • Tax Debt Relief
      • Accounting & Bookkeeping
      • Tax Services
      • Payroll Services
      • Seminars & Training
      • QuickBooks Services
      • Specialized Services >
        • Spa Bookkeeping
        • Services for Real Estate Agents
  • Schedule
  • Contact Us
  • TSBAS Client Guide
  • Service Requests
    • Payroll Service Quote Request
  • Links to Important Things
  • careers

Some Tips on Tips

6/7/2017

2 Comments

 
I know it is a mantra that comes up often, even from my own lips (or fingers in this case), but it is said/typed so often because it is true – if you earn money, chances are REALLY good that the IRS wants to know about it. Even with this being the case, tips sometimes seem to be in a gray area for many.
To follow the mantra, yes, if you’re receiving tips in your job, chances are REALLY good that the IRS wants to know about it.  If you want a little more clarity and direction on this issue, though, the IRS actually has an Interactive Tax Assistant on the internet that will bring you through a series of questions to get a better answer on if your tips are taxable.
In this time when more people are using electronic forms of payment instead of cash, many tips are already being reported as part of a worker’s pay and being taxed accordingly. When it comes to cash, however, things get trickier.
It is not that the form of payment will cause tips to be taxed differently, but the fact that employers can let those go into that gray area. There are plenty of times when if you accept a tip, your employer may never know about it, and quite possibly doesn’t want to know about it. In that situation, well, I cannot necessarily encourage it, but it a client wants to keep it unreported and not want to worry about it, I have to shrug and move on.
I do, however, want to offers some, well, tips on how one can think about and track their tips if this is an area where you want better, and possibly more legal, record keeping.
First, it is not just cash and credit transactions that count as tips. If you receive items such as tickets or passes as tips, the value of those would also count as additional wages, and very likely unreported income. For any of these unreported tips, you will want to fill out a Form 1137 with your tax return.
In that type of full reporting, it could include tips received as part of a sharing partnership with co-workers. This is a situation that may make you want to be extra cognizant about keeping track of your tips. If you have co-workers that are fully reporting what they receive, and you are not, that is a discrepancy that could stand out. In fact, this is something that if done as it should will even include names on IRS Publication 1244. On that sheet, one tracks daily tips through different forms, including what is paid out to other employees.
I do not often like to give such links to different forms and such in this space, because I know it is not that exciting and gets into the minutiae of taxes and record keeping that make many cringe. As the concept of a sharing economy grows, however, it is likely that more and more people will be receiving tips as part of their income, and it could be one of those areas not given enough attention when it comes to figuring out your tax responsibility.
Let this be a reminder then that you probably don’t want to just ignore the issue.

To ensure we don't make the folks at the IRS ornery, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

2 Comments
Bob link
10/11/2019 10:13:23 pm

I love your tax tips. My wife and I need money help. We'll have to hire an accountant.

Reply
Josh Bousquet
10/15/2019 10:58:38 am

So glad to hear that you are enjoying our work. You can click the 'schedule' link at the top of our web page to make an appointment and start getting things in order.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Balance
    Bookkeeping
    Business
    Payroll
    Tax
    Tax Prep
    Tax Return
    Tax Scam

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Website by Odeh Media Group
Copyright ©2025 TSBAS.com, All Rights Reserved
The Small Business Accounting Solution, Inc
50 South 1st Avenue, Coatesville PA 19320
(844) 208-2937
Privacy Policy
​Contact Us
Terms & Conditions