The Best Way to Disclose Tip Income on Your Tax Return

Americans are now more lavish with their tips than they were before the pandemic. The percentage of people who leave tips on remote transactions has increased from 46% to nearly 86%. All tips, including cash, debt, tip pools and cashless tips, are considered income. This means they are subject to income tax, but also to Social Security tax and Medicare tax. You must submit any tips you get. This can have unforeseen consequences. Follow these simple steps to report your tip income on your tax return.

Do you receive tips? You must carry out these three tasks

Working for tips is literally a burden. However, there are three things you can do to avoid breaking tax laws and getting in trouble with the IRS.

Keep daily records

It is your responsibility to keep proper records and provide adequate proof of your beverage income for the tax year. It is very important to keep daily records of cash and credit card tips, as well as amounts received or paid in connection with tip distribution. Remember to record the value of non-cash tips, such as admission tickets and gift cards. Tip records should include the date the tip was received or paid and the amount. If tips are paid to other employees under tip pools or other arrangements, you must include the employee’s name in the log.

Ancillary fees such as delivery fees or automatic tips for large groups should not be included in the log. These fees are not considered tips and are generally treated as regular wages.

You can record daily tips in a journal or notebook, or IRS Form 4070A makes it easy. If your employer offers an electronic system for recording daily tips, you should keep a paper copy for your records.

It is more efficient to keep a daily log of your tips.

  • Properly report tips to your employer.
  • Keep a proper record of your tips on your tax return, and
  • In the event of an audit, provide proof of tip income.

Tips for reporting to your employer

Keeping a daily report is only part of the process. If you earn more than $20 a month in tips, report it to your employer using IRS Form 4070. Submit the form by the 10th of each month; if the 10th falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, submit it the next business day. Form 4070 should list tips received in cash or by card, tips paid and net tips for the previous month. Don’t inform your employer about non-cash tips. No payroll tax is withheld from these tips Bronx accounting services.

In some cases, your employer may require you to report tips more than once a month. Based on this information, payroll tax is calculated and deducted from your wages. If your hourly wage does not cover the tax due, you can remit the tax through your employer. You can also have the tax deducted from your next paycheck. Remember to pay the tax due throughout the year to avoid underpayment penalties when you file your tax return.

Reporting tip income on your tax return

As a general rule, all tips from the previous year should be reported on the tax return. To calculate this, use the amount in Box 1 of your W-2 form and add up any tips that have not yet been reported to your employer.

  • The months in which you received a total of less than $20 in cash and tips.
  • The value of non-cash tips (for example, tickets, gift cards, bus tickets).

Do not include any tips you reported to your employer in January of this year. If you are using Form 1040 or 1040-SR, enter the total of all tips and wages on line 1.

If you distributed tips (on Form W-2, line 8), you must report the amount on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 1, along with all other tips and wages (reported or not).

What happens if I receive unreported tips?

Failure to report tips can result in a 50% penalty for Social Security, Medicare, Medicare Supplemental, and Railroad Retirement taxes. If you receive more than $20 in tips (cash and unearned) in a month and do not report them to your employer, you may have to pay payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) must be reported.

Use IRS Form 4137, Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income, to calculate your Social Security and Medicare taxes. You may also need to file Form 8959, Medicare Supplemental Tax. Follow the instructions for completing the tax return and attach the completed form Bronx accounting services.

If you have not paid all of your beverage taxes, you must also report that amount on your tax return. Unpaid taxes are listed in item 12 of the W-2.

About Author

Villie Walters Ramirez is a 32-year-old tax assistant at a tax firm who enjoys bookkeeping and Bronx accounting services. She has a post-graduate degree in accounting, and she has a severe phobia of cats. She enjoys traveling a lot.

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