2023 2024
ARCC Consulting Announcements
Tax Clients
For Company Tax Return Clients
This season, we have already pre-assigned your business return to the same tax preparer you had last season, as well as your individual return. This will greatly expedite your tax return process for company tax return(s) AND individual tax return.
For Individual Tax Clients
Because of the above, this frees up an exponential amount of time for our administrative, allowing them to be more efficient in response time to your inquiries and tax return process throughout that season.
Accounting & Tax Clients
New Process
We are moving to a one-stop information center for our accounting and tax clients. We do this for our payroll clients, and it has been a great success over the years. A few accounting clients were kind enough to test out our updated process with us and absolutely LOVED it. We’re excited to launch this creating one informational area for you and us.
Email Reminders
We’re moving away from sending email reminders and putting all reminders on our website and social media. You’ll still receive some emails however, they will be short and referring you to your google sheet link to access your accounting, payroll, and/or tax information center.
Celebrations
ARCC 10 Years of Business
Since ARCC is in its 10th year of business, it was time to give the company an update! We created a new website, new logo, and started utilizing our social media accounts (mainly Facebook, Instagram, and Google) for reminders, and an opportunity for you to get to know the ARCC team on a more personal level. Hopefully you will participate in our social media posts and visit our website often. At some point, we would like to bring back our blog and/or helpful YouTube videos.
Payroll Reminders
IL SECURE CHOICE MANDATE
This is a gentle reminder that IL Secure Choice Program Enforcement is underway.
Please review guidelines at the following web addresses:
https://tax.illinois.gov/businesses/securechoiceprogramenforcement.html
https://www.ilsecurechoice.com/
If you have questions, please directly contact IL Secure Choice: 855-650-6913
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- For any of your employees who opt in.
- Please make sure you are adding that information on your payroll timesheet (we’ve already added a column for it).
Happy Holidays
Your favorite part of the season: DISCOUNTS!
We are looking forward to working with you in 2024!
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Military and First Responders get 10% discount on your total invoice with valid identification.
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If you refer another business to us, and we prepare their business return, we will provide an additional 10% off your total invoice as a thank you!
Illinois (IL) Paid Time Off (PTO) Law
Beginning January 1, 2024.
The below information is up to date as of 8/30/23.
It is your responsibility to review the websites listed below for any additional updates/amendment to the 820 ILCS 192/Paid Leave for All Workers Act (ilga.gov)
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- https://labor.illinois.gov/faqs/paidleavefaq.html
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- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=4351&ChapterID=68
W2s and/or 1099s for 2023
(Generated in 2024 once the year 2023 closes)
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We generate W2s with quarterly/yearly payroll returns and work through a checklist, so please be patient as we work through the list.
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1099s automatically get sent to your contractors via email (or mail if they did not provide an email address).
These come directly from tax1099.com.
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We will charge a fee of $25.00 for additional requests to resend W2s and 1099.
Please make sure to save W2s and/or 1099s to your computer, so you can access them as needed.
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1099s go directly to the contractor/email that was provided to ARCC
- If you receive a 1099 for your contractor, that means you need to provide a copy to your contractor.
- It is your responsibility to inform your contractors expecting a 1099 that they will be emailed to the email address they provided starting Monday, January 8, 2024.
- If we do not have an email, they will receive the 1099 by mail.
- The emails come directly from the software we use to generate 1099s (www.tax1099.com).
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It is your responsibility to provide ARCC with a W9 by Monday, January 8, 2024 for any additional contractors you may not have provided a W9 for.
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We can still submit 1099s after January 8, 2024 and there is an additional fee of $25.00 per additional W9 provided.
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To avoid government penalties all 1099s need to be submitted by January 31, 2024.
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ARCC will have all 1099s (for W9s we have on file) submitted by January 31, 2024 (if not sooner).
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Per government rules/regulations, any amount under $600.00, per contractor, for the year of 2023, will not receive a 1099.
W2/1099 Secure Email Reminder
W2s for 2023 and 1099s will be sent by Jan 31, 2024 (if not sooner) via secure email.
Please follow the following directions to access the secure email.
- Select READ MESSAGE.
- (it’s in a blue box)
- Select ONE TIME PASS-CODE.
- (This gets sent to your email)
- When you enter in the pass-code, if you’re on a private computer, click that option so message can be accessed for next 12 hours WITHOUT pass-code.
- If 12 hours expires OR you are on a public computer, just select pass-code option again.
- DOWNLOAD.
- (small arrow to the right of attachment)
- Open attachment that downloads at the bottom left of your screen.
- ENABLE Edits.
- SAVE AS.
- (save to your computer)
IDES Rate Determination Letter
You should have recently received a letter from IDES (Illinois Department of Employment Security) regarding your 2024 Unemployment Rate.
Please upload this letter to our dropbox as soon as possible so that we can update that information in our system. If you do not upload this letter to us, and your rate has gone up, this could result in an underpayment for your IL Unemployment Insurance and the government will charge you additional fees/penalties.
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- We only accept attachments via Dropbox for security reasons.
- We will not open any attachment emailed to us.
- ARCC Consulting will not be held liable for any documents sent to us via email.
Accounting Reminders
Accounting & Business Returns 2023
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As the year comes to an end, we will be working in January 2024 to complete your financials for 2023.
- We will continue the same process and work them in order of due dates and when your statements are available.
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ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT IS WORKING EXTENED HOURS IN DECEMBER 2023-FEBRUARY 2024.
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We will send you a copy of your financials and it will be very important that you review these reports as soon as possible prior to us working on your business return.
- If any edits need to be made, we can do so prior to submitting your tax return.
If ARCC prepares your business return, we will automatically alert a tax specialist and they will be reaching out with next steps.
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Your favorite part of the season: DISCOUNTS!
- This season, if you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll receive another 5% off your total invoice!
- If you refer another business to us, and we prepare their business return, we will provide an additional 10% off your total invoice as a thank you!
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We appreciate your patience and wish you a prosperous 2024!
W9s for 2023 to generate 1099s
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We are going to start generating 1099s the week of January 8, 2024.
If you have not provided a W9 for a contractor who is expecting a 1099.
- Please fill out a W9 form and upload it to the Finance Dropbox no later than Monday, January 8, 2024 by 9:00am CST.
- (We will need time to enter the data from the W9 into our system so we can generate a 1099).
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ARCC Consulting only accept attachments
- via Dropbox for security reasons.
- We will not open any attachment emailed to us.
- ARCC Consulting will not be held liable for any documents sent to us via email.
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REMINDER: Please tell your contractors that they will receive a 1099 directly from the software we use, which is Tax1099.
If you’ve entered in your email address, it will be your responsibility to provide your contractor with their 1099.
MISC EXPENSES
If you still have transactions in a MISC category that are required to be categorized prior to your financials being sent to our tax department.
We need to know what the following transactions are by Tuesday, Jan 2, 2024 (by 9am CST).
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Please see your google spreadsheet, starting with November Tab, for MISC information and to enter what the transaction is for.
Company Tax Reminders
Let’s get ready for 2023 Business Tax Season
We want to wish you and your company Team Members a holiday season full of joy and peace. As the year ends, we are preparing for the upcoming tax season.
Beginning January 2024, we know that you’ll be working hard to close out 2023 and have your financials prepared as accurate as possible.
As soon as your financials are ready, please upload them to your Company’s tax portal.
- If you are needing a financials template, you can download one here P&L Template.
If you’re an ARCC client, we will be working extended hours to ensure your year-end financials are to you as soon as possible.
Your favorite part of the season: DISCOUNTS!
2024 Corporate Tax Deadline 3/15/2024
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The corporate tax deadline is March 15, 2024. In order to ensure the business taxes are filed on time we will need to get your financials by no later than February 29, 2024.
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For any financials received after February 29, 2024, we will file an extension and continue to work returns in order financials were received.
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If you are an accounting client of ARCC’s, we will prepare those returns upon your approval of the final year-end financials
(gentle reminder that we will continue to work through our check list as normal for reconciliation).
Extension Filed
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As a gentle reminder, if we did not receive all documents by Feb 29, 2024 by 11:59pm, we automatically will file an extension for you. There is no additional fee for this. We will continue to work returns in the order that they were received.
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Filing an extension for your business return does not have a negative effect on your return; it provides you until 9/16/24 to file the return.
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The extension is for your tax return only and does not include any payments due. The extension gives the taxpayer the time to file but not time to pay. You are still responsible to make a payment owed, including estimated payments, by March 15, 2024.
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We thank you for being a valued client and look forward to working with you this tax season and the years to come.
Extension Corporate Tax Deadline Approaching
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The extension deadline for corporate tax returns is September 15, 2023 and is approaching quickly. To ensure that we have plenty of time to prepare your tax return, we will need all necessary tax documents submitted to us by no later than August 31, 2023.
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Tax documents submitted after this date may not be filed by the September 15th deadline and you will continue to accrue penalty and interest fees until your return has been submitted & payment made (if you have a payment due).
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Please upload your documents to our secure Tax Portal.
Individual & Fiduciary
Tax Reminders
Your 2023 Tax Return Organizer is now available via your Tax Portal
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You will receive an email with the link from our tax portal giving you access to your individual portal.
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You’ll be able to download the organizer or view from your computer/phone.
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Reminder: DO NOT UPLOAD YOUR TAX ORGANIZER.
(This is for your organizational needs only). -
If you are an existing client, your 2022 information pulled over, so please make sure you are going through to notate any changes/missing information
(if need be for YOUR records). -
Please upload all tax documents and information needed to complete your return through YOUR Tax Portal.
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If you need help with this, please call the office.
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Our preferred method of receipt of documents is through Tax Portal, however, call the office and we will be happy to accommodate as needed.
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Once you upload documents, you will receive an email from our admin team (within 48 business hours) with next steps.
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Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions.
Let’s get ready for 2023 Tax Season
We want to wish you and your loved ones a holiday season full of joy and peace. As the year ends, we are preparing for the upcoming tax season.
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You will receive a tax organizer by January 15, 2024.
They get released by our software company once the government updates their rules/regulations for 2023 tax season.
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Reminder: DO NOT UPLOAD YOUR TAX ORGANIZER.
(This is for your organizational needs only). -
This season, we’ll be using google sheets vs emailing you as often.
You’ll receive your google sheet link from ARCC Consulting and your tax preparer will walk you through how to use it.
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If you call the office, our admin can also provide you instructions on how to use this sheet.
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Your yearly Questionnaire will also be on this google sheet, allowing you to easily respond/answer.
Your favorite part of the Season: DISCOUNT!
Gentle Reminders - Individual Tax 2023 Tax Return Season is fully underway
We have a few gentle reminders that will greatly help the ARCC Team be as efficient and accurate as possible.
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Upload documents to your Tax Portal per return.
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If you’re uploading documents for someone else in your family (or a friend), please make sure to use their tax portal link, the guest tax portal link, OR Dropbox (and label the document with their name).
Please do NOT upload their documents to your portal. -
Do not upload your tax organizer to ARCC Consulting (this is for your organizational needs only).
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We will only be reviewing the Questionnaire 2023 Tax Return that was sent to you via email. Your tax preparer will provide you with a copy if need be.
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Please scan/save your documents per form vs all documents in one pdf. It makes it easy to miss items on our side when all documents are scanned together and/or out of order.
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We encourage you to read the emails sent from your tax preparer. If need be, a 30 min phone/video consult can be scheduled to address your questions/comments.
If you have family members also filing with us, they may have a different tax preparer so please contact the tax preparer who reached out to you/them, as you may not have the same tax preparer. -
Remember your tax preparer may be booked with meetings/consults all day and unable to immediately respond to your email or call. Scheduling helps ensure you get the dedicated time you deserve and eliminates the frustration of phone tag. Allow 48 hours to receive a response from your tax preparer.
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If you have general questions, or a new task, you may call the office or email [email protected].
The ARCC Team is working very hard during this busy season, and we thank you in advance for your patience and kindness to all team members. We look forward to working with you!
Tax Deadline Approaching: Extension Information
The tax deadline for this tax season is April 15, 2024.
An extension will be filed for one of the following reasons if we have not received the below by March 31, 2024 by 11:59PM
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We did not receive all documents.
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We did not have all questions answered.
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You did not confirm approval of the draft return (in order for us to send you a signature page).
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You did not sign the signature pages (generally via DocuSign).
ARCC Tax Client: Automatic Extension Protection
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We will be automatically filing an extension beginning April 1, 2023.
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There is no additional fee to file an extension and we will continue to work tax returns in order that they were received.
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If an extension is filed, the deadline to file your tax return is October 15, 2024.
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We will continue to send out reminders along the way.
State or IRS: Payments Owed & Payment Due Dates
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If you owe any payment to the State or IRS, those payment due dates are still April 15, 2024.
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ARCC is not liable for any late penalty fees/interest that accrues on payment amount owed.
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We do not know if you owe a payment until we prepare your return or you provide the necessary information to be able to calculate an estimate.
What is filing an extension?
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Filing an extension does not affect an already filed return OR a future return filed.
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It is simply there in order to avoid penalties for filing a return late.
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There is no fee for filing an extension and no additional steps required (on your side) regarding extensions.
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An extension has no negative effect on you, or your return.
What if I do not want ARCC to file an extension for me?
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If you no longer need ARCC services, or do not want us to file an extension
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Please notify us (via email or phone) by March 31, 2024 by 11:59pm
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If you choose not have ARCC file an extension, ARCC is not liable for any penalties for late filing.
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We hope that you would want to continue services with ARCC and if you have any comments, concerns, frustrations, to please email or call the office and we’d be happy to address those with you.
We are a small team and work very hard to meet client needs and we are always striving to improve and be better. 😊
If you have general questions, or a new task, you may call the office (847-295-0671) or email [email protected].
The ARCC Team is working very hard during this busy season, and we thank you in advance for your patience and kindness to all team members.
We look forward to working with you!
Extension For Individual Tax Deadline October 15, 2024
The deadline for filing individual tax returns is October 15, 2024 and is approaching quickly.
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To ensure that we have plenty of time to prepare your tax return, we will need all necessary tax documents submitted to us by no later than September 30, 2024.
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Tax documents submitted after this date may not be filed by the October 15th deadline and you will accrue penalty and interest until your return has been submitted & payment made (if you have a payment due).
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Please upload your documents to our secure Tax Portal.
NFP Reminders
Non-For-Profit (NFP): Let’s get ready for Tax Season!
If you are a Non-For Profit (NFP), your fiscal years vary.
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Tax deadline is five months after your fiscal year ends.
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Extensions are 6 months from the original due date.
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If you’re an ARCC Consulting Accounting Client, your Accountant will have a meeting with one of our tax preparers to discuss your financials and/or payroll summary information.
Your ARCC Accountant will be your guide/liaison during tax season (they’ll take you every step of the way and provide you with reminders). -
If you are not an ARCC Consulting client, please use the tax portal to provide your financials and/or payroll summary information.
We do not provide financial templates for NFPS due to the government rules and regulations for expense tracking categories, grant tracking, and payroll tracking.
Your favorite part of the Season: DISCOUNT!
General Reminders
How to Open a Secure Email
- Select READ MESSAGE (it’s in a blue box)
- Select ONE TIME PASS-CODE (this gets sent to your email)
- When you enter in the pass-code, if you’re on a private computer, click that option so message can be accessed for next 12 hours WITHOUT pass-code. If 12 hours expires OR you are on a public computer, just select pass-code option again.
- DOWNLOAD (small arrow to the right of attachment)
- Open attachment that downloads at the bottom left of your screen
- ENABLE Edits
- SAVE AS (save to your computer)
Experts in Tax, and Accounting Services
Serving Businesses, and Individuals
Our team is here to help your business grow, and thrive.