​When you incorrectly claim your favorite hobby as a business, it's like waving a red flag that says "Audit Me!" to the IRS. However, there are tax benefits if you can correctly categorize your activity as a business.

Why does hobby versus business activity matter?

Chiefly, you're allowed to reduce your taxable income by the amount of your qualified business expenses, even if your business activity results in a loss.

On the other hand, you cannot deduct losses from hobby activities. Hobby expenses are treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions and don't reduce taxable income until they (and other miscellaneous expenses) surpass 2 percent of your adjusted gross income.

Here are some tips to determine whether you can define your activity as a business. These are common characteristics of a business:

• Profit Motive. You have a reasonable expectation of making a profit.
• Effort and Income. You invest significant personal time and effort. You depend on the resulting income.
• Reasonable Expenses. Your expenses are ordinary and necessary to run your business.
• Background. You have a track record in this industry, and/or a history of making profits.
• Customers. You have multiple customers or professional clients.
• Professionalism. You keep professional records, including a separate checkbook and balance sheet; you have business cards, stationery and a branded business website.

​The IRS will consider all these factors to make a broad determination whether you operate your activity in a business-like manner. If your business doesn't fit with the guidelines above, it might be a hobby. Each case is unique, and you should seek out professional advice on making this determination. If you need help ensuring you meet these criteria, reach out to schedule an appointment.

From 2008 to 2016 the overall audit rate for individual tax returns decreased from 1% to 0.7%. (For high income earners though, the audit rate has increased.)

• Despite complaints of fewer audits from the IRS, the audit rates are still up dramatically versus 2008 for those with incomes over $500,000. This is because the vast majority of income tax collected comes from these taxpayers.
• Upper income taxpayers could assume they will be audited every 3 to 5 years.
• Note the large drop in audit rates in the $1 million to $10 million range versus 2011. While still high versus the 2008 rates, it is halved from 2011 audit rates.
• Those with incomes over $10 million have seen their audit rate double since 2008.

The IRS is also auditing taxpayers with little to no taxable income. Much of this is due to the high incidence of error and fraud within the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Play It Safe
Always retain your tax records and support documents for as long as they may be needed to substantiate claims on your tax return. Make sure you consider any state record retention requirements as you review when it is safe to destroy old records. Remember some records need to be retained indefinitely. This includes, at minimum, copies of original tax returns, legal documents, and real estate transactions.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a source of nontaxable income? You may be more fortunate than you realize. Listed here are a number of income items that the IRS does not tax.

1. Tax-free interest. The federal government does not tax municipal bond interest. This includes bonds issued by a state or municipality. The tax-free benefit increases the higher your income, but caution must be taken to ensure the underlying municipality is not in dire financial condition.
2. Health insurance premiums. For now, most health insurance premiums are tax free. This could change in the future to help pay for health care reform, but for most this benefit can be paid in pre-tax dollars.
3. Income from Roth IRA and Roth 401(k) accounts. While the amounts contributed into these retirement savings accounts are taxed, any earnings made on the contributions are federal tax free as long as holding period and distribution rules are followed.
4. Health savings accounts (HSA). Contributions and earnings in health related savings accounts are tax free as long as the proceeds in the account are used to pay for qualified health care expenses.
5. Child support received. Unlike alimony you receive, child support income is free from federal tax.
6. Car pool revenue. While commuting expenses are not generally deductible, any reimbursement of your commuting expenses by fellow passengers is not reportable as income.
7. Home sale gains. Up to $250,000 ($500,000 for married filing jointly) of capital gains on a sale of your principal residence can be tax free.
8. Up to 14 days of rental income. If you rent out your home or vacation property, up to 14 days of this rental income each year can be tax free.
9. Certain employer compensation. In addition to health care premiums there are a number of employee benefits that are not taxable. All have limits, but every tax-free dollar is money in your pocket. These include:
   1. airline miles earned on business credit card expenses
   2. certain employee provided tuition expenses
   3. qualified adoption expense reimbursement
   4. up to $50,000 in employer-paid term life insurance
   5. flex spending accounts for dependent care and health care
   6. commuting expense benefits for parking and mass transit commuting

Remember when you pay for something in pre-tax dollars it's like giving yourself a raise. Because of this, be sure you take advantage of as many tax-free income opportunities as possible.

Identity theft is a growing problem in the United States. Dozens of companies offering various forms of identity theft protection have sprung up to combat it. Unfortunately, these services often do little to actually protect people's identities, according to a study released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Both the GAO study and consumer protection organizations like The Identity Theft Council point out that consumers have more effective, low-cost methods to protect themselves from identity theft. Here are some of their tips:

Monitor your own credit. You can get a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies once a year at annualcreditreport.com. You can stagger your request from each agency so that you can check your credit history for any suspicious new account openings every four months.

In addition, one of the most effective things only you can do yourself is to scan your monthly credit card and bank account statements. If you see any irregularities, contact the financial institution at once and let them know if you believe any charges are the result of identity theft.

Place a fraud alert. You can place a free fraud alert on your identity if you believe you've become vulnerable for any reason, either because you lost your wallet, had your home or car broken into, or had your information stolen online. All you have to do is call any of the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax 1-888-766-0008; Experian 1-888-397-3742; or TransUnion 1-800-680-7289) and they will notify the other two.

Placing a fraud alert lasts for 90 days. Any credit provider will have to take extra steps to verify the identity of any person who tries to use your credit and open new accounts. It can be renewed for free every 90 days.

Freeze your credit. If you aren't going to be applying for new credit for a while, one of the most effective things you can do to combat identity theft is to put a temporary freeze on your credit. You'll have to call each of the three credit reporting agencies and may be required to pay a small fee ($5 to $10 each) to freeze your account, after which no one will be able to access your credit to open new accounts. It won't affect your credit rating or your ability to use your existing accounts.

Keep in mind that while this shuts down other people from accessing your credit, it also stops you from opening new accounts. It typically takes three days for the agencies to unfreeze your accounts, so keep that in mind if you want to apply for new credit, or need to allow a potential new employer to access your credit report as part of a background check.

Do your taxes early. One of the most common kinds of identity theft is when people use a stolen Social Security number and other personal information to file a fraudulent tax return in the hope of snatching a refund. Your best defense is to simply file your return as soon as possible. Once the IRS receives your return, it shuts the door on potential identity thieves.

Two-thirds of the Baby Boomer generation are now working or plan to work beyond age 65, according to a recent Transamerica Institute study. Some report they need to work because their savings declined during the financial crisis, while others say they choose to work because of a greater sense of purpose and engagement that working provides for them.

Whatever your reason for continuing to work into your golden years, here are some tips to make sure you get the greatest benefit from your efforts:

1. Consider delaying Social Security. You can start receiving Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but if you continue to work it may make sense to delay taking it until as late as age 70. This is because your Social Security benefit may be reduced or be subject to income tax due to your other income. In addition, your Social Security monthly benefit increases when you delay starting the retirement benefit. These increases in monthly benefits stop when you reach age 70.
2. Don't get bracket-bumped. Keep in mind that you may have multiple income streams during retirement that can bump you into a higher tax bracket and make other income taxable if you're not careful. For instance, Social Security benefits are only tax-free if you have less than a certain amount of adjusted gross income ($25,000 for individuals and $32,000 for married filing jointly in 2017), otherwise as much as 85 percent of your benefits are taxable.
3. Required distributions from pensions and retirement accounts can also add to your taxable income. Be aware of how close you are to the next tax bracket and adjust your plans accordingly.
4. Be smart about health care. When you reach age 65, you'll have the option of making Medicare your primary health insurance. If you continue to work, you may be able to stay on your employer's health care plan, switch to Medicare, or adopt a two-plan hybrid option that includes Medicare and a supplemental employer care plan.
5. Look over each option closely. You may find that you're giving up important coverage if you switch to Medicare prematurely while you still have the option of sticking with your employer plan.
6. Consider your expenses. If you're reducing your working hours or taking a part-time job, you also have to consider the cost of your extra income stream. Calculate how much it costs to commute and park every day, as well as the expense of meals, clothing, dry cleaning and any other expenses. Now consider how much all those expenses amount to in pre-tax income. Be aware whether the benefits you get from working a little extra are worth the extra financial cost.
7. Time to downsize or relocate? Where and how you live can be an important factor determining the kind of work you can do while you're retired. Downsizing to a smaller residence or moving to a new locale may be a good strategy to pursue a new kind of work and a different lifestyle.
8. Focus on your deeper purpose. Use your retirement as an opportunity to find work you enjoy and that adds value to your life. Choose a job that expresses your talents and interests, and that provides a place where your experiences are valued by others.

If you recently got married, plan to get married, or know someone taking the matrimonial plunge, here are some important tax tips every new bride and groom should know:

Notify Social Security. Notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) of any name changes by filling out Form SS-5. The IRS matches names with the SSA and may reject your joint tax return if the names don't match what the SSA has on file.

Address change notification. If either of you are moving, update your address with your employer as well as the Postal Service. This will ensure your W-2s are correctly stated and delivered to you at the end of the year. You will also need to update the IRS with your new address using Form 8822.

Review your benefits. Getting married allows you to make mid-year changes to employer benefit plans. Take the time to review health, dental, auto, and home insurance plans and update your coverage. If both of you have employer health plans, you need to decide whether it makes sense for each of you to keep your plans or whether it's better for one to join the other's plan as a spouse. Pay special attention to the tax implication of changes in health savings accounts, dependent childcare benefits and other employer pre-tax benefits.

Update your withholdings. You will need to recalculate your payroll withholdings and file new W-4s reflecting your new status. If both of you work, your combined income could put you in a higher tax bracket. This can result in reduced and phased-out benefits. This phenomenon is known as the "marriage penalty."

Update beneficiaries and other legal documents. Review your legal documents to make sure the names and addresses reflect your new marital status. This includes bank accounts, credit cards, property titles, insurance policies and living wills. Even more importantly, review and update beneficiaries on each of your retirement savings accounts and pensions.

Understand the tax impact of your residence. If you are selling one or two residences, review how capital gains tax laws apply to your situation. This is especially important if one of you has been in your home for only a short time or if either home has appreciated in value. This review should be done prior to getting married to maximize your tax benefits.

Sit down with an expert. It is natural for newlyweds to focus their attention on the big day. There are so many decisions to be made from selecting a venue to planning the honeymoon. Because of this, reviewing your tax situation often is an afterthought. Do not make this mistake. A simple tax and financial planning session prior to the big day can save on future headaches and avoid potentially expensive tax mistakes.