Dolores
16 Feb 2015
Thank you so much for all the informative topics you share and educate us.Keep up the great work!
John McCoy
16 Feb 2015
As a mobile Notary, a typical re-fi signing has 6, 8 or more Notary seals. In FL, if $10. per Notarization is applied and entered on form SE, this amount in some cases would completely negate any income from the signing. How are Notary fees separated from the overall fee paid for the signing? This is very confusing.
Michael A Aloe
16 Feb 2015
We all work very hard in this business to overpay our taxes.
JACQUELINE FATTIBENE
16 Feb 2015
HOW MUCH CAN WE DEDUCT FOR EACH JURAT AND ACKNOWLEGDEMENT?
National Notary Association
17 Feb 2015
Hello,Please see Tip 1, "Reporting Notarization Fees," above.
Melanie Moder
16 Feb 2015
How can I get a copy of my last renewal application?
National Notary Association
17 Feb 2015
Hi Melanie,So we can better assist you, can you please contact us at social@nationalnotary.org with more details of what documentation you need what state you are commissioned in and the best way to contact you, please? Thanks!
Jacqueline Hardges
17 Feb 2015
I'm a new NSA. This is great information.
notary13@hotmail.com
12 Mar 2015
Let's clarify about SE taxes. The actual notary fees are exempt from Federal SE tax; however, just because you CAN take the SE exemption doesn't necessarily mean you SHOULD. Taking the exemption can have affect your future Social Security benefits, as well as disability benefits. NSAs should review their situation with their CPA or EA to determine whether or not taking the exemption is best for them.
National Notary Association
12 Mar 2015
Hello. Information from the IRS regarding Notary fees and self-employment tax is available on page SE-5 at this link: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sse.pdf
Charlotte Eddington
16 Jul 2015
Your comment about keeping accurate records, is great. They can help income tax preparation go a lot smoother. I also specifically like your comment about making a detailed log of your information, such as mileage. Thanks for sharing your information.
lucy
26 Jan 2016
The correct day to file your Income Tax Return is April 18, 2016 .Thank you!!!!
National Notary Association
27 Jan 2016
Thank you for letting us know! We've updated the stories to the correct date.
Beth Hanco*ck'
27 Jan 2016
Speaking as an enrolled agent who is also a notary I wanted to point out that the home office does not need to be a separate room. You can get the deduction even if you use a portion. For example you have an open concept first floor of 1000 sq feet in your 2500 sq ft home. Your "office" is a corner comprising 50 square feet. You can use that 50 sq feet for calculating a deduction. Alternatively even if you have a separate room you may not be able to deduct the whole room. Let's say you remodel a 500 sq foot basem*nt to use an office. Unless you can explain why you need such a large office, an auditor is likely to allow only a portion, especially if the main use of the office is only storage of notary supplies and bookkeeping
Evelyn
02 Mar 2016
Does a conference call, or phone calls only held in that location of your home qualify as a meeting place with and for your clients/customers?
National Notary Association
07 Mar 2016
Hello Evelyn. For questions regarding special case or unusual deduction claims, please contact a qualified tax preparer or tax advisor.
Fermin Marengo
04 Jun 2016
The ten days waiting (cooling of) period for a contract cancellation signed December 23, 2015, taking into consideration holidays of the 25th of December and January 1, 2016, when is the valid day for cancellation within the law?
National Notary Association
06 Jun 2016
Hello. We cannot provide legal advice regarding cancellation of a contract. Please consult a qualified attorney for assistance.
Gina Jamison
13 Feb 2017
Thank you for the information. This year is particularly tough. I bought a new car when my old car blew up. And I'm having a heck of a time figuring out how to input this information. Any advise?
Judith S. McDanniel
01 Mar 2017
Is it true the first $600.00 one earns from each signing company is tax deductible ?
Sandy Kon
07 May 2017
I didn't find any mention of deducting fees for each notary seal in the publication. Is this even a real thing? I don't want to pay H & R Block $75 dollars to find out it isn't a real deduction. Thank you
National Notary Association
09 May 2017
Sandy, we're sorry but because every Notary's tax situation is different, you would need to speak to a qualified tax attorney or tax preparation professional to ask about any deductions regarding your Notary seal.
Jean
08 Jun 2017
I perform Notary acts at my current place of employment. At this time there are no fees (customer or non-customer) but my employer is considering charging a flat fee. Can my employer charge for my notary services?
National Notary Association
08 Jun 2017
Hi Jean. To help us answer your question, can you please tell us what state you are commissioned in?
Bo Ssekyanzi
21 Jun 2017
As a provider of Notary Public service, I depend on the income from this service as a small business operator. What items should I include on the IRS Tax form?
National Notary Association
21 Jun 2017
Hello. IRS Publication 17 has information on reporting notarization fees on your income tax: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/index.html
Maria Ferrell
12 Feb 2018
This is a great inspiring article. I am pretty much pleased with your good work. You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post. Tiger Financial Service provides insurance
michelle
26 Feb 2018
Notary Tax Info
Karen M Spain
03 Jan 2019
Is it safe to use 3rd party such as notary gadget to keep book keeping info for taxes
Irene Diaz
10 Feb 2019
This is a good start to collecting tax info... anything you need/use for your business can be written off....its possible to write off your lifestyle....good record keeping is the key!! And the knowledge of how.
ian greig
24 Mar 2019
Tax info for Notaries is difficult to find. Go to: IRS Publication 17. page SE-5, center column, Para 2.
Afton Jackson
19 Sep 2019
I highly agree that people consider keeping tax-related data is usually neglected. It does not hurt to keep track of records when your money is at stake. If facilitated well, these can highly benefit everyone in the business. If ever, I will need an enrolled agent to help meld my ideas in my small business.
Ardel Richter
20 Jan 2020
What business code should a Notary Signing Agent use when filing?
National Notary Association
22 Jan 2020
Hello. We apologize, but we cannot answer specific tax questions about your personal business situation. If you have tax questions about your business model, please contact the IRS or a qualified tax advisor for assistance.
Bode the Notary
21 Jan 2020
I am a certified tax preparer in CA. I have created a detailed spreadsheet in order to track all of my income and expenses from my business. For each signing, I take the fee paid and divide it by the number of notarizations. Any amount that is greater than the maximum of $15 a notarization (for CA) is considered regular business income. This is helpful to enter in the fee earned for each notarization in my notary journal. I can also track my cost for printing each loan package, travel mileage, tracking numbers, and when a job has been paid. I may post a template of my spreadsheet to YouTube if the response is great enough.
David Lawson
03 Feb 2020
I'm an engineer and I got my notary stamp on the side. If I choose to charge $5 per stamp, do I have to report that on my taxes even though it's not my job/business?
National Notary Association
05 Feb 2020
Hello. For general information on reporting Notary fee income, please see "Reporting Notarization Fees" above. We apologize, but we cannot provide specific advice about individual tax returns. If you need additional information about your personal tax situation, please contact a qualified tax preparer or tax advisor.
John Patrick Mead
11 Feb 2020
Bode the Notary...I'd be very interested in obtaining the spreadsheet you spoke of. I give the NNA permission to provide Bode the Notary, my contact info.
National Notary Association
06 Jan 2021
Hello. We're sorry but for privacy reasons we cannot provide the contact information of persons posting here.
Tami
11 Feb 2020
Bode the Notary I also am interested in your spreadsheet. I give in and a permission for you to contact me also or for posting. Thank you!
National Notary Association
06 Jan 2021
Hello. We're sorry but for privacy reasons we cannot provide the contact information of persons posting here.
Shelly Taylor
20 Apr 2020
I’m very much interested in viewing Bode the notary's spreadsheet. I have been a NSA for over 15 years and just learned about SE tax on notarizations in 2017 from the owner and developer of Venbooks notary software. I’m so thankful, through conversation, he informed me of SE tax as it pertains to notarizations. Luckily, I was able to have my CPA amend tax years 2015 and 2016 prior to the three year statute of limitations. The amendment of 2015 and 2016 tax years resulted in a return of over $10,000. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations has long since passed for tax years 2004 To 2014. I’m interested in learning how other NSA’s write off expenses. Currently, I record each page I print per signing, each notarization, and mileage to and from the closing address as well as mileage to and from UPS/Fedex. If other notaries record each page printed as an expense rather than price of paper purchased. How much do you allow per page as an expense? Ex: 100 pages at $.10 per page etc.... During all tax years beginning in 2004 to current I filed as a sole proprietor and a CPA prepared my taxes.
National Notary Association
20 Apr 2020
Hello. Any tax questions about your specific financial situation should be directed to the IRS or a qualified tax preparer.
Judy McCarty
29 Apr 2020
Hi I’m new at being a Notary. I’m thinking of doing NSA? I wanted to ask if we are doing this for self employment do I need to apply for a dba and a tax ID number?I want to make sure next years taxes are done right!Thank you for your attention to this matter!
National Notary Association
30 Apr 2020
Hi Judy.We would recommend contacting your local city or county agency that registers business names to find out if you are required to register a dba in your area. Any questions about your specific business income tax situation or applying for a tax ID number should be directed to the IRS or a qualified tax adviser/tax preparer.
Maureen Arndt
12 Oct 2020
Bode the Notary, I'd love to have access to your spreadsheet. I give NNA permission to provide Bode the Notary my contact information.
National Notary Association
06 Jan 2021
Hello. We're sorry but for privacy reasons we cannot provide the contact information of persons posting here.
Tim
13 Oct 2020
Hi, I am a Loan signing notary in MD, we must have a Title Producer License, which costs a few hundred dollars to get (Mandatory 20 hour class + paying to take the test, requesting the license after passing the test). Are these fees tax deductible?
National Notary Association
16 Oct 2020
Hello. You would need to contact the IRS or a qualified tax professional to answer any questions about individual tax deductions.
Emily
14 Oct 2020
I was wondering if can you deduct notary stamps and recertification on taxes?
National Notary Association
16 Oct 2020
Hello. You would have to contact the IRS or a qualified tax professional to answer any questions about deductions for your personal income tax.
Johanna Pridgeon
05 Nov 2020
After reading the statement about the spreadsheet by Bode. I would like to have copy of the spreadsheet. Therefore, I give NNA permission to provide Bode my contact information. I’m thankful for all the information that I’m receiving to assist me on my journey. Thanks very much NNA!
National Notary Association
06 Jan 2021
Hello. We're sorry but for privacy reasons we cannot provide the contact information of persons posting here.
Carol C
19 Dec 2020
Hi, Bode the Notary! I would definitely love access to your spreadsheet! How would that be possible? I give permission to the NNA yo provide my email. Thank you!
National Notary Association
06 Jan 2021
Hello. We're sorry but for privacy reasons we cannot provide the contact information of persons posting here.
Jprice
19 Dec 2020
Bode the Notary, I would love a copy of your spreadsheet as well. I give NNA permission to provide my contact information to Bode. Thank you and happy holidays!
National Notary Association
06 Jan 2021
Hello. We're sorry but for privacy reasons we cannot provide the contact information of persons posting here.
Rebecca
04 Jan 2021
After reading the statement about the spreadsheet by Bode. I would like to have a copy of the spreadsheet. Therefore, I give NNA permission to provide Bode my contact information. Thank you for all the information that I’m receiving to assist me on my journey. Thanks very much NNA!
National Notary Association
06 Jan 2021
Hello. We're sorry but for privacy reasons we cannot provide the contact information of persons posting here.
Steve
06 Feb 2021
Notary Earth tracks my notarization fees. Highly recommended.
David V Fuentes, GRI, Realtor, Notary Public
07 Feb 2021
All notaries do have 2 pieces of record keeping of fees paid: in the notary journal, your fee per signer (or 0 if no fee charged, like I do for individuals active or veterans in the armed forces) and a receipt for services rendered; example: travel fees, typing dictation, etc. other than that, your mileage and office space plus supplies. Easy peasy.
Ammy
03 Mar 2021
How and where do I file my earnings as a part time notary signing agent on my tax return? I have a full time job and do the signings on the side. I found out the escrow company that I take the signings from does not issue out 1099 forms to any of the notaries they use.
National Notary Association
05 Mar 2021
Hello. We apologize, but we can only provide general tax information in this article. For assistance with specific individual tax return details, you will need to contact the IRS or a qualified tax preparer.
Florida
29 Apr 2021
Just look her up on Facebook and send her a private message. I just sent her one.
Debra K Johnson
17 May 2021
I am currently using Loan Signing income to supplement my Social Security income. Do I need to file taxes if I don't have and self employment taxes to pay ? and if so at what point.
National Notary Association
17 May 2021
Hello. Your best course would be to contact a qualified tax advisor or tax preparer, or the IRS to discuss your individual income tax situation.
Linda Kay Chandler
17 Jan 2022
Great Newsletter!!
Alfreda mae vincson
08 Aug 2022
I would like to know what the tax deductible for the seal and supplies that was brought and becoming an enrolled agent how do I do that I usually receive new letters I haven't received any yet the sensor while back now I will continue with my notifications
National Notary Association
08 Aug 2022
Hello. Please contact the IRS or a qualified tax professional regarding any questions about possible deductions for your individual tax situation.
Martha Sanchez
18 Nov 2022
Thank you, great information I'm new to NSA.
Judith Peterson
09 Jan 2023
I am finding that on your information/comment pages that the comments are not current. Don't you think that comments should be relevant to the times and not over a couple years old?
Angelica Gamboa
09 Jan 2023
I just open an office, where can I get the form to change business address?
National Notary Association
10 Jan 2023
Hello. If you are referring to notifying your state Notary agency of a change of address, please let us know what state you are in and we can provide the appropriate contact information.
Joie Ray
13 Jul 2023
Can a New Mexico notary public, who is mobile and online, charge sales tax? I called a Notary who said he charges sales tax on credit card transactions. How can I find information about the taxes i need to charge and pay as a Notary public LLC?
National Notary Association
31 Jul 2023
Hello. You would need to contact the IRS or a qualified tax advisor authorized to provide tax advice to answer questions about sales tax requirements for your business.
Terri Brown
20 Feb 2024
I am an active Notary around Charlotte areas looking for Loan signing opportunities and resources to get started. Can anyone answer?I appreciate it in advance.
Pamela
22 Feb 2024
Great information much needed
David V Fuentes, GRI
22 Feb 2024
Who issues the 1099 NEC to the independent Notary for services rendered? The Escrow Or Title Co., the Lending institution or the signer on a Loan signing appointment?I have never seen any of those three sending me any 1099 NEC in my 25 years as a Loan Signing agent. Never, period. They just send me a check or pay with a credit card, after I send the person who made the order, my payment demand. The reason behind is that Escrow only issues the check, the lender does not order the signing, the Buyer and seller pays the 50/50 of the fees. None of them want that payment to show in their tax declaration….. ultimately: I have never seen a 1099 from any of them to me for services render; but I do have receipts and records of the assignment and I declare it on my 1040 schedule C
Katie
24 Feb 2024
Hello Bode the notary.. I would be interested in checking out your spreadsheet you made. Can you email it to me if you have the time and see this message! Also thank you for all the info it helps me out personally a lot and I am greatly appreciative for it. Thank you! Stay awesomeness everyone!