OSU Extension will be offering the October Farm Office Live webinar on Friday, October 18, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Farm Office Live is a monthly webinar of updates and outlooks on legal, economic, and farm management issues that affect Ohio agriculture. Some of the topics that will be addressed during this webinar include Fall Crop Insurance Update, USDA Drought Assistance Programs, Legal Update, Tribute to Paul Wright, Practical Out of Country Labor Resource for Farms, 4th Quarterly Fertilizer Price Summary, and  Winter Program Update. Featured speakers include guest Farm Office members Peggy Hall, Jeff Lewis, David Marrison, Robert Moore, Eric Richer, and Clint Schroeder. Register for this and future Farm Office Live webinars through this link on farmoffice.osu.edu.

OSU Extension Announces Two-Day Tax Schools for Tax Practitioners & Agricultural & Natural Resources Income Tax Issues Webinar

For well over 55 years, Ohio State University has been providing continuing education for tax preparers. Ohio State University offers income tax education designed for tax preparers with some experience preparing and filing federal tax returns for individuals and small businesses. Our schools also provide tax education for beginning professionals and for farmers and farmland owners.

Instruction focuses on tax law changes and on the problems faced in preparing individual and business (including farms) tax returns. Highly qualified instructors will explain and interpret tax regulations and recent changes in tax laws. These schools and webinars offer continuing education credits for attorneys, CPAs, EAs, CFPs, and other tax return preparers. More information can be found online: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/tax

Our two-day schools (and 4-part webinar) are designed for individuals who have some experience preparing and filing federal and state tax returns. The two-day courses are considered to be intermediate level. Highly qualified instructors will explain and interpret tax regulations and recent changes. Our two-day schools also have instructors from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT).

Some highlights include details of energy and vehicle tax credits, Beneficial Ownership Reporting (BOI), upcoming expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and more. We have a couple of chapters in this year’s National Income Tax Workbook (NITW) that we haven’t had in a number of years that may be of interest – Real Estate Rental Activity Issues and Related Party Issues.

What sets our schools apart is our dedicated instructors, who work in the tax industry! We don’t just get you through the class; we get you through the tax filing season.

We also offer a two-hour Ethics Webinar and a six-hour Agricultural and Natural Resources Income Tax Webinar for additional continuing education credits. All of our courses are taught by some of the industry’s top experts!

Registration for our 2-day schools and four-part webinar includes a hard copy of the 600+ page National Income Tax Workbook prepared by the Land Grant University Tax Education Foundation (“LGUTEF”), access to past workbooks, the opportunity to order the 2025 Checkpoint Federal Tax Handbook at a substantial discount, and 50% off our Ethics/PSR Webinar.

Registration for 2024 is open and can be found by visiting https://go.osu.edu/tax2024

If you cannot register online, email Jeff Lewis (lewis.1459@osu.edu) to set up an alternative.

Dates and Locations for 2024 Income Tax Schools

Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 Ole Zim’s Wagon Shed, Gibsonburg (Fremont)

Nov. 4-5 Presidential Banquet Center, Kettering (Dayton)

Nov. 7-8 Old Barn Restaurant & Grill, Lima

Nov. 12-13 Muskingum County Conference and Welcome Center, Zanesville

Nov. 19-20 Ashland University, John C. Meyers Convocation Center, Ashland

Nov. 21-22 Hartville Kitchen, Hartville

Nov. 25-26 – Intro Course (Columbus)

Dec. 4-5 Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, Columbus

Dec. 9, 10, 12, 13 Four-Part Virtual Webinar Series, Zoom

Dec. 16 – Ethics Webinar, Zoom

Dec. 19 – Ag Tax Issues Webinar, Zoom

Two-Day Tax Schools Topics Include:

• Trusts and Estates
• Related Party Issues
• Limited Liability Company Issues
• Business Entity Tax Issues
• IRS Issues
• Business Tax Issues
• Real Estate Rental Activities
• Agricultural and Natural Resource Tax Issues
• Individual Tax Issues
• New and Expiring Legislation
• Rulings and Cases

A sample chapter from a past workbook can be found at:

https://taxworkbook.com/about-the-tax-workbook/

In addition to the tax schools, the program offers a separate, two-hour ethics webinar that will broadcast Monday, Dec. 16^th. The webinar is $30 for school attendees and $60 for non-attendees and is approved by the IRS and the Ohio Accountancy Board for continuing education credit.

A webinar on Ag Tax Issues will be held on Thursday, Dec. 19, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you are a tax practitioner who represents farmers or rural landowners or is a farmer or farmland owner who prepares your taxes, this webinar is for you. It will focus on key topics and new legislation related specifically to those income tax returns.

Registration, which includes the Ag Tax Issues workbook, is $180 if registered at least two weeks prior to the webinar. After November 29, registration is $230. Register by mail or online at:

Intro to Tax Preparation Course

Our new Introduction to Tax Preparation for the Beginning Tax Professional is offered for the second year. This year will be held in Columbus on Nov. 25-26 at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center. This introductory course seeks to not only introduce beginning tax professionals to tax vocabulary, concepts, and law but also inject real-world experience to help beginning tax professionals avoid mistakes a new preparer generally makes. We begin instruction by covering the basics, and by the end of Day 2, attendees will have completed a sample return. For more information on this course, see this page: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/tax/introduction-tax-preparation-course

For more information, participants may contact Barry Ward at 614-688-3959, ward.8@osu.edu, or Jeff Lewis at 614-247-1720, lewis.1459@osu.edu.

Are you a farmer or farmland owner wanting to learn more about the recent tax law issues? If so, join us for this webinar on Friday, December 6th, 2024, from 10 am to noon. This webinar is a part of our Farm Office Live Series and serves as our Farm Office Live! Webinar for December. To register for this webinar, go to: https://go.osu.edu/register4fol

This webinar will focus on issues related to farmer and farmland owner income tax returns, the latest news on CAUV and property taxes in Ohio, and another reminder regarding changes to the Ohio Commercial Activity Tax (CAT). OSU Extension Educators Barry Ward, David Marrison, and Jeff Lewis will present this two-hour program via Zoom in a live webinar format. Individuals who operate farms, own property, or are involved with renting farmland should participate.

Topics to be discussed during this webinar include (subject to change based on tax law change):

• Economic Outlook
• Tax Planning for a Lower-Income Environment
• Depreciation Update
• Employee vs. Independent Contractor
• Corporate Transparency Act/Beneficial Owners Information Reporting
• 1099-K Changes
• Basis Allocation Land Acquisition – Allocating Basis to Residual Fertility for Future Deductions
• Defining Farm Income to Avoid Paying Estimated Tax
• Keeping an Eye Forward on Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Provisions Sunsetting After 2025 Tax Year
• Keeping an Eye Forward on Estate/Gift Tax Limitation
• Ohio Tax Update (CAUV/Property Tax Update, CAT Changes, Beginning Farmer Tax Credit)

To register: https://go.osu.edu/register4fol

With an estimated 2,709,128 Ohioans currently living in some sort of dry or drought conditions, times are not easy. Unfortunately, with no relief in sight, we could be sitting in this position for quite some time. The map below indicates where each county in Ohio stands in its current dry/drought condition.

Our team at OSU Extension and other professionals around the state of Ohio are working around the clock to monitor the situation and provide resources for on-the-ground support and daily observation of the weather outlook. Click here for more information and resources.

We often forget to check in on our mental health during this time of high stress and anxiety. While many people can cope with the everyday stress of farming, it is important to know it is okay not to be okay. Especially with extreme weather conditions, it can be difficult for any farmer.

There may be no way to control this drought, but we can control how we manage our stress. Here are a few simple ways:

• Recognize the signs of it, which manifest differently in everyone.
• Acknowledge and share with someone that you are feeling
• Ensure that you are getting enough sleep, eating properly, and maintaining good physical
• When you have the time to connect with loved ones, Spending quality time with others boosts your mental health.

What are some of the signs of stress:

• Poor sleeping and/or eating habits
• Feeling overwhelmed by life
• Overly anxious or stressed
• Increased use of drugs and/or alcohol
• Increase in risky behavior
• Overly tired and/or forgetful
• Thoughts of hopelessness

If you have been feeling any of these for more than a few weeks, please reach out to someone. We have your back, and you are not alone in these thoughts. Please talk with someone.

Resources that are available to you:

go.osu.edu/farmstress   go.osu/educountyresourceguide

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Call, Text, or Chat 24/7 365 Ohio Care Line 1-800-720-9616

Please reach out if you have any questions or need more information to Bridget Britton at 330-365- 8160.

Bridget Britton, MSW, LSW Behavioral Health Field Specialist