OSU Extension offering virtual Farm Transition and Estate Planning Course in February

If you and your family are grappling with the critical issue of transitioning farm operations and farm assets to the next generation, OSU Extension is here to help. Producers are encouraged to attend a four-evening virtual “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” workshop on February 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.

This workshop challenges farm families to actively plan for the future of the farm business. Learn how to have crucial conversations about your farm’s future and better understand the strategies and tools that can help you transfer your ffarm’sownership, management, and assets to the next generation. We encourage parents, children, and grandchildren to attend together to develop a plan for the future of the family and farm. The teaching faculty for the workshop are David Marrison, an OSU Extension Farm Management Field Specialist, and Robert Moore, an attorney for the OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program.

Pre-registration is required so that a packet of program materials can be mailed to participating families in advance. Electronic copies of the course materials will also be available to all participants. The registration fee is $99 per farm family. Register by January 24, 2025, to receive course materials in time. Register at go.osu.edu/successionregistration. If you have questions about the workshop, do not hesitate to contact David Marrison at marrison.2@osu.edu or 740-722-6073.

Working in Cold Temperatures

With snow covering much of the landscape for over a week now, we will now get arctic cold temperatures and windchills with daily high temperatures that will be the coldest in roughly ten years.  It is interesting to note that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents that there are more deaths in the United States due to cold weather exposure (hypothermia) than hot weather exposure (hyperthermia) each year.  The CDC has also tracked an average of 1,300 deaths per year in the US due to excessive cold or hypothermia.

Many jobs are affected little with the change in temperature outside, but others do not have that luxury.  Occupations such as agriculture (and others) work outside a great deal no matter what the conditions.  Helpful reminders are often beneficial to keep safe while accomplishing these tasks.

Everyone responds to cold weather and temperature extremes in general very differently.  It is what we are “used to” and what we can “tolerate”.  What Alaskans think of as cold in January may be quite different than what we perceive as cold in the lower 48.  Specific contributing factors may also affect a person’s susceptibility to cold temperatures such as getting wet, exhaustion, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, diabetes, and general poor physical condition.

General good practices for working in cold weather include:

  • Planning routine maintenance on outdoor equipment for warmer seasons.
  • Let others know where you will be working and when you will return.
  • Dressing in layers so clothing may be added or taken off in specific instances.
  • Keeping dry. Keep extra dry clothes, gloves, and shoes/boots nearby.
  • Protecting ears, face, hands, feet, and head. Extremities away from the body core have less blood flow and are more difficult to keep warm.
  • Taking breaks in warm locations.
  • Staying hydrated. Not often thought of as an issue in cold weather, but just as important.

In some cases, cold-related illness and injuries will occur.  It is important to know the symptoms so you can watch yourself and others for signs.

Hypothermia:

  • Body loses heat faster than it can be produced.
  • Symptoms are shivering, fatigue, confusion, disorientation.
  • Can be mild to severe depending on symptoms.

Frostbite:

  • Actual freezing of tissue.
  • Symptoms are numbness, stinging, or pain and top layer of skin feeling hard and rubbery.
  • Wear appropriate clothing and seek medical attention if symptoms remain after 30 minutes.

Trench foot:

  • Feet lose heat due to cold or wetness too long and tissue becomes damaged.
  • Symptoms include swelling and pain in the feet. Differs from frostbite in that the skin does not actually freeze.
  • Keep feet warm and dry.

Cold weather injuries are preventable.  Take the time to make the necessary plans for yourself and your workers to stay warm and dry and safely get the job done.

Wayne Dellinger, ANR Educator Union County, can be reached at 937-644-8117 ex. 3024 or dellinger.6@osu.edu. This column is provided by the OSU Extension Agricultural Safety and Health Team. https://agsafety.osu.edu/.

2025 Farm Office Live Winter Series

The farm office team is excited to release the dates for our 2025 Farm Office Live winter series and invites you to put a placeholder on your calendars for these events. The webinars will be held on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on:

  • January 17
  • February 21
  • March 28 and
  • April 25

You can sign up for these webinars (and find past recordings) at: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farmofficelive

Below are details for the tentative agenda for the January 17, 2025 edition

    • Legislative Round-Up
    • Farm Business Analysis Program Update
    • Long-Term Care Update
    • Quarterly Fertilizer Update
    • Crop Input Outlook
    • Livestock Outlook
    • 1099 Reminders
    • Farm Policy & Farm Bill
    • Winter Program Update

2025 Southwestern Ohio Small Farm Management College

Location: Wilmington College, Wilmington, OH

Dates: February 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Cost: $80 for the first family member.  Each additional family member is $40 per person.  Each family receives only one binder of resources.  Participants are expected to attend every session.


Registration: Pre-registration is required.  Registration deadline is January 31, 2025.

2025 Southwestern Ohio Small Farm Management College

Contact Information: Greg Meyer, (513)695-1853 or meyer.213@osu.edu


Syllabus highlights:

Session I:       February 5, 2025   Getting Started on Your New Farm Business

Session II:       February 12, 2025   You Can’t Measure What You Don’t Track (Farm Recordkeeping, Budgets and Taxes)

Session III:      February 19, 2025  The Legal Side of Small Farm Management

Session IV:       February 26, 2025 Money, money, money!  The Financial Side of Small Farm Management

USDA Increases Funding for New Specialty Crop Program; Reminds Producers of Upcoming Deadlines

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop producers to apply for assistance for marketing and food safety certification expenses. Specifically, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing an additional $650 million in funding for the new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program and extending the MASC application deadline to Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Meanwhile, FSA also reminds specialty crop producers of the Jan. 31, 2025, deadline to apply for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program for 2024 expenses.

Farmer and Farmland Owner Tax Webinar

The December Edition of Farm Office Live will be a special edition focused on tax issues. This webinar will be held on December 6th from 10am to noon.

Are you a farmer or farmland owner wanting to learn more about the recent income tax law changes and proposals? If so, join OSU Extension Educators Barry Ward, Jeff Lewis, Robert Moore and David Marrison as they discuss issues related to farmer and farmland owner tax returns, tax planning in a low income/drought year, CAUV and property tax, the Residual Fertility Deduction and other income tax issues that may affect farmers and farmland owners for the 2024 tax season and beyond.

This two-hour program will be presented in a live webinar format via Zoom. Individuals who operate farms, own property, or are involved with renting farmland are encouraged to participate.

Register for this free webinar at https://go.osu.edu/farmofficelive

This Farmer and Farmland Owner Tax Webinar will focus on a number of tax issues listed here:

  • Farm Economy and Tax Planning
  • Tax Planning in Low Income/Drought Years
  • Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Reporting
  • Pending Sunset of Larger Estate Tax Exclusion Amount (Unified Credit)
  • Residual Fertility/Fertilizer Deduction
  • Clean Fuel Production Credit (I.R.C. § 45Z)
  • Current Ag Use Valuation (CAUV) Changes in 2024
  • IRC § 45Q – Credit for Carbon Oxide Sequestration
  • Farm Loan Immediate Relief Under Inflation Reduction Act: Income Tax Options Triggered by Corrected 1099s
  • Taxability of USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Awards
  • Pending Expiration (Sunsetting) of other Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) Provisions

Presenters include: Barry Ward, David Marrison, Jeff Lewis and Robert Moore.

Farm Office Live Scheduled for October 18

 

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 Income Tax Schools

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. 16th. 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.

Farmer Tax Webinar 2024

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

Ag Tax Issues Webinar

Tax practitioners, farmers, and farmland owners are encouraged to connect to the Agricultural and Natural Resources Income Tax Issues Webinar (via Zoom) on December 19th from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University.

The webinar focuses on issues specific to farm tax returns related to agriculture and natural resources and will highlight timely topics and new regulations.

The program is an intermediate-level course for tax preparers whose clients include farmers and rural landowners. The webinar will also benefit farmers who prepare and file their own taxes.

Tentative topics to be covered during the Ag Tax Issues webinar include:

  • New Legislation and Hot Topics
  • Tax Planning for Lean Years
  • Conservation Issues
  • Disaster and Drought Tax Issues
  • Entity Tax Issues: Split Interest Purchases, Partnership Issues
  • Expensing and Depreciation, with a deep dive on Section 179
  • Retirement Issues
  • Lease v. Purchase, Capital Leases on the Farm
  • Selling and Trading Property

 

The cost for the one-day school is $180 if registered by December 5th. After December 5th, the registration increases to $230. Additionally, the course has been approved for the following continuing education credits:

  • Accountancy Board of Ohio, CPAs (6 hours)
  • Office of Professional Responsibility, IRS (6 hours)
  • Supreme Court of Ohio, Attorneys (5 hours)

Registration includes the Agricultural Tax Issues Workbook. Early registration (at least two weeks prior to the webinar) guarantees that you’ll receive a workbook prior to the webinar.

The live webinar will also feature options for interaction and the ability to ask questions about the presented material.

More information on the workshop, including how to register, can be found at: https://go.osu.edu/2024agtaxissues

For any questions, please get in touch with Barry Ward at ward.8@osu.edu or Jeff Lewis at lewis.1459@osu.edu