A clearer place to start.

An Enrolled Agent is a federally licensed tax professional. Matthew can represent taxpayers before the IRS in federal tax matters, including conversations related to notices, audits, collections, appeals, and other resolution questions within the scope of the engagement. State representation depends on the state and the matter.

Yes. Brick Taxes serves clients remotely across the United States through a secure online client portal and mobile app. The practice is based in Brick Township, New Jersey.

There are four formats: in-office, completely remote, hybrid, and secure mailbox drop-off. The right starting point depends on how you prefer to share documents and review the work.

The secure portal and mobile app support document upload, return and briefing review, IRS-valid e-signatures, and online payment. They provide a secure place to work with Brick Taxes, not a live IRS filing-status tracker, but our app provides a status of your return - Live!

You can discuss back taxes, unfiled returns, penalties, payment plans, audits, collections, and appeals, along with related IRS or state tax matters. The available next steps depend on the facts and scope of the matter.

Use the booking links below to choose an in-office, phone, mailbox, quarterly, or IRS/state tax-resolution appointment. If you are unsure which option fits, call or email before booking.

Call Brick Taxes at 732-540-1040 or email info@bricktaxes.com. You can also use the contact form to send a question without sharing sensitive tax documents.

A CP2000 is a notice about income the IRS believes was underreported. It is not an audit; it is usually generated when the IRS computer-matches your return with W-2s, 1099s, bank records, or other information reported to the agency. The notice gives you a response deadline, usually 30 days. You can agree and sign the response, disagree and explain why with supporting documents, or request more time. Interest and penalties can continue to accrue while the matter is unresolved. An enrolled agent can respond on your behalf and handle the back-and-forth. Brick Taxes enrolled agents represent taxpayers before the IRS on CP2000 matters. Read our full CP2000 guide.

Traditional IRA contributions may be tax-deductible, the account grows tax-deferred, and withdrawals are generally taxed as income. Roth IRA contributions are made with after-tax dollars, grow tax-free, and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. For 2026, the IRS sets the IRA contribution limit and the higher catch-up limit available to people age 50 and older. Income limits can affect Roth contributions and whether traditional IRA contributions are deductible. Brick Taxes can help you compare the choices for your income, retirement plan, and New Jersey situation. Read our Roth conversion and RMD strategy guide.

The home sale exclusion may let a single filer exclude up to $250,000 of gain from selling a primary home, or a married couple filing jointly exclude up to $500,000. Usually, you must have owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 of the 5 years before the sale, although exceptions can apply. The exclusion is for your main home, not a rental or investment property; depreciation claimed for a home office or rental portion generally has to be recaptured. If your gain exceeds the exclusion, report the sale on Form 8949 and Schedule D. For a New Jersey homeowner, the federal exclusion and NJ reporting still need to be considered together.

Self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare for self-employed people, who generally pay both the employee and employer shares. The combined rate is 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security up to the annual wage base plus 2.9% for Medicare, with an additional 0.9% Medicare tax above applicable thresholds. It is figured on Schedule SE using net profit from Schedule C. You may deduct the employer-equivalent half of the tax. Self-employment tax is paid with your return and, for many business owners, through estimated payments during the year. For the payment side, see our quarterly estimated-tax guide.

Self-employed taxpayers generally use a pay-as-you-go system because no employer is withholding tax from each check. Estimated payments are usually due roughly quarterly, and skipping them or paying too little can result in an underpayment penalty. Brick Taxes can help set up an estimated-tax payment plan that matches the timing and size of your income, including income that changes from month to month.