Archive for Tax Planning

Maximizing Qualified Tuition Program Contributions

Qualified Tuition Programs, commonly referred to as Section 529 plans (named after the section of the IRS Code that created them), are plans established to help families save and pay for college in a tax-advantaged way and are available to everyone, regardless of income. These state-sponsored plans allow you to gift large sums of money […]

Saver’s Credit Can Help You Save for Retirement

Low- and moderate-income workers can take steps to save for retirement and earn a special tax credit. The saver’s credit helps offset part of the first $2,000 workers voluntarily contribute to traditional or Roth Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), SIMPLE-IRAs, SEPs, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans for employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations, 457 plans […]

Revising Your W-4? Seek Professional Advice.

Article Highlights: Form W-4 is used to establish payroll-withholding amounts. Incorrectly completed W-4s can result in under-withholding and unexpected year-end tax liability. The IRS’s W-4 calculator is only suitable for simple returns. Commonly encountered problems in getting the W-4 completed to establish the proper amount of withholding. This time of year, many employers will request […]

Did You Get Married in 2013?

Article Highlights: E-filing is not possible if married name does not match Social Security Administration (SSA) records. Use SSA Form SS-5 to update SSA records. A married status may produce unexpected tax results. If you got married during 2013, don’t forget to notify the Social Security Administration (SSA), IRS, and Postal Service of your address […]

Understanding the Health Insurance Mandate

Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will impose the new requirement that all people in the United States, with certain exceptions, have minimum essential health care insurance or they will be subject to a penalty. How this will affect your family will depend upon a number of issues. Already Insured If you have insurance […]

Maximize Your American Opportunity for Education Tax Benefits

Article Highlights: American Opportunity Credit provides up to $2,500 of tax credit for the cost of post-secondary tuition in each of the first four years of attendance. The credit may be partially refundable. Credit is claimed on the tax return of the individual claiming the student’s tax exemption. The $2,500 credit is a per-student limitation, […]

16 Tax Issues Facing Small Business Owners in 2014

2014 will be a challenging tax year for businesses and higher-income taxpayers. The following issues are concerns that may impact you and your company’s tax liability in the new year. Small Business Health Insurance Credit – The tax credit to small employers (25 or fewer equivalent full-time employees) that provide an affordable health insurance plan […]

Tax Breaks for Charity Volunteers

If you volunteer your time for a charity, you may qualify for tax breaks. Although no tax deduction is allowed for the value of services performed for a charity, some deductions are permitted for out-of-pocket costs incurred while performing the services. The normal deduction limits and substantiation rules also apply. The following are some examples: […]

Individual Estimated Tax Payments for 2013 Start Soon

Our tax system is a “pay-as-you-go” system, and if your pre-paid amount is not enough, you become liable for non-deductible interest penalties. To facilitate that concept, the government has provided several means of assisting taxpayers in meeting the “pay-as-you-go” requirement. The primary among these include: Payroll withholding for employees; Pension withholding for retirees; and Estimated […]

2013 Will Hit Higher-Income Taxpayers Hard – Be Prepared

Now that Congress has passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) and avoided the so-called “fiscal cliff,” higher-income taxpayers need to brace for higher taxes. There are numerous provisions in the ATRA that don’t provide the higher-income taxpayer any relief, and when these are combined with the provisions of the 2010 Affordable Health […]