Archive for Taxes

Will Your 2018 Withholding Be Right?

Article Highlights: Tax Cuts & Jobs Act Wage Withholding Tables W-4 Be Cautious with Adjusted Withholding Note: The is one of a series of articles explaining how the various tax changes made by the GOP’s Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (referred to as the “Act” in the article), passed late in December 2017, might effect […]

New Tax Law Cracks Down on Home Mortgage Interest

Article Highlights: Acquisition Debt Interest Equity Debt Interest Consumer Interest New Tax Law Changes Note: The is one of a series of articles explaining how the various tax changes made by the GOP’s Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (referred to as the “Act” in the article), passed late in December 2017, might affect you and […]

2018 Standard Mileage Rates Announced

Article Highlights: Standard Mileage Rates for 2018 Business, Charitable and Medical Rates Important Considerations for 2018 Switching Between the Actual Expense and Standard Mileage Rate Methods Employer Reimbursements Employee Deductions Suspended Special Allowances for SUVs As it does every year, the Internal Revenue Service recently announced the inflation- adjusted 2018 optional standard mileage rates used […]

Medical Deductions & The New Tax Law

Article Highlights: Medical Deductions Retained by the Tax Reform Law Adjusted Gross Income Floor Dropped to 7.5% The Standard Deduction Bunching Medical Deductions Unusual Medical Deductions Medical Dependents Divorced Parents Note: The is one of a series of articles explaining how the various tax changes in the GOP’s Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (referred to […]

Take Advantage of the IRA-to-Charity Provision

Individuals age 70.5 or over—who must withdraw annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their IRAs—will be pleased to learn that the temporary provision allowing taxpayers to transfer up to $100,000 annually from their IRAs to qualified charities has been made permanent. If you are age 70.5 or over and have an IRA, taking advantage of […]

Proving Noncash Charitable Contributions

One of the most common tax-deductible charitable contributions encountered is that of household goods and used clothing. The major complication of this type of contribution is establishing the dollar value of the contribution. According to the tax code, this is the fair market value (FMV), which is defined as the value that a willing buyer […]

Household Help – Employee or Contractor?

Article Highlights: Household Employee Definition Employee Control Factors Self-employed or Employee Withholding Requirements Reporting Requirements Frequently taxpayers will hire an individual or firm to provide services at the taxpayer’s home. Because the IRS requires employers to withhold taxes for employees and issue them W-2s at the end of the year, the big question is whether […]

2015 Transition Relief under the Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions

Under the Affordable Care Act, certain employers – referred to as applicable large employers (ALEs) – are subject to the employer shared responsibility provisions, which require ALEs to offer affordable minimum essential coverage healthcare coverage that provides minimum value to full-time employees and their dependents (but not their spouses). Failure to do so can result […]

Not All Home Mortgage Interest Is Deductible; The IRS is Watching

One of the current IRS audit initiatives is checking to see if taxpayers are deducting too much home equity debt interest. Generally, taxpayers are allowed to deduct the interest on up to $1 million of home acquisition debt (includes subsequent debt incurred to make improvements, but not repairs) and the interest on up to $100,000 […]

Jointly or Separately? How to File After Saying I Do

Article Summary: Filing Options Married Filing Jointly Unpleasant Consequences Pleasant Consequences Married Filing Separately A taxpayer’s filing status for the year is based upon his or her marital status at the close of the tax year. Thus, if you get married on the last day of the tax year, you are treated as married for […]