It’s Time for Year-End Tax Planning
Article Highlights: Capital Gains and Losses Roth IRA Conversions Recharacterizing a Roth Conversion Minimum Required Distribution Annual Gift Tax Exemption Expensing Allowance (Sec 179 Deduction) Self-employed Retirement Plans Increase Basis For the past few years, year-end tax planning has been challenging due to the lateness of action by Congress. This year is no different because of […]
President’s Budget Proposal
The President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal was just released and includes a number of tax proposals that would increase the taxes on higher-income taxpayers and provide more tax breaks for low- to middle-income taxpayers. The following are some highlights of the budget proposal that would impact individuals and small businesses, but remember these are proposals […]
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 […]
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 […]
Prepared for the New Surtax?
As part of Obama Care, we have a new tax beginning in 2013. The official name of this tax is the “Unearned Income Medicare Contribution Tax,” and even though the name implies it is a contribution, don’t get the idea you deduct it as a charitable contribution. It is, in actuality, a surtax levied on […]
President Signs American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
President Obama on January 2 signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. The new law makes permanent Bush-era tax rates for individuals and couples with annual income of $400,000 and $450,000, respectively. The law also permanently indexes the alternative minimum tax for inflation, extends unemployment insurance benefits for one year and extends numerous business […]
It’s Tax Time! Are You Ready?
If you’re like most taxpayers, you find yourself with an ominous stack of “homework” around TAX TIME! Unfortunately, the job of pulling together the records for your tax appointment is never easy, but the effort usually pays off when it comes to the extra tax you save! When you arrive at your appointment and are […]
Congress Avoids the Fiscal Cliff
As we were going to press with this newsletter, the Senate and the House have voted on a last-minute budget deal worked out between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans averting the so-called fiscal cliff. Details of the deal were sketchy at press time, but here are some highlights of the compromise bill as provided […]
Will Capital Gains Be Changed?
Currently, capital gains rates for the sale of assets held over one year are taxed at 15% (0% to the extent a taxpayer is in the 15% or lower regular tax bracket), compared with a top tax of 35% for ordinary income. Without Congressional action, these rates will increase to 20% (18% for assets held […]
Reverse Mortgages: A Salvation For Seniors?
In recent months, we have seen a growing number of celebrities on TV promoting reverse mortgages. In today’s economy, many retirees are faced with mounting debt and inadequate incomes. For many, their home is their most valuable, and perhaps only, asset, but it is also their home and they really don’t want to sell it. […]
